The Curse of Penryth Hall

Armstrong’s engrossing debut begins in Devon, England, shortly after WWI, as American expat and bookseller Ruby Vaughn is sent by her employer to deliver a trunkful of rare volumes to a folk healer in a small Cornish village. While there, Ruby visits her estranged friend and former lover Tamsyn Chenowith, who left Ruby to marry Edward, the wealthy lord of Penryth Hall. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with Edward, Tamsyn wants to reconnect with Ruby, but their reunion takes a dark turn when Edward is found murdered in Penryth’s orchard, his face gruesomely disfigured. Locals are sure Edward’s death is the work of a mysterious curse that has plagued Penryth Hall for years, and Tamsyn fears she’ll be the next victim. Ruby teams up with Ruan Kivell, the town “pellar,” or witch, whose books she was supposed to deliver, to solve the mystery before anyone else dies; in the process, she sheds her skepticism of all things supernatural. Ruby is a wonderful concoction, world-weary and reckless, and Armstrong outfits her with a moody, gripping mystery that keeps the pages turning. If, in the end, she leaves one too many plot threads dangling, it’s a small quibble. Fans of Gothic-flavored suspense will devour this. (Dec.)