ALA Booklist

Life has been cruel to Louisa Ditton, an Irish girl in the early nineteenth century, who ekes out a living telling fortunes, ever since fleeing her oppressive boarding school. When an old woman offers her employment as a maid in a place called Coldthistle House, it seems like a boon: a roof, a hot meal, and companionship are all things that Louisa lacks. But Coldthistle is no ordinary boardinghouse. After a ghostly supernatural encounter, Coldthistle's young-seeming owner, Mr. Morningside, explains the truth: the house attracts boarders who have committed terrible misdeeds, and when they arrive, the staff exacts a swift and savage justice. Louisa refuses to acknowledge her own connection to the house, and fears for the safety of one gentle boarder. From eerie prologue to gory end, this gothic tale is imbued with a lingering sense of unease, offering up a Faustian plot that explores the darkest pits of human nature. Atmospheric and troubling, this series starter will sink its hooks into readers as surely as it frightens them.

Horn Book

Louisa Rose Ditton's existence in early-nineteenth-century England is harsh and uncertain. Employment as a maid at Coldthistle House is welcome but troubling: the boardinghouse is described as "a place for the wayward and lost," and the master doesn't seem human. What starts as an engrossing Gothic mystery goes off the rails with a plot line reliant on gross-out violence. Eerie photo illustrations are included.

Kirkus Reviews

A runaway works at a boardinghouse for the damned in late-Georgian-period England.In a prologue, Louisa informs readers that she works for the Devil among other odd and cursed employees, cleaning up after the deaths of those who visit Coldthistle House. After fleeing an abusive, governess-training boarding school, Louisa scrapes by telling fortunes until she's rescued from a sticky situation by a crone who promises employment at Coldthistle House. On the way, they're joined by fellow Coldthistle-bound travelers: a wealthy (if unpleasant) man and his charming nephew, Lee, who takes to Louisa right away despite the fact that he's a guest and she's to be a new servant. Once they arrive, the crone quickly transforms into the much more proper house matron and manager, Mrs. Haylam, and Louisa's other new co-workers quickly befriend her. But soon Louisa uncovers just how supernatural the eerie proprietor, Mr. Morningside, and the rest of the residents are. All guests are sinners marked for death. Louisa must help Lee with a mystery of his own and prove he doesn't deserve a grisly end—or discover if he does. Characters' emotional connections create wonderful tension. Periodic illustrations and excerpts from fictional supernatural texts provide concise exposition. Most characters are white, while many are inhuman. Louisa's a classic Gothic narrator, her diction recalling genre standards. The ending is satisfying without ruling out sequels. Atmospheric, moody, and great fun. (Horror. 13-adult)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

It-s 1809 in Malton, England, and Louisa Rose Ditton barely scrapes by telling fortunes in the market. When an old woman approaches Louisa with an offer of employment and a warm bed, she is soon on her way to Coldthistle House, -a place for the wayward and lost.- There, she meets the strange staff: Poppy, a girl whose voice holds terrible power; the tall, enigmatic Chijioke, who has a certain way with the dead; and the inscrutable master of the house, Mr. Morningside. She also finds friendship in Coldthistle-s new guest, Lee Brimble, who is there to research his claim to an inheritance. When Louisa discovers that Mr. Morningside-s motives toward his guests are anything but benign and that Lee may be in danger, she is determined to help. Roux (the Asylum series) brings her gothic setting to rich life in this darkly delightful (and frequently gruesome) series opener. Snippets and sketches from a fictitious book, Rare Myths and Legends, complement the unsettling atmosphere, offering clues to what otherworldly creature readers, and brave Louisa, will face next. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary. (May)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Coldthistle House is owned by the Devil. In 1809, seventeen-year-old Louisa is taken to Coldthistle to work as a maid. She is told the work is hard, but honest. One of the residents looks strangely like Louisa’s childhood imaginary friend. One night, driven by curiosity, Louisa wanders up to the fourth floor ballroom that houses only one, lone, dark book, to which she is mystically. When she touches it, she is burned. When she sees dark, wraith-like creatures floating around the ballroom, she flees down the stairs where she discovered by the housekeeper and taken to the owner. He explains to Louisa that the true purpose of the house is to punish evil-doers, to pass judgment on the guests and to carry out their executions. Louisa tries to flee but experiences great pain when she tries to go past the fence at the perimeter of the house’s grounds. Because she touched the book, she is now tied forever to Coldthistle. The first guest to die is a widow who killed her husband and son. The next is a doctor who ate his daughter and tries to eat Louisa on a trip to town. Then, a colonel dies by falling down the stairs. A young guest at the house has befriended Louisa and, convinced of his innocence of any evil-doing, she vows to prove it. The young man’s uncle is there, as well, to kill the Devil, but accidently shoots (and kills) his nephew instead. Louisa begs for the young man to be brought back to life no matter what the cost, knowing full well he may not be the same person as he was. The cost, she finds out, is the life of the girl who looks like Louisa’s imaginary friend. This book is slow to start which could make it a hard sell. The story is original and entertaining, however, once it gets going. It leaves much to be desired to be classified as an actual “gothic horror story,” as it portends to be. There is some suspense (although not too much) as the author seems to give away just enough to leave the reader with questions—answers to which may be divulged in future books, given that this is a series opener.—Barbara Allen.