A new Laura Purcell book is always a highlight read for me and The Whispering Muse is another historical Gothic delight to add to her repertoire. Set in Victorian London’s theatre scene, when Jenny Wilcox gets a job as a costume assistant in The Mercury Theatre, she can’t begin to imagine the blend of curses, egos and lies that are coming her way…

Lilith will do anything it takes to become the most famous actress of her day. From sleeping with the (married) Mercury theatre owner to getting her hands on a very particular watch, one said to be imbibed with the spirit of Melpomene, the tragic Greek muse. In exchange for seemingly giving Lilith what she wants, Melpomene, of course, takes her reward…

Jenny, on instinct, does not like the cold, ambitious Lilith but as she spends more time with her, dressing her for the stage every evening, she gets to know what motivates her and all is not as it seems.

I really liked how The Whispering Muse is segmented into well-known plays and the themes and plots of those plays are echoed in what’s happening at different points in the book. Doctor Faustus has a starring role in this mechanic.

Alongside the layered plotting, The Whispering Muse has perfectly-written characters that are a joy to read. As Lilith’s grip on reality gets hazier, Jenny’s gets sharper. But given there is no love lost between the two women, will Jenny get to the bottom of what’s really happening and want to help Lilith avoid disaster?

There is indeed a curse at play in The Whispering Muse, it might just not be the one everyone is focusing on. Laura Purcell once again weaves her signature Gothic drama into a story that’s ultimately driven by the weakness of humans and the need for self-preservation. A brilliant read!

Laura Purcell does it again. I'm a fan and this book did not disappoint. It deals with dark theatre. Familiar plays help the reader to sink in, including Faustus and the Scottish play, which I won't name lest I bring bad luck upon myself. Not that that happens in the book. Ahem.

Highly recommended for fans of spooky things.

Laura Purcell is one of my favourite authors and whilst this was not one of the best I have read -it is still head and shoulders above most .
Another Gothic chiller set in the world of theatre -it seems that everyone in possession of a pocket watch bearing the image of Melpomene becomes bewitched by the Muse and whilst they reach the dizzy heights of stardom in their careers as actors -there is also tragedy waiting round the corner
Brilliant and atmospheric -loved it

Thank You NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

I have read other titles by this author and absolutely loved them, The Silent Companions being my favourite so far. I unfortunately gave up after about a third of the way through this title. I didn’t connect with the characters and didn’t feel compelled to carry on with it. Will probably try again at a later date and it hasn’t put me off this author.

Unfortunately I have had to DNF this one at 38% as I was really struggling to read it. I loved The Silent Companions by this author so I’m gutted that I didn’t like this one more. It’s a very slow storyline and I feel like nothing has happened yet - it’s only a short book, but it was feeling very long and slow. I’m sure that some people will love this book, but unfortunately it’s not for me.

Another stunning, haunting, gothic novel from Laura Purcell. This book based around a young dresser in a Victorian theatre with a supernatural element had me turning pages so quickly and I devoured in a couple of sittings.
The story centres around Jenny, desperate to help her family, Lilith, desperate to make her name as an actress and Mrs Dyer a wealthy theatre owner. With quotes and scenes from Faust and Shakespeare intertwined with the presence of the muse Melpomene.
There is scandal, deceit, falls from grace, unexpected friendships and deaths. Laced with lots of macabre descriptions.
I was enthralled by the research into theatres of the time and appreciated the details and care taken in research.
I felt that the end was a little too quick and would have liked more of a build up. It was almost inevitable how it was going to finish.
Overall I would give this book a solid 4.5 stars.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and frank review.

With Laura Purcell you're always guaranteed a sinister and tense gothic thriller. The Whispering Muse is no exception.
I enjoyed the melding of mythology and the theatre.

Lilith is a gloriously written diva actress who Purcell writes well. As Lilith succumbs to her obsession with her muse, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for her while also not liking the character.

Jenny is an interesting character who develops in courage throughout the novel. I liked how she lost her way sometimes and learnt some lessons.

An enjoyable read, particularly of the theatre and the performances. The ending felt a little abrupt.

The Whispering Muse left a chill on my skin and a shiver in my bones.

This is an incredibly atmospheric Gothic spectacle of a book. I was initially drawn to that blend of Victorian supernatural creepiness and the world of the theatre, which is itself a highly superstitious place. Purcell has crafted a twisted nightmare here. There are some blood drenched and gory scenes that have stayed with me and will continue to. I love how layered and ambiguous this book is, not offering any easy answers but revelling in the mystery of it all. Purcell allows the book to slowly build at the start, formulating characters, setting and their interwoven relationships.

At the centre of it all, this is a story about obsession, be that for love, success or people. It crumbles a person to pieces, wrecking their lives as they focus on their sole goal. That obsession and desire for perfection characterises much of the theatrical experiences in the book. The theatre is a space where anything is possible and anyone can become someone else. Purcell takes full grasp of those shape shifting abilities, weaving in classical tragedies to create that same three act structure. I particularly loved the way Macbeth plays such a central role in the book, blurring that line between actor and part. The play itself has a storied history of curses and superstitions associated with it, particularly with method acting and actors losing themselves in their part. This adds a meta theatrical aspect to the book that I adored. That tragic atmosphere haunts the book and foreshadows all that will unfold. You know full well everything will end in tears, but whose blood is on whose hands by the end?

The Whispering Muse pushes obsession to its deadly limits and asks you what you would lose to have that one gleaming moment.

An absolutely riveting read.

Jennifer, Jenny as she is known, and her younger siblings have been left in the lurch by their elder brother Greg.
His actions caused consequences, that meant Jenny had to find new employment, and quickly.
Mrs Dyer, Greg’s former employer calls Jenny to her home. She has a job offer for the surprised Jenny.
A job offer too good to refuse.
Why is Mrs Dyer being kind to her? After all Greg had left Mr & Mrs Dyer’s employment rather suddenly, leaving a bad, rather sour taste, for his former colleagues.

An absolutely riveting read.
Various characters come together in this ghostly tale. Some nice, some not so.
I really enjoyed reading about Jenny’s new job role, and in the time period that it was set. I could muster up the atmosphere within the pages of this tale.
I wondered when Jenny was asked to do various things in her job role, would she? What would the consequences be?
A book that is of a very sensitive nature in parts, and also dark in parts.
A most compelling book that I did not want to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions of this book are entirely my own.

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell is a Victorian Gothic thriller set in the atmospheric world of the theatre. Our protagonist is Jenny, a young woman in dire financial straits. An unlikely benefactoress, Mrs Dyer, comes to her aid and offers her a job as a dresser in the theatre she owns with her husband. In return all she asks is that Jenny keep an eye on the actress she is to dress, Lilith, a young woman who is set to become the star of their theatre. The reason for Mrs Dyer's suspicion soon becomes evident as it is obvious to Jenny that Lilith is having an affair with her husband, and that is not even the worst of her secrets. When rumors start to circulate about a curse at the theatre, involving Lilith and a Faustian bargain with Melpomene, a Muse from Greek tragedy, Jenny is quick to dismiss them at first but as time goes on and more strange events and tragedies take place, she starts to believe the curse may be real after all.
Lush and vivid descriptions of the behind the scenes world of Victorian theatre, lots of drama and tension and a sympathetic character in Jenny are just a few of the reasons for my enjoyment of this book. The gothic elements are cleverly incorporated and there is a real sense of menace and impending doom as the story unfolds. While Jenny is the protagonist , in many ways Lilith is the more interesting and complex character, with her determination and ambition to succeed at any cost.
This is definitely my favourite of the author's work to date.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I have read every single one of Laura Purcell's books and was really excited to see what this book has in store as it seemed to have everything I would be looking for. From it set in the Victorian era to a potentially haunted theatre I was ready to devour this novel.

I do have to admit that even though this book is beautifully written, it didn't have me shocked or drawn into the plot as the usual psychological horror aspect was just missing in this book. It had blood and gore but lacked the unknown eerie feeling by the end, especially as it seems to come to it's climax then abruptly end when I feel we could have had 'spookier' outcomes and hauntings as I felt like I was waiting for some big reveal that never game.

I still loved the book and will always admire Laura Purcell's writing and stories but this just didn't hit the mark for me. I would still recommend it to people but would advise that this isn't the first book of hers you pick up because if I wasn't already a fan it might have put me off her earlier works.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Strange things are afoot in London's theatres and Jenny has been tasked with spying on the woman suspected as being at the heart of it all, promising young actress, Lilith. Unable to resist the opportunity to better her family, shattered by a recent scandal, Jenny takes to her work eagerly. What she finds is a theatre in chaos, with suspicion and treachery afoot. How can she survive in a place that feels like a tinderbox?

I loved the fact that the novel is set in different acts, each corresponding to a separate play (as an ex-English teacher, this delighted the nerdy part of my brain). Throughout each, we see Lilith grow as an actress, whilst also watching as her dependence on the 'muse' of the title, Melpomene- is the fated Muse really influencing what's happening, or is something more sinister afoot? And can Jenny save herself- and her family- before she gets too sucked into whatever madness is taking over the Mercury Theatre and its players?

I love gothic fiction and I love Laura Purcell; I think this might be her best novel yet.

Laura is the absolute Queen of gothic fiction. And gets better with every book.
I devoured this in 2 days in between Christmas and I’m definitely purchasing a copy for my keep shelf! Superb!!
Thank you for this copy to read and review

A creepy, chilling and atmospheric tale of the type you’d expect from Purcell. Fans of her precious books will enjoy this!

The Whispering Muse is an atmospheric creepy gothic novel set in an old theatre.

Jenny is hired by a theatre owners wife to spy on the new leading lady. Jenny soon finds that not everything (and everyone) in the theatre is as it seems and there are lots of secrets and lies waiting to be discovered.

I went into this book pretty blind as there’s not a lot of information about it and I think that’s the best way, it’s almost impossible to describe! It’s creepy and eerie and had me up all night reading to find out what was going on! I’ll definitely be reading more from Laura Purcell!

A departure from Purcell's usual bone chilling Gothic novels. This one is more grounded in reality but at the same time dips into horror territory.
Purcell spins a gorgeous tale of the fascinating world of theatre. A world full of magic, yet a world abiding my limiting rules, rife with jealousy, superstitions, muses that won't grant wished without a price. In the middle of all this we have Jenny, a kind yet strong maiden who cannot make heads or tails of the events spiralling around her, threatening to pull her in.

As Jenny is navigating this magical world, trying to learn as much as she can yet at the same time understand the events unfolding around her; and also come to terms with what she is "forced" to do; we are pulled along as witness to a string of horror occurrences, culminating in an explosive event that hopefully will purge everything.

A gothic tale set in the Victorian theatre. Full of chills, blood and sprinkled with horror. A pact with the devil and you know that never ends well. A real gothic tale that kept me reading late into the night.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Fantastic, atmospheric, gothic chiller immersed in the world of Victorian theatre. Told in sections linked to the plays that are being performed, and with a narrative through line of a Faustian pact linked to a broach, there are some lovely allusions to the plays themselves.

Really enjoyed the characters and their relationships, even the minor characters felt real and the complexity of emotions came through.
One critique - the gothic melodrama could have either gone further in the supernatural ghostliness, or left it deliberately ambiguous as to whether it’s all a matter of belief.

Rating: 3.8/5

In the "Acknowledgements" section, Laura Purcell makes reference to the personal upheavals she was facing as she endeavoured to produce her latest novel. She also explains that having shelved several substantial drafts, this final version is something quite different to what she had originally envisaged. Though nothing will ever make up for the emotional losses this author suffered during this time, she can perhaps take a semblance of comfort from the work she has ultimately produced during that time. "The Whispering Muse" is quite possibly her best work to date.

It was already evident from her previous output that Laura Purcell was well capable of producing intelligent and atmospheric novels. Her work has already achieved a fair amount of critical acclaim, though personally I found her previous work tended to be a bit one-paced and - I would have to confess - a touch tedious. "The Whispering Muse" builds on the positive elements of her previous novels, with intriguing characters, evocative atmosphere and appealing settings, but it also adds the dramatic appeal that was such a feature of the best fictional literature of the nineteenth century. A compelling read and I hope the author continues along this path.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A very enjoyable read even though I do not usually like supernatural stories. Jenny is left unemployed with her sister and 2 brothers to take care of after her eldest brother Greg steals from her employer and takes all her money. His old employer offers Jenny a job at her theatre to spy on the leading lady and her husband. Death seems to follow who ever owns a special watch - is it really the muse of the watch that is killing actors?
The story is well written and keeps a good pace. It is fairly short so I read it in 2 evenings. Although the ending leaves a few questions regarding the future, I wonder if the author deliberately left the reader to to decide.