Name: The Animals at Lockwood Manor
ISBN: 9781529014174

Jane Healey

Some secrets are unspoken. Others are unspeakable . . . August 1939. Thirty-year-old Hetty Cartwright is tasked with the evacuation and safekeeping of the natural history museum's collection of mammals. Once she and her exhibits arrive at Lockwood Manor, however, where they are to stay for the duration of the war, Hetty soon realizes that she's taken on more than she'd bargained for. Protecting her charges from the irascible Lord Lockwood and resentful servants is work enough, but when some of the animals go missing, and worse, Hetty begins to suspect someone - or something - is stalking her through the darkened corridors of the house. As the disasters mount, Hetty finds herself falling under the spell of Lucy, Lord Lockwood's beautiful but clearly haunted daughter. But why is Lucy so traumatized? Does she know something she's not telling? And is there any truth to local rumours of ghosts and curses? Part love story, part mystery, The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey is a gripping and atmospheric tale of family madness, long-buried secrets and hidden desires.

The Animals at Lockwood Manor

A ghostly, gothic love story that opens as the animals of the natural history museum are evacuated to a sinister country house during the war - perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, Stacey Hall, and Jessie Burton.

A pretty atmospheric and competently written novel with compelling characters (so really, the rating is probably just above 3 stars but not quite at 3.5). Unfortunately, I was hoping more gothic elements and also found the story to be dragging at times. Still worth a shot if you enjoy historic settings.

[SPOILER] For the benefit of readers specifically seeking LGBT+ fiction, yes, there are lesbians in this novel and, yes, none of them die or are horrifically punished by the narrative.[/END OF SPOILER]

A pretty atmospheric and competently written novel with compelling characters (so really, the rating is probably just above 3 stars but not quite at 3.5). Unfortunately, I was hoping more gothic elements and also found the story to be dragging at times. Still worth a shot if you enjoy historic settings.

[SPOILER] For the benefit of readers specifically seeking LGBT+ fiction, yes, there are lesbians in this novel and, yes, none of them die or are horrifically punished by the narrative.[/END OF SPOILER]

A brilliant, sapphic, gothic horror set in wartime England. Perfect for fans of Du Maurier's Rebecca!

Beth Bartholomew

A debut novel for fans of Sarah Perry and Kate Morton: when a young woman is tasked with safeguarding a natural history collection as it is spirited out of London during World War II, she discovers her new manor home is a place of secrets and terror instead of protection. In August 1939, thirty-year-old Hetty Cartwright arrives at Lockwood Manor to oversee a natural history museum collection, whose contents have been taken out of London for safekeeping. She is unprepared for the scale of protecting her charges from party guests, wild animals, the elements, the tyrannical Major Lockwood and Luftwaffe bombs. Most of all, she is unprepared for the beautiful and haunted Lucy Lockwood. For Lucy, who has spent much of her life cloistered at Lockwood suffering from bad nerves, the arrival of the museum brings with it new freedoms. But it also resurfaces memories of her late mother, and nightmares in which Lucy roams Lockwood hunting for something she has lost. When the animals appear to move of their own accord, and exhibits go missing, they begin to wonder what exactly it is that they might need protection from. And as the disasters mount up, it is not only Hetty's future employment that is in danger, but her own sanity too. There's something, or someone, in the house. Someone stalking her through its darkened corridors . . .

Rebecca Roper

Lesbians! Museum collections! Gothic vibes! The Blitz! These are a few of my favorite things lol and this book delivers on all of them

Manon van Heumen

Joanna Rosenwink 

This thrilling and atmospheric book is beautiful and haunting. The setting - a large Manor House at the beginning of the Second World War, is a perfect backdrop with the house feeling like one of the central characters. 

There are many shocking moments, twists and turns that had me in the edge of my seat and several tear jerking scenes.

I hope the author has many more stories to come as I am eager to read them.

The Animals at Lockwood Manor

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