L. S. Johnson

Harkworth Hall, set in England of 1752, is a young adult mystery novel that follows Caroline Daniels, the daughter of a long-standing widow. While her father expects her to marry, as is expected of all fine ladies, Caroline’s brash attitude and boyish curiosity lead her down a different path.

This was a book I just could not put down. The writer had me hooked from start to finish, with quirky characters I came to love. My favourites were Caroline and the mysterious Mr Chase. While I adored show more Caroline’s refusal to obey society’s protocols for women and her level of determination and bravery, Mr Chase took this concept to a whole new level. They had a natural chemistry with Miss Daniel’s and appeared devoted to her from their first meeting. As a dark plot develops and blood is spilled, Mr Chase stops at nothing to warn Caroline of the dangers that lurk around Harkworth Hall.

The novel was written beautifully. It possessed an effortless grace when it came to the flow of the words, with non-stop action that keeps the blood pumping. The words themselves sing, the word choice perfect for evoking emotion within each and every scene.

I would recommend this book to both mystery and young adult book lovers. It was a true gem to read and I am thankful that the book was brought to my attention.

Easily rated 5 stars. show less

This is my favorite of the series so far. Magnus and Adrian have great chemistry, and their trek through Florence is exciting. L.S. Johnson makes the past come alive in an atmospheric, beautifully written novella.

I enjoyed the majority of this book except for one story. It was a great collection the paranormal/supernatural stories. Really off the wall subjects that kept my attention and wanting to know what happens next. As usual, my review of each story is listed below:

Little Men with Knives - My favorite story in the book. Story about gnomes and a woman who figures out how to use the little critters to her advantage. Great ending!

Vacui Magia - The only story I didn't like and couldn't finish. I show more think it was because it was a little too much with the baby bones and I just didn't care for how to witchcraft.

The Pursuit of the WHole is Called Love - Different and strange story about a being who is separated into two and posing as humans. I liked it. It was written beautifully and I get the premise. Sad ending.

Germinant - Story about a girl who fell in the soil and came out one with the earth. At first I was confused what happened, but the ending made a lot more sense.

Vendemiaire - Story about a girl who's mother is a witch and leaves her family for the devil. Interesting story that gets better as the story goes on. It was a little too much when she went into the wall but other than that, I enjoyed it.

This is How You Lose Yourself - Very quick story about something being darkness and being out in the woods. It was okay. Not one of my favorites.

Clotho - Three generations of weavers and the daughter finally goes out on a date. Very strange and interesting tale. I finally understood it towards the end but was left with a lot of questions.

Julie - A prostitute realizes she is the subject of a book and is not too happy about it. Where the supernatural twist comes in, is she meets a being that turns her into a dog to get her revenge. Good story and great ending. show less

I learned about this collection just recently and can’t believe I missed it when it came out. Everything in here is my favorite sort of weird. I especially loved “Little Men with Knives” and “The Pursuit of the Whole Is Called Love.”