The Surgeon’s House by Jody Cooksley

London 1883

Rebecca and husband George run Evergreen House as a home for young girls and their illegitimate children, often called a house for ‘fallen women’. This has been a positive change. Previously, Rebecca’s sister Maddie was the woman of the house as the wife of Dr Everley. Maddie is recovering well after being on trial for the murder of her baby and the revelation that the Everley family had a tradition of hideous experimentation on the bodies of babies to create strange chimeras. Rebecca knows their tenure here is precarious. The Everley family still own the house, but with Dr Everley dead and his sister Grace in a prison asylum no one currently needs it. The small household are very close so all are devastated when the cook and centre of their household, Rose, is murdered. Rebecca is shocked by the death of her friend in what seems to be a random act. Rose’s death isn’t the end of the mysterious events at Evergreen. Rebecca fears the past is coming back to haunt them, the murderous and twisted legacy of the Everley family is hard to ignore. What was a sanctuary is becoming dangerous as the evil presence continues it’s work. With the charity board also tightening their grip on the house, Rebecca must draw out the murderer and discover their purpose.

This was a great companion novel to The Small Museum which told the story of Maddie’s marriage to Dr Everley. Rebecca was once one of Grace Everley’s fallen girls, but this was just a way of acquiring babies for her brother. It was great to see Maddie again especially so happy with her partner Tizzy. They are both regular visitors to Evergreen. There’s such a positive atmosphere and the residents are able to live alongside their babies, unlike the terrible Magdalen Laundries where babies were taken for adoption and their mothers were forced into heavy labour to repent their sin, repay their debt and make a profit for the church. The truth is that most of these girls have been manipulated, coerced or abused. Rebecca works on the premise that they shouldn’t be punished twice. There’s a lovely parallel with Maddie’s paintings of mythical women that she’s submitting to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Helen of Troy is seen as the cause of the Trojan War, but she had no agency in the story. She’s desired by a man who abducts her by force. Medusa is raped in the temple of Athena, but the goddess chooses to punish her for desecrating the temple, giving her snakes for hair and a gaze that turns men to stone. Neither woman asked for what happened to them. Maddie has painted them on huge powerful canvasses, a monument to women mistreated by men.

The house is becoming a hive of activity in the lead up to Easter. The children are excited, painting eggs and helping their mums to weave colourful baskets. So it is a shock to them when Rose is gone. She was always helping the children to bake and had a listening ear for anyone in the household who needed it. It’s as if the heart has been taken from their home. Downstairs at Evergreen has always been a different matter. Psychologist, Dr Threlfall practises in the basement at the behest of Grace Everley. He ensured Maddie wasn’t wrongly convicted of the murder of her baby and Rebecca is grateful, but is slightly suspicious of what he’s researching. He has an interest in eugenics, measuring the girl’s heads, the placement of their features and notes any patterns. He’s trying to create a taxonomy of fallen women as if their sin might be predicted by physical characteristics. Rebecca worries he’s been inspired by old Dr Everley’s research into pain - especially when she hears one of the girl’s scream from his room. Then there’s the room next door where one of the servants is practising her taxidermy, in an unhygienic way! It’s as if the interests and hobbies of the Everley’s are ingrained in the fabric of the house.

In between Rebecca’s narrative, we have Grace Everley’s. She’s incarcerated and seems to be teetering on the brink of insanity. Used to manipulating people with her beauty, her finery is a thing of the past and her beautiful hair has been completely shaved off. She’s still incensed that Dr Threlfall testified for Maddie, sending her brother to the gallows. What she cares about most and the focus for her vengeful thoughts, is that her father’s work isn’t being continued. She takes us back to her teenage years and participating in her father’s pain research - now she is utterly stoic and she can completely separate mind from body, blocking out her pain receptors. I did feel a tiny bit of sympathy for her because she didn’t stand a chance growing up in that environment. Having been used by her father she could have been a submissive mouse, but instead she became powerful and used her feminine charms to control the men around her. Could she still have that influence?

The men in the novel are mainly concerned with controlling their environment and all the women in it. Dr Threlfall is the last link between the Everley family and Evergreen House. He may be an effective doctor but his interest in eugenics is concerning. It always leads to controlling people’s behaviour and persecuting those who don’t fit the rigid ideal. It lead to some of the biggest atrocities of the 20th Century. Looking to categorise a type of woman who ends up in trouble, lets men off the hook for what happens to them. Mr Lavell is equally discriminatory. He thinks that women who have children out of wedlock must be punished for their actions and only the Bible and physical work will remind them of the terrible choices they’ve made. He finds Rebecca’s methods too lenient and would like the children sent to the orphanage. Then he’d bring laundry in for the women, to keep them penitent and make a profit for the charity board. Only George is absolutely steadfast to his wife. When a woman turns up at the door asking for kitchen work, Rebecca goes her a chance even though her references will need chasing after the fact. Things start to deteriorate quickly once Angela is in charge in the kitchen and it’s definitely not the heart of the home any more. She could have a bedroom but chooses to bed down in the cupboard where Dr Everley kept his specimens. She doesn’t try to make connections and won’t have children baking in the kitchen. Rebecca is concerned and then incensed when she suspects her of selling one of the women’s stories to a Penny Dreadful. When one of the youngest children falls ill, Rebecca knows for sure that something evil lurks in the house. She feels assailed from all sides, evil from within and outside forces trying to force their own agenda. She has to solve the mystery before the charity board get wind of their problems and use it to close them down.

This was a tense and atmospheric read. I could feel the warmth and happiness slowly being sucked from Evergreen House. It did feel evil, like a creeping black mould slowly covering everything. This really showed the inequality in society and how the fates of these women are decided by men; especially ironic when men are complicit, if not to blame for their supposed fall. One man seeks a genetic reason for their loose morals. Another feels they haven’t atoned for their sin. While a third would take away their children and punish them with hard labour. Not a single one questions their own behaviour or even doubts their right to pass judgement. Yet there are admirable women calmly showing compassion, understanding and professionalism, while stuck in this patriarchal system. Grace Everley gives me the shivers, but she is a victim too. I was held in suspense over who was the murderer and whether Rebecca’s home could remain the loving and caring space women need. There were heart-stopping moments, especially towards the end. The scene in the garden had me holding my breath. This is the perfect gothic mystery, especially for fans of historical fiction who like a touch of feminism on the side. This is a must-buy, for the engrossing story and for the gorgeous cover too.

While I found the book a bit slow to start I did end up getting pulled in and whited the story.
The books opens with a murder we follow through the book playing a “who done it” throughout. Lots of hints at multiple people so you are doing your best to follow the clues.
I enjoyed the change of perspectives through characters. I found the characters likeable and relatable.
I loved the historical accuracy of the story and medicine seen within. I am a nurse and it was one of the things that lured me in to requesting the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to ARC read!

Did not finish book. Stopped at 67%.

I really enjoyed The Small Museum but this book was so completely boring that I couldn’t continue.

I was nervous for a second that I might not remember enough from the first one to know where this one starts - but I shouldn’t have worried, because the plot of the first book is summarized about once a chapter. Each chapter is repetitive, with things getting progressively worse and worse for Rebecca and Grace, and yet nothing happens. The book starts with a MURDER and NOTHING HAPPENS.

One thing I didn’t care for in the first book is seemingly tripled-down on in this one is the fact that every man is downright rude. I understand the author wanted to showcase real conditions for women in this time period but it almost felt like trauma porn with the amount of misogynistic garbage they had to put up with.

Overall Jody Cooksley is a great writer but driving action is her weakness.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jody Cooksley, and Allison & Busby for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Surgeon’s House is the sequel to Jody Cooksley’s 2024 novel, The Small Museum. I wish I had known that beforehand. Diving straight into the opening chapters of The Surgeon’s House, I found the book quite a tough read – but predominantly because so much of the plot and character set up is done elsewhere. This makes it difficult to provide a fair review.

The book is set in late Victorian Lonon. Our main character, Rebecca Harris, is the proprietor of Evergreen House, a refuge for women and their illegitimate children. The violent death of the establishment’s cook is enough of a shock for the small community… and then further deaths start to occur.

It took me some time to get to know the characters, although given the fact this is a sequel to a book I haven’t read, this was no fault of the author. The Surgeon’s House feels like a very feminist tale – the emphasis is very much on the female characters here with many of the men, such as Rebecca’s husband, staying much in the background of the tale. I did feel the pace of the tale was rather slower than expected, but the denouement when it arrives, was well written.

Not a book I much enjoyed but those who have read The Small Museum will most likely appreciate it more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the pubslihers, Allison & Busby, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I must say I found this book a bit depressing to read. The women in the story were always put down and their opinions weren’t considered by many of the male characters. The story it self was well written and it moved along at a good pace. It was just the content that I found wasn’t to my taste. Although other reviewers have enjoyed it. I hadn’t read the first book but I didn’t find this a hindrance as previous events were explained. It did have a satisfying outcome. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Allison & Busby for this eCopy to review

I recently finished The Surgeon's House by Jody Cooksley, and I found it to be an atmospheric and unsettling tale filled with tension, secrets, and moral dilemmas. This sequel to The Small Museum takes us back to Rebecca's life in Evergreen House, where her past continues to cast long shadows over her present.

Set in 1881, the novel immerses the reader in a world of medical advancements, social expectations, and quiet horrors. Rebecca struggles to settle into the life she has tried to build, but when mysterious deaths begin to occur, she finds herself caught in a web of suspicion and unease. The arrival of Edward Threlfall, Grace’s husband, adds further instability to her world—his presence is unwelcome, and yet his shadow looms large over the unfolding events. As authorities turn their gaze toward the house, the tension mounts, forcing Rebecca to question everything she thought she knew about the people around her.

Cooksley’s writing is wonderfully evocative, drawing on gothic elements to create a rich and eerie atmosphere. The medical details woven into the story add another layer of intrigue, making the novel feel immersive and authentic.

The Surgeon’s House is an intriguing historical mystery that successfully blends gothic elements with medical themes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC of this book. The below opinions are my own.

I want to preface this review by saying I was NOT aware this was a sequel, though I think one could still understand the gist of what happened in the prior novel as it’s alluded to a lot in this book.

I didn’t like this book, but I didn’t hate it either. I was a little confused as to what this was supposed to be. A romance for Rebecca and George, who seem to have drifted apart due to Rebecca’s infertility? A murder mystery with the death of the beloved cook, Rose? A horror novel with the introduction (or reintroduction) of the Everley family? A feminist novel about the ways in which women were treated unfairly?

The book seemed to have a lot of themes with no real direction. It was a struggle to read, but I pushed through because I did want to know what happened to Rose and the damn keys that keep getting brought up.

I found myself enjoying Grace’s sections of these novels better than Rebecca’s side, so maybe reading The Small Museum may be better for me.

Overall, this was a decent book, it just wasn’t really my cup of tea.

I thank NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an advance reader copy of “The Surgeon’s House.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Evergreen House is again the scene of foul acts in “The Surgeon’s House,” a continuation of characters and story from author Jody Cooksley’s previous novel, “The Small Museum.” This time, the murder of a beloved cook serves as the catalyst for the rest of the machinations of the evil people that have populated the house in the past, and whose intrigues continue to drive events in the present.

The book is not for the faint of heart. If you like your stories grim and dark in true gothic tradition, this one is for you, with one of the most frightening characters in recent memory (and one who enjoys narrating a version of madness in gruesome detail). There is trouble on pretty much every page, but also hope as heroine Rebecca and her husband George attempt to help “fallen” women and their children make something of their lives, while Rebecca fights to find and identify justice, putting an end to the curse that seems to hang over Evergreen House. “The evil that men do lives after them” is present in “The Surgeon’s House,” but the author finishes with hope for the future and a way forward. Readers will feel a great deal of satisfaction when the book concludes.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me but maybe it was because I hadn't the previous book. It was very slow and I nearly gave up after a quarter of the way through, but decided to skim read to the last quarter, which was good. The basic plot was fine but very drawn out except for the end which finished in a rush. I'm sure many readers will enjoy the book.

I didn't realise this was a sequel and, although it probably can work as a standalone, I wish I'd read the previous book first. I struggled to keep up with the different characters and found myself confused over who was who. Aside from that it was a decent novel but it didn't hold my interest.

It's a historical mystery novel set in Victorian London period. This is the sequel to the author's other book, "a small museum", but it can be read as standalone. The book deals with the boundary between scientific research and mortality. Rebecca Harris is an interesting main character, who has solid presence throughout the story.
Intriguing: 2
Unsettling: 1
Scariness: 1
It's a three ⭐ read for me.

Thank you for the e-arc.

LOVED IT, LOVED IT . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rebecca Harris, the tenacious proprietor of Evergreen House, a refuge for women and children, is the protagonist of this story. She finds herself embroiled in a horrifying investigation following the gruesome murder of Rose Parmiter, the house's cook. Rebecca has to deal with both the dark past of the Everly family and outside threats as unexplained deaths continue to occur and ghosts from the past emerge. This book is evocative and captivating. It is a riveting read because of its fast-paced plot and compelling characters—some likeable, others not - and a great mystery at its heart.

The Surgeon's House
by Jody Cooksley
Pub Date: May 22 2025
A stellar follow up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

London, 1883.

The brutal murder of Rose Parmiter seems, at first glance, to be a random and senseless act. Rose was the beloved cook at Evergreen House, a place of refuge for women and children, a place from which they can start their lives afresh. Proprietor Rebecca Harris, is profoundly shocked by the death of her dear friend and alarmed at the mysterious events which begin to unfold shortly afterwards. Could the past be casting a shadow on the present? The malign legacy of the Everley family who called Evergreen home, cannot be ignored.

After two further deaths it becomes clear there is an evil presence infecting their sanctuary, and Rebecca must draw out the poison of the past so the Evergreen residents can finally make peace with the darkness in their lives.

I was not sure if this was a sequel or just a book with flashbacks. But one could read it without prior knowledge. Talking of prior knowledge: I recognised the killers method what gave the killer away..
The house is very vividly described. I applaud the worldbuilding. But is there not something amiss in the timeline of the crazy lady? You also might like to explain a bit more to us ignorants how charities in those days worked. Why is dat board so powerful while the women earn their keep?

Evergreen, the titular surgeon’s house, belongs to the Everleys, a family of certain notoriety based on the gruesome experiments performed by Dr Lucius Everley and his sister, Grace, in the previous novel, The Small Museum.
Rebecca Harris and her husband, George, now run Evergreen, and having been caught up in the Everley affairs and their museum of grizzly artifacts, Rebecca is well aware of how hard she must work to keep the resident mothers and children of the house safe. And how much attention she must pay to their welfare, in order that they try to live productive lives. Their beloved cook, Rose’s, brutal murder begins a spree of other deaths, and seems to indicate a connection to the Everleys. Rebecca’s nemesis Mr Lavell, the administrator of the charity board, is determined to oust the Harrises and take Evergreen for himself, running it as a magdalen laundry with a strict Catholic agenda.
This is a finely crafted follow up to Cooksley’s previous novel carrying with it a suitably strong sense of menace. Points of view range between Rebecca, trying to preserve dignity at Evergreen, and Grace Everley in a mental asylum, plotting revenge. Cooksley’s poignant new novel is equally atmospheric, macabre and sinister as the first and a compelling read. It can be read as a standalone, but since gothic novel fans will love The Small Museum, I recommend reading it first.

The Surgeon’s House by Jody Cooksley

This is a companion novel to The Small Museum, which I haven’t
read yet, but I definitely will now! While it stands on its own with sufficient backstory to orient new readers, it’s clear the previous book is a fascinating story with a deeper evil world to explore. This is a gripping gothic tale, full of twists and turns that will leave you unsettled in the best way.

Rebecca operates Evergreen House, a home for unwed mothers and their children. The house has a horrific and storied past, one Rebecca experienced first hand. She is determined to transform it a home of compassion and second chances, despite the societal and charitable condemnation rampant in the 1800’s that deem these women and their children as worthless and beyond salvation.

The novel vividly captures the harsh societal constraints of that era, including the psychological treatise on women's inherent weakness and proneness to hysteria, the punitive institutions that oppressed rather than supported them and the strict limitations placed on their agency. Cooksley powerfully reimagines mythical Greek women through their portraits to demonstrate the power held by those who write the story. Whether you are a judged a heroine or a villain depends entirely on who is telling the story.

Woven throughout this tale of resilient women is a chilling, atmospheric thriller that’s both shocking and disturbing. It’s a gripping and powerful story that you will race through because you won’t be able to put it down.

As with a lot of books I end up loving, we begin in a mortuary, many years ago, which is a favourite time of mine. 1883 if you need an exact time...
On the cold slab lay Rose, all her life and vigor gone, taken by her murderer. Rose was cook at Evergreen House, now a home of second chances, now a sanctuary for women and children running from brutality and terror run by Rebecca and her husband George, before... place of mass murder.
But a spectre hangs over Rose's death, that of Dr Lucius Everley long ago hanged for his murderous crimes, his sister and accomplice Grace forever languishing in an asylum.. a model of quiet insanity.
But Rose's gruesome death raises the question .... are all the Everley's accounted for or is there someone else, hiding in plain sight that is responsible for Rose's death ? Is all the horror about to being again ?
Doesn't this sound good. I adored this dark gothic story, I was dazzled by the evil that lives within this book. I loved the parts where we spend time with the chilling Grace in the asylum especially when she talks of her unseen daughter displaying no love or feeling. There is a cold chill in the room as we listen to her thoughts.
Brilliant, atmospheric, emotionally charged and unsettling. This house has a malignant past and you feel it on every page..

Thank you to netgalley and Allison and Busby and the fabulous Jody Cooksley for letting me read this brilliant histfic dark delight. A follow on from The Small Museum.

Suse

Before I read this book I noticed some of the reviews pointed out it was a sequel to The Small Museum and said it does give more of a background to what has gone before if you’ve read that first so I read it first. I quite enjoyed that book but found this one to be quite slow. Maybe it was because I read them in succession, but I also thought this was almost a repeat of the book before it.

In the sequel the plot surrounds Maddie’s sister Rebecca living in Evergreen House, previously the home of Maddie and her husband Dr Lucius Everley. A few years down the line, it is now a refuge for women and children who have fallen on hard times usually at the hands of violent husbands or disowned by their families after falling pregnant. It is owned by a trust and Rebecca along with her husband run the home. Her sister Maddie is pretty much off the scene until later in the book and only plays a minor part in this book.

After the murder of the cook Rose Parmiter, and a puzzle over who could possibly want to kill a kind older woman who as far as anyone could see couldn’t possibly have made an enemy of anyone, the story then drifts off into Rebecca’s constant battle with the governors of the home who seem hell bent on making life as difficult as possible for Rebecca with a couple more mysterious deaths much further on into the book.

The ending was quite good when all the mysteries were resolved, I just felt it took a long time getting there and I did find it quite hard to keep going to reach the end. It was OK but I did prefer the first book in the Evergreen House saga. I wasn’t that keen on this one to be honest as I felt it was dragged out for too long.

Up on Goodreads now, live on the blog on 19 May:

The Surgeon’s House is the follow-up of The Small Museum, which, honestly, I hadn’t even realised when I accepted the widget lovely Josie Rushin offered me. And once I did realise, truth be told, I was still a little hazy on the details myself, so don’t worry if you haven’t read The Small Museum: The Surgeon’s House stands perfectly well on its own. You’d be missing out, though, just saying.

I’ll cut right to the chase: I had a great time with The Surgeon’s House, just like I had fully expected to. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: I love Victorian England as a setting. It’s without a doubt one of my favourite eras to read about, it almost guarantees a gothic atmosphere, especially in the capable hands of Jody Cooksley.

Everything in Evergreen House is going well, women and children with traumatic pasts are finally safe and cared for, it’s not perfect but it sure comes close. But there is an element or two that is rather menacing, operating in the background, threatening to undo all the proprietors’ hard work. I was hooked from the start. That dark undertone, that first murder, those few quite creepy characters, it all had me and kept me fully invested.

Much like its predecessor, The Surgeon’s House is an atmospheric and engrossing gothic murder mystery and I would happily recommend it to fans of the genre.

The Surgeon’s House is out in digital formats and hardcover on 22 May, with the paperback to follow next year.

Massive thanks to Allison & Busby and NetGalley for the DRC. All opinions are my own.