I absolutely adored this book! Who wouldn’t love a 1900s romantic whodunit packed with mystical creatures and major Sherlock Holmes vibes? It had everything—beautifully written, a storyline that was both haunting and captivating (totally my thing), and characters I couldn’t get enough of.

The story follows Sam and Hels, affiliates of the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomenon in London, as they’re sent to Paris to investigate a string of gruesome murders. The victims? Wealthy men. The motive? Definitely not robbery. And the culprit? Clearly not human. But what is it? Both Sam and Hels are no strangers to the strange—Sam has secrets of her own, and Hels comes with a reputation for losing every partner she’s ever worked with. The mystery keeps you guessing: Who or what is behind these killings, and why?

Sam and Hels made the perfect sleuthing duo. I loved the slow-burn romance, but the real standout for me was the gritty, compelling mystery of solving these brutal murders.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a debut novel!

Strange Beasts is a sapphic Victorian era supernatural whodunnit that brings together the offspring of Mina Harker (Dracula) and Professor Moriarty (Sherlock Holmes). Fans of either of these classic books will love this story, although you don’t need to be a die-hard fan to appreciate this book.

I’m very excited to read whatever Susan J. Morris releases next as this was an incredible story. The gothic vibes were just immaculate and the cover…the cover is so beautiful!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the ARC.

From the very first page, the setting and concept of this story pulled me in like a magnet! Set in the mesmerizing early 1900s in Paris, it offers a rich, atmospheric backdrop brimming with mystery and intrigue—what a nod to the legendary Sherlock Holmes! I absolutely adored the strong, independent female protagonists who embodied the spirit of the time, showcasing resilience and grit.

That said, I found myself craving more when it came to character development. The interactions felt a bit too sparse, leaving the characters feeling somewhat flat and one-dimensional. I yearned for deeper connections that would allow me to fully invest in their journeys. Nevertheless, my excitement for the next book in the series is palpable! I can't wait to delve deeper into the lives of these intriguing characters and experience a more intense emotional journey.

By the way, I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and it’s ignited my anticipation!

Sherlocks meets Dracula in this updated fantasy mystery. I was excited for the murder mystery and sapphic romance angle and this one did not disappoint. Thank you for the advance copy.

Thanks to Bindery Books / The Inky Phoenix for an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

DNF'd at 18%! Despite the ease of the writing style and my intrigue in the mystery, I had to put this book down. Sam and Hel are not fully realized characters and the pacing is weird. The story feels like we are going a little too fast, especially in the romance department. I don't understand the attraction or chemistry between them. I was initially intrigued to see how the author could blend Dracula and Sherlock Holmes together, but it was not balanced. Also, Sam was a little naive to me and it didn't feel endearing either. I couldn't quite understand how Sam's power worked or why Hel and her father are beefing either. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

Such a fun sapphic mystery! I was afraid Strange Beasts would rely too much on knowledge of original IP (in this case, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula), but Morris does an excellent job making sure the daughters of Moriarty and the Harkers stand well on their own. I really enjoyed it.

I found this book quite hard to get into but there was a good plot line with interesting character dynamics.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Bindery Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot, I do wish there'd been more vampires in it (especially considering the connection to Dracula) as that was what appealed to me at first. While the pacing was a little off in parts, it worked well.

I've really been enjoying following Bindery's experiments in the publishing industry, and this was a delightful, dark, feminist mash-up of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula.

This book checked all the boxes for me. Lush writing, gothic vibes, and historical fantasy that's written in a way that feels totally immersive and real. I really enjoyed Morris' writing style and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris follows Samatha Harker, a researcher tasked with helping field agents hunt notorious monsters. After discovering a series of numbers that she’s sure relate not only to the disappearance of her grandfather, but to a series of monster-related deaths in Paris, Sam finds a way to get herself appointed to the case as a field agent. To make matters more complicated, Sam is paired with Hel Moriarty, an experienced agent with a track record for losing partners. Together, they’re tasked with taking on the Beast of Paris.

The premise of this book is so compelling! I love the notion of having main characters that are descended from classic literature icons like Moriarty, Van Helsing and the Harkers!

I also really enjoyed Sam and Hel’s dynamic. Their journey of building trust and being vulnerable with one another was very well done.

I did find myself wishing that the classic stories played a little bit of a larger role, but definitely appreciated that Morris created a completely unique plot full of twists and surprises!

Overall, I liked this story!

Sadly ,I've had to do a soft dnf for now and come back to the book in the future. I think the writing was very good. Based on what I've read so far I would still recommend this to people I know would love this type of story.

This one fell squarely in the middle for me. I didn’t love it, it I also felt like I wanted to keep reading to get to the end. Sure the mystery wasn’t anything crazy as far as twists go, but the writing was well done and the characters were relatable and like-able.

If you want fantasy mixed some mystery/sleuthing and characters that are enjoyable, you’ll like this read!

This is essentially fan-fiction but I had a decent time with it. It was fun and light and I wouldn't be opposed to picking up the next book in a series. Made me think of watching shows like Elementary, X-files, Buffy etc. Something you have a decent time with but probably wouldn't be your favourite thing.

I enjoyed the characters and especially how horny the MC was. She really saw any decent looking person and said 'omg im in love' and I love that for her. The mystery wasn't too twisty but ultimately it was satisfying. It sets up an interesting world but sometimes I had a hard time taking it seriously.

This is a mash-up that should be a dream for fans of historical fantasy and these two classics. On paper, it’s a perfect fit for readers drawn to stories of powerful women, dark secrets, and shadowy creatures, but in execution, it didn’t entirely hit the mark for me.

Sam Harker and Hel Moriarty—the daughters of two legendary figures—team up (and butt heads) in a grisly Parisian mystery, which is undeniably intriguing. Sam’s ability to connect with monsters adds a supernatural edge while Hel brings the ruthlessness of a Holmesian antihero to the table. Their dynamic is great with a subtle hint of attraction, though that felt added on and wasn't given much room to grow, in my opinion.

One of my biggest hurdles was pacing. While the book has flashes of brilliant tension and clever plotting, it’s bogged down by stretches of monotony that make it difficult to stay fully engaged. At least for me. The concept of these adult children living in the shadows of larger-than-life figures like Dracula and Moriarty was fun and promising, but I couldn’t quite shake the Disney Descendants vibes. I think it would have been better served having SOME important characters that weren't children-of-legends.

That said, I still enjoyed the atmospheric world-building and the exploration of feminine power. Sam’s inner turmoil was the best part. It just didn’t fully capture me the way I’d hoped.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bindery for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

God I so wish that I liked this. I really love the work that Bindery is doing and I want their books to be really successful, but this just was not it. When I requested this ARC I thought that the concept was so interesting but as I started reading I immediately saw all the holes in it. To start off the missing grandfather plot was pointless and unnecessary, it should have been cut in the developmental editing process. It seems to be included to act as a catalyst for Sam getting involved with the mystery, however a much more compelling entry point would be her wanting to prove her value as an investigator and that being a channel is an asset not a hinderance. The premise really began to crumble for me when we introduced Helena Moriarty and the magic within this setting. Having a character directly connected to the Sherlock Holmes stories exist in a world where everyone knows about magic and monsters is an illogical choice. I'm no Sherlock expert, but to my knowledge the series refutes magical explanations so this plot feels antithetical. The further I got into this book the more I wished that the main characters were not connected to Dracula or Sherlock Holmes. I understand that was a major selling point, but it hindered my suspension of disbelief and led to the mystery plot devolving.

I think the concept of the mystery is really great and the explanation of how the Beast worked was very compelling. However, the reveal that their was a big mastermind behind it all who we never meet on page SUCKED. It reminded me of the TV show Sherlock and how we can't just have a contained mystery it all has to connect back to Moriarty. I'll be honest I'm still a bit confused about the murder's motivation because the reveal of the big bad took time away from understanding them.

I'll keep checking out Bindery books in the future because they're doing great things, but I'm somewhat worried that their model may be lacking a critical eye. Are there editors providing oversight and feedback to the influencers that are selecting books? If not I think that they need it to help fine tune the story.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris in exchange for an honest review. I loved having the daughters of Moriarty and Harker investigate a potential werewolf attack. This book had so many layers and a beautiful love story.

Where to start
-Dark fantasy & folklore
-Gothic vibes with a rich, historical setting
-Paranormal ,
-Chemistry off the charts

3.5 out of 5

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

So this is the story of the daughter of the slayers of Dracula (Samantha Barker) investigates supernatural murders in Paris with the daughter of Professor Moriarty (Dr Hel Moriarty). It's a bit silly but fun and very queer. Story-wise I found the book shallow and predictable, the idea of the daughters of these famous literary figures investigating the supernatural as well as being entangled in their family histories a bit predictable. I would probably read a sequel but wouldn't expect innovation or depth from it. 3 stars.

A Sherlock/Watson mystery thriller with queer representation and a monstrous plot line.

Disclaimer: I received a free arc of this novel via NetGalley. However, I did read it through an audiobook that I purchased myself.

The audiobook was done very well, and I absolutely loved the narrator. I have read other an audiobook by this narrator before and have always enjoyed their emotional take that they bring to every novel.

This book absolutely had me in a chokehold from beginning to end. I really enjoyed the Gothic dismal atmosphere that was presented within the novel. I liked the monster aspect and how interesting it was that it involved alchemy as well as magic. I enjoyed the characters themselves. I really felt an emotional connection to both main characters as well as some of the more prominent side characters. I really hope more novels are set with these characters in this world because I feel like this would be a stellar series.

My literal only complaint that I can find with this novel is there was some downtime where I started to wander a little bit because I started to get bored. But those times did not last too long and the action picked back up. I wouldn't say that the pacing was necessarily off because it wasn't long enough for me to lose interest, but it was long enough for me to notice that I was starting to get a little bored.

Overall, a stellar debut from Susan J Morris and I cannot wait to read more by this author.