I absolutely loved this book. I was pulled in to the story immediately, and stayed up verrry late twice to finish it. There are some great characters - particularly liked Dorry, Tuesday and Dex - and the plot is nothing if not intriguing! Having visited the Boston and surrounding areas several times (for work) I also recognised some of the location descriptions, which was an added bonus for me.

This is the first book I've read by Kate Racculia but I'll look out for more of her novels.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Note: I requested this book ages ago, but my Kindle then broke so I didn't get to read it at the time!

I really enjoyed this book but at times I did have to re-read some pages as the story moved around a few times and left me a little lost but overall I found the book to be a great read and it got me hooked right away.

Loved the treasure hunt story and the places it took the characters it was quirky and fun and reminded me of a dark nancy drew or a Robert Langdon novel and I would really love to read another story like this in the future

Tuesday Mooney is good at finding information out about people. As a researcher at a Boston hospital, she usually targets the wealthy to find out how to get them to donate their many earnings to the hospital. But when one of those millionaires – Vincent Pryce -drops down dead at a hospital function, he leaves a scavenger hunt across the city, promising those who solve his riddles and find his clues a portion of the money he’d be leaving behind. Tuesday is instantly involved in the competition – after all, she’s good at this sort of stuff. But it’s not as simple as that. Firstly she has to deal with getting her face on the front page of the paper for finding the first clue, then she has to balance this with her job, and her friendships with old colleague Dex and next door neighbour, teenager Dorry, both of whom she has to realise how to be proper friends to. On top of that, there’s the handsome chap she teams up with for the search, who turns out to have more secrets than Tuesday can keep track of. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s the little voice in her head, the voice of her old best friend who went missing at sixteen and hasn’t been since. Is this going to be too much for Tuesday?

This book is a LOT. There is a lot going on in the plot, and even though it only takes place over a couple of weeks, SO MUCH HAPPENS. There is never a dull moment, but it’s also not overwhelmingly full of different threads of story. It’s also quite different to a lot of things I’ve read previously. While the scavanger hunt left by a famous billionaire concept had me likening this book to Ready Player One, there were parts of the story where the writing felt similar to The Starless Sea (although, there are actually quite few similarities here. It may just be that I was reading them both at the same time?)

The cast of characters is large and varied, and I loved each of them. Tuesday, as a protagonist, is funny and relatable, but flawed and self-aware and a very fleshed out character. Her relationships have obvious history to them.

Although told in third person, this book follows more than just Tuesday around, letting you into the lives of Dorry, Tuesdays teenage neighbour whose Thursday tutoring sessions turn into competition research as Dorry desperately tried to win an item in Pryce’s collect – goggles to let you see ghosts, so she can see her mother one last time. Then there’s Dex, Tuesday’s longest and closest friend who is always the one to text first and give more in their friendship, who after a chance encounter with Pryce’s widow at the function where he works now has an in to ask Lila insider questions about the compeition and Pryce himself.

These characters are a tangled web of family drama, wealth and power struggles, and the affects a true friendship can have on someone, and together this is all weaved into one beautifully adventurous novel.

I felt warm, reading this book, like I’d jumped into a familiar life of someone else and was overjoyed to be back. Like I said, it covers so much about money and wealth and legacy, family drama, and how to be a good friend, grief and loss, and I think there’s something for everyone to grab onto in here. It was very cleverly woven in such a way that every thread of plot was at the forefront of my mind, but I was never overwhelmed or confused, or thought it was too much. I really, really enjoyed reading this and was left feeling insanely satisfied and content after putting it down.

4.5 out of 5 stars. Well worth a read!

I started this and made it half way through but it really was a struggle. I don’t think I identified with anyone in the story and it just didn’t hold my focus. Didn’t enjoy the supernatural elements so it didn’t hold true.

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were about to read a Gothic horror story when reading the opening chapter of this story. ‘A dying house’, ‘a strange man’, and a ‘dark, menacing ethos’ that grips you as open the door to the house. This story is more than that. Whilst, it is noir, there are ghosts, both spiritual, and those which inhabit your psyche, there is also a strange puzzle to solve, and a quirky heroine whose keen intelligence is the match for any ghost.

Tuesday Mooney is a loner, yet she resonates with those she comes into contact with, whether they be work colleagues, or her few friends. As a lover of the eccentric, she is a hit with me, and I enjoyed the magical, mystery adventure she undertakes with her self-appointed best friend, Dex and Nathaniel, the heir to a vast fortune.

The plot is full of vivid imagery, that brings the mystery hunt to life. The pacing is perfect and the characters authentic and richly described. Boston, the arts and various literary figures feature spectacularly, as you are treated to a spectacle of mystery, horror and dark humour.

Perfect for those who love quirky, surprising, satirical literature.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A lot of fun, with some great characters. What starts off as a treasure hunt quickly veers into a mystery to be solved. Some of the hints were underexplored (Poe links a bit of a red herring) but added to the atmosphere.

A terrific read a quirky story a group of characters that come alive drew mein.a wonderful novel an author to follow.Will be recommending highly.#netgalley #harperuk

This book was great, I loved the twists and turns. Easy and fun to read! Thank you NetGalley for the proof copy!

Off beat, quirky, this is a very different but entertaining read. It is essentially a treasure-hunt in Boston and involves lots of cultural references, Edgar Alan Poe, ghosts and vice. Tuesday Mooney makes a fresh and original main character, as do Dex, Dorry and Archie as her side-kicks. It is very fast-paced, quite violent in places but never fails to entertain. I can't pretend I followed the clues but I enjoyed the ride.

"Tuesday Mooney Wore Black" is a great, fun read. It's like a mystery and adventure story for grown-ups. It's one of those rare books you want to savour but can't help yourself racing ahead to find out where the story strands lead. I thought it was brilliant and would love to read more of Kate Racculia's work.

If you asked me to categorise Tuesday Mooney Wore Black, I absolutely would not be able to. Honestly, at times it reminded me of Ready Player One, at others of The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. This is a brilliantly bonkers, warm and intriguing story of misfits, mystery and danger.

Where Kate Racculia really stands out is her writing of characters who are unique and deeply human. I was fully prepared to dislike the switching narrative POVs but, actually, I fell so in love with all the characters that I didn't mind the chapters hopping around.

I really liked this book. It was hidden away in my kindle so by the time I got to read it I didn't have a clue why I picked it in the first place. I really enjoyed the style of writing. The characters are extremely well relatable and likeable too. I don't give spoilers in my reviews, but I would definitely read more by this author again. A great story and a feast for the senses at times.

Loved this book. Lots of sparky dialogue and a pacey plot. Tuesday is very likeable as is her young protegee. I didn't get all the Edgar Allen Poe references as I'm not a fan but I suspect there were many nuggets for the Poe fans. Very good.

Tuesday Mooney Wore Black is an interesting read which unfortunately I didn’t finish. I enjoyed the style of writing very much, appreciating the excellent use of language. I simply did not feel compelled to continue reading it. Although the characters are diverse, unusual and colourful, I couldn’t relate to or empathise with any of them. The plot is original and appealed to me but I felt the telling of the story was too long winded and I reached a point when I didn’t care enough want to continue.

Totally intrigued by the title, I jumped straight in and loved this book. Tuesday Mooney is such a quirky, loveable character, the adventures are fun and exciting.
Overall a fantastic book

An unusual mystery with quirky characters and setting. I found the novel slightly overlong but will appeal to readers who want a cosy book to read on long winter nights.

A gréât mix of romance suspense and detective stories all mixed into a hilarious ride round Boston. From the first chapter I was hooked!

I do love puzzles so that particular part of the story really appealed to me but the quirky sounding plot definitely made me want to read it! Tuesday Mooney is an interesting character, she isn’t perfect and has flaws but also has a likeable part to her personality too. The book is a little off beat too as Tuesday faces her past in an unusual way. This all added an extra depth to the story as you feel Tuesday’s grief bubbling away under the surface. The pacing of this story was pretty good for the most part and easily kept my attention wondering what would happen next.

I do have to admit that in a way I was slightly disappointed in the puzzle aspect of the story as I think I would have loved a little bit more detail added to the story. However by this point I had got attached to the characters and I especially loved the friendships that Tuesday had with Dex and Dorry. Both bringing something different to the story allowing me to see new parts to Tuesday’s character as she interacted with them. You also have a little bit of conflict in the form of Nathaniel Arches, you get the odd spark flying which helped to make this book even more entertaining.

A very quirky and engaging story about friendships, love and family. Then throw a puzzle into the mix and things get pretty interesting!

Really enjoyed this book, it was different from anything else I’ve read. The characters were interesting and the plot intriguing. I would recommend this book to friends and thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity of reading it.

Not my usual genre but I’m glad I decided to give this book a go. The characters were entertaining and well-written, far away from many of the stereotypes you find in some gothic novels.

The storyline kept me intrigued although I occasionally got a bit overwhelmed by the amount of twists and turns but overall I enjoyed the book and would read another by the same author.