Helena's family sweetshop is in trouble, her mother is about to go to debtors prison, so Helena goes to work as a governess for the mysterious Caudwell family both to escape and earn some money, but also to try and solve the mystery of what happened to her father years before. She goes under a false name and borrowed credentials, but soon finds much more than she bargained for when the head of the family is murdered.

It's quite Gothic, in that there are complex family mysteries, spooky goings on and unlikely coincidences, but also with some SF/fantasy elements - the explanation of what happened to Helena's father is definitely in that genre, while the explanations of how his connection to the Caudwells feels more Gothic. The mystery element is a little slow, and I think that's the main flaw of the book, from halfway through it really slows down, despite being set over a relatively short time period.

This was a brilliant book. Well written, all the loose end tied up perfectly, fantastic. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this eCopy to review

I love gothic novels and A Cruel Twist of Fate is a great one, it has everything you need for a truly great gothic novel a crumbling manor in an isolated location, stormy weather, sinister goings on and a young governess.

Helena however has secrets of her own, can she protect them and everyone else in the house before it is too late? Can she solve the mystery of her father's disappearance?

Full of twists and turns, eerie atmosphere and great characters I cannot wait to read more of Askwith's books

A Cruel Twist of Fate focuses on Helena, a sweetmaker desperate to save her mother from debtor prison.

In a brazen attempt to restore her family’s fortunes, Helena deceptively applies to be a governess at Archfall Manor, the infamous home of the secretive Caudwell family.

The collection of inventors who live on the isolated isle have many a sinister rumour shrouding them and Helena, quickly becomes ensnared by them.

She works swiftly and secretly, trying to solve the mystery of her own father’s disappearance at the manor in her infancy.

However, as people start to get hurt, she must act quickly to discover the culprit. For her own and the entire household’s safety.

The Gothic mystery thriller has a good pacing and the remote setting is wonderfully sinister. Its beautifully descriptive writing adds to the uneasy feeling of the landscape and characters.

I particularly liked the way H. F. Askwith developed Helena as the protagonist. She is a vivacious and intelligent character who is relentless in her search for truth and justice.

The other mostly eccentric characters are difficult to read, progressing the story and its mystery fantastically. You’ll feel a step ahead, just to be pulled in another direction.

Although fascinating, I do wish the ending had been fleshed out a little more as I didn’t feel fully satisfied with the closure.

Overall, a fabulous read full of twists and turns with a well-developed female lead. It’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

When Helena has the opportunity to pay her mums debt , she takes it . But under a false name no one knows who she Is and her true intentions as as well as money she wants answers about her father. This book took a turn I wasn't planning with Sci fi elements. But it was done well and gave a whole knew twist to the story. Full of found family, revenge and untold truths this was a murder mystery like no other

A Cruel Twist of Fate by H.F. Askwith is a haunting gothic YA novel following our protagonist Helena as she takes on the role of Governess at Archfall Manor. Having enjoyed this author’s previous work I was highly anticipating this new release. The cast of characters we meet are interesting and the setting is eerie and atmospheric. I was captivated by the plot and really enjoyed following Helena as she uncovered the secrets. A great immersive read ideal for older teens.
Thanks to Penguin Random House UK Childrens and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Helena 18 year old pretends to be a governess at Archfall Manor - a beautiful but crumbling manor house, she feels like she can carry out the task wonderfully and help her mom who is in debt however what she finds there is shocking as the Cauldwell family is hiding something
A series of sinister events occur. Helena also has secrets of her own.

I don’t think the story is for me however it could be interesting to other readers as it was not my usual genre and the blurb was what caught my attention. I do think it has interesting elements that could draw a specific type of reader in. It just wasn’t me.

So I got this as an arc from Netgalley, and it is extremely late to be posting this review, but I have things I need to say. I was actually very pleased to be chosen to review this book, as I very much enjoyed A Dark Inheritance. The writing was fantastic as expected, and the mystery was fun. I found myself liking some of the characters and for once I found characters to be easy to remember.

However. It pains me that there is a however in here, because I so wanted to love it just as much as the last book from this author. It's just that I didn't connect with the story properly, I guessed the twists right as they started being hinted at, and I kept getting jolted out of the story every time Helena talked of her 'mam'. That last one was probably my own fault to be fair for not knowing geography. I totally thought this was set in England and then was very confused when that single little colloquialism. The ending was also unsatisfying to me, but I can see how many people would enjoy a short mystery with some supernatural elements.

Here's to hoping the next book I read from this author grips me just as much as the first did.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a gothic YA mystery novel which follows Helena becoming the governess at Archfall Manor, after stealing the identity of her tutor, in an effort to uncover the mystery of what happened to her father who had some connection with the Cauldwell family.

I really enjoyed the gothic vibe of this book; the writing was wonderful and I found myself escaping into the story within just the first few pages. The characters were well written and three dimensional. I particularly enjoyed Gabriel, Jasper and Caroline as characters.

Although the big reveals and twists were pretty obvious early on I still felt engaged with the story and where we would end up with the smaller plot twists and devices such as the arches and their details (absolutely loved that part of the book, thought it was very interesting to be added to a murder mystery book!).

Unfortunately my only gripe would be the ending as it wasn't too clear on what happened. Perhaps this is for the reader to decide or maybe a sequel? I'm not sure, but I would love to read more from this author.

Not so impressed about this book. I requested it because it is marketed as similar to the inheritance games but is really slow burning and after reading half the book there was only one "game"/"puzzle" created by a child, not really the same as Inheritance games. The characters as well didn't appeal to me. I was hoping for something more interesting.
That's just not a book for me, I am afraid.
In any case, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This is a gothic, young adult mystery novel set in Scotland, where the main character, Helena, steals the identity of her tutor Josephine in order to be a governess at Archfall Manor, for the Cauldwell family. She's hoping to uncover the mystery of what happened to her father, who had some connection to the Cauldwells.

The plot of this story was okay. There were some predictable twists, and some that I didn't see coming. The characters were okay—however, I didn't feel a great connection to any of them. The story is told in first person from the main character, but it was a little too much narration for my taste, and I got a bit tired of her telling me what she was thinking and seeing all the time. I wanted to like this book a lot, but I struggled to visualise the setting, which I think is a huge part of what makes this story.

I think a person who likes YA mysteries in a historical setting would like this novel a lot.

33% read and I realised I’m not at all interested in what is going on and I keep putting it down. Not for me at this time.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC copy. I really enjoyed this easy to read, fast-paced YA thriller. It was filled with mystery, magic and romance, along with a good dose of suspense. I did unfortunately predict most of the plot twists but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend it for a YA audience looking for a quick fun read.

"A Cruel Twist of Fate" by H. F. Askwith is a young adult mystery-thriller steeped in gothic atmosphere. It follows Helena, an eighteen-year-old governess who arrives at the daunting Archfall Manor, where the secretive Cauldwell family resides. The narrative quickly evolves into a whodunnit as sinister events and untimely deaths unfold, leaving Helena entangled in a web of secrets and lies.

I thought the plot and outcome was fairly obvious and I guess that is the difficulty with a limited number of characters, motivations, trapped on an island. In that regard, similar to the movie Glass Onion but with none of the twists and layered characters. The writing was good and that kept me reading just to see the plot in descriptive action. The ominous setting is the best part of "A Cruel Twist of Fate" as this is where the suspense and element of supernatural are most evident.

My thanks to Netgalley and publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
A full review to follow on my blog as it has a number of quotes and quite frankly is full of spoilers.

I enjoyed A Cruel Twist of Fate a lot. I like the fact the book opens at the end and then goes back in time gradually working forward. Helena is a great character, mature of her age but not overly so, capable and determined to uncover the links between her family and the notorious Cauldwell’s. The book is well written, and I liked the pacing, not everything is revealed, and you need to keep reading until you get all the information. I’d recommend this.

‘When eighteen-year-old Helena is sent to be a governess at Archfall Manor - a beautiful but crumbling manor house, perched at the edge of a causeway in the North Sea - she feels confident she will know how to deal with the esteemed Cauldwell family who own it. But it quickly becomes clear that the Cauldwells are hiding more than Helena could ever have dreamed of.

A series of sinister events come to a head with a gruesome death - swiftly followed by another. Worse still, with the path back to the mainland cut off by a terrible storm, and no way to get help, suspicions and paranoia quickly run rampant.’

I requested this book as it was marketed as a YA version of ‘And then there were none.’ I loved the premise and the atmosphere during the set up. The house was wonderfully imagined and the island felt eerie. At first Helena seemed to be a very proactive and dynamic character, but she quickly becomes more passive when up against the strong personalities inside the house.
I did expect more murder due to the comparisons to ATTWN, so I became slightly confused when the plot seemed to slow down half way. The culprit was so obvious that I second guessed myself and thought it couldn’t be - too obvious. But no, it goes the way you think it will. I would have loved a bit more about the inventions and the family background but the book moved along nicely enough and is a quick read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the giving me the opportunity to read for an honest review.

"We are all made up of light and dark.
But sometimes people act upon the very worst of the darkness."

This quote sums up the theme of the story well. When dealt with the worst life has to offer, who holds their head above water and who sinks to the darkness?

An unusual blend of gothic, supernatural and steampunk elements wrapped up as a murder mystery.

It's easy to figure out the big reveals from early on but the beautiful descriptive writing keeps you engaged. I quite liked all of the characters and the romance was sweet. The first half sets all the groundwork to get the ball rolling in the second half. I wish the ending had more closure but this was still an enjoyable read!

A wonderful mashup of The Woman In Black and Then There Were None in this brilliant homage to the gothic genre. Eerie, suspenseful and scars at every corner.

Enjoyable YA mystery with "Woman in black" vibes. Helena Timber is forced by debt and a search for the truth about her father to seek a job as governess with the strange Cauldwell family who live on a remote island only accessible by a tidal causeway. Very well written and evocative of the genre, the story has a background of the supernatural, a sinister child and a touch of romance.

Helen's mother is hauled off to the debtors jail, so in order to help pay her way out of this, Helena submits a job application for Governess to the Caldwells, a wealthy family estate nearbly... who may also have some information about Helenas missing - presumed dead - father

There is something strange and magical about this secluded old house and its inhabitants, full of mystery .... and murder

Can Helena uncover their secrets, all whilst keeping her own....

Good wee mystery, I found it a bit predictable at times but the creepy gothic atmosphere was an enjoyable setting so was a good read regardless!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the early review copy.... out 18th January!