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Mina Murray lives a safe life, a predictable life. It’s the only way that she can tame the chaos and the fear. Working as a psychiatrist in a government-funded facility, she feels that she has the best of both worlds: she can support not only her bank account but her passion. Mina works with women suffering from extreme trauma which is where we met her peculiar new patient, Renee.
Shortly after, a new character is introduced to us�� After twelve years of silence, Mina receives an email from her estranged best friend, Lucy, practically begging Mina for her “professional help��. It is with severe hesitation that Mina returns to her hometown of Tylluan to help her old friend but when she arrives, she is forced to face her past along with whatever strange illness her friend is currently suffering from which has odd similarities to her new patient.

This book is being considered by many a “remix�� of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with “familiar characters��. Considering I have not yet gotten around to reading Dracula—I know, I know!—I cannot speak to that. I find that I am not usually a fan of modern retellings on classics anyway so I think that that is for the best as I was able to read this story wholly on its own without drawing any comparisons.

Some epistolary parts—audio recording scripts, patient file reports, emails, etc—which I always find intriguing when done well in a story. The synopsis of this sounded quite fascinating but there were plot holes and conveniences that took away from the story for me. I had a difficult time getting in to this book and I had a difficult time finishing it. This one didn’t do it for me but it might just be the perfect spooky season read for you.

Give it a go when it comes out on 08/27/2024! Thank you NetGalley for my digital copy.