The Death of Jane Lawrence came out yesterday, October 5th 2021 and although I read it a couple of months ago it is still one of my favorite reads of the year. It is a perfect spooky season book to pick up! So let’s give a little review…
The Death of Jane Lawrence Mini Book Review
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love myself a good gothic novel and this one made my heart swell! The Death of Jane Lawrence is about Jane Shorfield. A young woman who believes that marriage should be practical and therefore sets upon finding her ideal match, and asking for a business arrangement of sorts. She believes that the reclusive Dr. Lawrence would be perfect, and she would in turn make a good match for him. Soon after marrying, the “business arrangement” becomes something more, as real feelings emerge, and she realizes there is a great deal more to Dr. Lawrence than she previously thought. Daaa Daaa Daaaaaaaaaa…..
After arriving at his Family Estate (a large creepy mansion-like house, as one needs in ALL great gothic lit books) things begin to change. Dr. Lawrence becomes strange and paranoid, and everything in the house seems haunted. From there we glimpse the beginning stages of Jane’s descent into??????
And that’s the greatest part! This is what makes a truly great gothic novel for me. The reader is constantly left wondering exactly what is happening to Jane in real life, and/or what madness is Jane conjuring in her own mind. I like to be slightly confused with just the right amount of adrenaline coursing through my veins while reading my gothic books and The Death of Jane Lawrence totally delivers! I loved the horror and madness that lurked in the shadows, and I loved the romance that permeated the pages. After all, gothic lit books are nothing if not romantic?? Am I right, or am I right? Spoiler, I’m right!
Another really interesting aspect of the book was the fact that it is set in an alternate Great Britain. I wish we got a little more information about the setting though. I mostly found myself forgetting that this was in an alternate reality, which missed a really cool opportunity to widen the world building and insert something unique into the gothic atmosphere.
However, all in all I loved it! I always love when there is a question as to what is actually real and what is madness! It makes the experience so much more fun while reading.
I would 100% recommend The Death of Jane Lawrence to fans of Mexican Gothic, as well as Jane Eyre.
