The Curse of Penryth Hall

The Curse of Penryth Hall is the debut novel of Jess Armstrong. A well-paced Gothic story centered around superstition, folklore, and murder, it was a great read.

Ruby Vaughn is sent to the town of Lothlel Green in the Cornish countryside to deliver books for her friend and employer, Mr. Owen. She delivers a trunk of books to Ruan Kivell, the town Pellar -- healer, witch, and finder of stolen goods. While in Lothlel Green, she stops at Penryth Hall to visit Tamsyn Chenowyth, the woman of the house and a friend she hadn't seen in years. Since Ruby is so far from home, she stays the night at Penryth Hall, expecting to leave in the morning. But she's awoken by a dream and the feeling of someone strangling her, then the death bell starts to toll. Sir Edward has been found murdered in the orchard, thus reigniting the curse of Penryth Hall. If the curse is real, then Tamsyn will be next. Can Ruby, along with Ruan, find out the truth?

This is a novel steeped in superstition and folklore. Can the Pellar really heal people? What is the connection between Ruby and Ruan? The town believes in the curse because thirty years ago the same thing happened to Sir Edward's uncle, but are curses real or is there a murderer in their midst?

The characters are well-written and fully developed. We get a lot of background between Ruby and Tamsyn, who used to be extremely close. Ruan is an interesting, likeable character who brings something different to the story. All the other side characters have their own voices and small stories.

The plot moves along at a nice pace, and the mystery has a few red herrings. Could Tamsyn have killed Sir Edward? Was it one of his mistresses or their husband? Or was it truly the curse?

All in all, a great Gothic mystery debut from Jess Armstrong. If you enjoy those genres, or a murder set in the rainy Cornish countryside, then this is definitely for you!