3.5 ⭐️

This is the fourth book in the Mandeville series that I have read. This time it features Hatshepsut Turner, known as Hettie.
Hettie is a photojournalist, and a family friend of the Mandeville’s going way back through the generations.
After the demise of her friend and apprentice Saul, the Mandeville family ask Hettie to their home as a favour to do some photographic cataloging.
Will Hettie find the rest and peace she desperately needs there?

I enjoy reading the authors books very much, but this book to me seemed different from the others. There were some of the characters from previous books in it but the main characters from previous books weren’t and I missed them.
It was set in dual timelines as the books always are which appeals to me, especially the historical side.
The book can be read as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. The story is told along 2 timelines, 1876 and 1937. Hettie a young woman is asked yo photograph the collection of antiquities and collections made by her Grandfather's friend Charles. She is an unusual character, who appears very forward for the times. She agrees to vomplete this work at Mandeville House, where she visited as a child with Henry, her grandfather. The earlier timeline tells the story from Charles account of his tour after university with Henry and Walter his friends. The story begins well, but I found that it developed to slowly for me.. The mysterious happening in the cottage are creepy, but not very interesting, until nearer the end when the explanation occurs. The ending moves the pace up again. Find I enjoy reading thus book? I'm not sure. Dome of the descriptions of the objects znd places were well written, but overall I felt let down.

I thought this book was a bit slow moving. It just seemed like it took forever for something to happen. It started off good and ended good but the middle was just blah. I do think it’s a good series.

Thank you Storm Publishing and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

This has been the best atmospheric historical dual timeline mystery I have ever read. I felt like I was in the book in both April 1876 and February 1937.

I did not see the twists coming especially at the end! This was such a wonderful book, I need to read more from this author! I thought about going to bed and woke up excited to read it in the morning.

This book was brilliant, and for any historical thriller fans out there, this book is for you! So many secrets, mysteries, twists, etc. Just brilliant!

The book is a wonderfully atmospheric read, full of mystery and intrigue. Set in 1937, it follows Hettie Turner, a photojournalist escaping her grief, as she gets caught up in the secrets of the Mandeville family estate. The setting is beautifully described, with Hill House feeling both grand and haunting, though the detailed descriptions can slow the story a bit at first.
Hettie is a likeable, practical character, and her growing bond with Rhys, the brooding groom, adds a nice touch of romance. The mystery builds slowly but becomes more gripping as eerie events unfold and long-hidden family secrets come to light.
If you enjoy historical mysteries with a gothic twist, this is definitely worth a read. It’s not fast-paced, but it’s rich with atmosphere and keeps you guessing until the end

The Mandeville Curse
by Callie Langridge
Pub Date Jan. 9, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
So good! This is the fourth book in the series and it is so captivating. No need to read the others if you want to dive in to a great book!
I loved the haunting stories, with flawed characters you love in situations that pull your heartstrings… I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes historical fiction, mystery, time travel, or just reading books so well-written they seem to sing off the page. Callie Langridge has real talent.
Time travel at its best!

Book 4 but the first for me so I may have missed some things. Hettie Turner is a photojournalist living with guilt from when her young protégé was murdered during some anti fascist demonstrations. We are in 1937. Her parents encourage her to take a job cataloguing and photographing the specialist eclectic collections of the late Sir Charles Mandeville. The descriptions of these are very detailed but enjoyable to read. There are some flashbacks to the 1876 when Charles and two friends head off to Canada to start with on a grand tour. One of those friends became Hettie's grandfather although nothing much about him beyond that in this story; indeed, Charles is not really focussed upon either but does have a romance 'with consequences'. Back to 1937 and his house has a curse upon it leading to apparent super natural activity amongst his collection. Hettie has a romance too, in a way. Certainly a very descriptive book and well-written. Not a favourite but interested enough to go and look at the previous stories. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

It was an absolute pleasure to be given the opportunity to return to Hill House and it's residents. The Manderville Curse is set in 1937 where the story revolves around Hettie a young and troubled photographer and 1876 when a young Charles Manderville is visiting Canada after university with his two good friends. This book is a little different from the previous three in that no one actually time travels. Hettie and Sir Charles' stories unravel in parallel eventually revealing their connections. Although it could be read as a stand alone I really feel the series needs to be read in order to get the best from it. It always takes a little time to fit everyone from the other books in their place in a different era but the author is extremely good at dropping little hints to help with this. I wasn't keen on the character of Hettie as she seemed a rather sullen character. She seems to wallow in self pity. Determined to punish herself for an incident that nobody else blames her for. The rest of the characters - apart from the outright villains - are usually very pleasant folk. On the whole a very enjoyable well researched read with mystery and intrigue a plenty.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

In this entry to the series, Hettie is overcoming her grief from the death of a friend and protege. She agrees to go to Mandeville to catalogs the historical possessions of the late owner. Once she arrives at the home, she realizes that something is not as it should be. The author does an excellent job of character development and setting . Reader, be prepared to move between eras as the curse is discovered. Loved this strong female lead! Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

After Hettie Turner’s young student is killed under suspicious circumstances, she receives an unusual request from her ancestral home, Hill House. Desperate to escape the grief she is feeling, she travels to the ancestral home of the Mandevilles, where the family is trying to deal with the death of Sir Charles Mandeville, the head of the household.
Hettie has been asked to use her photojournalist skills to catalog Sir Charle’s extensive antiques collection, which comprised a large part of his estate. Hettie soon finds herself seeking the help of the family’s groom, Rhys Lewis, a handsome ex-soldier who immediately has Hettie’s attention.
The house soon feels very different, not as she remembered it years ago. As she begins work on Sir Charles’s collection, she thinks back to all the tragedies that have occurred to family members over the years. Was there a curse over the Mandeville Estate? Was Sir Charles involved? Was it something in his collection?
Hettie soon experiences strange happenings around her as she continues her work in the cottage that was home to St. Charles. If there is a curse over the family, will she be able to break it as she dives deeper into St. Charles's collection?

This is another delightful atmospheric historical dual timeline mystery from Callie Langridge. A wonderful new addition to a great series!

As always, Ms Langridge’s descriptions are impeccable and her sense of drama well demonstrated. The Mandeville Curse is another finely executed tale. I was quickly drawn into the memorable locations and effortlessly transported back and forth between 1876 and 1937. I particularly enjoyed the Canadian scenes (my birth home!) and could picture the items and charms unique to the areas. And the romance!

The characterisation of Charles and Hettie were beautifully and carefully crafted. I enjoyed each of their journeys externally and internally. It is easy to see the reasons behind their actions and the consistency of their movements. Their dialogue reflected appropriately their needs, thoughts and dreams. In other words, these dynamic characters fit well in their story worlds. Research is thorough, antique items believably presented and utilised. I was captivated by the mystery and, as before, the unique aspect of Hill House, a character that never fails to impress and intrigue me with its mystical happenings and ability to help those in need. But as one character says to another: ‘…this house needed you as much as you needed it…”

There are many memorable phrases such as “People had to earn a place in other people’s lives” commented by photojournalist Hettie Turner. Stella the cat, though, is outside of the people rules and certainly stole her heart from the start and offered her companionship as a comforter in her new position at the ancestral home of the Mandevilles. Hettie like others, who visit the Hill House, are trying to escape and recover from (even if temporarily) a painful experience. Her parents send her here in hopes that being a visitor at this atmospheric mystical dwelling, will help her overcome the grief she experienced after the peculiar death of her young protégé.

The Mandeville household is also struggling to deal with the loss of world traveller Sir Charles Mandeville. Hettie’s new job is to catalogue the eclectic antiquities left behind by this intriguing man, but it opens a door on a rare and strange world. She learns much about the family’s history and the curse that surrounds them. But is there any truth to the legend? Well, there certainly are lots of strange happenings at the cottage that seem unexplainable which play havoc with her head. For Hettie normally is a person dictated by reason, not emotions but is challenged by the events. While the mystery deepens and the story progresses, she is exposed to unusual mystical incidents.

There is a wonderful colourful support cast in both timelines that keep the story moving with twists and turns! There are some reappearances from the previous books and a villain that keeps returning but Elliot’s words ring true: ‘Heroes often hide their good deeds. Only cowards shout about themselves.’ And Rhys is a protective, kind, handsome and compassionate true gentleman. He understands that women need time to explore and fulfill her destinies.

There are a couple of beautiful eternal romances at the heart of this story in both timelines. There are some stunning secrets, too! I really loved how everything exquisitely came together for the ending. A true triumph that left my heart bursting with positive emotions! The Mandeville Curse is a definite must read paranormal passionate mystery. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for a review copy.

This is the fourth book in the Mandeville mystery series and it certainly did not disappoint. I didn’t think that Callie could top her last book but oh boy she did in great style.
If you are familiar with the stories in this series it is nice to meet up with some characters again and learn more about old friends.
As per the other books it follows a time slip theme .
Absolutely brilliant

Thank you to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the arc of this book
1937. When her young protégé is killed in suspicious circumstances, celebrated photojournalist Hettie Turner is wracked with guilt. Desperate to escape her grief, she travels to the distant Hill House to help with an unusual request.
She goes to catalogue the late Charles Mandeville's collection. Not long after strange things begin to happen.
First this book is exceptionally well written with an immense amount of knowledge and detail of artifacts, history and shows the extensive research carried out by the author. It's staggering and impressive.
The plot itself is well executed, slow pace which is fitting for the storey.
Immersive back story and character depth.
With an ending that had me thinking for a while and sort of tugged on my heart. Definitely not whay I was expecting albeit perfect.
Kerry Kennedy Author

The book is set in the Mandeville property. It started in October 1936 and finished in 1944. Hettie is a photographer who lost a friend during one of Mosely's many fascist demonstrations. She was devasted by this and stopped taking pictures. Then, she is called to take photos of the late Sir Mandeville collection. During her time at the Mandeville property, she finds her way back to taking pictures. The story is mainly focused on describing places, people and so on.

When a female photojournalist feels responsible for the murder of her young assistant, she abandons her camera and her work to return to her parents' home. When she is asked to visit the estate of her late grandfather's good friend in order to photograph and help catalog his extensive collection of worldwide oddities, she reluctantly picks up her camera again. Strange things happen in the cottage where the gentleman's collection is stored. Is there a curse, or can Hettie Turner discern who or what is behind all the mysterious happenings?

Though I have not read any of the other titles in this series, book 4 stands alone just fine. The book maintains a moderate pace with gradually building suspense -- just enough for a good bedtime read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Mandeville Curse is an eerie dual timeline. A slow start, the novel picked up speed over halfway through. It is written in the narrative voice with limited dialogue. Descriptive language helps to visualize the story. Strong characters who are not afraid of being unique.

Releases Jan. 9th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

⭐ 3.5 from me!

Let me just say, The Mandeville Curse took me by surprise. It starts a little slow, but the story and writing were enough to keep me turning the pages.

This is the fourth book in the series, but don’t worry—you can absolutely start here without reading the others. The story kicks off with Hettie grieving the loss of her protégée, and she’s tasked with cataloging all his treasures as a way to help her heal. What follows is a mix of mystery, emotions, and some twists I didn’t see coming.

There are a few flashbacks woven into the historical storyline, which added depth to the mystery and helped piece everything together. I loved the historical context, the layers of the curse (although I wish we spent more time on it!), and the way the time shifts enriched the narrative.

While it wasn’t a perfect read for me—the story felt repetitive at times—it’s still worth checking out if you love mysteries with a hint of historical fiction and emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author & Storm publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wasn't sure how I felt about this book at first. But I kept going, and was very glad I did. Hettie and both her story and the story she uncovers just gets under your skin. Wonderful.

Callie has a knack of creating descriptive images that you can see through your minds eye.
I have loved The Mandeville series: especially as various times in history (policitcal and social) has been slightly mentioned. Callie cleverly manages to write across different eras and they bring the story together.
The value of lifetime friendships comes through the pages. This particularly comes through the various characters that have been incorporated in the books.
Hettie, what a strong female character, who knew what she wanted.
Hopefully the Mandeville series will continue.

Escaping to Mandeville House Hettie Turner wants to leave the death of her friend behind her. She decides to try to regroup by helping out friends of the family. Since Hettie is a photo journalist. Her parents feel she would be able to help out some friends and catalog the antiques that their friend who has recently passed away.

Hettie starts diving into her work and keeps herself busy. She stumbles upon something very interesting.. She finds that there is a curse that has been associated with the family. The curse is somehow attached to one of the antiques that she is cataloging. Strange things start happening but Hettie keeps at the job at hand. Hettie also finds Rhys, could he be the man for he? What else can happen while she is working?

I liked the character, there is a lot to her. She is determined and seeks to find answers. This book has a little of everything. It is the fourth in the series. I would have liked to have read the other three before this one. I wouldn’t hold that against the review. It was enjoyable. It was interesting and I would recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.