I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This book was SO good. I'm a sucker for anything featuring asylums, add in the horror / paranormal aspect, and I was sold.

The author is talented and keeps us reading with their writing style. They certainly kept me guessing.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

this was a great suspenseful read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this. I look forward to more from the author and this series.

The Stockholm Insane Asylum Murder
by James Musgrave.

Since I am very interested in insane asylum stories, I thought this would be a great book. Sadly, it was not what I expected and no matter how I tried I couldn't get into the story. Perhaps it just isn't my style because I generally find the topic fascinating. This book was a disappointment.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. I requested this book because I am from the town the asylum is "in" and it is actually a block from where I sit at the moment. However, I could not get into this story at all. Sorry

I did not care too much for The Stockton Insane Asylum Murder. It just was not a book for me. I would give it two stars.

The Stockton Insane Asylum Murder is the 3rd book in the series by James Musgrave. The title pulled me and then I lost hope. I made myself get through 50% and then I gave up. There were some cool parts but I could not get past writing. I realize the artist was trying to make you feel like you were in the time but it just detracted from the story. Plus I was really turned off by the not really feminist aspects of this book masquerading as feminist, I give this a solid two stars because of concept.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free copy. This is an honest review.

The Stockholm insane asylum murder by James Musgrave.
Women were, among others, misdiagnosed as insane by alienists in the 1800s. My plot will involve a female child who has been institutionalized in 1887, but the aunt of this child comes to Clara Foltz to say she believes the child was admitted to the Stockton State Insane Asylum (the first such institution in California) because she knew about a murder that was committed on her wealthy parent’s estate.
A very good read. I liked the story. Good characters. 4*.

Review for 'The Stockton Insane Asylum' by James Musgrave

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for EMRE Publishing

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it is the third book in the 'Portia of the Pacific Historical Mysteries' series.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I wouldn't specifically go out looking for more of his books but I would read one if I happen upon it.

I previously tried to read this book but struggled. I've read quite a few since and then started it again and managed to get into it more.

THE storyline includes trigger topics such as sexism, racism and mental health. It was quite an interesting storyline but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for and in a few parts I struggled again. I thought the sexual references were unnecessary and there were several. There were some interesting parts but these were more towards the middle and towards the end.

I didn't guess who the perp was which is always a bonus in a crime novel as there's nothing worse than working it out a few pages in.

I can't really say much about the characters as although the author was quite descriptive throughout I felt some of them lacked character. The five cases and the triplets I did find quite interesting but not really the main characters.

Although this book is part of a series I managed to read it without reading the previous books and found I was able to do so with no problems. There were a few references to a previous case but it didn't really affect the storyline and what needed to be mentioned was.

Overall this book is quite interesting and if I was to recommend it, I would recommend to fans of horror, crime, mystery and murder.


Rated 3/5 (It was OK ) on Goodreads and Amazon (UK and. Com) and over 30 Facebook pages

Free on kindle unlimited or £2.28 to purchase. I think this is an OK price for this novel.

291 pages

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The entire time I was reading this I felt that I was missing vital information that would have helped me to understand this better. Throughout references were made to previous “cases” that I had no clue about. We were just expected to know who characters were based on previous cases (other books I assume). I had a difficult time getting into the writing style. The author frequently went off on long tangents that were unrelated to the story. I didn’t care for this book at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a long time to finish because as much as I wanted to enjoy this book I had a difficult time. It was very confusing for me at the start but by 2/3 thirds on it finally picked up my interest. It had everything I normally love in a story but this one failed to deliver for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc.
I'm afraid I just couldn't get into this book. I tried twice but it just wasn't for me. I really wanted to like it as I find the subject matter interesting and I'm from San Francisco. Unfortunately, it just didn't hook me.

That said, other reviewers liked it a lot so perhaps it's just me.

I couldn't connect at all with this book. I was unable to engage with the writing style. I think this was supposed to be a feminist book but I just saw a lot of misogynist crap written by a man who may or may not claim to be a feminist. I couldn't even finish the book so I have no idea if it got any better. it completely lost me when one of the characters while trying to communicate with the dead was described as one would describe a woman having an orgasm. Maybe I would have stuck with it had this story been told by a woman instead of a man.

I went into this book now sure if I was going to like it and I ended up loving it! It had just the perfect amount of a creep factor and thriller to it. The author has a good writing style and just when you think you know what happens next, he surprises you and throws another curveball! I would definitely recommend it!! Thanks, @netgallet for allowing me to read an early reader copy!

This is one intense, twisted, addictive, complex, insane, jaw-dropping novel! Not only is this a very well-written book with tragically-pitiable and wonderfully-interesting characters, but the suspense builds at just the right pace as the story unfolds.

#TheStocktonInsaneAsylumMurder #NetGalley

This book . Wow ! I loved it . I am not familiar with the author but the title of the book drew me in and it was everything I was hoping it to be . Scary and Intense . I want more from this author .

When 12-year-old Polly Bedford witnesses a murder on another neighbourhood girl, her parents have her committed into the Stockton Insane Asylum because they don’t want her to be involved with the police. Both families, victim’s and witnesses’, are moving in the highest social circles on 1887 San Francisco and Stockton’s society. The girl’s aunt turns to attorney Clara Foltz (also a real person) to find out the truth. Clara’s 17-year-old daughter volunteers to go undercover and pose as a patient.
A very interesting blood-curdling story made up from a mix from historical existing figures, places and practises or institutions. Actually, it was only when I recognised Laura De Force Gordon from another mystery “(Deadly proof” by Louisa M. Locke. Check it out for it’s well worth reading) that I realised that these were not a bunch of merely made-up characters, but often real people. But not only a lot of the actors but also the scene on which the action takes place is as authentic as possible. The actual asylum in Stockton was still being used until 1995. It can’t be easy to incorporate that many historical characters and places into a work of fiction as you constantly have to keep track of both the real historical timeline and the narrative of your fictional story that has to match seamlessly. And I think Mr Musgrave offers here an excellent example of how this is done. Even his language is old fashioned and extremely befitting of the period. I actually had to check if this was a new book and not a re-edition of a 19th-century writer.
Sometimes the book builds rather strongly further on events in a previous volume; new readers can pick in, but a short resume of those adventures would be nice.
Injustice from an intolerant paternalistic system that allows men to incarcerate their unruly children and defiant or too clever (for their own good) wives in a mental asylum. Often used as a manner to get their hands on the spousal possessions or wealth.
People have been committed for heavy menstrual pains, not being able to speak English, even for being drunk in public. California, where Stockton is, had the largest amount of inmates per head.
The staff openly sell drugs to the richer women committed to the asylum; Those are also treated better than the poor. Those are shackled and are forced to labour.
The institutionalising of people can bring great fortune to those who know to play the game well.
Regardless of the progress in mental healthcare and the perception that society as a whole has on many psychological ailments, there’s still stigma attached to patients of psychiatrists and psychologists
.
While investigating the murder, they can’t help but notice that there’s a few other practises in the asylum that doesn’t add up and certainly isn’t in the patient’s best interests. So a committee of concerned citizens is formed to check up on the standards applied by the institution.
They also come across the strange and hardly humane experiments of Dr Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin. A scientist with interests in eugenics, white supremacy, male domination. Whether or not you agree or dislike his moral and political opinions and standards, you can’t deny the scientific data he collected and the research that’s later been done, based on these cruel and inhumane experiments. And some of those practices, like forced sterilisation, aren’t completely resolved to this day. Actually, many conservative or religious voices demand such measures to be taken sacrifices these
In 1888 a real reporter had himself committed to the Stockton Asylum and wrote later on a rather positive report about his experiences in there (about the male wing obviously) as it was not as bad as he had expected.
You can’t help but feel sorry for most of those poor incarcerated and tortured souls; They were all just thrown in a heap and locked up to be forgotten by the prim and proper society. No-one ever tried to talk to or understand those women or why they acted (as what was perceived as) crazy.
Most of all, we women shouldn’t forget the efforts made and sacrifices given by these early pioneers of women’s rights and feminism. A fact that’s all too easily forgotten when we put our feet under the table at night instead of being shackled to the cooker and laundry. (And we’ve got machines for that as well.)
Indeed a very interesting, thrilling historic mystery that makes you think twice about certain things we take for granted.
I received a free ARC through Netgalley and this is my honest review

The author does an impressive job of accurately depicting the struggles of women during this time period. I was pleasantly surprised by the attentiveness to women's issues that came from this male author!

The idea behind this plot is both realistic and interesting. This book will appeal to those who like psychology/asylum stories as well as those who like mysteries, legal issues, and women's issues. The author sheds a light on the important truth of wrongfully committed patients, especially women and children, in this time period.

As far as characters, I feel the need to comment on Clara because of the wonderfully philosophical questions she asks throughout the book. My favorite part of this book was that it includes a touch of occult/supernatural themes. The story truly appeals to readers of many genres.