Review by Kelly Jarvis: The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston

The beautiful cover of this book and the promise of a cathedral setting which houses an ancient chained library had me salivating to begin reading, and Paula Brackston’s The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish did not disappoint! The story takes place in England, 1881, where Hecate Cavendish, who is in no rush to marry, accepts a job as the new Assistant Librarian at the Hereford cathedral. The cathedral is known for its collection of obscure books, many of which are kept under lock and key. It also houses the Mappa Mundi, the oldest and largest medieval map which can be used to navigate people’s beliefs, legends, and histories. Hecate is not only drawn to the map, which is covered in strange animated symbols, but she also learns that she can commune with the dead who reside in the crypt beneath the ground.

This book is a fun mystery story with some supernatural twists, and while the ending felt a bit abrupt, Brackston is setting up a series about Hecate which promises to be entertaining. I love Hecate’s spunky character, witty humor, and the way she rails against the feminine conventions of the Victorian period. Her relationship with her father, an archeologist who travels the world excavating gravesites, is particularly endearing since he once received a prophecy that he “would have a daughter with hair the color of a sunrise who would have a gift.” It is Hecate’s father who named her after the goddess who acts as a liminal guide between the crossroads of dark and light, living and dead. He also gifts his daughter a cameo of Hekate with her keys, torch, and snakes, cementing his daughter’s important role in communicating with the dead.

Rich in folklore and filled with mystery, The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish will delight those who enjoy a contemporary spin on the Victorian Era and those looking for an exciting new series that blends the supernatural with the everyday world. I really enjoyed it!

You can find it here.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review, Mermaids Monthly, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, and Corvid Queen. Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/