NetGalley Review: Strange Beasts by Susan J Morris
Hey all, Sam here.
Was I just talking about wanting some atmospheric and spooky reads because it’s October AKA Spooky Season? Yes, as a matter of fact, I was discussing that in the past couple of posts. So do I have an atmospheric and mysterious slightly spooky read to talk about today? Why, yes I certainly do.
Can I also say that today’s review is long overdue because I was approved for it on NetGalley before the book released? Absolutely. Oh, and while I’m ratting myself out on all of this, did I just get approved for the sequel to this book on NetGalley? Indeed I did (and that one isn’t out until March 17th, 2026, so I’m actually going to have it read and reviewed in a timely manner).
I wanted to read this book last year for spooky season, but I didn’t get around to it due to life and stress and other reads. But that’s fine. Sometimes books are worth the wait, and I think that was definitely the case for this one. If it’s any consolation, I bought my copy a while ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf. So, even if I’m very delayed on reading and reviewing books, I do still support the authors and publishing imprints by purchasing the final copies.
That’s especially true with any and all books that sound interesting being released by any of the Bindery imprints. I’ve read a handful of Bindery releases so far and I have greatly enjoyed every one of them. Honestly it’s making me partly wonder if I should start prioritizing more books from Bindery imprints.
We’ll see, I guess. Maybe that’ll be my focus in December. Spoiler alert a bit there. I was looking at my NetGalley releases for the rest of the year and I only have one December book, so that’ll be a nice free for all reading month, but I’ll talk more about that in a post coming in about a week.
All right, let’s get started with this review.
My Thoughts
In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery―the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.
At the dawn of the twentieth century in Paris, Samantha Harker, daughter of Dracula’s killer, works as a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. But no one realizes how abnormal she is. Sam is a channel into the minds of monsters: a power that could help her solve the gruesome deaths plaguing turn-of-the-century Paris―or have her thrown into an asylum.
Sam finds herself assigned to a case with Dr. Helena Moriarty, daughter of the criminal mastermind and famed nemesis of Sherlock Holmes and a notorious detective whom no one wants to work with on account of her previous partners’ mysterious murders. Ranging from the elite clubs of Paris to the dark underbelly of the catacombs, their investigation sweeps them into a race to stop a beast from its killing rampage, as Hel and Sam are pitted against men, monsters, and even each other. But beneath their tenuous trust, an unmistakable attraction brews. Is trusting Hel the key to solving the murder, or is Sam yet another pawn in Hel’s game?
Rating: 4.5 stars
With this cover, I should point out that on my paperback edition the candles are all a bit holographic and shiny. It’s a very minimalist effect that ends up being quite striking.
Okay, so what sold me on this book. Well you have the daughter of Moriarty from the Sherlock stories and the daughter of Mina and Jonathan Harker from the tale of Dracula….and honestly that was enough to completely catch my interest. There was actually a point where I read a whole bunch of turn-of-the-century tales, particularly paranormal or urban fantasy romances. This was a nice return to that kind of story for me.
I really enjoyed both Sam and Hel. I think they were definitely their own people, or trying to be their own people despite the “legendary” status of their parents, and they each had certain skills and abilities that set them apart from their colleagues and their families.
Sam was trying to step out of her researcher position so she could do her own on-the-side investigating for a personal matter (I’m not going to spoil any of that here), and Hel was always trying to prove that she wasn’t a villain like her father, all while constantly ending up alone because none of her investigative partners lasted long.
I enjoyed seeing how the two young women learned to understand each other more and work together better, and their respective backgrounds, lifestyles, and knowledge bases complemented each other well…and I did enjoy the hints of the attraction growing between the two, but that was a slow build up and wasn’t admitted to until near the end of the adventure.
There was mystery. There was drama. There was intrigue. There was a little bit of paranormal beasties. There was action. It had a little bit of everything, and I read it rather quickly…and before I finished reading it, I had already convinced a co-worker to start reading it.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel soon (probably November or December depending on reading mood), so I will have a review up for it before release day. I am very curious what happens next with Sam and Hel.
All right, well that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
