Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, hoping to spend her summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval and Renaissance collections.

There she is drawn into a small circle of charismatic but enigmatic researchers, each with their own secrets and desires, including the museum's curator, Patrick Roland, who is convinced that the history of Tarot holds the key to unlocking contemporary fortune telling.

Relieved to have left her troubled past behind and eager for the approval of her new colleagues, Ann is only too happy to indulge some of Patrick's more outlandish theories. But when Ann discovers a mysterious, once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards she suddenly finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power, toxic friendship and ambition.

And as the game being played within the Cloisters spirals out of control, Ann must decide whether she is truly able to defy the cards and shape her own future . . .

Bringing together the modern and the arcane, The Cloisters is a rich, thrillingly-told tale of obsession and the ruthless pursuit of power.

This was a great read, I loved the gothic vibe of The Cloisters, the sweltering heat of a New York summer and seeing how Ann settles into this new life away from her small hometown upbringing. There was a murder mystery, stealing, lies, romance, intrigue, obsession, power, manipulation and ambition. Most of all though there was the idea of fate. This was explored and touched on throughout the story, with things at the end linking right back to the beginning. The history and uses of tarot cards was fascinating and clearly well researched. The characters were interesting and the setting of The Cloisters was fantastic, so well evoked you could smell the lavender in the gardens. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

3.5 stars

Ann Stillwell is desperate to escape her hometown in Washington after losing her father suddenly. When she gets accepted onto a summer programme working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she jumps at the chance and heads east. Upon arrival however, she is instead assigned to work at The Cloisters, a museum renowned for its Renaissance and Mediaeval collections.

Working alongside Curator Patrick Roland and fellow researcher Rachel, she gets drawn into the world of the occult and tarot. Convinced there is proof that tarot was used in the 15th century to divine fortunes, Patrick sets them on a quest to find the elusive deck and thereby cementing his place in academia.

The atmosphere and setting of this novel is immaculately drawn, using the gothic structure of the museum to set the tone. It’s dark, it’s forbidding and it’s oppressive, with Hays cleverly using the heat and the humidity of the New York summer to add to the claustrophobic feeling. I loved the historical aspects of this book and you can tell that Hays is passionate about her subject matter and clearly knows her stuff.

Where this book fell a little flat for me was the pacing and the characters. Ann is a small town girl who comes across initially as naive, being swept along by the novelty and excitement of her new world. Even when things become blatantly obvious to the reader she seems blind to it and this was a little frustrating. None of the characters are particularly likeable and although this isn’t a problem in and of itself, it does create an issue when one of them is supposed to be universally admired and beloved by others.

The theme running throughout this novel is fate; are we beholden to the cards we’re dealt or do we have free will? Are our lives predetermined no matter what our choices are and if so, does that mean we are less responsible for the choices we do make? While The Cloisters didn’t quite live up to my expectations it certainly had me questioning my own morality and made for an interesting read.

The Cloisters

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York, she is overjoyed to leave her small town behind and start her summer placement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to a misunderstanding, she ends up being assigned to The Cloisters, a smaller, mysterious, gothic museum and garden. She soon learns the importance of the collection and the devouring ambitions of the researchers as they investigate the history of art and the use of tarot cards...

The Cloisters has everything you would expect in an excellent dark academia novel with gothic surroundings, priceless artefacts and researchers obsessed with their subjects. Their academic curiosity leads them to investigate Renaissance fortunetelling, including astrology, dice and tarot decks. The fact that they treat the topic seriously, analysing the ideas of free will and destiny, creates a specific atmosphere in this book. Another fascinating feature is the dynamics between the characters in this novel. For Ann, her summer at the Cloisters is a first step into the world of professional research, and her future depends on her performance. For others, their investigation might lead to a discovery that would establish their position within the competitive academic world. Without any spoilers, I think we all know where dark academia plots with desperate and overambitious characters lead...

Ann Stillwell arrives in New York expecting to spend the summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself reassigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum known for Medieval and Renaissance art. She is welcomed into the small circle of charismatic but dysfunctional researchers, and drawn into their ongoing research into tarot. But then there is an unexpected death and Ann finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power and ambition.

To be honest, I didn’t love this book. The subject material is intriguing and the atmosphere is really tense and mysterious, but I found the plot and the characters very disappointing. I didn’t like Ann, Rachel, Leo or Patrick, which made it difficult to empathise with or particularly support any of them. My lack of connection with any of the characters was then detrimental to the story, because I simply wasn’t invested in the outcome.

Everything about this book gives out dark, magical, mysterious vibes – and the writing style is actually good – but it is essentially nothing more than a long, drawn out murder novel and I was looking for much more than this.

Although this was a slow book, I enjoyed reading it. I'm not really into tarot cards, fortune telling and gothic vibes, but I liked the world of art and the milieu the author created. This is not a typical thriller/mystery but there were twists and turns which knocked the breath out of me. Ann's coming-of-age story, Rachel's distinctive personality, and a weird love triangle with four people are only a few of the many reasons this book is worth reading.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK / Transworld Publishers for an Advance Review Copy.

It has been a while since I read any dark academia, and The Cloisters did not disappoint.

The story starts off as we meet Ann Stillwell, who is itching to leave her small-town life and move to New York. She moves there as a summer intern at the Met, but due to an administrative snafu she ends up working in the Cloisters for Patrick and alongside Rachel.

It specialised in Renaissance and Medieval art and includes large ornamental gardens (the cloisters) of all kinds of ancient plants many of which are medicinal.

Ann helps Rachel and Patrick in their work researching the history of Tarot and also develops a relationship with Leo the gardener. As she settles in and becomes more involved in the research, things start to take a darker turn and it becomes clear there is a lot more going on beneath the surface.

All the relationships seem to be full of secrets, rivalries and jealousy and its not always clear who is playing who.

The descriptions of the Cloisters helps add to the gothic atmosphere as the story gains pace and helps to add to the almost claustrophobic feel at times as Ann's character tries to find her way out of the swirling tensions and increasing drama over the course of one hot summer in the city.

I found the story really compelling and enjoyed the slow, creeping build-up - a strong and very enjoyable debut.

The tag line of The Secret History meets Ninth House was a clincher for me and I wasn’t disappointed with this great new work of dark academia.
Set against the evocative backdrop of a sweltering New York, the author expertly weaves a tale of Tarot and Art History without it ever becoming boring. Freewill and destiny are at the heart, with the characters’ obsessions and ambitions spiralling out of control the deeper you become immersed in the tale. Great stuff.
Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

The Cloisters is a real and fascinating museum in New York. Part of the Met, it specialises in renaissance and medical art and has been constructed from imported old European churches and buildings. It also houses a large garden of ancient plants which were used in medicines.
Ann Stilwell ends up at the museum as a summer researcher and is soon drawn into the clique of Patrick and Rachel who are working on the history of Tarot. She becomes ever more involved in their work as she seeks to put her tragic past behind her. However an astonishing find of her own and the start of a new love affair, means she is trying to keep herself separate as the pair try to bind her more closely to them. Soon it becomes clear that someone is playing a very deadly game.
The Cloisters starts off promisingly but I found it lagged in the middle. I’m not sure I really cared enough about Rachel or her motivations. Once the murder happens ( this is flagged at the beginning of the book) I expected the energy to rise but it didn’t really, I had a pretty good idea who had done it and what was going to happen. It’s an enjoyable novel, not very original though. I did enjoy the descriptions of The Cloisters, what a brilliant location.

Pacy thriller based in a close snd competitive academic world. Ann is a summer intern at a medieval museum in Manhattan where she seems to arrive by chance rather than careful planning.

Friendships come loaded with jealousies and rivalries, but in the end you may be surprised at exactly who is playing who.

Loved the descriptions of the museum and the enjoyment of working there through s hot New York summer.

A rebirth ★★★★☆

Recently graduated, Ann arrives in New York to pursue her dreams of Renaissance scholarship and to leave her sleepy hometown and the loss of her father behind.

However, her place on the summer programme at the Met is quickly whipped away from her and instead she finds herself tucked away at the mysterious Cloisters museum working with the enigmatic Patrick and Rachel.

Ann quickly becomes embroiled in the close and mysterious world of the Cloisters museum. Their research on Renaissance tarot cards leads to the discovery of an invaluable deck which will bring all of the grimy secrets of the museum to light with deadly consequences.

As the museum unfurls like a hidden jewel in our imaginations with its treasures and architecture we’re pulled into a fascinating world of Renaissance research and scholarship. It made me want to tuck into an old university library and do my own research.

As Ann’s friendship with Rachel flourishes, she is repeatedly warned about her controlling and dangerous ways. However, Ann has a burning ambition and secrets of her own.

A richly embroidered and compelling novel of scholarship and ambition.

this was the last book i read in 2022 but unfortunately it wasn’t the best to end it on – by 40% i was seriously considering dnfing even though i never do because it was so slow and only by about 50% did anything happen. i’m glad i stuck with it just for the atmosphere and themes of fate and free will which i enjoyed. it was pretty predictable though and i’m not sure how to feel about the ending. just a solid 3 stars for me.

I was definitely drawn in by the cover of this book. So glad I did because this is a little gem of a debut novel from Katy Hays.

I've dabbled a little with reading tarot cards so I had an instant connection to the story. Tarot cards are the main subject of the plot but it's not tarot heavy. There is plenty of mystery and twists to keep you gripped in the story.

I found the writing to be atmospheric with gothicy vibes. The Cloisters felt dark and claustrophobic at times. I quite liked the characters and found them to be well crafted.

This is a strong debut novel and definitely an author I will be watching out for in the future.

I loved this dark and compelling story. It built up slowly , adding depth as it went along. The details of divination and tarot cards was particularly engrossing.

I think this debut would have got 5 stars from me if it hadn't been compared so much in the hype around it to The Secret History as any novel would have a hard time living up to this claim. I was drawn into the shadowy, atmospheric world of The Cloisters, the niave protagonist was well drawn even if it felt obvious, as a reader, where it was all heading and I felt compelled to keep reading to see how it would all end... I think this will be a hit even if it didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

This is a slow burning mystery set in a beautiful museum in Manhattan. Ann finds herself working at The Cloisters for the summer, helping a small team put together an exhibition on divination and the occult practices of fortune telling. The Cloisters is a wonderful space, filled with the most amazing artif\cts, and the gardens are kept beautifully manicured by a charming gardener who Ann finds herself drawn to on the sultry summer days. But she soon realises that there is more going on at the museum than meets the eye. An engrossing mystery with Gothic undertones and tons of atmosphere.

The story of an impressionable young academic who is made all the more vulnerable while she grieves the unexpected death of her father.

Ann enters the rat race of academia when she is positioned at the The Cloisters Met Gallery, New York as a summer associate. Here, she is swept up in the mystery and intrigue of the history of the tarot as she helps prepare an exhibition which is hoped to uncover the use of this ancient art dating back to the 15th century. Ann cannot help but be drawn to the hope of prophesy in the tarot, for if all our destinies are already written, maybe we can relinquish our guilt and grief as we have no control anyway? However, is it destiny, coincidence or opportunism she faces at The Cloisters? Ann is entangled in a web of toxic relationships as the story unfolds a plot with characters determined to exploit each other with no care of the consequences in order to get ahead in life.

I didn’t like a single character but it speaks volumes when a story has such unloveable characters yet you can’t put the book down. I would have been interested to find out more about the history of the tarot but, that would have probably messed with the pace, which was on point for a page turner. There is a glossary of the tarot cards at the end of the book for readers who want to find out more.

I was ready to delve into a complicated dark academia but the flippant tone of the characters made for lighter reading than I expected and it was a fun read. The beautiful imagery of The Cloisters was stunning and so it is obvs now on my bucket list to see. I’d recommend this for anyone in the mood for a mystery thriller in a dark academia setting with menacing and gothic undertones.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse
for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

Started off a bit of a slow burn but it definitely ramped up!

When Ann moves from small town Washington to New York and begins work at the prestigious Closters, she is eager to please. Looking to ingratiate herself with her charismatic boss Patrick and the rather glamorous Rachel she pushes her own boundaries to fit in. How far is she willing to go?

I found the tarot cards and medicinal plants aspects of the story really interesting and enjoyed learning more about both.

I wasn’t a huge fan of Ann but I did really like the character of Leo the gardener.

The descriptions of the Cloisters were richly detailed and brought the building, collections and atmosphere of the museum to life. It was another character in itself.

As an archivist, I really enjoyed the sections in collections and one line really hit the nail on the head - “that was the reality of an archive - they were always incomplete despite their depth, made up as they were of fragments” the author has really done her homework!

I did guess a couple of the twists but nonetheless I really enjoyed this most atmospheric read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy

The Cloisters
by Katy Hays

When I heard this book was a comp with The Secret History I had to peek. Although many are compared, few are actually worthy of the comparison, but I will always still read them, because dark academia, sinister and atmospheric, insights into the thought processes of truly unlikeable characters, don't ask me why and what it says about me, but it's my dirty little secret.

Set in the world of early Renaissance art research based in the Met Cloisters, NYC this is the story of a summer internship which turns into a deadly game of control. Ann is dazzled by the enigmatic curator and his gorgeous, wealthy, self-assured assistant. As she becomes drawn into their clique she discovers secrets, hidden agendas and unbridled ambition.

The mood is so full of tension, the need for approval, the awareness of the glamour of others, sexual tension, the oppressive heat of the summer. I love the gothic setting, the lush descriptions of the various cloister gardens, the archways and dark hallways. It's always such a buzz to read about places I have previously visited, so I was thrilled to find references to the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrera and the d'Este family. I also find the whole tarot theme intriguing, all the ways our predecessors turned for knowledge and guidance and how that symbolism has pervaded and endured.

But for me what makes this particular story so powerful are the toxic relationships, the grooming, the unspoken rewards for loyalty and the partly veiled threats of exclusion, the seesaw of balance. I love everything about this story and when I'm asked for The Secret History read-alikes in future I will be highly recommending this one.

Publication date: 19th January 2023
Thanks to #netgalley and #randomhouseuk for the egalley

Is it fate, coincidence or design that brings Ann Stilwell to The Cloisters? Escaping from her small town existence and with a desire to immerse herself in academia she becomes involved with Patrick, Rachel and Leo who all have their own agendas. How their relationships overlap amidst this atmospheric setting is fascinating. The history of tarot cards is interesting but is not overplayed. There is explanation of the cards at the end of the book if that is of interest to readers but does impede the story. The balance between academia, gothic and mystery are well balanced. Look forward to reading more by this author.
Many thanks Netgalley/Katy Hays/Random House UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Ann takes a job at The Cloisters museum n New York, she has no idea this will become so much bigger and more dangerous than a job working in a museum or art gallery should be.

With her manager Patrick, colleague and friend Rachel and love interest Leo, they are all drawn into a deadly circle which revolves around one of their group and the search for a rare set of tarot cards that change their fate forever

An engrossing read, particularly if you have an interest in art history, tarot, languages, etymology and academia. I've seen this compared to The Secret History, but I enjoyed The Cloisters more!