Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Lovers of lavish Gothic worlds will be sure to pick up this story imbued with romance, wealth, and mystery. Nineteen-year-old Signa first met Death as an infant when everyone died at a party welcoming her into the world. Now, just months away from gaining her inheritance, and after the deaths of a string of grasping guardians, Signa comes to Thorn Grove, the estate of the Hawthornes. Here she hopes to find relatives who will accept her but instead faces mystery and secrets. She discovers that Blythe, the daughter of the house is being poisoned, and believes that Blythe’s mother, Lillian, had died from poisoning as well. Knowing that Death may be able to help her, she uses belladonna to summon him, asking for his help in solving the mysteries of Thorn Grove.

Signa’s desire to be a proper young lady and enter society soon clashes with her independent spirit as she realises the restrictions that society places on young women. She does not want to be bound by rules that make her uncomfortable and limit her skills and abilities.

Belladonna has all the hallmarks of a gothic mystery, with some supernatural fantasy tossed in as well. Thorn Grove is haunted by the ghost of the woman who claims she has been murdered; there is a dank graveyard, thorny woods, and wild rides at midnight. The attraction that Signa feels for Sylas the handsome groom who had escorted her to the manor and the enigmatic Death who wants her to control her burgeoning powers will thrill romance lovers, while there is enough action to keep the reader immersed in the story. The author has also left an opening at the end of the book for a sequel.

Themes: Gothic mystery, Romance, Death, Murder.

Pat Pledger