The Daughters of Block Island
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-11-02 17:21:58
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Christa Carmen
- ISBN：B0BRBP2142
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
thevampireslibrary
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Did someone say ATMOSPHERIC GOTHIC MYSTERY NOVEL？？ Crumbling castles， secrets， murder。。need I go on？！ The writing is hauntingly beautiful and the story reveals itself slowly in true gothic dreary fashion， this felt like a classic gothic mystery with elements of historical fiction， I really enjoyed this， I would recommend to fans of who done its， mystery and horror
Kevin Granfield
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I couldn’t put this book down。 It was so intriguing because it brought me deep into the minds of the characters and the mystery/suspense of the interesting plot， but also intertwined modern day family ties and addiction。 Beautifully written and intellectually stimulating！
Jody Blanchette
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The Daughters Of Block Island is a nod to classic Gothic literature， with modern tones。 With a persistent rain， that seems to really set the mood for the book， the story is soaked in ghostly atmospheric vibes that pull you in。 I just happened to read this book on a rainy weekend， with no other plans， and found myself completely sucked in。 I’ve been to Block Island before， and am familiar with most of the layout of the island。 So I was completely transported there， almost smelling the salty air。 The Daughters Of Block Island is a nod to classic Gothic literature， with modern tones。 With a persistent rain， that seems to really set the mood for the book， the story is soaked in ghostly atmospheric vibes that pull you in。 I just happened to read this book on a rainy weekend， with no other plans， and found myself completely sucked in。 I’ve been to Block Island before， and am familiar with most of the layout of the island。 So I was completely transported there， almost smelling the salty air。 There is so much Block history in this book， which has it reading like Historical Fiction。 But， Christa Carmen put her twist on the original history of White Hall， taking the book to another level。 The book becomes a fast paced thriller， complete with murder， secrets and scandal。 Oh and there are some underground tunnels， secret passageways， and an ominous Victorian ghost。 There is so much going on in this book， with so many characters to watch， but it never gets confusing。 It’s so well written， and completely believable。 I want this to be the real story of White Hall。 The Daughters Of Block Island also tells an unsettling story of inherited violence， substance abuse， sexual assault， and toxic family dynamics。 This is all woven so well into the story， that when they pop up as little plot propellers， you find the story transforming from a cookie cutter murder mystery to a very deep， and unsettling dark thriller。 I do believe the book is supposed to be horror， but I found it to be very light on gore。 It passes as a dark thriller， and shouldn’t deter those that read based on genre categories。 This book is really excellent for anyone。 。。。more
Lindsay
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The Daughters of Block Island is perfect for fans of Gothic novels！ We follow two sisters who never had the chance to know each other。 A newly sober Blake has grown up in orphanages and foster care。 She travels to Block Island seeking answers from her birth mother。 Her search brings her to a very creepy B&B on Block Island's rocky shores。 She manages to send a letter to Thalia， the older sister she never knew， but unfortunately dies soon after。 Upon receiving Blake's letter， Thalia returns home The Daughters of Block Island is perfect for fans of Gothic novels！ We follow two sisters who never had the chance to know each other。 A newly sober Blake has grown up in orphanages and foster care。 She travels to Block Island seeking answers from her birth mother。 Her search brings her to a very creepy B&B on Block Island's rocky shores。 She manages to send a letter to Thalia， the older sister she never knew， but unfortunately dies soon after。 Upon receiving Blake's letter， Thalia returns home to Block Island looking for answers of her own。 Why did her mother keep the pregnancy a secret and who is responsible for Blake's death？The atmosphere in this book was so eerie， with the constant rain and isolated setting of Block Island。 There were some genuine creepy moments throughout the story， as well as a solid murder mystery。 I look forward to seeing what Christa Carmen has in store for us in the future！Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Dana
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{3。5 stars}When Talia gets a letter in the mail from a sister she never knew she had， she is rightly shocked。 As she starts to research this woman’s name， she finds out she was murdered just after the letter was sent。 Now， to get answers she must go back to the isolated island she has fled from and face her mother， who she hasn’t spoken to in a decade。 When she gets there， she realizes the island has more secrets than she knew and her reality is completely upended。 The more information she gathe {3。5 stars}When Talia gets a letter in the mail from a sister she never knew she had， she is rightly shocked。 As she starts to research this woman’s name， she finds out she was murdered just after the letter was sent。 Now， to get answers she must go back to the isolated island she has fled from and face her mother， who she hasn’t spoken to in a decade。 When she gets there， she realizes the island has more secrets than she knew and her reality is completely upended。 The more information she gathers， the more danger she is in。This was a like， not a love for me。 I definitely liked the Gothic vibes and the old mansion house。 But I didn’t really connect to Talia or Blake as much as I wanted to in order to feel their terror。 I did really like their mother Maureen， but we didn’t get that many scenes with her。 While I liked the vibes， I think in the end， it just wasn’t twisty enough for me。Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for gifted access via Netgalley。 All opinions above my own。 。。。more
Ashley Gillan
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This book is told in two parts: in the first， we follow the story of Blake， who， having discovered the identity of her birth mother， arrives on Block Island， hoping to meet her biomom。 But once on the island and checked into the island’s grand bed & breakfast， White Hall， finds herself surrounded by mystery and intrigue。 Feeling pulled into the island’s past， Blake feels like she’s in the middle of a gothic novel she can’t get out of - and she doesn’t。 But before she’s found dead， she sends off This book is told in two parts: in the first， we follow the story of Blake， who， having discovered the identity of her birth mother， arrives on Block Island， hoping to meet her biomom。 But once on the island and checked into the island’s grand bed & breakfast， White Hall， finds herself surrounded by mystery and intrigue。 Feeling pulled into the island’s past， Blake feels like she’s in the middle of a gothic novel she can’t get out of - and she doesn’t。 But before she’s found dead， she sends off a letter to a sister she never knew she had， Thalia。 In the second part of the book， Thalia returns to Block Island to face her and her mother’s demons and figure out happened to her sister。 But some people are determined to keep the past buried， no matter the cost。This book was really good。 Like really good。 It has the perfect mixture of gothic atmosphere and present-day mystery， mixed with historic elements and creepiness。 It was a great page-turner in that made me want to just keep reading and reading to figure out what was going on because there were a lot of moving parts， but they weren’t overly confusing。 I could easily follow the plot and keep everything straight。 The ending was really good and felt appropriate for the book。 I also liked the focus on female characters， as you can probably guess from the title。 But seeing all the different characteristics of each character was awesome。 Each character was unique and had their own struggles。 It was nice to see that kind of range in female roles in a story， and not have them all just be wooden。 The women took the lead and that was precisely the way it should have been。I’m really glad I read this coming up into the Halloween season。 It was a perfect atmospheric choice for the season。 Anyone looking for a modern-day gothic thriller will enjoy this one a lot！ 。。。more
Cody Mower
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What an absolute gothic powerhouse。 The atmosphere was pitch perfect and the Carmen's ability to weave the threads together to form such a haunting read was a delight。 Perfect for the spooky season， or any season really。 What an absolute gothic powerhouse。 The atmosphere was pitch perfect and the Carmen's ability to weave the threads together to form such a haunting read was a delight。 Perfect for the spooky season， or any season really。 。。。more
Tammy
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The nitty-gritty: Fans of eerie， gothic fiction will not want to miss The Daughters of Block Island， a contemporary thriller dripping with atmosphere。“She looks back to see White Hall looming behind her like a haunted house。 Like a nightmare。 Like the cover of a horror novel。 It bares its teeth， beckons her through the rain and the gloom beyond the skeletal branches of the waiting mulberry forest—for it’s after midnight， and the previously bright moon has pulled a cloud over itself like a blanke The nitty-gritty: Fans of eerie， gothic fiction will not want to miss The Daughters of Block Island， a contemporary thriller dripping with atmosphere。“She looks back to see White Hall looming behind her like a haunted house。 Like a nightmare。 Like the cover of a horror novel。 It bares its teeth， beckons her through the rain and the gloom beyond the skeletal branches of the waiting mulberry forest—for it’s after midnight， and the previously bright moon has pulled a cloud over itself like a blanket。”I’m so glad I discovered Christa Carmen， and The Daughters of Block Island was the perfect book to read for spooky season。 Carmen has written a meta gothic tale that hearkens back to stories like Jane Eyre， Wuthering Heights or The Mysteries of Udolpho， and she nails the Gothic sensibility perfectly。 The “meta” element comes into play with the character of Blake Bronson， who grew up on old gothic tales （The Mysteries of Udolpho was her favorite）， and once she arrives on Block Island， she realizes she might just be living in a gothic story herself。 This book is also perfect for readers looking for something a bit darker than usual， since it’s almost Halloween， but who don’t like horror novels。 I would call this a mystery/thriller， since there aren’t any supernatural elements， but the author’s wonderful descriptions of the rain-soaked， cliff-side mansion that dominates the story put it firmly in the “eerie” category。The story opens with a mysterious letter。 Thalia Mills grew up on Block Island， but she hasn’t been back in years。 Her mother Maureen still lives there， working as a waitress in a high end restaurant。 But when Thalia receives a letter from a woman named Blake Bronson， her world is turned upside down。 In the letter， Blake claims to be Thalia’s sister—a sister she didn’t know she had—and included with the letter is a copy of Blake’s birth certificate， naming her mother as Maureen Mills。 Right after reading the letter， Thalia hears about a death on Block Island。 Twenty-six year old Blake Bronson was found dead in her bathtub， and Fiona Searles， the owner of the B&B where Blake was staying， has been arrested for the murder。Thalia immediately leaves for Block Island， determined to solve the mystery of what happened to Blake， as well as confront her mother。 Why didn’t Maureen ever tell her she had a sister？ Who is the Mulberry Maiden？ And how is Blake’s death connected to White Hall， the looming mansion where she was found dead？ Thalia is about to uncover decades worth of family secrets， but she needs to hurry before she becomes the next victim。The first part of the story is told from Blake’s point of view， so the reader gets to see what happens to her on Block Island， including her gruesome murder （although the details are fuzzy because at this point we don’t know the identity of the killer）。 The second part picks up several weeks after and is Thalia’s story， as she navigates an uncomfortable reunion with her mother and attempts to find out what happened to Blake。 Carmen spins a twisty tale about family secrets， domestic abuse， orphans and drug addicts， with an atmospheric setting as a backdrop。 At the center of everything is White Hall， the epitome of Gothic mansions， where the ghost of Mary Searles just might haunt the halls。 The author’s writing style is perfect for her story， and I became completely immersed in Blake’s and Thalia’s journeys to find the truth。Besides Blake and Thalia， we meet the girls’ mother Maureen， a substance abuser with a horrible secret in her past。 At first I didn’t like her at all， but later you learn why she’s so cold， and I felt so sorry for her。 Aileen is the proprietress at White Hall， and she’s also the sister of Fiona， the woman accused of Blake’s murder。 Thalia intends to interview every single person on the island connected to her mother， but Aileen isn’t interested in telling her anything—at first。 Then we have Martin Dempsey， who owns half the town and is connected to Maureen and Fiona in some very unpleasant ways。 In typical murder mystery fashion， the author casts suspicion on just about every character before the truth is finally revealed at the end of the story。 It was great fun watching Thalia solve the mystery of Blake’s death， as well as her quest to learn more about Maureen’s past and why she kept Blake a secret all these years。Carmen uses typical Gothic tropes to great effect， like the non-stop rain that falls almost the entire story; the crumbling mini replica of White Hall that stands apart from the house， close to the cliffs; a scary， thrilling scene involving underground tunnels， and much more。 The story maintains a wonderfully old-fashioned feel， even though it takes place in the present day， and I was so impressed by how easy it was to fall into it。 The author gives her story extra depth by including themes like substance addiction and domestic abuse， but don’t worry—this isn’t an “issue” book。 These elements felt natural to the characters and worked to make the plot even better。The final climax is suitably melodramatic and did not disappoint。 The author also includes a brief epilogue to explain where the characters ended up after those events， and I thought it was the perfect ending。 I cannot wait to read more from this talented author！Big thanks to Christa Carmen for providing a review copy。 。。。more
Melinda
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Grade: CI am a sucker for a good old gothic novel， and the allure of the gothic drew me to this title。 The problem was， no matter how many times I was told this was a gothic novel， it never felt that way。We start with Thalia receiving a letter from Blake， who ends up being her previously unknown half-sister。 Then， we find out what happens to Blake。 Then Thalia goes to find out what happens to Blake。 Hijinks ensue。 There is a house， White Hall， that tries to be the central gothic building， but it Grade: CI am a sucker for a good old gothic novel， and the allure of the gothic drew me to this title。 The problem was， no matter how many times I was told this was a gothic novel， it never felt that way。We start with Thalia receiving a letter from Blake， who ends up being her previously unknown half-sister。 Then， we find out what happens to Blake。 Then Thalia goes to find out what happens to Blake。 Hijinks ensue。 There is a house， White Hall， that tries to be the central gothic building， but it just isn't。To be fair， there were things that I liked with this one。 Carmen does a good job with the pace and I did keep turning the pages。 There are a number of crucial descriptive scenes that Carmen executes well and I could clearly see what she was trying to say。 But， ultimately， this book didn't work for me。 Not only did it fail to live up to its gothic promises， I found the main character of Blake to be just incredibly stupid。 She is supposed to be a lawyer and a lawyer should clearly know better than to make the choices she makes。 Also， as a lawyer， she would know how to get the information she needs and accomplish the things she needs to accomplish through legal means。 Instead， she's running around like an amateur sleuth with a death wish。Christa Carmen can write， and I'd be open to reading something else by her。 This， however， was not a success for me。I was given an electronic ARC of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Steve Stred
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Huge thanks to Christa for sending me a digital ARC of her debut novel！The Gothic novel。 Ahhh… my old nemesis。 Those dark corners， those subtle nods to the ‘otherness’ in the room… Much like Epistolary stories， Gothic stories can be a hit or miss for me， but having previously read （and greatly enjoyed） Christa’s work， I was very intrigued by what I’d discover on Block Island。This novel reviews itself slowly， layer by layer as more of the story is revealed and it seems like the perfect October-cu Huge thanks to Christa for sending me a digital ARC of her debut novel！The Gothic novel。 Ahhh… my old nemesis。 Those dark corners， those subtle nods to the ‘otherness’ in the room… Much like Epistolary stories， Gothic stories can be a hit or miss for me， but having previously read （and greatly enjoyed） Christa’s work， I was very intrigued by what I’d discover on Block Island。This novel reviews itself slowly， layer by layer as more of the story is revealed and it seems like the perfect October-curl-up-in-a-blanket-by-the-fire type novel， which I think will have fans of this type of story over the moon。What I liked: The novel begins with Thalia receiving a letter from a sister she didn’t know she had。 Blake has reached out from Block Island， a place Thalia told herself she’d never return to。 After doing some digging， she discovers that Blake passed away not long after sending the letter – and that Blake was on Block Island， searching for her own mom she’d never met， having been giving up for adoption， as well as for Thalia， the sister she didn’t know she had。Carmen does a wonderful job of keeping the complexities of this island and its inhabitants sinister， as though Blake （and later Thalia） and annoyances and intrusions， while being superficially friendly。 It captures the feeling one gets well， when going on vacation and having those who wish you stayed away let you know they wished you stayed away。There’s a delicate paint-brush-stroke-esque to the way Carmen reveals this story， a textured softness that belies the darkness that seeps into every cranny， a fascinating misting of the readers brain that says ‘don’t get too comfortable。’This remains in place up to （and including the afterword） the very end， when the story opens wide and the reveals take place。 While this novel does wear a lot of its influences on its sleeves， its that familiarity that keeps this grounded in a slow burning tension from page one until the very end。What I didn’t like: Like most Gothic stories of any length I read， I do struggle with some of the pacing。 Carmen keeps things moving and keeps the reader engaged， but for some it may possess a pace that is less than what they typically enjoy and will hinder their progression through such a wonderfully written novel。Why you should buy this: This novel feels like a modern throwback to the classics， where a rain-soaked woman is illuminated by the flash of lightening， while she flees from the horror within the home。Carmen has done an immaculate job of building the setting into the story as much as the characters drive the novel and throughout we get quick， sharp stabs of horror， which worked so well to keep the reader on their toes。As for me， I enjoyed it， but still had to work my way through it， this type of novel not one I’d normally ever go out and choose。 So， for me， this was a solid 3/5 read。 For those who’ll eat this one up and are desperately waiting for this to arrive， it’ll be an easy 5/5。 So， I’ll split the difference and go with a very solid 4/5 overall， and one I definitely suggest you grab if you love this type of book！ 。。。more
Kerry
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It’s always exciting to read an ARC。 It makes me feel like I’m in on an excellent secret！ And now that the release date for Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen nears （10 October， I believe， which is perfect for spooky season！） I can let you in on it， too。 So， this modern tale is told from two points of view。 The first is that of a recovering addict who discovered a bit about her mysterious past。 She travels to Block Island where she stays at an intriguing and properly creepy B&B while sh It’s always exciting to read an ARC。 It makes me feel like I’m in on an excellent secret！ And now that the release date for Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen nears （10 October， I believe， which is perfect for spooky season！） I can let you in on it， too。 So， this modern tale is told from two points of view。 The first is that of a recovering addict who discovered a bit about her mysterious past。 She travels to Block Island where she stays at an intriguing and properly creepy B&B while she looks for her heritage。 The second part is told by her sister， hitherto unknown， who returns to the island she’d fought to escape。 The weather is rainy and dismal。 The B&B worn in the best Gothic way - and probably haunted。 In fact， much of this book reads like a love note to the Gothic greats referenced throughout the text。 Access to and from the island is limited。 The population is insular and keeps secrets。There’s a possible poltergeist， a murder， and secret children， plus the heartbreaking effects of addiction and abuse。 Fans of Simone St。 James， take note！ 。。。more
Anya Leonard
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A great fall book！ The story takes us to the East Coast to a small island where Thalia has grown up， and goes back to solve the mysteries surrounding a letter she receives telling her she has had a sister that was given up for adoption。 The story was spooky， fun， and a little kitschy as well。 I enjoyed the moodiness and ambiance that definitely helped me get into the fall season， and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery！ The characters were really fun， the story twists were not p A great fall book！ The story takes us to the East Coast to a small island where Thalia has grown up， and goes back to solve the mysteries surrounding a letter she receives telling her she has had a sister that was given up for adoption。 The story was spooky， fun， and a little kitschy as well。 I enjoyed the moodiness and ambiance that definitely helped me get into the fall season， and would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery！ The characters were really fun， the story twists were not predictable and the story itself touched on some real issues in our world - including addiction， which was portrayed in a very thoughtful way。 I would recommend this book to someone wanting to get into a spooky mood！！This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tina
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3。5*It's the perfect time of year to start reading creepy stories and this one gave me all the "feels。" 🎃This I believe is Christa Carmen's first full length novel and it's a good one！ The story is gothic creepy and all throughout there are mentions of the great gothic novels of past。 There's an old manor house （now a B &B） on Block Island that is owned by the Searles sisters。 The creepiness of the house and strange happenings in there definitely added to the story。The story is told in two parts 3。5*It's the perfect time of year to start reading creepy stories and this one gave me all the "feels。" 🎃This I believe is Christa Carmen's first full length novel and it's a good one！ The story is gothic creepy and all throughout there are mentions of the great gothic novels of past。 There's an old manor house （now a B &B） on Block Island that is owned by the Searles sisters。 The creepiness of the house and strange happenings in there definitely added to the story。The story is told in two parts by two sisters。 The first part is through Blake。 She comes to Block Island to try to find her Mother who gave her away at birth。 While she tries to find the courage to confront her mother she takes a room at White Hall （the Searles' sisters B&B。） Some strange occurrences begin to happen。。。。Blake writes a letter to her sister on the eve of her death （not a spoiler as this is told in the opening chapter。） In Part Two Thalia must return back to Block Island where she was raised because of that eerie letter she received from a sister she did not even know she had。This is a good story。 It has a great setting of Block Island in the "off season。" There are no tourists and just a sparse population of only the locals。 It's chilly and rainy season and White Hall is a gothic-style old manor with creaking boards， and hideaway places。 Plus there just might be a ghost lingering about！ It's not a horror but a spooky mystery。 There's a lot going on but I still enjoyed this one！Thank-you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy。Available December 1， 2023 。。。more
Trevor Williamson
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The Daughters of Block Island is unafraid of paying homage to its Gothic roots， and the book is all the more fun because of it。 Steeped in Gothic tropes ripped straight out of the pages of Gothic classics like The Castle of Otronto or The Mysteries of Udolpho or Jane Eyre or Rebecca， The Daughters of Block Island remixes the familiar into a modern story about family secrets and working through the damage these secrets can do to a person and a community。The Gothic is known for its imagery， and Ca The Daughters of Block Island is unafraid of paying homage to its Gothic roots， and the book is all the more fun because of it。 Steeped in Gothic tropes ripped straight out of the pages of Gothic classics like The Castle of Otronto or The Mysteries of Udolpho or Jane Eyre or Rebecca， The Daughters of Block Island remixes the familiar into a modern story about family secrets and working through the damage these secrets can do to a person and a community。The Gothic is known for its imagery， and Carmen's prose is certainly up to the task。 Her language is crisp and evocative without being overwritten or overbearing， which means that her story is able to stop and smell the rain without losing sight of its central plot and pacing。 Her heroines are tragic but strong， her villains perfectly horrible， and the book is full of side characters who do feel like they contribute dimension to both how horrible a town her fictional Block Island is but also how love and friendship can still blossom in a place so derelict with terrible secrets。 The mystery at the center of the book also propels the story along chapter by chapter， adding twists or additional facets to the underlying secret waiting to be unraveled at the end。 Carmen's pacing never feels like it stalls out， or like the book is dragging out its conclusion。 I found the book to be compulsively readable， and I was thoroughly drawn into the unfolding plot on the strength of the story's tension and the excellent character drama。It's clear Carmen knows the Gothic well， and she knows what makes for a compelling mystery。 Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel， Carmen embraces what makes the Gothic so chilling and so interesting， adding in her own meta- examination of the Gothic's most familiar tropes and archetypes。 The book is a whole ton of fun while also dealing with serious human traumas。 There's never a moment in the book that feels like Carmen has lost the thread--she balances what the book needs to invoke from the Gothic with what the story needs from its characters to make the whole experience pleasurable and exciting。I love The Daughters of Block Island。 The book's page-turning plot combines with multi-dimensional character drama and Gothic imagery to create a narrative that I just could not put down。 I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Heather Horror Hellion
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A creepy B&B？ Count me in！ I have never stayed at a bed and breakfast， and I really don't think I will。 This book is packed full of whodunits。 Who did this murder？ Who did that murder？ Who is who？ Who REALLY did it？ I thought I knew， but I guessed wrong， don't hire me to solve any crimes。The characters were amazing。 I loved Sarah。 You really rooted for them， or you didn't like them very much。 I would say all in all Block Island is the place to be， but really it doesn't seem fun！ A creepy B&B？ Count me in！ I have never stayed at a bed and breakfast， and I really don't think I will。 This book is packed full of whodunits。 Who did this murder？ Who did that murder？ Who is who？ Who REALLY did it？ I thought I knew， but I guessed wrong， don't hire me to solve any crimes。The characters were amazing。 I loved Sarah。 You really rooted for them， or you didn't like them very much。 I would say all in all Block Island is the place to be， but really it doesn't seem fun！ 。。。more
Zach Rosenberg
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Christa Carmen's Daughters of Block Island is a pure triumph。 Spooky， with unreliable narrators and fascinating ghosts。 Great prose and characters， with enough darkness and emotion to be remarkably memorable。 Christa Carmen's Daughters of Block Island is a pure triumph。 Spooky， with unreliable narrators and fascinating ghosts。 Great prose and characters， with enough darkness and emotion to be remarkably memorable。 。。。more
Geneve Flynn
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Gripping from beginning to end， Christa Carmen’s The Daughters of Block Island is a lyrical， haunting love letter to the gothic genre， and a chilling exploration of addiction， generational trauma， loss and survival。 The novel is grimly， delightfully aware of its foundations， playing with readers’ expectations as it lures them deeper and deeper into a nightmarish mystery。 Swift， murky， and as ominous as an approaching island tempest， The Daughters of Block Island is the perfect read for a stormy Gripping from beginning to end， Christa Carmen’s The Daughters of Block Island is a lyrical， haunting love letter to the gothic genre， and a chilling exploration of addiction， generational trauma， loss and survival。 The novel is grimly， delightfully aware of its foundations， playing with readers’ expectations as it lures them deeper and deeper into a nightmarish mystery。 Swift， murky， and as ominous as an approaching island tempest， The Daughters of Block Island is the perfect read for a stormy night。 。。。more
Amanda
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What a great spooky， gothic novel to kick off fall reads。 I loved the atmospheric setting of White Hall and Block Island。 The ghost stories were creepy and the mystery kept me guessing！
Kassie
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Christa Carmen's The Daughters of Block Island toys with the conventions of gothic fiction often giving meta commentary to the scenes as they unfold。 However， in many places， the concept exceeds the execution。 There are references to classic gothic fiction - mysteries of udolpho， The Monk， Northanger Abbey， and Rebecca feature prominently - but their relation to the plot is left surface level。 The description calls Daughters an "ingenious and subversive twist on the classic gothic novel，" but it Christa Carmen's The Daughters of Block Island toys with the conventions of gothic fiction often giving meta commentary to the scenes as they unfold。 However， in many places， the concept exceeds the execution。 There are references to classic gothic fiction - mysteries of udolpho， The Monk， Northanger Abbey， and Rebecca feature prominently - but their relation to the plot is left surface level。 The description calls Daughters an "ingenious and subversive twist on the classic gothic novel，" but it falls short， largely because it does not complicate its relationship with the source material or update the social commentary。 It's unclear precisely what is meant to be subverted。 As a thriller， Carmen crafts a solid narrative that steadily builds through a dramatic ending。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Coral
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Gothic horror but make it METAYou might enjoy this if you like:-Gothic horror！-Small town secrets-Stories about sisters-Family secrets -Dreary and atmospheric
nvsblmnstr
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3。5/5There is a mystery at the center of this creative-yet-clichèd novel that kept pulling me back in。 I liked the author’s ability to bend genres and cleverly borrow from already established tropes to write something wholly unique but even at just over 300 pages it felt long。 Still a high recommendation form yours truly。
Shruti morethanmylupus
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ARC received！ A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an ARC via Netgalley。 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book。
Becky Spratford
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Review in the October 1， 2023 issue of Booklist and on the blog here: https://raforallhorror。blogspot。com/2。。。 （link live on 10/3/23）Three Words That Describe This Book: Gothic， Psychological Suspense， AtmosphericFrom draft review: 。。。no one is safe in this compelling and atmospheric thriller that pays homage to classic Gothic novels while still adding something fresh to the beloved genre。 An easy sell to fans of the Brontes but also， those who enjoy the creepy， psychological suspense of Simone Review in the October 1， 2023 issue of Booklist and on the blog here: https://raforallhorror。blogspot。com/2。。。 （link live on 10/3/23）Three Words That Describe This Book: Gothic， Psychological Suspense， AtmosphericFrom draft review: 。。。no one is safe in this compelling and atmospheric thriller that pays homage to classic Gothic novels while still adding something fresh to the beloved genre。 An easy sell to fans of the Brontes but also， those who enjoy the creepy， psychological suspense of Simone St。 James。Reluctant Immortals by Kiste is also a readalike 。。。more
Nicole
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I love a good gothic mystery and this one took the prize。 Plenty of twists to keep me flipping the pages well into the night and an ending that had my jaw on the floor。 Really， go grab yourself one on release day！
Anjedah / bookriot_awesomeyou
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this was such a great thriller。 Really kept me at the edge of my seat with all the plot twists and suspense。Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy！
Esté
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Interesting enough。 Some elements are a bit far-fetched， but an enjoyable read nontheless！#netgalley
Nikki
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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 While the premise was interesting I didn’t connect with the characters or the story in a meaningful manner。 Some books just aren’t for us， and that’s okay！
Mary Ann
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Welcome to Block Island， home of dark secrets， duplicitous lies， and murder。 Christa Carmen’s The Daughters of Block Island is an exquisitely told tale reminiscent of the best of Gothic literature past。 It’s a triumph of perfect pacing， silken prose， and heart-pounding suspense。 If you love cliff-top mansions， wicked storms， and a spine-tingling mystery， look no further。 Carmen’s novel checks all the boxes。 This five-star page-turner is best read with the lights on and the doors locked。
Emily Ramsey
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I just finished Christa Carmen’s THE DAUGHTERS OF BLOCK ISLAND and it completely blew me away。 This book is such a suspenseful， thought provoking， and just utterly beautifully written mystery novel。 Perfect for #spooky season♥️ Release date is October 10， 2023。
Katrina
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