Solidly 3 stars for me. Not a bad book by any means, but the writing choices were just not for me, simply from a stylistic standpoint. If you want clarity at every stage and characters with strict demeanors and choices made flow-chart-style, you will have a blast. I was charmed by Sam and enjoyed the mystique of the plot itself. Monsters are alway a yes from me. The also story moved at a fast pace, almost like a thriller, and that kept me motivated to make it to the final page. I think fans of R.F. Kuang’s Babel will have a great time with this one. But that one wasn’t for me either.

As I said, the writing is very clear and deliberate but left me looking for something, anything, that I’d be left to figure out on my own, rather than it being presented to me on a silver platter like I was very fancy and deserving cat. But that’s just me; I like rummaging around in a story like a raccoon in their favorite dumpster.

Loved this! A 1900s mystery with mystical creatures and Sherlock Holmes vibes, it had everything I could want. Sam and Hels, a compelling duo from the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomenon, investigate brutal murders in Paris with a chilling, otherworldly twist. The slow-burn romance was lovely, but the gripping mystery stole the show. Perfectly eerie and engrossing!

it took me a while to finish it (thanks to oncoming winter and all that), but oh it was so worth it 😍

a serial killer? an unreliable partner? paranormal stuff and interesting powers? two women beating all odds and putting men in place? give me all of it and more!

A historical and paranormal murder mystery in Paris. Two women are on their way to investigate and find the serial killer, but even the road to Paris is dangerous. Once Sam and Hel arrive in Paris, they face the cold shoulders of French people, the mysterious circumstances of murders, unreliable witnesses and much more.

it was a fast paced mystery that left me wanting for more every day after closing the book. they both got themselves in weird situations all for the sake of the investigation. from questionable people to goose-bump inducing places. this book did not lack gore nor manipulation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery Books for providing me with the ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this is somewhat of a hard book to rate, because while i love some aspects of it, other parts left me mildly disappointed.

first of all, what i love about the book is the plot and mystery itself. i love following our main characters, sam and hel, as they go around Paris to find out who's the culprit behind a string of murders. i also like the incorporation of monsters and sam having visions and creating this conflict on whether she can trust these visions or if they'll drive her insane instead.

now, to the things that i found quite lacking. first of all, for a book that deeply points out how monsters and monstrous acts aren't always synonymous and that humans are often more monstrous, this felt quite surface-level. i couldn't help but somewhat compare it to monsters of verity, which is wildly unfair to me, but it made me realize that this aspect of the book left me unsatisfied.

secondly, the ending was also unsatisfactory to me. the book was very violent when it comes to the killing and how easily people died, but the resolution was so lukewarm and too easy compared to the rest of the book that i was frowning hoping there was something more to this. not to mention the insane misogyny that, while it's true very apparent in the time that the book was set on, was bothering me so much by how prevalent it is but there's nothing to it except for it to be there. simply put it, the men should've gotten their well-deserved violent karma at the end and not whatever the fuck that ending was.

lastly, while the characters are okay enough for me, the romance was barely there, and i would've been fine with it if they kept it as that and not had sam and hel develop into something more when there's barely any build-up towards there. they had angst here and there, but the romantic development was so barely there that i almost forgot they're supposed to be romantically entangled and when we do get to them kissing, it caught me by surprise. i was soooo disappointed because i loved them even as just partners in crime, and i wanted them to have actual romantic chemistry if they were to be more than just friends.

all and all, i quite like the story, but i can't brush off the major aspects of the book that bother me throughout reading it. i would still recommend it for anyone who wants a gothic murder mystery sapphic story, because maybe more people would love it more than me.

What a rollercoaster this story was. As a former SuperWhoLock girlie this scratched a very specific nostalgic part of my brain in a very satisfying way! Supernatural creatures, a mystery with sapphic detectives and a very companion/Doctor dynamic between MCs? I was enamoured.

I will admit that I wasn't sold off the bat because the writing was not quite to my taste in the beginning. Something about it felt disingenuine? But that feeling didn't last, luckily! I had no issue with the writing after the first couple chapters.

I really enjoyed the main characters, the mystery and the atmosphere. I wouldn't say the mystery was anything new or exciting but it was good. I was a bit confused about why it took our MCs so long to figure out who was behind things for such a long time but I never was really frustrated with it cuz they were still always doing something interesting.

I really hope there's a sequel to this because this can't be the end of the story. I can see that next book easily getting that 5 star or at least close to a 5 star rating. I really enjoyed it.

This book had all the factors I want in a magical realism. Mystical creatures, lovable characters, and an infectious setting masterfully depicted. The prose is smart, and the sentence level craft deliberate. I will definitely find myself finding other books by Morris, as I feel this genre is perfect for her writing voice.
My only complaint is I do feel I was left with a lot of questions at the end, in a way that felt the slightest bit unsatisfying. I can tell how some readers may feel bogged down in the amount of details and information, so perhaps I just missed a few things during my read. It may warrant a reread, or perhaps it is a level too dense for me.
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, classic lit, or dungeons and dragons would love this book.

Strange Beast follows Samantha Parker, a young talented extraordinary girl who can read the minds of people.The power runs in the family and her mother always insisted to not reveal to others or behave herself as a channel.She is working for Royal Society of Abnormal Phenomena and always proved herself as a diligent one.When there is a hot serial case of murder of men, she request to be a part of it but to do that she will have to work with Dr Helena Moriarty as partners .But that's a risk considering the reputation of Helena's partners being killed.However she decides to do the case together and the investigation leads them to the dangerous underground slowly seeping into the darkness

I really enjoyed Samantha and Helena together,Both of them doing their best to protect each other and find the culprit.It had a victorian era vibes which was apt for the mystery.At first Helena and Samantha didn't trust each other but then they start a slowborn tension between them and ends up falling for eachother.Samantha's channeling comes handy with lots of mystery area and I was too happy when she become so helpful with her power.

The only issue I faced was to find certain terms hard to understand and the complexity of the writing altogether.Overall I really enjoyed the mystery and the diversion into romance.

Samantha Harker has always wanted something more than life as a researcher. It’s why she jumped at the chance to get some hands-on experience with her new partner, Dr. Helena Moriarty. Unfortunately, Hel doesn’t have a good track record with partners because they always die under strange circumstances. While their partnership is still fresh, they work against the clock to find the werewolf-like beast that’s been on a murder spree.

I was excited to read this because it sounded like an interesting supernatural gothic story that combined the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes. Instead of following the usual suspects, we’re following the daughters of the characters we know very well. With a romance brewing between the characters, it was sure to be a hit!

The main plot is pretty interesting. Sam and Hel travel to France to investigate the mysterious and seemingly random murders committed by a beast. However, this beast seems to be a werewolf when werewolves are long gone. Along the way, they struggle against society, each other, and Sam’s abilities as a channel. I found the mystery plot pretty interesting, but I do think it started to drag somewhere around the halfway point. It was different and had me excited about the world it takes place in even though I would never want to visit it.

That said, I am extremely disappointed in the romance. Sam and Hel have absolutely no romantic chemistry, so I don’t know about the “unmistakable attraction” that was described when I requested the ARC. They don’t even have almost friend chemistry, which sold their rocky partnership, but not the romance that develops out of the blue at the end. If you manage to find the romance plot before it suddenly materializes with nothing to back it up, I will give you a gold star because I certainly didn’t find it before it suddenly smacked me in the face.

All in all, I liked a good portion of the paranormal mystery and I think there is a ton of potential there. There’s a cast of interesting characters for us to love and hate, and if the friendship and romance between Sam and Hel actually worked, I think I would’ve loved to see this turn into a series.

The pacing of this book kept going back and forth between feeling slow and fast. It always stayed entertaining enough for me to want to keep reading though. The romance was expected but it felt underdeveloped.

I found this book to be wildly enjoyable. Initially, there was a lot of words and not a lot being said. But as the story progressed, there was tension, development, mystery, and lots of questionable decisions. The narrator seemed a bit untrustworthy at times, too. The last 50% was much faster paced than the beginning.

I’m not sure if dark and cozy really go together but this seemed like a dark, cozy, murder mystery to me and I’d assume another book will be written as there was a promise made at the end of the book that would make for a great plot in book 2. Thanks to netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Bindery Books for this copy in exchange for my review.

When I saw the references to both Sherlock Holmes and Dracula I was immediately interested. Morris does an amazing job of mixing these literary classics with her own story. The world building is amazing and I love the descriptions of well known creatures and how they interact with the world.

Samantha and Helena are as different as night and day, but that one thing I love. Because they are so different they work together very well. And while the sapphic content was lighter then I was expecting, I still loved the murder mystery aspect, as well as learning more about our MC themselves. I loved the aspect of Samantha's powers that focused more on scent. It's not something very often used when it comes to powers and I feel it offered a very unique aspect to the story.

Overall a really great read and I am definitely keeping an eye out for more of Morris's work in the future.

Monsters, a touch of romance and strong females! Sign me up!

Strange Beats combines stories like Sherlock, Frankenstein, and Dracula to bring us a gothic fantasy set in Paris in the 1900s. The story begins with the introduction of Samantha Harker, daughter of Jonathan Harker- the man who killed Dracula, who is a channel into the minds of monsters. Sam also works at the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena, when she decides to be a field agent and step away from the books. This is where she becomes partners with Dr. Helena Moriarty, the daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ archenemy, who has lost every single field partner she has ever had. Despite the rocky start, they experience Sam and Hel band together to uncover mystery that is filled with monsters, secrets, and so much more!

Bindery’ has definitely cought my attention and I will be on the hunt for more books by her. I highly recommed everyone pick this up asap!


Thank You to Susan J. Morris, Bindery Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a really solid debut!

What I really enjoyed about this story was the setting of it being in Paris - the descriptions and the different places we visited in this was really interesting to read about. And it's rare I read books set in countries other than England or a fantasy world, so having it set in Paris - and with an Irish protagonist! - was refreshing.

I also really loved that a lot of well known monsters and classic characters are in this; we have nods to Sherlock, Frankenstein, Dracula and even Phantom of the Opera! I really, really liked this! I imagine people who enjoyed The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter would also enjoy this one!

There is a mystery or two in this which is solvable if you pay attention. I personally enjoy when an author leaves enough clues and sets up a story well enough that the reader can figure it out (and not too quickly).

However, this book crammed a bit too much in. I feel like there were A LOT of scenes in this. I can totally understand as a debut author you want to make sure you write everything you've ever wanted to write into one book incase you never get another chance, but personally there were about 4-5 scenes and plot lines too many in this. When I thought we were heading into the climax of the story, I was shocked to find I was still only 50ish% into the novel. This left me really confused and made the book drag, so I think if this book had a few scenes/settings/twists less, then it would've read much quicker and the climax would've hit at the right time.

And I felt romance came out of left field about 70-80% into the book. I knewing going into this book that it was going to be queer so it didn't surprise me when the characters ended up kissing and questioning their relationship, but I think if someone went into this book not knowing it was queer, they would feel that the romance plot line came out of no where. Our main character had more of a romance set-up and build up with the perfumist than her actual love interest, so I wish that had been written in earlier and built up more properly.

Strange Beasts is a fun, whimsical dive into a world that feels unique and yet somehow familiar. I really enjoyed seeing elements of gothic literature and callbacks to classic monsters and villains. I think a bit more world building would have helped add more depth and maturity to this text. There is definitely a YA feel to this book, which I’m not sure if was intentional or not. All in all, this book was a fun, engaging read!

Wow. Simply wow. I was iffy based on the description but was pleasantly surprised. I loved how the main characters are based off of classical literary characters. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this.

Strange Beats combines gothic allure with historical fantasy in a fresh twist on iconic literary legacies, as Dracula’s lore and Sherlock Holmes’ world intersect in early 1900s Paris. Samantha Harker, daughter of Jonathan Harker, carries the burden of being a channel into the minds of monsters—a gift as much as a curse. Tasked with investigating a string of gruesome murders, she partners with Dr. Helena Moriarty, the enigmatic daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ archenemy. Together, they navigate Paris’s glittering salons and sinister catacombs to uncover a mystery entangled with monsters, secrets, and a brewing tension that teeters between trust and betrayal.

As part of Bindery’s debut batch, Strange Beats excels in atmosphere and setting, painting turn-of-the-century Paris with gothic splendor and eerie detail. Samantha and Hel are compelling characters, with sharp dynamics that offer plenty of intrigue. However, the romantic tension between them felt forced; their connection seemed better suited to a strong, platonic partnership. The novel’s rich characterization couldn’t fully compensate for the meandering plot, which dampened the pacing and my overall enjoyment.

While not without its flaws, Strange Beats is an atmospheric debut with fascinating leads. Fans of gothic mysteries and slow-burn character studies may find plenty to appreciate here, but those craving a tightly paced story might struggle.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

DNF at 20%
I was actually excited for this book so it was a real let down. I knew from the premise it would be a very thin line to walk and I just don’t think the author was able to pull it off.
Mixing in elements of classic gothic fiction could have made for really interesting world building or even campy fun but it felt stiff at best, cringeworthy at worst; and I’m so sad about that because what could have elevated this story just made it more painful to get through.
I am not the best at mysteries and even I could tell where the story was going. I wanted to love it, I wanted to love the romance too, but I just could not for the life of me get into it. Such a shame.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a book! The premise had many people on the edge of their seats before cracking open this book. As a huge lover of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula, this book is a feast for the eyes. I saw someone say that this book reads more of YA rather than adult and I agree; there was a maturity missing with the world-building of this book. There were times when I felt like I was a step behind when it came to the motivations of the characters. Overall this was a well-written book, just not my favorite. This book will delight many readers who love this genre. I just couldn't get past certain issues with the execution of this story.

Love the Gothic vibes! Love the relationship between Sam and Hel! Love the wink at Holmes and Moriarty! This is a fun read with very satisfactory engagement of the feelings. A perfect read for anyone who wants to celebrate fall with first-rate historical fantasy. I'll be recommending this book on my podcast The Library of Lost Time on Friday, 22 November.

I loved the concept and the early 1900’s era and I’m struggling to pinpoint why exactly it took me so long to get through the story. I think that it felt disjointed and not all of the scenes were brought alive for me. There were so many places the writer wanted to include that the story felt crammed.

The sapphic relationship was anything but. One minute, the characters are arguing and saving each other, without chemistry or hints at romantic feelings, the next minute they kiss. I would have loved a slow burn love story and I think that the problem stems from the characters being sacrificed for the plot. They zip along from one scene to the next, without much conversation.

As for the main villain - I was mentally screaming at the MC’s from approx half way through the story, as it was extremely obvious who was behind wolves-turning-due-to-perfume.