This wonderful gothic and mysterystyle novel takes place in England in the 1880's at the Evergreen House which happens to be a refuge for women and children to start over. This book follows the social struggles that these people face while trying to start over. The owner of the house Rebecca is in a constant struggle of dealing with those who are trying to sabotage the home. Things seem to get worse when the cook is murdered and Rebecca finds herself having go back through old records in order uncover who the killer is.
I will admit that this novel was something to get used to. However, weaving in some of the historical aspects into the mystery made it very much enjoyable. I am greatful that I took the time to read this book.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

Historical fiction hasn't been my go to genre since my 9th child was born 5 years ago, but the title, the description and that captivating cover had me wanting to know more about this story.

And here it is - Jody Cooksley has created a gripping novel based in London in the 1800's. The complexity of themes and the depth of characters makes this book hard to put down. Despite it being a historical novel the themes and issues addressed make this book timeless and worth reading. The gambit of emotions that the reader experiences is shocking; and this is due to the craftmanship of the author - the ability to weave words in such a way as to draw the reader in and entangle them in the journey.

A captivating book that deserve tik-tok fandom all its own.

I didn’t realise that this was a companion book to the previous novel, The Small Museum, so the story was confusing at first.
Evergreen House was once the location for despicable and inhumane experiments performed upon both animals and humans by Dr Everley.
Maddie was his long suffering wife, and suffered greatly from both his deeds and the treatment shown to her by his sister, Grace, who is now in an asylum, she escaped punishment due to mental illness . Maddie gave Evergreen House to her sister, Rebecca and George her brother in law
and they have turned a place of evil into a happy, safe and welcoming home for unmarried women and their children, where they can be educated and learn employment skills, much like the ideas of Mr Charles Dickens, he also believed in these places as being beneficial to Fallen Women, and he knew the low regard that society placed upon the female sex in particular.
I liked the sense of good works in this field being undertaken, almost as a penance in this case.
There was a sense of dread and a subdued atmosphere throughout this novel, but not in the way that a true Victorian Gothic thriller should be.
I liked the Asylum scenes, Grace was a chilling , manipulative and strong willed character, deluded and devious to the end.
The house did manage to lose its malign influences in the end, but the deaths were a loss to the story. I had the sense that the book was rushed, and it fell flat in some areas, almost like all the best ideas had already been used up.
I rated it as a three star read. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Allison and Busby for my advanced copy, freely given in return for my honest review. I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

Lacked a little suspense. Not a traditional thriller but that appeals to many readers. Could be a unique take for those who want something new.

This is a dark gothic tale which is a companion novel to her book The Small Museum.
Although this is a stand alone novel which definitely does not detract from the storyline you become much more invested in the characters if you have read the first book.
Having started the book and finding it difficult to get into I abandoned it to read the Small Museum and from then on I was hooked
The Surgeons house is a brilliant read once you know the premise of what has gone before.

This was a gripping historical mystery set in a large victorian house, in London, in 1883.

Evergreen House is a home for unmarried women and their children. The house is run as a charity under the supervision of Rebecca and her husband George. Rebecca is determined to provide education and a happy reguge for the women.

Evergreen house was formerly the residence of Doctor Everley, his son Lucas and his daughter Grace before he was convicted for murdering babies and their mothers as part of his medical research.
Grace is now in a mental institution which saved her from the death penalty. The story is partly narrated by Grace who seeks recompense after being shut away and losing her father and brother.

The story starts with the brutal murder of the beloved cook, Rose.When two further deaths follow, it seems there is an evil presence at work. Rebecca desperately tries to investigate who is wanting to harm them and if there is a link to the Everley legacy.

I found this an easy read with some intriguing characters and a plot that kept me turning the pages. I loved the atmospheric, slightly gothic, victorian setting.

The story portrayed how incredibly hard it was for vulnerable women during this time and the harsh, uncaring way they were largely dealt with by society. The creeping sense of foreboding felt by the women as those in authority impose sanctions and threaten to take over the house is well written.

After I finished reading this I realised it was a sequel but this can easily be read as a stand alone. I am now keen to read the first book 'The Small House'

While this book is a sequel, I think anyone can read it just fine as a standalone without being confused, However I felt this book was flat compared to the first. The characters were blah and the writing could've been better. Would not recommend.

I really enjoyed "Small Museum" by Jody Cooksley but didn't realise that "The Surgeon's House" was a sequel until some of the plotlines began to sound familiar. Set 8 years on, in the same house as the previous book, things have changed a lot and the house is home to women who need a second chance in life, those who have children out of wedlock etc. Nice to catch up with old characters and to be introduced to new characters. I preferred "Small Museum" but this book has its own merits and can be read without prior knowledge of the first book.

It will be hard to replace Rose, the cook of Evergreen House, after she was murdered, because Evergreen is not a normal household. Rebecca and George Harris run Evergreen as a home for unmarried mothers and their children, an unusual activity in 1883, and something which the authorities would like to close as an afront to morality. Such mothers should be incarcerated and working in a Magdalen Laundry; such children should be in an orphanage or workhouse. The house is technically the property of the Everley family, but the former occupants, Dr Everley and his son Lucius, had been hanged for torturing and murdering fallen women and their babies in an attempt to understand the cause of ‘pain’. His daughter Grace, a willing partner, is now in an insane asylum, but plots revenge on Rose and her sister Maddie for causing their downfall. The absence of a cook is a chink which the authorities might use to find cause to shut the place, but fortunately a new cook is found. Another doctor, an alienist ( i.e. psychiatrist) now occupies the basement, pursuing the same research goal, but by non-lethal means, it is assumed. He is still associated with Grace.
This is a sequel to the author’s earlier novel “A Small Museum”, but can be read as a standalone since all necessary background is presented. The story is told from the perspectives of Rose and Grace, and is very introspective, perhaps too heavily as this is the main way of filling in the previous history. As a historical story, it works quite well, the language mostly sounds authentic, the environmental descriptions are evocative, and discussion of societies attitude to women is almost polemic. As a murder-mystery, it is a bit obvious and I think it felt like the timeline was confused to provide a layer of obfuscation which the plot otherwise lacked. Overall, therefore, although it was good on the historical side it was disappointing on the mystery side, which is my focus, and I’ve rated it accordingly.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

When I saw this as an ARC on NetGalley I had to read it. Whilst it does justice as a sequel to the Small Museum finishing off some of the characters stories it also works brilliantly as a standalone read.

Following the lives of women and their children who have suffered so much at a young age, this book is not just about their stories but the community they are building to support each other.

When a series of murders, impacts those who sought safety at Evergreen, they begin to question if the past is coming to haunt them and you can feel their fear through the writing. Rebecca is a force of nature determined that no one will suffer any more like she did and she will do whatever it takes to find out who is responsible to protect those in her care.

There is a number of likely suspects that you meet during the story each of which you hate for their on traits as the book continues. But what I like about this book is the focus is more on Rebecca and her desire to save those in her care, she is a strong female character that shows your past does not define you and that you can overcome adversity.

Could there have been more around the suspects and their history- Yes - do I think that detracts from the story - No, if anything it makes it more than just a standard murder mystery.

Easily a 4 star read for me and right up my street- I would also have picked up off the book cover and blurb alone!

Link to Goodreads review

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219388491

DNF at 25%

Thank you to Allison & Busby for the advanced copy, I feel like I've let you down by deciding not to finish this book!

TLDR; LOVED the first book (also an ARC, read my rambles here https://www.netgalley.com/book/334816/review/1373346), but the sequel is giving unpolished early draft vibes.

The Good: The setting and tone of voice carried through to the sequel, I once again felt fully immersed in a smoggy, eerie Victorian London. Something in Cooksley's writing hooks me and compels me to read (part of me still wants to keep reading even with The Bad and The Ugly), but maybe that's just my obsession with historical fiction. I liked the idea of switching focus from Maddie/Lucius to Rebecca/Grace, as they had been set up in the first book to be really rich, interesting, shake-the-Victorian-table characters. However-

The Bad: I felt the characters here were incredibly two-dimensional and flat, which is a double-whammy disappointment with how great Maddie/Lucius were in the first book, and how well set-up Rebecca/Grace were. Again many of the characters felt caricaturistic, but without a sense of depth and realism which made them very awkward to read, especially the dialogue exchanges. It was equally frustrating to read the scene of Rebecca breaking the news of Rose's death, and having everyone instantly cry. That doesn't happen in real life! Where is the shock?! Where is the emotional build up? Where are the five stages of grief? So many little details that really add up and take the reader out of the story.

The chapters felt too short, as though they were unfinished placeholders just to map out the pace of the story and never revisited or fully finished. The pace despite this was incredibly slow, and I feel like nothing noteworthy has happened by the time I decided to put the book down. We start with a bang with a mysterious murder and missing keys, and then... nothing? It was quite boring, I'm sad to say. I also don't remember Rose from the first book (she might be an entirely new character, I'm unsure) and so I have very little invested in wanting to find out why she was murdered. Could have had a Jack the Ripper uhh... rip off, with each 'fallen' woman at the shelter being picked off one by one. Something with a little more actual mystery and a faster pace, matching how gruesome the first book could often times be. I would have also started the book similar to the first with a flash-forward to whatever high-tension scene we have coming up, and then instantly jump into Rebecca informing the shelter women that Rose has been killed, skipping the first initial chapter/s.

Last but not least, misogyny. Not from me (I hope), but as a clear theme the author is interested in, with time-accurate misogyny littering basically every page. This started out as a 'hell yeah, call out the gross sexism' and turned into 'oh, another sexist micro aggression? How groundbreaking'. It was too much, and yet not enough. I would have much preferred a deep dive on one or two examples, like Rebecca running a shelter, or Maddie wanting to be an artist, and thoroughly explore the misogyny around those instances, instead of a thousand shallow papercuts seemingly just for the sake of it. Again, the caricaturistic nature of the characters comes through, with most of the male characters simply being bobbleheads of sexism. Would hit harder coming from a character who is otherwise genuinely likeable, but still holds the time-accurate ideas of what women are supposed to be.

The Ugly: This felt like an early draft, rushed and shallow. I don't want to put the fault to Cooksley because she has proven (to me) that she is a great writer with The Small Museum, but hey, writing takes time to perfect! I understand 100% that authors are often pressured by publishers with deadlines and due dates and I imagine Cooksley simply didn't have the time she did for the first book to really sit with the story and the characters and add flesh to bones. I might be wrong, maybe it's a different editor, who knows, regardless I need publishers to start trusting authors instead of squeezing unpolished books through the gate. Patience is a virtue, etc.

Sorry! Still love The Small Museum and need it adapted to screen, somehow, someway.

If I had finished it and nothing about the writing, characters, or pace changed, then it would have been a 2/5

This is a dark tale exploring attitudes to so called fallen women in Victorian London. It opens with a brutal murder of a much loved cook who worked in a home for abandoned women and their illegitimate children. It seems that the proprietors of this house are the only ones who genuinely care for these people. Others, including from the medical profession regard them as irredeemable and eminently disposable, willing to use them in spurious medical research for their own gratification. As the investigation to the murder proceeds the proprietors face losing their house and their lives but manage to overcome these challenges in what turns out to be an optimistic ending.

3.5 stars

As a lover of historical fiction, I was eager to dive into this gothic Victorian murder mystery—and it certainly delivers on atmosphere. The macabre tone and creepy Evergreen mansion evoke strong Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) vibes, made even more amusing by the narrator also being named Rebecca. Grace and the enigmatic Threlfall intrigued me early on, and while I haven’t read the preceding book, this one stands well on its own.

Though I enjoyed the mystery and the slow unveiling of the true villains, I found the story lacked the rich historical detail I often crave in historical fiction—beyond a few midwives’ tales and period superstitions. That said, the writing kept me guessing until about 85% in, and the themes of revenge and hope gave it depth. Overall, a moody, engaging read, though I wished for more immersion in its historical setting and perhaps a bit more character development.

A very enjoyable victorian thriller, even if you haven't read the previous book.
Some twists and turns, I enjoyed the different perspectives in different chapters which gives more insight into the characters.
Altogether a good read. A little slow in places but worth sticking with.

I hadn't read the previous book, so it took me a little while to get into the story, but in the end it was worth it.
The first half felt a bit slow, but the tension in the second half, and increasing towards the end, was excellent.
I'm not normally a huge fan of historical fiction, but this was a good book to dip into, particularly when it seemed more of a thriller than historical fiction to me. I did feel myself hugely concerned about what was going to happen to these characters, which, as they are only fictional, meant that the author did a splendid job of bringing them to life.

I feel if I’d read the first book in this series I’d maybe be more invested in these characters more and have a better understanding of the world.

Rebecca is a very interesting character and I found myself liking her a lot but just felt things were jumping around in terms of storylines and I just wanted to focus on the murder that I just got a bit confused.

A dark gothic tale that will leave you wanting and questioning. The atmosphere is lush and decadent, pulling into this dark but gorgeous world. It is very well thought out and written with great attention to details. The story has several layers. The characters are interesting to say the least but are a bit unreliable. A mystery you should not miss, if you love gothic tales and atmospheric reads.

This book is a follow up to the Small Museum by the same author and keeps the sense of creepy dread going. A good gothic tale and I did enjoy reading it.

If you're in the mood for an atmospheric Victorian gothic, then step inside The Surgeon's House by Jody Cooksley. Evergreen House, former ancestral home of the sinister Everly family is now a refuge for women fallen from society 's grace and a school for their children run by Rebecca Harris and her husband George and staffed by the mysterious. I enjoyed this book. Thankyou NetGalley and Allison&Busby for this arc to read.

A very haunting mystery, with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.