This is a very strong debut: the plotting is impeccable, the writing is perfectly polished (even if a bit too flowery for my taste), and I love the split timelines. Unfortunately, I realised I'm not keen on the entire freak show/circus theme, so I didn't find Dolly's 19th century chapters that interesting. Her haunting the modern characters was really fun, though! I also could not stand Nell and I could not sympathise with her at all. She made strange decisions, was way too awkward to be believable and that definitely affected my reading experience. I even preferred her moody, teenage daughter Fern! All in all, an interesting novel, I love a ghost story so enjoyed the spooky shenanigans, and will be definitely interested to see what this author writes next.

This book was just different, different from what I usually read. I love gothic thrillers/horror books. I've never read anything with the subject matter of traveling curiosities. It was interesting to read. I loved the atmospheric writing. This is a good read for fall. 4 stars.

It took me a while to gather my thoughts. I didn't dislike the book, but I also didn't love it, love it. I think it's well-written, and the timeline split is well-done. There are a LOT of chapters, and at times it felt a bit dragging.

The story of this book is a series of bad decisions, and it keeps going, and going, and going. Dolly, for starters, in the 19th century, and then Nell (with her daughter Fern) in the present time. What kept me interested was learning more about the past and Dolly's history. By the first page, we already have an idea of what's going to happen in the present.

I still think this book can find its readership. Pick it up if you like:

- Ghost stories and horror
- Past and Present timeline mix
- Mysteries and solving them
- To give a chance to a debut novel

Thank you Titan, for the opportunity to haunt Merry Hall with Dolly.

Haunted House lovers will enjoy this story. Definitely spooky and weird. I enjoyed the historical timeline better than the current one. The mother and daughter in the current timeline were not as likeable as the characters in the past. Still, the story came together at the end with a satifisfying ending.

I love the three point of view it was a good gothic tale, dolly had short parts in the story I didnt like how nell was and her bad decisions in the story. I did like how this was a ghost story. The back story was that I was completely captivated by this dark, atmospheric tale. It begins with a traveling showman who adds an albino girl to his troupe of so-called “freaks.” What starts as a twisted partnership soon turns more sinister she falls in love with him, becomes pregnant, and he isolates her in a crumbling estate known as Merry Hall. From there, the story spirals into something chilling and tragic.

Fast forward to years later in the 2000's , when a struggling single mother stumbles upon Merry Hall, desperate for a fresh start. But the house’s past is anything but dead—and its long-forgotten secrets still linger in the shadows. The blend of historical and contemporary horror is so well done, and the slow-burn suspense had me hooked. Haunting, heartbreaking, and utterly gripping I couldn’t put it down.

I'm afraid I didn't like Nell, and that clouded the whole thing for me.
I found myself not agreeing with everything she did just because of this dislike.
To be fair, I don't think she always made the best decisions.
I'd have liked to hear more about Wenham and his traveling curiosities, but the goings on of the house gives me a good idea what might go on.
Well split across two timelines, and towards the end ramps up the ghostly goings on.

This is a Gothic novel for the thinking person. In mid 19th century, England, a traveling showman ads an albino girl to his repertoire of what he calls freaks. She falls in love with him and becomes pregnant with his child. He locks her up in a house called Merry Hall, and things go rapidly downhill from there. Flash forward to 2005 when a single mother, desperate for a place to live moves into Merry Hall only to discover that it’s a long dead previous inhabitants have never left

This is an amazing debut novel by the author, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. Dolly is an albino girl who is working for practically nothing when the amazing Mr wenham picks her up offering a glittering future beyond her dreams. She adores him and will do anything for the man who has promised her a life of plenty. Things turn to tragedy though and affect generations of the family for years to come. Nell and Fern need to discover what has happened in the spooky Merry Hall, can they find out its secrets before it’s too late?

Amazing writing that keeps you wanting to know more, well written and engaging.