Opium and Absinthe was great for the long drive towards our vacation. It a relatively fast paced period mystery with a little paranormal thrown in. My only issue - addiction is a big part of the novel (no surprise, considering the title) and my patience with the "heroine", Tillie, got very thin by the end as she made choice after questionable choice as a result of her addiction.

Opium and absinthe is a really well written book. The idea behind it is fascinating for sure and unique.
The writing style is smooth and keeps you hooked, I’ve finished it all in one afternoon because I could not wait to know everything.
Although I guessed the reason behind the murders, the person who did them was unexpected; so that’s a bonus.
The only negative thing is that the beginning was a little slow.

3.4 stars

I can't not mention the gorgeous cover on this book :)

It's a Gothic murder mystery set in the 19th century New York. It was suspenseful from the beginning, very atmospheric, reflecting the time period.
It's an enjoyable, quick and fast-paced read. It was a perfect summer pick. I'd read from the author again.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this copy.

This was an interesting story, filled with vampire lore, drug (and addiction) and love. It's set during a time when women need escorts and titles and money. They do not need to have their own mind. I was interested in the storyline and loved the flaws and unique pieces to each characters personalities. I found the mystery interesting but it was a round-about mystery, full of addiction and odd people not always looking for the best for the main character, Tillie. I liked how it all worked out, though, and I'm glad I stuck with it. Good ending.

TW: murder, substance abuse, assault, death, attempted rape, mentions of rape

I was very excited to be reading this book because it sounded like everything I'd like and I have to say that Lydia Kang didn't disappoint me. It was a fast-paced read with interesting characters and an interesting plot. I have no personal experience with substance abuse so I cannot tell whether it was portrayed correctly, but considering the author's profession as an internal medicine physician, it seemed like an accurate portrayal. Throughout the story, you also always got the sense that the author did a thorough research of the late 19th century.
I didn't really expect to love this book as much as I did but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a joy to follow Tillie on her quest to find her sister's murderer and I kept guessing along with her who the murderer is. In the end, I was truly surprised about who the murderer was. I cannot wait to read the book a second time in order to see whether I can pick up on the clues then.

To begin with, this book is one of my favorite books thus far for 2020. I loved the story and how suspenseful the plot truly was. I felt like I was constantly on the edge of my seat wanting to know more. I genuinely couldn't put the book down and finished it in 2 days! I haven't done that in a month. If you haven't read this book or are on the fence about reading it, do yourself a favor and READ IT!

Loved reading the mesmerizing and amazing story. When Tillie's sister is found dead with two wounds on her neck, drained of all her blood, and smelling like absinthe, Tillie makes it her priority to discover who murdered her beloved sister, Lucy. Due to a recent injury, Tillie finds herself getting more and more addicted to opium, but still, Tillie needs to continue to do her research and find her sister's killer. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, full of mystery and suspense, and a must read historical novel.
I reviewed a copy of the book through NetGalley.

Thank you to @NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read this one!

Tillie (Mathilda) Pembroke is a determined, inquisitive, vibrantly independent young woman living in New York in 1899 when her life is turned upside down. She has a riding accident that breaks her collarbone and has her taking laudanum to help with the pain. The same day, her sister Lucy goes missing and is later found dead with 2 puncture marks on her neck and all of her blood drained from her body and a bottle of absinthe close by. Bram Stoker's "Dracula" has just been published and there is hysteria surrounding this death about the murderer being a Vampire.

Tillie is determined to find out exactly what happened to her sister and decides to investigate her the murder herself. She questions people who had seen Lucy in the hours leading up to her death and reads "Dracula" to find connections. Her addiction to the laudanum gets stronger and she starts taking more and more. She also takes morphine that sends her even higher and more foggy. Paranoia sets in as she no longer knows who she can trust and the hysteria and fear of a vampire on the loose does not help.

This novel is part gothic, part murder mystery, part coming of age (as Tillie continues to exert her independence through her determination to find out what happened to Lucy). It is a novel with a very interesting cast characters and you never know who to trust. There is heart pounding suspense and lots of mystery and intrigue. I really enjoyed it!

Rating: 2.5

I really liked the first half but it went downhill from there. I feel like it lost its plot and focused on too many things (most of which didn't really matter). It was also obvious to me who the murderer was. The characters were either boring or upsetting or, in Jame's case, both. The Dracula aspect was a little too heavy-handed for me. I feel like if the author took out a few unnecessary things and focused on the murder, it would have been a lot better.

A brillian, lush gothic novel for the decade. Opium and Absinthe is a wonderful tale of when a book hits a little too close to home. Tillie is a smart and engaging character who’s devotion to finding out the truth for her sister is admirable. I adored the mystery of it all and the twists around every corner

While Tillie is recuperating from a freshly broken collarbone, her sister Lucy's exsanguinated body is found in downtown Manhattan with an empty bottle of absinthe next to her. Numbing her physical and mental pain with laudanum, Tillie now lives in a drug-induced stupor, all but dragging herself to the wake. Yet it only takes one look at the strange puncture marks on dear Lucy's neck to set her into action, even if she has to go against her own family to find the truth, and with it, her sister's murderer.

Was it truly a vampire, or a copycat killer finding inspiration in Bram Stoker's newly released novel Dracula? Was Lucy's engagement perhaps not as happy as everyone wanted to think? And where has her maid vanished to? Going to increasingly desperate lengths to supply herself with the much-needed painkillers to make it through the day, Tillie becomes an expert liar - and investigative journalist.

I love a good historical mystery, but a historical mystery written by a medical professional who knows what they're about is even better. I can't stress how much of a difference it makes, but the treatments, symptoms, and medical conventions in turn-of-the-century New York as described in Opium and Absinthe are as accurate as it gets. Tillie's descend into opium addiction is as fascinating as it is horrifying to witness, started by a mere doctor's prescription - a topic more important to write on now than ever, during the USA's current opioid crisis. Kang describes her heroine's illness thoughtfully and with much feeling, yet without romanticizing it.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Tillie as a character... Her initial social awkwardness and idiosyncrasies at first gave me the impression that she was crudely coded as someone on the autism spectrum. For example, there are plenty of times she wonders about questions like "If I eat sponge cake, is it going to absorb the tremendous amount of liquor I am about to consume to find out?" Her favourite pastime is looking up words in a dictionary, and she can generally be described as an heiress with her head in the clouds. But as Tillie develops into a self-determined, no-bullshit type of lady during the course of the novel, there are scarcely any mentions of these peculiar interests anymore, so I'm not sure after all.

Tillie also holds onto the possibility of an actual vampire existing in Manhattan for a large portion of the novel... But I can't say that the mystery itself was boring, despite enough hints to lead the reader in a specific direction and showing just how messed up New York's upper class in 1899 must have been. I can say that I felt thoroughly transported into the crime setting and era at any time of the story, and was delighted to realize that there are some loose connections to one of Lydia Kang's previous novels, The Impossible Girl, as a treat for the fans!

If you enjoyed watching or reading The Alienist (and you are desperately awaiting the second season to be released on Netflix one of these days), but would like even more feminism in the plot to spice things up, I suggest that you start reading Opium and Absinthe now, to get in the mood!

This was a super fun read! I did figure out who the killer was, but it wasn't until well through the book, and it just didn't bother me I enjoyed reading this so much. The characters were brought to life really well and the multiple historical events were expertly pieced together to make for a great read.

Lydia Kang isn’t just an author, she is also a real life doctor and her medical knowledge is highly evident in all her stories. She also has a bit of a twisted, dark heart which embraces the weird, the gruesome, and the horrific. This combination makes her an auto-buy author for me. I’ve loved every book I’ve read of hers and I honestly don’t even bother reading the blurbs, I just have grabby hands no matter what the subject. I have to say I was a bit surprised to see this was about a possible vampire as I don’t think that Kang’s books usually veer into the supernatural. This one kept me guessing the entire time, wondering if it could truly be a vampire or just a creatively evil person. When the killer’s identity was revealed I was surprised and the explanation was imaginative and unexpected. I am completely content with the ending but I do admit that I would love to read the further adventures of Tillie and the newsies. I can just imagine what they might get up to next chasing down a story!

I found the setting of the 19th century opioid crisis really interesting and obviously quite relevant today. Tillie was naturally a hot mess but once addiction gets it hooks in her life evolves into a never ending, never satisfied quest for more and stronger drugs. She was so strong willed and ambitious and to watch her succumb to addiction was difficult. There were parts where I was legitimately terrified for her because of her loss of control while high. Her decision making became so focused on the drugs that this otherwise very intelligent woman made some pretty atrocious and dangerous choices. It was fascinating to watch how easy it was for her to get hooked and how many of the people around her, including doctors, enabled and even encouraged it in order to keep her docile and subdued. I felt a lot of anger and frustration with Tillie but a lot of empathy too. What a terrible situation and all too easy for any one of us to fall into.

I would say that this is a mostly light book that deals with some deep, deep issues. There was a ton of humour and some adorable little newsies who I could not have loved more. Any darkness was mitigated by the vampire hunting (it makes me smile just to write that phrase.) If you are looking for a smart, feminist romp through 19th century New York with high society women, a few street urchins, and maybe a vampire then buckle up and give this one a go.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

I must admit that I was a bit prejudiced against this book at the beginning. It is far too different from the crime books I am used to read. The time that it is placed, the culture, the characters. It could not prove me more wrong! It might start a bit slow and dull but Kang surely knows how to weave a plot and totally bound you to it.

Unlike most of crime books I recently read, I did not figure out the end which has contributed to the build up of suspense and tension. The unexpected twists of the plot are so talented captured and the characters are quite likeable. Over all, I really enjoyed this book and found it very well written.

First thing first, the cover on this one is GORGEOUS. I love it!

Okay, so onto the book...this was a fun read. Well written. Likable and itriguing charcaters. An autmospheric and interesting setting. A mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Just an enjoyable read overall. I'd love to see more books featuring these charcaters!

I downloaded the book but didn't get to read it before it disappeared from my account. This never happened to me before..

This was an easy and fun read, but I wasn't as interested in it as I could be. I really liked the aspect of the opium and how addiction was viewed in the 1800s. It could be seen as commentary on today's opiate crisis; how people defend their addiction as medical necessity. I really enjoyed the quotes from the classic Dracula book and it made me want to read that. I think this was a unique and fresh book. I haven't read many historical fictions that have a vampire or monster background as well.

A fast paced, mystery, sleuth, possibly vampiric, gothic novel. I read through this one pretty quickly and enjoyed the world created complete with intense patriarchal structure and substance abuse. Though at the time the substances were over the counter and pushed heavily by certain males to control. I was having a hard time figuring out who did it, since they all seemed like they were hiding secrets though some secrets ended up not being as nefarious as murder. I enjoyed Tillie's coming into her own rather clumsily through her fog of opiod abuse due to a extremely horrible bone break to her clavicle. This kind of addiction is common even now. The inner workings of the effects of drugs are fascinating as she tried to parse out fact from fiction in her sisters death. We weren't sure who to trust and who was shining her on to get to her money since she was the sole heiress to her family's fortune and to her Grandmama's chagrin she was a complete bluestocking. Her goals to have an occupation and become a journalist were not encouraged, except by one.

I recommend this to those who enjoy a fun mystery through gothic England with intrigue and speculation around vampires. This may not be for you if you are triggered by substance abuse involving opium, heroin, morphine, alcohol... they apparently sold heroin in tablets in the beginning. Those poor hysterical women needed to be controlled. I am so happy I live right now I would def be in a womans asylum for speaking my mind, profanity, etc.

By the way my favorite quarantine drink has been the Monkey Gland cocktail which is orange juice, grenadine and a splash of absinthe #stgeorgespirits #stgeorgespiritsabsinthe And I found my grandmothers cocktail book with another absinthe cocktail. Enjoy!

Favorite Quote - Words to Live by - Thanks Ian - “Don’t give up before you try. Defeat is particularly lethal early on in any journey; don’t let it be your compass.”

This was everything I had hoped Stalking Jack the Ripper would be. I loved this. Our heroine is ballsy and smart. Our hero is kind and sarcastic. King doesn’t shy away from talking about the liberal use of narcotics in Edwardian/Victorian society. The mystery is compelling and the murder isn’t too obvious. I love all things set in New York and it’s even better when they’re set in Old New York. I can’t wait for the next adventure. If you’re looking for a dark cozy mystery look no further.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. I was given the opportunity to read this book in advanced by Netgalley and when I started reading I wasn't sure I would like it, given that it's a little different then what I usually read. But I'm so glad I kept reading because I found the story to be one that was amazing to read. The story takes place at the beginning of the 1900's in NY where women were supposed to get married, have babies, and be complacent. But Tillie is anything but. When her sister is found murdered she takes it upon herself to learn the truth. Her journey takes her to learn all she can about vampires and to the streets of NY where she meets Ian, a newspaper guy who becomes her partner in her investigation. I found that the author did a great job of using enough description that I could picture the dresses, the setting, and the social relationships but without being so wordy that I got bored. I highly recommend this book and am very glad I read it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to preread this book.