Another gothic triumph from Laura Purcell.
The Whispering Muse follows Jenny, working as a dresser in the theatre. Hired by Mrs Dyer to keep watch on her leading lady, Lilith. A book full of unsettling moments and feelings, and some blood ridden moments too. It's creepy and almost ghostly, but what makes the horror elements so well done, is the way the women treat each other.
Highly recommended.

Jenny is struggling to get to get by and keep her family together after being disgraced from her last job and her older brother abandoning her to look after the rest of the family on her own. Her brother Greg stole the money meant for her brother’s operation and a woman’s ring and then fled to America.
She is required to visit her brother’s last employer at the Mercury Theatre, Mrs Dyer. She thinks that they are going to ask about her brother, but she is surprisingly offered a job as a dresser for the leading lady Lilith Erickson. But that also includes spying on her as she has taken a shine to her husband.
When Jenny takes her family to see Dr Faustus at the theatre. The play is cursed. The leading actor ends up dead. The watch he was wearing, Mr Dyer gives it to Lilith as a token of his love but this pocket watch that is apparently cursed with the Greek Muse Melpomene. Hoping that it will give her fame and fortune in the theatre world. But when Jenny takes the job strange things start to happen at the theatre with dire consequences. And due to the watch.
Thank you, Bloomsbury, for a copy of The Whispering Muse Laura Purcell has once again written another fabulous, creepy, gothic tale set in Victorian London. I was gripped from the first page of this book with the tension and the strange goings on in the theatre. The author writing is very good at bringing the characters to life and describe like you are actually there and cleverly incorporated Macbeth and Doctor Faustus into the story. I am sure it will be a hit. 5 stars from me.

Deliciously dark and gorgeously gothic!! I think that sums this book up well and the author has such a brilliant way of capturing this time period and creating some marvellous characters that I was under its' spell from the get go!!

The story is set around the world of Theatre, and the dark goings on around certain players! Jennifer narrates us through her story as she's invited to become a dresser to an actress, by the wife of the theatre owner, as she wants a closer eye kept on her, after apparently bewitching her husband!

There are strange things going on at the theatre too, with an actor dying on stage wearing a particular item that grabs the attention of others, and you're really led on a wonderful dark journey as you follow these characters through various plays and seeing what happens next, and to whom.

But no matter what darkness besets the theatre, the show must go on and with each new play there's more twists, more deaths and a closer look at the characters involved, especially Jennifer and Lilith. The aspect of revenge plays a big part in the story and I loved seeing how people's motives and their quest for being at the top of their art drives them on to darker obsessions.

This was a riveting and totally captivating story and another brilliant book from Laura Purcell. Highly recommended!!

To say I was hooked is a complete understatement. I stayed up so late to read this in one sitting and I had a job interview the next day!!

It takes all the superstitions of theatre and wraps them up in this amazing paranormal mystery, with love, murder and backstabbing while following performances of Shakespeares plays. Enemies-to-friends, family betrayal. I have no words for how much I enjoyed this book!

I will be suggesting this to my friends (and possibly pre-ordering it for them) for sure and buying my own physical copy

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
I have read and enjoyed all of Laura Purcell’s previous novels and this one is no exception. She is the past master at Victorian Gothic. This time the setting for the story is the Mercury Theatre in London. The focus of the story is Jenny Wilcox she has been employed by the theatre owner’s wife, Mrs Dyer, to work as the dresser for Lilith Erikson, the leading lady. Mrs Dyer however has an ulterior motive; she wants Jenny to act as her spy and is prepared to pay her well for this role. She also offers Jenny tickets for the theatre only the night that she visits there is a terrible incident on stage which terrifies her siblings and leaves her distraught.
The dead actor had a watch which he carried with him all the time and is said to have powers imbued to it by Melpomene the tragic Greek muse and when Lilith receives this watch it is as if she has made a pact with the devil. Tragedies abound in the theatre and Laura Purcell creates a wonderful atmosphere which makes you feel as if you have been transported back to the Victorian Theatre with all its sights, smells and magic.
We feel there are dark forces at work and evil menace drips from every page. We are led along many different paths and we begin to see the effect that the desire to be a success can have. I was absorbed and entertained throughout and will be recommending this book to my various book groups.
Many thanks to Laura Purcell, the Publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

While it took time getting into Laura Purcell's latest book, by the end I couldn't turn the pages quick enough to find out the latest twist!

Set in Victorian London, Jennifer brings up her two younger brothers and sister. Her oldest brother has run away to America with the leading lady from Mercury Theatre, stealing some jewels from Jenifer's employer. Jennifer is approached by the wife of the Theatre's owner to work as a dresser to the leading lady who is having an affair with her husband.

Lillian is bewitched by the watch of Eugene Grieves who died on stage in a different theatre, the watch appears to control the life of the wearer.

I love Laura Purcell. But I think that she missed a trick on this one as I think there could have been an extra twist at the end of this book linked to her love interest and her brother’s betrayal of the family.

If you love Victorian gothic - she delivers.

I love the setting of the theatre and the characters. It’s probably third on my list of her novels after The Corset and The Shape of Darkness.

What is your favourite Shakespeare play?

There are whispers that the Mercury Theatre in London’s West End is cursed. Not only is this theatre renowned for its Tragedy plays, but it also seems to be the victim of tragic events and the rumour is that the Leading actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the Greek muse of tragedy.

Lilith has become one of the greatest actresses of the time, but she is also under watch by her dresser Jenny. Jenny has been employed to spy on Lilith, and due to her unfortunate circumstances, she could not refuse as she needs every penny to help her family.

Lilith is a peculiar character. She comes alive on stage as if possessed by the character she is playing, however, off stage she is a troubled mess. Jenny is torn between her beneficiary and Lilith, she can’t risk losing everything, but she also can’t help but pity Lilith and offer her friendship. To add to the bubbling pot of problems, strange and horrific events are happening at the theatre, making Jenny wonder if the rumours are true. Can the Muse be the cause of all tragedy?

I love Laura Purcell’s books, and I was so excited when I got the chance to read this one before its release next year. Although it doesn’t state the era, you can tell from the offset that you are about to be transported to Victorian London’s West End and put under a deliciously gothic spell. However, I didn’t really know where the story was going, but there was enough intrigue to have me hooked and when tragedy struck, my heart rate rose, my stomach churned and I began to wonder if a theatre could truly be cursed. If you love a dark, creepy, gothic tale, pre-order The Whispering Muse, you won’t be disappointed!

Laura Purcell excels in the territory she has claimed as her own, the dark, disturbing and the tragic in this, with her chilling, atmospheric Victorian gothic storytelling with its elements of horror, with its blood and gore, as she slowly immerses the reader in the drama laden world of the characters that inhabit the Mercury Theatre in London's West End. The narrative is structured around 5 plays that echo the themes and issues of the characters, whilst simultaneously driving the storylines onwards. It soon becomes apparent that it is no accident that the plays include Dr Faustus and Macbeth. Jenny Wilcox is a desperate woman, drowning in a precarious situation exacerbated by her brother Greg, leaving her solely responsible for her family. So when she is made a job offer that she cannot refuse, she accepts, the pay is generous, there is a house and includes much needed essential medical treatment for a sibling, but will she live to regret her decision?

She has been hired by the jealous Mrs Dyer to become the dresser to the theatre's lead actress, Lilith Erikson, but she has another below the radar task, that of spying on the beautiful and troubled actress in a theatre rife with superstitions and rumours of a curse. Her performances are remarkable, stunning in her powers to enter and possess the roles she plays, it is said that Lilith has made a pact with the tragic muse of Greek mythology, Melpomene, who seems to live in the watch that goes everywhere with her, to help her attain the heights of fame, of becoming the greatest stage actress. Jenny's relationship with the tragic and complicated Lilith, a mesmerising character who wants to makes her mark on the world, seeking love, she has truly suffered, her life unravelling, develops into a kind of friendship. It becomes clear little is as it appears, with strange, sinister and menacing events taking place.

This is the perfect read for this time of the year as the nights get longer and the winter season edges ever closer. Purcell is in her element as she creates an all too believable world with her richly descriptive writing, making the Victorian theatre and the characters she creates come alive for the reader, artfully ambiguous as to whether supernatural elements are at play or whether the sources are all too human. The flawed Jenny finds herself caught up in a scenario she could not forsee in this gripping and haunting novel, of a muse, treachery and tragedy, of family, greed, ambition and betrayal, and of the position of women in this historical period. This may not be a read for everyone, but I think many readers will appreciate and love this too. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK and ANZ) for the eARC!

The Whispering Muse is a Victorian Gothic tale of theater, myth and classism. We follow the story of Jenny, plucked more or less from obscurity by a wealthy older woman who promises her a better life for her and her younger siblings; with a price, of course. At first, the price doesn't seem to be so much to pay - all Jenny has to do is spy on the woman she is dressing, the lead actress at the Mercury theater, Lilith.

But soon, Jenny is caught in a web of lies and corruption, and faced with a lot more than she had bargained for. Who can she trust but herself?

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but anything with mythology and a gothic atmosphere has my interest straight away! It was a little slow to start off, but once the action started picking up, there was pretty much no stopping this story, and I was able to finish the last 75% in less than a day.

Some of the moments therein were truly horrifying, and this one isn't for the weak stomached - there is gore and death and plenty of other things to be fearful of, too.

The underlying question to this is - what happens when someone makes a deal with the Devil? And further, what if the Devil you know is far more dangerous than the Devil you don't?

I enjoyed this and the setting was great. The description and writing style were also really nice. The ending was a little abrupt to me, and did leave me with some questions; but it was also a realistic ending, in the sense that you don't have all the answers, and not everyone is able to have their happily ever after.

Well what a refreshing change of genre for me! My recent reads have been thriller or romance and whilst I like those types … this was a breathe of fresh air.

A historic gothic tale! It was eerie, had amazing characters and the actual storyline kept you hooked throughout.

It was based in Victorian London, I personally don’t know a lot about this era but the way Laura described the setting and the way the characters dressed made me feel like I was actually there! I could picture the streets, the houses, the people and the theatres. It’s made me want to go back to London and do some tours and visit museum's to learn more about the Victorian times.

I actually really liked Lilith, I also liked the friendship that blossomed between her and Jenny. Such strong characters.

There’s some emotive topics throughout the book, which could be trigger warnings to some but I think they were really powerful additions to the storyline and probably gave a really good indication of what it was like in that era, particularly for women.

Overall a really good read that I will recommend to others. Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury publishing Plc for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is my absolute favorite book of all time. ALL TIME. Forever. Of my whole, entire life.

Literally whatever I write as a "review" will not do it justice, so I'll keep it short. I mean... the author's voice, the storyline, every single character, the pace and way it just kept clipping along without a single drag. And even the acknowledgements! (where Purcell describes the incredibly difficult life events she faced while writing this masterpiece, making this feat all the more impressive)

I was thoroughly crushed upon getting to the last page and had that feeling of losing a friend, the trademark of the best kind of book 🤪. Thank you so much for introducing me to my new favorite author. I will be purchasing every single one of Purcell's previous novels.

The Whispering Muse

𝘽𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙧... 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚.

At The Mercury Theatre in London's West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. 
It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress to ever grace the stage. Suspicious of Lilith, the jealous wife of the theatre owner sends dresser Jenny to spy on her, and desperate for the money to help her family, Jenny agrees. 

What Jenny finds is a woman as astonishing in her performance as she is provocative in nature. On stage, it's as though Lilith is possessed by the characters she plays, yet off stage she is as tragic as the Muse who inspires her, and Jenny, sorry for her, befriends the troubled actress. But when strange events begin to take place around the theatre, Jenny wonders if the rumours are true, and fears that when the Muse comes calling for payment, the cost will be too high.

I am new to Laura Purcell’s works, only discovering them this year, but she is already an author that I love and impatiently await her next book!
I was so thrilled to be accepted on Netgalley for this proof and kept it to read around Halloween time.
In this book we are immersed into the theatre life of Victorian London. Jenny, who is expected to look after her younger siblings in the absence of their parents, is approached by a lady with a fantastic job opportunity. A good wage, expensive medical treatment for her brother and even a house are far too tempting to refuse, the job … to spy on the suspected lover of her husband, the Theatre’s manager.
To start with Jenny finds Lilith unpleasant and extravagant but as her performances change so too does her body and dressing room.
And just who I’d she talking to when no one’s in the room?
As usual Purcell has written a deliciously, dark gothic tale and weaves her magical storytelling throughout this story of obsession and malice.
🌟🌟🌟🌟

I read Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions three years ago and loved it. Therefore, as this one was based in a theatre, I was immediately hooked. Jenny is our narrator and she is the breadwinner for her family as her brother has run away with an actress. When she is offered a post as dresser to the female lead, Lilith, by the theatre owner, Jenny immediately says yes, although it seems as if Mrs Dyer wants her to be a spy. Added to this there are the superstitions that run rampant in theatres. The play that they are going to be putting is the cursed Scottish play. Under Jenny's gaze we witness strange and rather gruesome events which begin when she takes her family to watch a performance of Dr Faustus and the lead actor does rather bloodily on stage. He had been holding a watch, a watch that Mrs Dyer's husband presents to Lilith. From that moment things become sinister as the watch seems to have a hold over Lilith. There is a growing sense of evil, there are disasters as well as betrayal which all adds to the gothic vibe. I loved the way that the author pulled us into the plays and we were able to watch the performances, as well as the weaving of myths and legends.

Overall, although I really enjoyed the grisly horror and read it in two days, I think I prefer The Silent Companions which I found to be more unsettling.

In Whispering Muse, Laura Purcell has taken the gothic novel and filled it with the spirits of Faust, Macbeth, the Muses, and more. However, you don’t need to know their stories to realise it all centres around the question, ‘What would you do to get what you want?’

There’s tons of atmosphere and suspense, mainly in the theatre, featuring scenes within scenes. This novel’s like an onion that keeps peeling away to reveal another layer of the characters’ hopes and desires.

Greasepaint and gore galore, it’s a glorious read for Gothic fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK for the early chance to review this book without prejudice.

#TheWhisperingMuse #laurapurcell #NetGalley #bookreview #historicfiction #gothic #novel #gothicnovel #thriller #faust #macbeth #theatre #london #westend #Victorian

I don’t think there are as many people in the 21st Century who do the Gothic novel as well as Laura Purcell. This is a beautifully written novel with rich and colourful descriptions, steeped in atmosphere so you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time as the theatre comes alive and you feel its magic. The dramatic tone is set from the start as we witness a production of Dr Faustus which continues onto Macbeth which is equally bloody! The play curse is used so effectively and performances by the actors are ‘magical’ and a devilishly good Lilith beguiles as Lady Macbeth, she is a tour de force in every way. There are fiendishly dark forces at work with plenty of muses to muse upon as menacing evil oozes from the pages. It becomes darker, there’s wickedness that beggars belief along with treachery and betrayal. There’s tragedy, disaster and destruction and it does get a wee bit gruesome in places! Some of the images are terrifying and unforgettable. The plot twists and turns it’s wicked way with myths and legends adding to the building tension and suspense. The ending is suitably dramatic and feels right with very high prices paid for naked ambition.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I got about 25% of the way through, but the storyline wasn't holding my attention and I didn't feel invested in the characters. That said, the writing style is good and I'm sure others will enjoy it.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury, the author, and NetGalley for my copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What initially drew my interest to The Whispering Muse was Laura Purcell's name. She is a well known and much loved author of all things a little spooky and unsettling, and I was very excited to see her newest book up for requesting. When I read the synopsis, I became *fascinated*.

Jenny Wilcox is struggling. Her older brother Greg has taken her savings and stolen from the family she served, leaving Jenny jobless in Victorian London with her three younger siblings to look after. So when Greg's former employer, Mrs Dyer, contacts Jenny and offers her a job as the dresser of the leading lady of the Mercury theatre, it doesn't take much to convince Jenny to accept—especially as the pay is so generous and Mrs Dyer so accommodating.

But there is a catch: Jenny's real goal is to spy on Lilith Erikson, the leading lady of the Mercury, and report back anything she uncovers. But not everything is as it first seems with Lilith; some may even say she appears to be under a tragic muse's spell...

Purcell did a phenomenal job with this book. Her strengths lie solidly in how she writes her characters, in my opinion. Jenny was not wholly likeable, in that I disagreed with some of her choices and her thoughts, but my goodness didn't that make her feel more human! She is a good person at heart, like most people are, but she, like all real people, made some bad decisions and acted infavorably at times. I loved that about her.

Lilith stole the show though, exactly as she intended. What a complex, beautiful, wretchedly heartbreaking Lilith's story is! I'm so glad that I had the privilege of getting to know her character; she is certainly one who will stick with me for a long time. I finished the book earlier today, but for the last few days I've honestly been thinking about Lilith more and more, and now today I may have sat in silence for a good while trying to wrap my head around all the tragedies that poor Lilith suffered through life. All she wanted to do was be loved, ultimately. Loved and remembered.

Well, she sure is!

Cloying and creepy from the start, the Whispering Muse is another masterpiece from Purcell. For me it is quite possibly her best yet.

Jenny Wilcox is struggling to get by. Orphaned and then betrayed and abandoned by her older brother, she is left in charge of her younger siblings. When a glittering opportunity arises for Jenny to become a dresser at the Mercury theatre, it seems like all her problems are over - or are they just beginning?

Rumours are that Lilith, the leading lady is under the spell of Melpomene, a tragic Greek muse who exacts her price for fame and the perfect performance. Jealous of Liliths increasing popularity, Mrs Dyer the theatre owner, gives Jenny the task of dressing Lilith while spying on her at the same time with an eye to derailing her career.

As things start to go wrong in the theatre and strange events start happening, the author does a wonderful job of keeping you guessing which of the two (if either) can be trusted by Jenny as the madness of the two women increases.

The development of the relationship between Jenny and Lilith was so interesting to watch unfold. From bitter enemies, to a mutual tolerance to a fragile friendship it is really skillfully done.

I found it really interesting to learn a bit about theatre costumes too, what they can signify and what part they play in creating a showstopper. The theatre with its traditions, cast dramas and myths is such a strong character in this story.

You know you are pretty much guaranteed a brilliant read from Laura Purcell and this dark, gothic story certainly delivers.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the Bloomsbury Raven for the chance to read an early copy

A wonderfully atmospheric, gothic tale.

Victorian London, and young Jenny is trying to keep her small family afloat after her brother has eloped to America, having stolen from his employer, the Mercury Theatre in London's West End. When the owner of the same theatre, Mrs Dyer, offers Jenny a well-paid job as the dresser to the Primadonna leading lady, she can't quite believe her luck. Even when Mrs Dyer's motives are revealed, she strives to make the best of things. But events rapidly escalate, with deaths and disaster piling up.

The story moves along nicely, as Jenny learns that a certain pocket watch is key to the events unfolding in the theatre. Lilith, the actress on whom she is to spy for Mrs Dyer, emerges as a troubled soul and soon she finds her loyalties divided and has to decide who to trust.

The book is set against a background of several plays, including Macbeth, Faustus and Anthony and Cleopatra, and the author cleverly weaves the events and themes of the plays into the story, as each character undergoes their own drama. As we learn more about Lilith, her harsh exterior gives way to more complex emotions. The scenes in the theatre, and the events on-stage are beautifully written - atmospheric and moving. Jenny grows as the story unfolds, and she understands the events she has helped put into motion, her own Faustus.

This isn't a truly spooky story, as was "The Silent Companions" but is nevertheless dark and tragic, in the spirit of classic Gothic novels. The characters are well developed, and the slow unravelling of Mrs Dyer is sad but poignant.

I'm a fan of Laura Purcell's work, so may be prejudiced, but this book satisfies on several levels, and I definitely recommend it to fans and newcomers.