A Dreadful Splendor: A Novel

Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop

Historical fiction with a dash of mystery A Dreadful Splendor follows Genevieve as she uses her fake spiritualist gifts to bring a murderer to light on a cliffside mansion.

A Dreadful Splendor follows Genevieve, a fake spiritualist whose life is on the line. She is blackmailed into service to help a grieving man move on. However, the “grieving” man has his own plans.

Atmospheric
Myers did a fantastic job of capturing the gothic atmosphere with the storytelling. A crumbling castle on the seaside was exceedingly gothic and reminded me of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” And when the strange and unusual happen around the fake spiritualist, the reader begins to second-guess the events around her.

Seeing the story unfold ever so slowly is chilling and thrilling. Myer’s built up the rising tension with misdirection and snippets of information here and there. The additional journal entries of Audra were also a lovely touch. Genevieve is trying to solve a murder to save her own skin. And as that tension builds, so does the romance between Genevieve and Mr. Pemperton, who we learn had no romantic interest in Audra.

Excellent Character Development
The romance between the two characters begins curtly. She is trying to rob him and run away to save herself from the gallows while he knows exactly why she is there. While everyone thinks he is grieving, he is trying to solve a murder and enlists her help to do so. Thus begins an uneasy truce that blossoms into a genuine friendship that soon develops into a romance.

The development of their relationship came off effortlessly. It sounds as though it could be a cliché. Still, it works because there is this push between the characters and an eagerness between them to understand each other.

They fall into a friendship with ease, making their romance believable. This also allows both characters to face their dark pasts, reveal their secrets, and grow from them.

Genevieve still carries the loss of her mother on her shoulders, while he carries the loss of his mother. Both have been unable to move on, plagued by guilt. So, to see them move forward, rise above it and find love in those moments was touching.

Final Thoughts
An excellent gothic novel, A Dreadful Splendor has the perfect amount of romance and mystery to keep the reader entertained until the last unpredictable minute.

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I had low expectations for this book, and then I found myself getting super into it. I listened to it on audiobook (good narrator) and I found myself wanting to get back to it and thinking about it when I wasn't listening. Sometimes with audiobooks my mind drifts and I miss things, but I was laser focused and trying to piece all the information together and make deductions and predictions. I was happy I figured some stuff out, but there were also a couple twists that I enjoyed. There was a twist towards the end that kind of ruined the story a bit for me I understand the dramatic irony of having the main character fooled into thinking there is a ghost when she has been peddling false ones herself, but I always prefer my stories to have actual supernatural stuff rather than just "maybe supernatural, oh just kidding.", I also was really sad at what happened to Audra's character. I wish she hadn't just flipped a switch and gone so violent so suddenly. It was a bit foreshadowed with her family history, but it felt too out of character with the rest of her story. , but the following events and epilogue helped make up for it, so I wasn't too disappointed and still came away with an overall positive experience. Great spooky seaside estate vibes, lots of twists and mysteries, very suspenseful. Nothing super graphic happens on the page. The main character was fairly clever and observant although I feel like she dropped the ball/picked up the idiot ball a few times, The romance was actually decent, I liked them together.

A slow burn romance, a mystery, lies and deceit! This book had everything I was looking for and more! I really enjoyed this read, from beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat and wanting more. Quick read for me, read it in 1 sitting and want more!!! For fans of slow burn romances and murder mysteries!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!