Practical, unassuming Jane Shoringfield has done the calculations, and decided that the most secure path forward is this: a husband, in a marriage of convenience, who will allow her to remain independent and occupied with meaningful work. Her first choice, the dashing but reclusive doctor Augustine Lawrence, agrees to her proposal with only one condition: that she must never visit Lindridge Hall, his crumbling family manor outside of town. Yet on their wedding night, an accident strands her at his door in a pitch-black rainstorm, and she finds him changed. Gone is the bold, courageous surgeon, and in his place is a terrified, paranoid man—one who cannot tell reality from nightmare, and fears Jane is an apparition, come to haunt him.
By morning, Augustine is himself again, but Jane knows something is deeply wrong at Lindridge Hall, and with the man she has so hastily bound her safety to. Set in a dark-mirror version of post-war England, Starling crafts a new kind of gothic horror from the bones of the beloved canon. This Crimson Peak-inspired story assembles, then upends, every expectation set in place by Shirley Jackson and Rebecca, and will leave readers shaken, desperate to begin again as soon as they are finished.
⤖ My Review ⬻
The first thing that caught my eye about The Death of Jane Lawrence was the cover. While I’ve seen many book covers featuring hands over the years, something about this one made me want to look closer while also making me feel unsettled and like I should look away. The second thing that caught me was the blurb about it being inspired by Crimson Peak, one of my favourite horror movies.
I love Crimson Peak for its visual aesthetic, and the horror elements. But I also love it for the storyline—so I really hoped that The Death of Jane Lawrence would deliver on the storyline (and hopefully the horror elements if I was lucky), since visual aesthetic isn’t really measurable in a book.
What is measurable in a book, however, is the atmosphere an author creates with their words, and I can tell you that I absolutely loved the atmosphere in The Death of Jane Lawrence! It gave me Crimson Peak vibes for sure. And I can also confirm that the storyline and the horror elements were great as well!
I was unable to read much from The Death of Jane Lawrence after sunset, which to me is a big indicator of how creeped out I was. The last thing I wanted to add was regarding the storyline. Not only was the story well planned and executed, I also loved the amount of detail (and likely research) that went into it. Definitely recommend!
Great review! I’m hoping to start this some time this week, so I was excited to see that you enjoyed it
Thank you, Destiny! I hope you enjoy it too 🙂