A Dreadful Splendour by B.R. Myers

A Fiction Review By:

Be careful what you conjure…

In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners–until one misstep lands her in a jail cell awaiting the noose. Then a stranger arrives to make her a peculiar offer. The Lord he serves, Mr. Pemberton, has been inconsolable since the tragic death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If Genevieve can perform a séance persuasive enough to bring the young Lord peace, she will win her freedom.

Soothing a grieving nobleman should be easy for someone of Genevieve’s skill, but when she arrives at the grand Somerset Park estate, Mr. Pemberton is not the heartbroken lover she expected. The surly–yet exceedingly handsome–gentleman is certain that his fiancée was murdered, even though there is no evidence. Only a confession can bring justice now, and Mr. Pemberton decides Genevieve will help him get it. With his knowledge of the household and her talent for illusion, they can stage a haunting so convincing it will coax the killer into the light. However, when frightful incidents befall the manor, Genevieve realizes her tricks aren’t required after all. She may be a fake, but Somerset’s ghost could be all too real…

A Dreadful Splendour is a wickedly whimsical brew of mystery, spooky thrills, and intoxicating romance that makes for an irresistibly fun and page-turning read.

My review: A Dreadful Splendour by B.R. Myers is a historical murder mystery set in the 1850s in an old English manor with dark secret passageways, peepholes, large creepy ancestral paintings, ghosts, betrayals, and family curses. That was enough to hook me into this entertaining story. Add in the well-developed characters, each with their own agendas, making it hard to nail down who-done-it and I was truly invested. Each time you think you know who the guilty party was; Myers feeds you more information that casts doubt on a different character keeping you guessing until the very end.

This novel was listed as Myers’ first adult novel; I would have labeled it a New-Adult novel with the main character just shy of 19 years old. I also noticed that the cover and title are slightly different for Canadian and American audiences and I am assuming that the text followed suit. I was very pleased to read the Canadian version with its Canadian spelling.

Always in the mood for a good scare, B. R. MYERS spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Lois Duncan, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. She is the author of nine YA books. Her contemporary coming-of-age novel Girl on the Run was a CCBC Best Book for Teens pick in 2016. Her most recent publication, Rogue Princess, was chosen by the School Library Journal as one of the Top Ten Best Audiobooks. When not putting her characters in precarious situations, B. R. Myers works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her family—and there is still a stack of books on her bedside table.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins Publishers (July 12 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1443466344
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1443466349

Sue Slade

Sue Slade has a Bachelor of Child Study from Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax. After working with children and adults with special needs, she now has her midlife dream job of working with books. Sue manages an independent, locally owned bookstore, Dartmouth Book Exchange. Through her charismatic sharing centred around books and community, Sue has created an engaging cornerstone for authors, customers, and book lovers of all ages. Sue is an avid reader and her reviews cross over many genres.