In previous posts, I have reviewed books by the contemporary author Hester Fox. Fox tends to gravitate towards gothic fiction, often set in the 19th century. For previous posts on her works, click the links below:
The Witch of Willow Hall (2018)
The Widow of Pale Harbor (2019)
A Lullaby for Witches (2022)
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library (2023)
Over the past month or so, I read the remaining two (current) publications by Hester Fox. To be honest, I really didn't love either one.
The Orphan of Cemetery Hill (2020)
Y'all, this book was
B-A-D. The characters were dull, the plot was preposterous, and the denouement was non-existent. The main character is a young woman by the name of Tabitha Cooke. Tabitha can commune with the dead, but this fact must remain a secret so that people don't take advantage of her. She is impoverished and an orphan, separated from her older sister -who can see the future- during her childhood. When Tabitha's friend's fiancée is murdered, he is suspect #1. Of course, he didn't kill his lovely bride-to-be and Tabitha knows this, since she talked to her ghost.
And it just goes downhill from here. But I still read it. Shame on me.
The Book of Thorns (2024)
Hester Fox's most recent publication is tepid, at best. Two sisters were separated so early in childhood that neither of them actually recalls having a sister. However, a bond they share -a gift their mother also had- is their ability to commune through and with flowers. During the Napoleonic wars, older sister Cornelia is working with the French army as a healer. Younger sister Lijsbeth is mostly mute, and works as a housemaid for a wealthy family in Belgium. On opposing sides of a war, the sisters reconnect with each other, learn about their past, and are able to piece together their futures. In Hester Fox fashion, it is contrived and (mostly) predictable. I also found it annoying how hard she clearly worked to get a f/f/m love triangle worked into the plot. It felt forced and did not add one iota of excitement to the story. While I won't say it was her worst book, I'd rate it slightly below average.
If you asked me today to rank these books, I would probably do so as follows:
- The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
- The Widow of Pale Harbor and/or The Witch of Willow Hall **
**Caveat being the first scene of the book where a cat is hurt. Hated that. - A Lullaby for Witches and/or The Book of Thorns
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- The Orphan of Cemetery Hill
Hester Fox will be releasing another book in 2025. I'm eager to read it and rank it here for you!
