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• The Curse of Penryth Hall Minotaur Books (New York, NY), 2023
• The Secret of the Three Fates Center Point Large Print (Thorndike), 2025

1. The secret of the three fates : a Ruby Vaughn mystery LCCN 2024948324 Type of material Book Personal name Armstrong, Jess, author. Main title The secret of the three fates : a Ruby Vaughn mystery / Jess Armstrong. Edition Large print edition. Published/Produced Thorndike : Center Point Large Print, 2025. Projected pub date 2503 Description pages cm ISBN 9798891644328 (hardcover) Item not available at the Library. Why not? 2. The curse of Penryth Hall LCCN 2023018003 Type of material Book Personal name Armstrong, Jess, author. Main title The curse of Penryth Hall / Jess Armstrong. Edition First edition. Published/Produced New York : Minotaur Books, 2023. ©2023 Description 326 pages ; 25 cm ISBN 9781250886019 (hardcover) (ebook) CALL NUMBER PS3601.R5753 C87 2023 FT MEADE Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Jess Armstrong website - https://writingjess.com/

  Jess Armstrong is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. She has a masters degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world’s most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she’s not working on her next project, she’s probably thinking about cheese, baking, on social media or some combination of the above. You can find her on Instagram or Threads @JessL_Armstrong at or see what’s new on her website writingjess.com.

• Los Angeles Public Library website - https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-jess-armstrong-0

  Interview With an Author: Jess ArmstrongDaryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, January 16, 2025
  Author Jess Armstrong and her latest novel, The Secret of the Three Fates
  Author Jess Armstrong and her latest novel, The Secret of the Three Fates
  Jess Armstrong is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition. She has a master's degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world's most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she's not working on her next project, she's probably thinking about cheese, baking, social media, or some combination of the above. Her latest novel is The Secret of the Three Fates and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.

  What was your inspiration for The Secret of the Three Fates?
  This one really came together in pieces. I distinctly recall walking my dog one day after sending off The Curse of Penryth Hall to my editor at Minotaur Books and heard Ruby's voice in my head muttering "I was going to murder Mr. Owen." I knew then and there that line was going to be the first sentence in the second book; I just had no idea why Ruby was so mad at Mr. Owen! I even sent myself a voice memo while I was walking in case I forgot before I got home.

  The Secret of the Three Fates was the first time I'd ever written a second book in a series, so I was figuring out a lot of the craft side as I went along. There never was one single "ah hah!" moment of inspiration—but rather a series of images and scenes that really stuck in my mind that I built a mystery around. For example, I knew all along that I wanted to set it in Scotland and that we (and Ruby) would discover more about Mr. Owen's past. I also knew that the mystery would revolve around a murdered medium. Beyond that, it was one big puzzle that I had to figure out as I went along.

  In our last interview, for The Curse of Penryth Hall, you said, regarding characters, that you start with a "vague biographical sketch of who my characters are, where they're from, and particular likes or dislikes." Did you know prior to writing The Curse of Penryth Hall about Mr. Owen's past? Or did you develop that for The Secret of the Three Fates?
  Yes and no. I definitely had some pieces of Mr. Owen's back story fleshed out in my mind by the time I finished The Curse of Penryth Hall. Mr. Owen was always very cagey about his own past, and I knew there was some darkness to his history that he was avoiding. Even in the first book, Ruby was aware that there were big parts of Mr. Owen's past that he concealed from her—but neither she (nor I) knew exactly what those secrets were until I started figuring out the mystery of the second book.

  How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters, scenes, or stories that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
  Oh gosh, this book changed a lot in the revision process. All of mine always do, but The Secret of the Three Fates took multiple drafts to get the pacing and character arcs just right. It felt like once I got one part how I wanted it, it shifted another part—so it really took a lot of finessing to get the balance right.

  So far, I haven't had any regrets about scenes that don't make the final cut for the book—usually if a scene gets chopped out it's for a reason. Though one of my favorite changes has to do with the current iteration of Lady Amelia (a secondary character in the book). She didn't have a name for the first three drafts. Even after I turned in the manuscript the first time, she remained this very minor character. However, in the last revision pass, I named her and gave her a more integral role in the plot. Lady Amelia is roughly the same age as Ruby was when Ruby was sent away from America and the girl serves as a lens into Ruby as a character. Even in early drafts, Ruby was always kind to her, but in giving them more time together on the page, it really underscores the effect Ruby's early traumas had on her as a person.

  Did you have to do a bit of research about séances? If so, what was the most interesting or surprising thing that you learned during your research?
  I did do some research into seances, particularly into the spiritualism craze of the 19th century and the resurgence of it after the First World War. It was intriguing learning about all the tricks and techniques used by fraudulent mediums at this time—some of it rather clever. At first, I thought the seances in The Secret of the Three Fates would be fraudulent ones like the ones I was researching—but then I came across a story that really sparked my curiosity. It was about a woman named Helen Duncan, a 20th-century Scottish medium, who had been in trouble off and on for conducting fraudulent seances. Still, in 1941, she revealed the sinking of the HMS Barham at a séance—before the disaster was made public knowledge. Helen wasn't supposed to know about the ship being torpedoed and was later arrested for it. Regardless of how she came across that information, the whole idea of it got me wondering—what would happen if a fraudulent medium wasn't actually a fraud? And what was worse, what if she revealed something she shouldn't? Those questions really stuck with me when I was working on the novel.

  Have you ever attended or participated in a séance? If so, can you tell us about it?
  I have not and don't think I would unless it is with someone I have complete confidence in. I have a healthy respect for the supernatural world and try not to mess around with things I don't fully understand. One of the characters in the book cautions Ruby against calling to the dead because you don't know who will answer—and it's definitely been my approach to it.

  Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had an encounter with something paranormal?
  I definitely do, as you can probably guess from my answer to the last question. When I was in college I worked as a tour guide at the local historical society giving tours of some of the historical houses in town—two of the four were very haunted, one wasn't scary at all—but the other was downright terrifying at times. There were several incidents in the latter house. The sound of furniture scraping across the wood floors, occasionally you'd hear voices, but mostly it was a general sense of unease, being watched, the sound of wood scraping and footsteps following you around—that sort of thing.

  One morning, a colleague and I went to open up the one house for the day, and the motion alarm was going off, telling us there had been a break-in, but the regular alarm wasn't. It was really odd, and everything looked normal, but then we heard men's voices coming from behind a locked storage room door. We stepped back out of the house, locking the basement door, followed procedure and called the police. We waited outside until the police got there and then we had to walk through the museum with them. There was no sign of forced entry, and the house was completely normal. Nothing missing, nothing disturbed. But as we started up to the attic, we all heard the sound of footsteps following us up the stairs. Once I heard the footsteps, it dawned on both me and my colleague that we'd called the police on a ghost. I felt so silly. I honestly thought someone had broken in. There are a ton of other stories about that place, but that one is probably the most memorable. That house made a believer of many a skeptic. It was a very unhappy place.

  Your biography says that when you aren't writing, one of the things you may be doing is thinking about cheese. What is your favorite cheese? A favorite recipe including cheese?
  All of them? But seriously, my current favorite cheese right now is a traditional Farmhouse Wensleydale which is really hard to get your hands on in the US. Our local cheese monger has started getting Yoredale this year. It's a variety of craft Wensleydale by Curlew Dairy. I couldn't be more thrilled about it! I literally just bought almost a pound of it as a Christmas gift to myself and have been slowly eating it.

  As for recipes, I like a good gratin—something like a cauliflower gratin with a little bit of blue, some good English cheddar and a hit of nutmeg. Pretty sure that is on the menu for later this week too! You also cannot go wrong with gougères (more or less a choux pastry with gruyere; they're so good).

  Both The Curse of Penryth Hall and The Secret of the Three Fates would make marvelous films or series. If they were being adapted, who would your dream cast be?
  Oh my gosh, isn't that the dream? Ruby, in my mind, has always been Liv Lisa Fries. I started watching Babylon Berlin when I was drafting The Curse of Penryth Hall and from the moment I saw her, she was exactly who I imagined Ruby would look like. For Ruan, it took me a little longer to pin down who I think would play him well, but I think I have to go with Aidan Turner. He has the vibe. Mr. Owen is even harder for me, but I think James Cosmo would make a really good Mr. Owen.

  Honestly if I am ever fortunate enough to see these characters on the screen, I'd just love seeing how it translates and how other people see my characters. One of the coolest experiences I've had thus far in my writing career is when readers tell me who they see as my characters. I was at a book club once, and they all went around the room with their "head casting" of who they imagined playing the characters on TV, and it was so interesting! I loved it!

  What’s currently on your nightstand?
  Right now it’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. I feel like I'm a little late to the game on this one. I bought it a few months back but then got pulled back into revisions and haven't had a chance to start it. I fully plan to treat myself to a weekend reading binge very soon.

  What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
  I've been really hooked on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' new album Wild God. It came out earlier this year, and it's just so quietly evocative. Every time I listen to the album, I get a little something more out of it. It's just a really, really great album.

  What are you working on now?
  I'm finishing up with edits on the third Ruby Vaughn Mystery, The Devil in Oxford, which comes out later this year. Mostly, I'm just catching my breath after a very hectic December with the publication of The Secret of the Three Fates and turning in the third book in the series all in the span of about two weeks. Mostly, I'm refilling my creative well before working on my next project.

• Los Angeles Public Library website - https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-jess-armstrong

  Interview With an Author: Jess ArmstrongDaryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch Library, Thursday, January 11, 2024
  Author Jess Armstrong and her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall
  Author Jess Armstrong and her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall. Photo of author: Christy Lorio
  Jess Armstrong's debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition. She has a master's degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world's most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she's not working on her next project, she's probably thinking about cheese, baking, tweeting, or some combination of the above. She recently talked about The Curse of Penryth Hall with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.

  What was your inspiration for The Curse of Penryth Hall?
  This was a book that very much picked its own path, so there wasn't really one single piece of inspiration but more like several smaller ones along the way that helped the end story take the shape it's in now. Part of that is because I am a notorious pantser. If you aren't familiar with the term, it means I draft novels by the seat of my pants. Some people intensively plot before they start writing, but I have a lot of trouble doing that. So, I start writing, and the plot follows. Usually, when I am beginning a new project, I have a vague idea—a vibe—something that really captures my imagination, and I craft a novel around that mood. It could be a song, a photograph that I saw, or a vignette in a historical monograph. Pretty much anything can bring that initial spark.

  Of course, this manuscript was like nothing I'd written before—when I started writing it back in the summer of 2021, I wasn't entirely sure where it was going. I knew I wanted to try to write a mystery—I'd never done that before—and I wanted to set it in the interwar period. That was pretty much all I knew. I'd grown up reading mysteries, and I wanted to play around with the figure of the "brooding, somewhat self-destructive male detective" and make that character my heroine. It wasn't until I started digging into the folklore aspect of it that the book took the shape it is now.

  Are Ruby, Tamsyn, Ruan, or any of the other characters in the novel inspired by or based on specific individuals?
  Not really. There were certainly people like them in the historical record, but my characters are more an amalgamation of traits and backstories than anything else. The way I write isn't particularly conducive to basing them off real historical people. I typically start with a vague biographical sketch of who my characters are, where they're from, and particular likes or dislikes (kind of like how Ruby loves the sea or how plants surround Ruan), these become a framework for the character to build from. Sometimes, I randomly pick things. But my characters always grow in tandem with each other—changing and shifting as the book progresses, kind of a moving literary puzzle.

  How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
  I have to admit I am pretty ruthless with my own writing and generally take the approach that if something doesn't make the end version of a manuscript—it needed to change. I also don't save my deleted scenes. I'm sure that's horrifying to some folks and I admit it's a little scary in the moment when my finger hovers over the delete button, but it's also an incredibly liberating feeling. So far, I've never needed to go bring anything back from the cutoff bin. However, that being said, I have had to bring characters back that I killed off in earlier drafts.

  This was particularly true for The Curse of Penryth Hall when I un-killed two separate characters that I had previously killed off and completely recast a third's role in the manuscript. Of course, doing that caused me to more or less rewrite the last half of the book. I can still remember staring at my laptop screen, wondering if I'd made a colossal mistake, but I made the changes, and the book is so much better because of it.

  What drew you to set The Curse of Penryth Hall in the period after World War I? How familiar were you with that period of time in England? Did you have to do a bit of research? How long did it take you to do the necessary research and then write your novel?
  I've always been into history and actually have an M.A. in American History and Museum studies. I think I started getting really into the First World War and the interwar period around the centennial of the war, and I have been reading a lot about it recreationally over the last few years. It's such an interesting time with parallels to our own.

  Because I already had that groundwork of knowledge, The Curse of Penryth Hall came together pretty fast. I think from starting it to when I submitted the manuscript, it may have taken roughly five months—which included at least two revisions and a week-long evacuation from Hurricane Ida. Since I already knew a lot about the world, I didn't have to do as much deep-dive research for that part. It was mostly fact-checking on that part. I did spend a lot of time researching the folklore aspect, and it's still something I'm researching for future books.

  If I hadn't already had that groundwork for the time period, it probably would have taken me a few months longer, just because I'd need to ground myself in that research, too.

  What was the most interesting or surprising thing that you learned during your research?
  Whenever I choose backstories for my historical fiction characters, I like to do cursory fact-checking in addition to my normal research just to be sure there were examples of people doing similar things in the historical record and that I haven't made my characters do something unintentionally anachronistic. Usually, what I end up finding are examples of actual people who have done far more extraordinary things than I could have come up with. That was the case with Ruby and her war experience, for sure.

  I was already pretty familiar with the time period but I still wanted to look into the lives of women ambulance drivers just to find some examples for reference. During my research, I was captivated by the story of Mairi Chisholm who decided she was going to join the war effort, ended up making her way to Belgium and eventually partnered with her friend and nurse Elsie Knocker to set up an aid post very near the trenches in hopes of being able to help more of the wounded. In an early draft, I had Ruby and Tamsyn make a passing reference to the pair in dialogue as a nod to their bravery but I ended up having to cut that dialogue in a revision pass because it didn't work in the scene.

  The Curse of Penryth Hall was the first time I've encountered the term Pellar. Do you remember where/when you first encountered it?
  Pellars were pretty new to me too. I'd been somewhat aware of the term. I know there's a character in the video game Witcher 3 that is a Pellar, but beyond that, I hadn't really paid a lot of attention to the actual folk tradition surrounding them. Even when I've come across them in secondary sources, their stories get mentioned in passing or blended in with other types of magic practitioners. It was only when I was digging into accounts from 18th and 19th-century folklorists that Pellars really came into focus in my mind. I've taken creative liberties with the character of Ruan, but he's very much a creation from those 18th and 19th-century stories.

  When I first had the idea, I envisioned Ruby as a scholarly figure, traveling the countryside collecting folk stories. She was a skeptic, even in that version, but she wasn't the character she is in this iteration. In trying to understand her and the world she'd be versed in, I read a lot of 19th and 20th-century accounts from Cornish folklorists and that's where I really dug into the lore of the Pellar. I'd find accounts of local white witches, then occasionally you would get mention of someone needing to "go to the Pellar" for something, particularly bad—so I kept digging until I had an idea of the character I needed to create.

  Of course, the problem with having such an intriguing and mysterious side character is that it runs the risk of him overshadowing the main character! Once I created Ruan, I really had to rework the character of Ruby to make her just as vibrant and complex of a character so as not to get overshadowed by the Pellar.

  Your novel ends with Ruby seeming to be drawn into another adventure. Is The Curse of Penryth Hall the beginning of a new series? If so, what are your plans for the series? Do you have an idea at this time how long the series will be and how many books will be necessary to tell the story you want to tell?
  It is! The second book will be coming out in Fall 2024, and there should be more information to share on that one soon. I can go ahead and let you know that the second book picks up about six weeks after The Curse of Penryth Hall ends with Mr. Owen and Ruby heading off to Scotland where they attend a séance that quickly goes awry. Secrets, seances, and murder in Scotland—what could be more fun?

  As to how long this series could be—I really don't have a sense of it at this point. I definitely have near-term and long-term character arcs for Ruby and several other main characters, along with where the series is headed overall—time will tell how long it takes to get there.

  Ruan seems very rooted to Lothlel Green. Is there a chance that he will show up in any subsequent novels to join Ruby on her future adventures?
  Ruan will be back in the next book. He's also my mom's favorite character, so I'd be in a lot of trouble if he wasn't!

  What's currently on your nightstand?
  At the risk of sounding like my main character, I have Owen Davies' Grimoires: A History of Magic Books sitting on my nightstand.

  Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
  I've always been an avid reader, so for me, this list changes over time as I find new authors or rediscover my old favorites. James Lee Burke is definitely up there on my list. Deanna Raybourn is up there too along with Simone St. James.

  Even though I write mysteries, romance has also had a huge effect on the way I write my characters and how I see and develop my arcs. If you haven't dug into the genre much, romances are a master class in character development and arcs. There are so many people out there doing incredible work within the genre--to list some of the folks I've been reading recently, there's Diana Biller, Charish Reid, Elizabeth Hoyt…I could literally go on and on. I really don't think the genre gets the respect it deserves for the craft required to write them. People kind of overlook it or can be dismissive of romance novels but as a writer (and reader!) I'm constantly amazed at the skill required to write a compelling and satisfying romance.

  As a debut author, what have you learned during the process of getting your novel published that you would like to share with other writers about this experience?
  I'd reassure them that everyone's path is different, everyone's process is different and that there is no magic secret to getting published besides persistence and luck. When I say luck, what I mean is getting the right manuscript at the right time, in front of the right eyes.

  I see so much well-meaning writing and publishing advice floating around the internet promising if you just do this one thing, you'll get that agent, that deal, that prize—but it's just not true and I fear it ends up discouraging people when they start querying or go out on sub (sub is when an agent submits the manuscript to publishing houses for consideration).

  There is so much in this industry that we writers cannot control. I think the big thing I'd recommend to writers hoping to get published one day is to focus on the craft and to find joy in the writing process because everything after that point is entirely out of our hands.

  What was your favorite book when you were a child?
  Tuck Everlasting. I think I read it in fourth-grade English class and was obsessed with the concept of immortality. As a child, I couldn't understand the choices Winnie made in the end, but as an adult, I totally see it differently.

  Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
  Not at all. My mom took the approach that if I could physically read it and wanted to read it, then she wouldn't stop me. I suppose there might have been limits, but I never found them. I take the same stance with my own kids—if they want to read it, have at it!

  Every week as a child, I'd go max out my library card and walk out the door with a stack almost as tall as I was of books—usually high fantasy or history—those were my favorites back then. Of course, I'd finish them before the week was out and get bored at home. My grandmother lived with us back then, and when I ran out of things to read, she would take me downstairs and let me pick out something from her books. Grandma had hundreds of historical romances from the 80s and 90s, stacked two deep on her shelves along with detective novels, mysteries, you name it! Her shelves were a treasure trove of paperback glory—and I could take my pick of anything I wanted—except for her copy of Valley of the Dolls. To this day, I still haven't read it and have no idea what it's about.

  Is there a book you've faked reading?
  I'm completely embarrassed to admit this, considering what a giant bookworm I am—but I totally faked my way through 6th grade Language Arts. I don't think I read a single assigned reading that year and still somehow managed to keep on the honor roll.

  At that point in life I was way more into Anne Rice and Stephen King than I was the classics. I redeemed myself by high school when I became obsessed with Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter though. I also had a big The Crucible phase. It probably explains a lot about what I write now, come to think of it.

  Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
  I guess I've taken the adage of "don't judge a book by its cover" to heart because I literally never have bought a book based on that alone. I might pick it up because it's pretty, but I've never bought one because it was pretty. I'm constantly reading back cover copy to decide what I want to add to my ever-growing to-be-read pile.

  Is there a book that changed your life?
  Not per se. But I was in a master's program for mental health counseling for about two years, and as part of one of my courses, we read Cultivating the Mind of Love by Thich Nhat Hanh along with Martin Buber's I and Thou and it was definitely a shift in the way I thought about interpersonal relationships and my own self. I did a lot of growth in those two years and I do think really digging into those two relatively short books was a big part of that.

  Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
  Oh, this is a tricky one! Books are so personal that I don't know if I can pick one book for everyone—but I will say that I am constantly pushing Simone St. James' historical gothic novels at people. Particularly The Haunting of Maddy Clare. Her Silence for the Dead is a close second for me. It's not often that I can say a book both scared me to death and made me feel safe but Simone St. James has this beautiful way of plumbing the darkness and leaving the reader with an optimistic ending for the main characters.

  Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
  Honestly—probably Fourth Wing. I loved the experience of reading this book and totally binge-read in probably 2 days. Of course, the downside is that I am convinced I missed some important clues for the future books because of the breakneck speed I read it the first time.
  Note to self: slow down on the next one.

  What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
  It's less of a piece than multiple pieces. One of my favorite things to do is to spend time alone in an art gallery, but I also have two young children so I seldom get to do that. Earlier this year, I found myself in DC with an unanticipated morning to myself. I ended up spending a couple of hours wandering the National Gallery alone. It was just lovely. There's something about being by yourself looking at other people's art that is just so powerful to me and got my creative juices really flowing. It wasn't specific to the art itself, but more being in the presence of so much greatness that is both humbling and inspirational.

  What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
  Probably exploring a ruin somewhere on a temperate late spring/early summer day. If I could manage to go for a hike and explore ruins, followed by a casual picnic along a lazy, slow river—that would be THE perfect day. It doesn't really matter where—give me a ruin and nature and I'm there.

  What is the question that you're always hoping you'll be asked but never have been? What is your answer?
  I don't think anyone has asked me about my playlist yet. So here goes:

  Q: What are the top 3 songs on The Curse of Penryth Hall writing playlist?
  A: I always have music on when I'm writing that matches the emotional vibe or resonance of what I'm writing. These songs may or may not surprise people who have read the book:

  "Patsy" by Jack O'Rourke (his stuff is incredible. If you are a fan of folk at all and don't know him, go look him up. I listened to this song so much my 7-year-old started requesting it when we got in the car)
  "Ship Song" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I mean, this vibe? Perfection.
  "NFWMB" by Hozier again the vibes are spot on.
  What are you working on now?
  Right now, we're in edits on the second Ruby Vaughn novel, so that's taking up most of my creative headspace right now. I'm so excited how this one is shaping up so I can't wait to share more about that book with readers!

• Nola.com - https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/new-orleans-writer-jess-armstrong-on-curse-of-penryth-hall/article_61c563ca-8ec7-11ee-b6d9-d36057c16e01.html

  This New Orleans writer's prize-winning mystery debut was inspired by a rainy summer
  'One day I woke up with this strange idea...'
  BY RACHEL LAUTH | Contributing writer Nov 30, 2023
  2 min to read
  Jess Armstrong
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  The summer of 2021 brought record-breaking rain to Louisiana, and with it gloom and a heavy atmosphere. For New Orleans author Jess Armstrong, the rain helped inspire some of the mood and settings found in her debut novel: "The Curse of Penryth Hall" — a gothic murder-mystery set in Cornwall after the first World War.

  In this book, we meet and follow plucky heroine Ruby Vaughn as she seeks answers while having to face her own complicated past. The story was sparked in Armstrong’s imagination that rainy summer.

  “I started this as a little bit of a writing test for myself in 2021," Armstrong said. "One day I woke up with this strange idea that I wanted to write a gothic murder mystery romp — I wanted to take a traditional historical lady sleuth detective and drop her into a gothic plot and see what happened.

  "This was the first thing I’d written in a long time that was just for me. It was the book I wanted to read at the time, and it was also the most fun I’ve ever had writing one.”

  While she enjoyed the work and had a lifelong love of the genre, writing a mystery novel was no easy feat for Armstrong.

  THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL
  Book launch with author Jess Armstrong

  WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 5)

  WHERE: Garden District Book Shop

  2727 Prytania St., New Orleans

  INFO: gardendistrictbookshop.com

  “Writing a mystery is definitely a lot different, at least for me, than writing other genres," she said. "Most of that is because of how I write — I’m a 'pantser' by nature, not a plotter, which means I end up figuring out the story as I go along.

  "I usually have a vague notion of what is going to happen, but not much beyond a general direction — which, as you can imagine, can be a big problem when planning a mystery.

  "I had to really train myself to be more structured while I write. I still discover a lot in the process and subplots and twists will reveal themselves as I go along, but I at least know who the killer is and why before I ever set pen to paper.”

  Revisions are key
  The real key to structuring the story and mapping out the mystery was found in the revision process, Armstrong said.

  “For me, revision is as important as the first draft, because it’s in revision that I’m really able to hone in on the characters, their relationships and how everything comes together,” she said.

  The book also has strong themes about family relationships and dealing with passing of time. Some key elements involved in these themes weren’t present in the original draft, Armstrong said. Instead, she allowed the story to change and take shape through revisions.

  "What was a surprise to me was how strong of a found family aspect there is in the finished novel. The nature of Ruby’s relationship with Mr. Owen, her employer, changed a bit over time. At first they had more of an arm’s length relationship, but as I worked through edits, he ended up in more of a father-like role to her, which I really love.

  "One of my favorite things about writing by the seat of my pants is that I’m often surprised at how the characters grow and change throughout the narrative. They constantly surprise me and it makes it that much more fun to write.”

  Award-winning novel
  "The Curse of Penryth Hall" was awarded first prize in the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. It was included in the December 2023 LibraryReads list, a monthly list of 10 favorites chosen by library staffers across the nation. The novel will be officially released on Tuesday (Dec. 5), with a 6 p.m. book launch at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St.

  Armstrong has a master's degree in American history, describes herself as a "cheese enthusiast" and enjoys baking and Twitter. The fun she had while writing the novel is apparent and infectious with its colorful cast of characters and ambiguous supernatural elements, leaving the reader curious and excited to seek and discover the truth alongside Ruby Vaughn.

  ********************

  "The Curse of Penryth Hall"

  Book launch with author Jess Armstrong

  WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday (Dec. 5)

  WHERE: Garden District Book Shop

  2727 Prytania St., New Orleans

  INFO: gardendistrictbookshop.com

  Contact Rachel Lauth at lauthrachel@gmail.com.

• Deep South - https://deepsouthmag.com/2022/05/20/interview-with-edgar-awards-winner-jess-armstrong/

  Books Interviews
  Interview With Edgar Awards Winner Jess Armstrong

  May 20, 2022Erin Z. Bass 0 Comments0
  Minotaur Books and the Mystery Writers of America introduced the winner of their annual “First Crime Novel Competition” at the 76th annual Edgar Awards Banquet on April 28 in New York City. Jess Armstrong, who lives and writes in New Orleans, won for her novel The Curse of Penryth Hall, which will be published in 2023.

  “Jess impressed us right away with the lyrical descriptions and passionate characters in her novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall,” says Vice President and Associate Publisher at Minotaur Books Kelley Ragland. “Her Gothic mystery is set in 1920s Cornwall and features an unforgettable heroine in Ruby Vaughn, who must overcome the power of the village’s long-held legends in order to catch a killer. ”

  Armstrong has a master’s degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. She lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog and the world’s two most pampered school-fair goldfish. When she’s not working on her next project, she’s probably thinking about cheese, baking, tweeting or some combination of the above. We interviewed Armstrong by email about winning the competition, how she’s inspired by the Southern Gothic imagery of New Orleans and what she’s reading this summer.

  Erin Z. Bass: How does it feel to be the winner of a “First Crime Novel Competition” from the Mystery Writers of America?
  Jess Armstrong: It is such an incredible honor to have won this contest. Honestly, it’s still a little surreal. When I initially entered the contest, I knew there would be a ton of submissions and I never really imagined that my book would be the one that was chosen. So when I got the call in late March and a New York number popped up on my caller ID, I really thought it was going to end up being spam or something, but answered anyway. I was so surprised when it was Madeline Houpt (my now editor) on the other end of the line, who told me I’d won. I was completely surprised.

  Since then, with each step in the process, the reality has set in and I am getting more and more excited to share my heroine Ruby Vaughn and her adventures at Penryth Hall with the world.

  EZB: The title of your winning novel is The Curse of Penryth Hall. What is Penryth Hall, and why did you choose Cornwall for the setting?
  JA: Penryth Hall is this forbidding and decaying manor house located in a fictional town north of Bodmin Moor towards Cornish coast. Why Cornwall? It’s funny in a way, because I think Cornwall chose me for this one instead of the other way around.

  I knew right away that I wanted to incorporate folklore into the underlying mystery. I also knew that I wanted to set the story in the first few years after the first World War. To me, the time period is so interesting with the rapid changes and the tension between tradition and modernity. So as I started digging into primary sources trying to figure out exactly how to tell the story, Cornwall with its deep folk tradition and ruggedly gorgeous landscape jumped out as the natural setting.

  EZB: You live in New Orleans, a city that embodies Southern Gothic. Where do you find inspiration there?
  JA: It’s going to sound silly, but everywhere. Sometimes I’ll be walking down the street, by the same house that I’ve walked by thousands of times, and something will strike me and I’ll start down the “what if …” road. It might be the way the light comes through a live oak canopy and casts a shadow across the asphalt, or it might be watching the sunset from a neighbor’s porch. There’s an almost ever-present weight to living in the city, for good and bad that imbues every aspect of life and I really think that bleeds over to my writing whether I mean to or not.

  In a lot of ways, for me, New Orleans is a sensory experience. It’s the scent, the feel, the taste. There’s nowhere I’ve been that feels quite the same. And there’s really no denying that it’s beautiful here, but beneath that beauty is this undercurrent of history and tragedy. It’s a duality that simmers just beneath the surface which in itself is kind of a Gothic imagery isn’t it? The hidden truths, the pain, the past. I think it’s hard to live here and not be reminded that everything has a complex past. And sometimes that past isn’t very pretty.

  EZB: Your Twitter profile says you’re a “stress-baker.” What are some of your favorite things to bake, and do you think up story or plot ideas while baking?
  JA: Oh gosh, everything? That’s not quite true, I don’t like making fiddly stuff— I just don’t have the patience for it. I do a lot of cakes and cookies, but I absolutely love making bread (also eating bread). Pre-pandemic I had a wild yeast starter and was making sourdoughs all the time—of course when the pandemic hit I managed to kill it. I feel like I’m the only person I know who actually stopped making bread during lockdown. I’m back at it, though. Working with dough is really relaxing for me. It’s also great for working out sticky plot points or venting frustrations. Plus kneading is a serious upper body workout. Especially bagel dough, which is very stiff. If I spend 10 to 15 minutes of tossing around 4-5 lbs of dough, it’ll get me through any plot problems!

  EZB: Your novel will be published in 2023, so what are you working on next?
  JA: Next up is another historical murder mystery. This one is also set in the interwar period and focuses on a lady social pages writer who secretly also runs a gossip column that targets and exposes powerful and corrupt men. Of course, her work puts her in the center of a murder investigation. So, I guess you could say it’d be along the lines of Lady Whistledown meets Agatha Christie with extra murder.

  EZB: How do you plan to survive the summer heat in New Orleans, and what books will you be reading?
  JA: I’m weird in that I actually enjoy the New Orleans summer. Everything is a little slower then, probably because it’s too hot to move. I spend a lot of time on my porch with a cold drink and my laptop. That being said, I’m fortunate enough to be able to get out of town and to the UK for a couple weeks this year. But I’ll be back in time for the joys of hurricane season.

  As for books, I’ve been anxiously waiting on my copy of Lindsey Fitzharris’ The Facemaker. I pre-ordered it and am hoping it arrives before I leave. On the fiction side I’m always reading something—usually genre fiction—so I have an ever-growing and changing list depending on what I’m in the mood for. Though I’m particularly excited about B.R. Myers’s A Dreadful Splendor, but I have to wait until August to get my hands on that one.

  The First Crime Novel Competition, which had its first winner in 2008, provides a previously unpublished writer an opportunity to launch his or her career with the Minotaur Books imprint. The winner receives a one-book, $10,000 contract. Minotaur is currently accepting submissions for next year’s award.

  Jess Armstrong photo by Christy Lorio.

• CrimeReads -

  Embracing the Mystery of the Gothic
  "Gothic is timeless, and because of that, it’s strangely comforting in our present age."
  December 5, 2024 By Jess Armstrong
  Via Minotaur

  Looking around a bookshop today one can’t help but notice that gothic books are having a moment, and have been for a few years now. Romance, lit fic, horror, cozy fantasy, category mysteries (like my own)—there’s not a genre you can point to where you can’t find examples of gothic influences incorporated. Though for those of us who grew up huddled under a blanket, way past our bedtimes, flashlight in hand reading these books—it should be no surprise that they’re having such a grand resurgence. Gothic is the ultimate genre-blending genre. At the core of each traditional gothic novel is an intricate mystery—this is the underlying reason for the haunting, the creepiness, the curses. This is the “whydunit” in crime novels—and for me, this is also where I truly lean into the gothic in my novels. Often in gothic novels, these mysteries are tied to historical wrongs that must be righted before our hero or heroine can prevail. The supernatural and speculative elements in many of these lend themselves easily to horror—and there are tons of examples of gothic horror out there. And honestly who doesn’t love a brooding, maybe-a-murderer-maybe-just-grouchy, love interest? While there are plenty of examples of very fun tropes within the gothic that lean towards other genres, the power of the books and the hold they have on all of us—readers and writers alike —goes far deeper than just atmosphere and tropes. Gothic is timeless, and because of that, it’s strangely comforting in our present age.

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  As a teenager, I gravitated to the gothic tales and found myself relating far more to Bronte’s Jane Eyre than to Austen’s Elizabeth Bennett. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but there was something in the untidiness of the gothic world that was terribly appealing. It was dark and broken in need of saving. Even at an early age, I found myself drawn to these often flawed characters who made mistakes and needed redemption—and even now when reading, I will always grab a book that has a “redemption of the rake” or a good “grumpy/sunshine” romance relationship, and frequently variations of both of these are found in gothic novels.

  But what makes a gothic novel actually gothic? You can’t just grab a morally gray love interest, atmospheric setting (bonus points if it somehow makes you feel like you’re losing your grip on sanity), a twisty plot with secrets and a few ghosts and state that it’s a gothic novel. It certainly could be, but there’s more to it than that. For the longest time, I really hesitated to call The Ruby Vaughn Mysteries gothic. I used to tell people that when I was writing The Curse of Penryth Hall, I dropped a lady sleuth detective into a gothic plot, which I did. But what I didn’t consciously realize at the time, was that my heroine Ruby Vaughn was playing right into the gothic herself—and beyond that, mysteries can truly be gothic too. Because what sets a gothic novel apart, and what makes it a comfort read for so many of us is the intensely hopeful nature of the endings. And that same hopefulness is why you see so many gothic mysteries and gothic romances. Both genres require an optimistic and satisfying ending, that HEA or HFN (happy ever after or happy for now) in romance and the whodunnit and why in mysteries. In all three genres, the reader must go on an emotional journey in order to get to the satisfying ending.

  You’re probably looking at this like, wait, Jess, what are you talking about? Gothic novels absolutely do plumb some of the darkest aspects of human nature. But so do thrillers. So do mysteries. And at the end of the day, despite insurmountable—sometimes paranormal—odds, the main character prevails. This often occurs by shining a light upon the truth, exposing the systemic and historical rot (or literal rot if we have murderous houses in play), and by doing this it allows everyone to begin to heal. Gothic novels don’t always tie up with happy endings—neither does life—but the genre gives us satisfying ones. Ones where evil loses, and the victors are able to begin to live again, free from what has been threatening them.

  These books subvert expectations, with a main character who already has the deck stacked against them at the outset—outsiders who are going up against cultural norms, or existing entirely on the outside of them. An impoverished governess trapped and isolated on the moors. Angry vengeful ghosts powerless and silenced in life yet seeking vengeance in death. A stranded hero or heroine imprisoned in a desolate sentient castle that really doesn’t like them. The odds are always insurmountable, with that quintessential slow and suffocating dread that builds to fever pitch and yet the fog always lifts. There may be some defenestration going on, but the end of these books is always satisfying and well earned. Hester Prynne lives her life without shame. Jane Eyre and Rochester are together to heal their mutual traumas. Love and life prevail.

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  Honestly, it’s little wonder in the turbulent times we are living in, that folks are gravitating back and grabbing onto gothic books drawing that same comfort time and time again. I know I sure am. As a genre, it’s not some static, impenetrable monolith. It’s constantly evolving and changing with the same people who write them, and for someone who might not have dipped into gothic books, getting started might seem daunting. Truthfully, I think there’s a gothic for everyone, and was explaining that to a friend the other day when discussing why I love gothic books so much. The very first place I’d suggest someone start is the She Wore Black Podcast by Agatha Andrews. Agatha has such a fabulous pulse on the genre and her book recs have never failed. I have learned so much just listening to her author chats, and she has introduced me to many of my favorite writers. Most of my own book recs here will skew historical and fall under romance and mystery because that’s what I’ve focused on here, but gothics don’t have to be historical.

  For the romance readers out there (like me) who appreciate a bit of gothic dread (or ghosts) with their romances might check out Dianna Biller’s The Widow of Rose House, Hester Fox’s The Last Heir to Blackwood Library or Paulette Kennedy’s The Devil and Mrs. Davenport. All three were some of my favorite reads of the last year. Mystery readers who want a satisfying gothic historical mystery should definitely check out Jaima Fixsen’s The Specimen, set in early 19th Edinburgh and loosely based on the murders of Burke and Hare. Or if a traditional lady sleuth detective novel with a healthy dose of vampires is more up your alley, you might check out Asha Greyling’s The Vampire of Kings Street. Both of these came out recently and are worth a read! Though while I’m on the subject of vampires—if you haven’t already read Deanna Raybourn’s The Dead Travel Fast, it’s one of my all-time favorites and I’m constantly recommending it to folks who haven’t seen it.

  Apologies to your TBR, I probably ought to get back to mine!

  ***

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  gothicJess ArmstrongMinotaurSecret of the Three Fates

  Jess Armstrong
  JESS ARMSTRONG is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition. She has a masters degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world's most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she's not working on her next project, she's probably thinking about cheese, baking, on social media or some combination of the above.

• The Nerd Daily - https://thenerddaily.com/jess-armstrong-author-interview/

  Q&A: Jess Armstrong, Author of ‘The Curse of Penryth Hall’
  Elise Dumpleton·Writers Corner·December 3, 2023·6 min read

  Share
  We chat with debut author Jess Armstrong about The Curse of Penryth Hall, an atmospheric gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life.

  Hi, Jess! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
  Hi! I’m Jess. I write historical murder mysteries with a gothic twist. I live in New Orleans with my husband, two kids, dog, cat, and my 7 year old’s very spoiled goldfish. I’m also a huge book worm and almost always am reading something—I’m pretty open to most genres and float around in what I read a bit, but I cannot resist a good mystery or romance novel.

  When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
  I can’t remember a time I haven’t loved telling stories, but my relationship with writing has changed a lot over time. My mom loves to remind me that when I was about four or five I decided I was going to be a writer and that I would busily make my little picture books, carefully cutting out pages from scrap paper and fastening them all together before leaving them scattered all over the house. In retrospect, I think I finally understand why my grandma started hiding her stapler and the tape from me. It didn’t stop me from writing though—I just had to get her permission before I could go “bind” my little books.

  Quick lightning round! Tell us:
  The first book you ever remember reading: The Fire Cat. I always really loved Pickles and have this old, falling apart, hand-me-down copy that I used to read to my kids before they started reading on their own.
  The one that made you want to become an author: Tamora Pierce’s Alanna books about the girl knight. Oh my gosh, little-Jess wrote so much feminist fantasy fan-fic based off that book series. I didn’t even know what fan-fic was at the time, but I was reading so much that I had to start writing my own stories to keep up with my imagination.
  The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Simone St. James Haunting of Maddy Clare. Really any of her historicals for that matter. Everytime I read something by her I marvel at the craft in her work. She has this ability in her writing of both scaring me to death and making me feel totally safe on that journey. I might sleep with the lights on when I’m reading, but I also know it’s all going to be okay at the end. That’s a gift, for sure.
  Your debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, is out December 5th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
  Gothic. Twisty. Feminist. Historical. Fun.

  What can readers expect?
  The Curse of Penryth Hall is very much what you would expect if you dropped a lady-sleuth detective in the middle of a traditional gothic novel—with a side of murder of course. The heroine, Ruby Vaughn is a thouroughly modern woman (at least by 1922 standards), and she has to confront not only the proverbial ghosts of her own past, but also find out who or what killed Sir Edward in the orchard before someone else winds up dead. Is it the curse? Is it a person? Ruby (and the reader) get to figure that part out together.

  Where did the inspiration for The Curse of Penryth Hall come from?
  This book was an experiment in a lot of ways. It wasn’t the first novel I had written, but it was the first mystery I’d written as an adult. I’ve always read mysteries, but I never actually tried my hand at one. Partly, I just wanted to see if I could do it. I knew that I wanted a lady-sleuth detective and I knew I wanted to do a gothic novel—so I put them together and here we are!

  Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
  Ruby’s counterpart in investigating the murder is Ruan Kivell, the Pellar of Lothlel Green–who the village expects to break the curse. When I first set out to write the book, Ruby was supposed to have been a folklorist who was in Cornwall gathering stories. During the research process I started reading 19th century folkstories and accounts from Cornwall to ground myself for my heroine’s point of view. During my research I kept coming across accounts of Pellars—these unique practitioners of magic born with the ability to break curses, cast out demons, heal the sick and find stolen goods.

  I knew pretty quickly I wanted to work a Pellar into the story in some way, and as soon as I created the character of Ruan, the entire novel shifted on its axis. Ruby herself had to change quite a bit, because Ruan took over so much of the story. Once I reshaped her, I suddenly had this very modern heroine who was in direct conflict with a character who was a bit of an anachronism (an intentional one!). Exploring that dynamic and having them learn to work together was probably the most fun I’ve ever had writing.

  This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
  Calling it a “Road to Publishing” is probably the most accurate way to describe the process of getting published. My path has definitely had all the inevitable ups and downs (and the occasional pothole), but overall I consider myself to have been really fortunate in getting to this place. Pretty much everyone in my life has been super supportive of me—long before I ever was agented, back when I was literally a mom of a toddler and a newborn with a demanding full time job who suddenly decided that this was the perfect time to start writing again and figure out how to write a novel (let me just say, that first draft wasn’t pretty—but I did learn a lot along the way!).

  I have a few novels that live in my writing trunk—probably never to see the light of day—and I am totally okay with that. Each one of them taught me something, and with every draft, and every revision pass, I grow as a writer. The Curse of Penryth Hall would not exist, if I hadn’t experimented and tried things with each of those earlier novels.

  What’s next for you?
  I’m currently in the editing stages for the next Ruby Vaughn novel, so that’s next up and I cannot wait to share more about that hopefully soon.

  With the new year fast approaching, are you setting any goals or resolutions for 2024?
  I don’t really have an official resolution or goal for next year–but if I had to pick one, I’d say I’d like to actually tackle my TBR pile in 2024. Honestly the thing is getting so long that I’m afraid it’s going to topple over and take me out one of these days. This year I feel like I read a ton of books, but my list is longer now than it was at the beginning of the year. It’s a good problem to have, for sure!

  Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases you’re looking forward to that our readers should have on their radar?
  I think 2024 is going to be a great year for books. I just finished the ARC of A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland and it is such a beautifully gothic twist on The Selkie Wife folktale. Sutherland’s writing is gorgeous and the story is so wonderfully atmospheric. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

• Criminalelement.com - https://www.criminalelement.com/the-perils-of-researching-historical-mysteries-by-jess-armstrong-author-of-the-secret-of-the-three-fates/

  The Perils of Researching Historical Mysteries By Jess Armstrong, Author of The Secret of the Three Fates
  By Jess Armstrong
  November 26, 2024
  Ruby Vaughn returns in Jess Armstrong's The Secret of the Three Fates where the Scottish Hills hold ghosts of the past that threaten Ruby’s present. Continue reading to hear about Jess's love of podcasts and which three she recommends you listen to.

  One of the most difficult aspects of writing historical mysteries as an ex-historian, is that between the drafting, the research for the book itself, and the revision process, I run out of time to read for fun. In the years before I became a published author, I was a voracious reader—inhaling books indiscriminately: fiction and non-fiction alike. Nothing with pages was safe from my clutches, and as a result, I would find some of the most interesting nuggets of information to work into future projects.

  In fact, my heroine, Ruby Vaughn’s, entire backstory as an ambulance driver came about after I stumbled across a reference to Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm in a historical monograph. These real-life women had signed up for the war effort and served as nurses and ambulance drivers before setting up their own makeshift medical station near the Front Lines during the First World War. And while their story doesn’t come into play in my books, Ruby’s wartime experiences were certainly a nod to what I learned about them and others like them.

  Ruan Kivell, Ruby’s love interest in the series, came about after I chased down a footnote. I was reading secondary sources about witchcraft and folklore in Britain and saw mention of a folktale recorded from Cornwall. It intrigued me so much that I chased down the original source and found mention of a Pellar—a specific type of magic practitioner with the power to break curses, heal the sick, and find stolen things. I knew as soon as I found that reference, that was exactly the side character I needed in The Curse of Penryth Hall (granted he didn’t stay a side character). But had I not chased down that tiny bit of information then he might never have existed at all.

  Now that I am two books into Ruby Vaughn Mysteries, when I end up reading non-fiction it’s typically for the next project—it’s always very intentional. I end up digging deep into academic journal articles for historical or scientific information that I later weave into the narrative. Or—as I recently had to do—send off a frenetic 10 p.m. text to my chemistry professor cousin along the lines of “Okay, chemistry plot question…hypothetically if I…” and proceed to ask the most unhinged scientific crime question one could imagine.

  Because I end up being so intentional in my book research, it’s really cut down on the number of random non-fiction books I pick up. I miss that sometimes, and still do occasionally steal some time to read something cool just for me—but in the last few years I’ve really gotten into podcasts and it satisfies that same urge to discover something new and I can do it when I’m already in the car running errands or making the school run. It’s almost a little bit stolen time—and honestly who doesn’t need a little extra time?

  Here are three gems I listen to that are smart, interesting and teach me things I didn’t know. I hope you have fun with them and that you, like me, keep learning something new!

  Ologies with Alie Ward
  This is such a fascinating one for the curious scientific questions. At first, I started listening to it with my kids, but now I find myself listening to it just for myself. Occasionally I’ll learn something and file it away to research later. Worth a listen for sure.

  Betwixt the Sheets with Kate Lister
  This one is probably NSFW (depending on your work!) and for adults, but it is one of my favorite historical podcasts. These are always fascinating, historically grounded conversations in bite-sized portions. I always queue these up for flights or solo car trips. It makes the time pass, and I always learn something new.

  After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal.
  This one probably does not surprise anyone who has read my books, but this is my evening podcast. Ghosts, the supernatural, myths, folklore and historical crimes. It’s all here. These can occasionally get a little scary, but they are endlessly fascinating and it’s one of my favorites.

The Curse of Penryth Hall

Jess Armstrong. Minotaur, $28 (336p) ISBN 978-1-250-88601-9

Armstrong's engrossing debut begins in Devon, England, shortly after WWI, as American expart and bookseller Ruby Vaughn is sent by her employer to deliver a trunkful of rare volumes to a folk healer in a small Cornish village. While there, Ruby visits her estranged friend and former lover Tamsyn Chenowith, who left Ruby to marry Edward, the wealthy lord of Penryth Hall. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with Edward, Tamsyn wants to reconnect with Ruby, but their reunion takes a dark turn when Edward is found murdered in Penryth's orchard, his face gruesomely disfigured. Locals are sure Edward's death is the work of a mysterious curse that has plagued Penryth Hall for years, and Tamsyn fears she'll be the next victim. Ruby teams up with Ruan Kivell, the town "pellar," or witch, whose books she was supposed to deliver, to solve the mystery before anyone else dies; in the process, she sheds her skepticism of all things supernatural. Ruby is a wonderful concoction, world-weary and reckless, and Armstrong outfits het with a moody, gripping mystery that keeps the pages turning. If, in the end, she leaves one too many plot threads dangling, it's a small quibble. Fans of Gothic-flavored suspense will devour this. (Dec.)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"The Curse of Penryth Hall." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 39, 25 Sept. 2023, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A768425249/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4496c29c. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Armstrong, Jess THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL Minotaur (Fiction None) $28.00 12, 5 ISBN: 9781250886019

Armstrong's debut, set in 1922 in the Cornish countryside, channels The Hound of the Baskervilles as her heroine wonders if a curse is actually to blame for a real-life murder.

Ruby Vaughn, who works for a seller of old and rare books in Exeter, walks into a scandal when she goes to a village called Lothlel Green to deliver a box of books to Ruan Kivell, who's known to the locals as the Pellar. As far as Ruby can tell, that means he's "more or less some type of arcane Cornish exorcist....[A] cross between a physician, a witch, and a priest," but that's not to say she isn't intrigued. Ruan is a mystery within a mystery; the second time Ruby meets him, she thinks: "This wasn't the charming man I'd seen only yesterday...No. He had thunder on his face, and there was something different about him. Something untamed, uncivilized, and entirely terrifying." While in Lothlel Green, Ruby reunites with Tamsyn, her old love, who's been living there in Penryth Hall since she married Sir Edward Chenowyth and had a son. When Edward dies mysteriously and Ruby is nearly killed herself, she learns about the Curse of Penryth Hall, where the Chenowyth family lives. Years ago, a jilted woman foolishly asked a local witch for help winning back the heart of her lover, a Chenowyth ancestor who'd married a barmaid, and "the witch set a curse upon the Chenowyth line vowing revenge. She killed the faithless heir and his young bride, removing his inconstant heart and delivering it to his betrothed in a silver box." Ruby is not sure she believes in curses, but she knows that Edward was not a faithful husband and likely has many enemies. Tamsyn isn't too broken up about Edward's death, but she'll do anything to protect her son from becoming the next victim of the curse, and she needs Ruby's help. Romance and danger lurk in every corner of this spooky estate. The folklore in the story is charming, and the characters treat it with reverence even while searching for a human killer.

An intriguing and altogether enchanting mystery.

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Armstrong, Jess: THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770738840/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8daaa330. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

The Curse of Penryth Hall. By Jess Armstrong. Dec. 2023. 336p. Minotaur, $28 (9781250886019); e-book (9781250886026).

Ruby Vaughn, an American heiress with a scandalous past, has found a new, quiet life in England after having worked as an ambulance driver in WWI. When her employer, a rare-books dealer, asks her to deliver a box of books to a friend who lives in Cornwall, she finds herself revisiting an area that she swore she would never see again. She brings the books to Ruan Kivell, a folk healer the locals call the Pellar. Then she decides to visit an old friend, Tamsyn, whom she lost touch with when Tamsyn married Edward Chenowyth, the lord of Penryth Hall. Ruby soon learns Edward is abusive. When the bells of Penryth Hall ring after years of silence, they announce the discovery of Edward's body, and everyone assumes that the curse of Penryth Hall has struck. They call the Pellar to break the curse. Ruby does not believe in curses, but she works with Ruan to investigate the gruesome death. They soon discover a sinister web of broken relationships and corruption. Readers who enjoy historical fiction with a touch of gothic and noir will find this tale compelling.--Barbara Bibel

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 American Library Association
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Bibel, Barbara. "The Curse of Penryth Hall." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 5-6, 1 Nov. 2023, p. 27. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774988279/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c40fa42d. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

The Secret of the Three Fates

Jess Armstrong. Minotaur, $28 (336p) ISBN 978-1-2509-0988-6

American heiress Ruby Vaughn returns in Armstrong's irresistible sequel to The Curse of Pentryth Hall. In 1922, Ruby is under the impression that she and her elderly housemate, Mr. Owen, are headed to Scotland to pick up ornate manuscripts for the rare bookshop they own together.

When the pair arrives at Manhurst Castle, however, Ruby learns that Owen has tricked her into accompanying him to a seance with his dead son. Initially, she's furious; Ruby still hasn't forgiven Owen for putting her in contact with the afterlife during the events of the previous novel. She sets her anger aside, however, after one of the three mediums Owen has hired for the seance turns up dead. When another soothsayer goes missing, Ruby and Owen become the primary suspects, and Ruby gets back in touch with Cornwall witch Ruan Kivell to find out who's framing her and why. Evocative descriptions of 20th-century Britain and Armstrong's unique mix of gothic grandeur, supernatural flourishes, and cozy-adjacent sweetness make this sequel sing. It's sure to satisfy series fans and newcomers alike. (Dec.)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
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"The Secret of the Three Fates." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 37, 30 Sept. 2024, p. 33. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811729251/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2dc01bcc. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Armstrong, Jess. The Secret of the Three Fates. Minotaur: St. Martin's. (Ruby Vaughn, Bk. 2). Dec. 2024. 336p. ISBN 9781250909886. $28. M

The atmospheric sequel to Armstrong's award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall, offers three eerie houses, witches, mediums, and the unexplained. Ruby Vaughn lost her entire family when the Lusitania was sunk, and then she worked as an ambulance driver during World War I. By 1922, she hopes to lead a quiet life running her Exter bookstore that bears the name of her octogenarian mentor, Mr. Owen. Then Mr. Owen asks Ruby to accompany him to Manfort Castle in Scotland to examine some illuminated manuscripts. She's angry when she learns it's a ruse; instead, he wants her to attend a seance conducted by a group of mediums called the Three Fates, in hopes of contacting his dead son. Despite events in her past, Ruby is unwilling to acknowledge the occult, but something shows up at the seance that night, and then one of the mediums is killed. Although Ruby attempted to save the woman, the police on the case see her as the primary suspect. She will have to uncover secrets from Mr. Owen's past and work with folk healer and witch Ruan Kivell to find the medium's real killer. VERDICT Fans of Armstrong's debut and other gothic mysteries will appreciate this haunting, intriguing novel.--Lesa Holstine

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Holstine, Lesa. "Armstrong, Jess. The Secret of the Three Fates." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 10, Oct. 2024, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813629121/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=278dcb27. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Armstrong, Jess THE SECRET OF THE THREE FATES Minotaur (Fiction None) $28.00 12, 3 ISBN: 9781250909886

An American heiress becomes caught up in a series of mysterious deaths at a Scottish castle.

Ruby Vaughn is as infuriated as she is intrigued when she discovers that her octogenarian employer, Mr. Owen, has brought her to Manhurst Castle to buy illuminated manuscripts that don't exist. When he confesses that his real reason for the visit is to take part in a séance that will put him in contact with his son, killed in World War I, she follows him, certain that the three mediums they will see (who call themselves the Three Fates) are frauds. The séance is brought to an abrupt close by the shocking accusation that Mr. Owen is a murderer. Ruby realizes that nothing about this adventure and people she and Mr. Owen meet are quite what they seem, including the elderly medium who dies shortly afterward by apparent suicide. From the moment the body is discovered, Armstrong draws readers deep into an ever-twisting, page-turning narrative set against a haunting gothic backdrop. Ruby, along with a handsome folk healer named Ruan who has followed her to Manhurst to warn her of impending danger, soon begins to uncover clues about family betrayals, lost loves, secret identities, and deadly sexual predators. But the closer she comes to the truth about her beloved employer and his entangled history, the more she is forced to face truths about her own painful past and the disturbing but profound psychic and physical connection she has with Ruan, a man with blood ties to the supernatural world of mermaids and witches. Armstrong's deft merging of mystery and gothic genre elements make this novel, the second in her Ruby Vaughn series, a suspenseful, sometimes chilling read that never ceases to surprise and delight.

Eerie and thoroughly bewitching.

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Armstrong, Jess: THE SECRET OF THE THREE FATES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898627/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f4acee42. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

"The Curse of Penryth Hall." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 39, 25 Sept. 2023, p. 51. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A768425249/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4496c29c. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. "Armstrong, Jess: THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770738840/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8daaa330. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. Bibel, Barbara. "The Curse of Penryth Hall." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 5-6, 1 Nov. 2023, p. 27. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774988279/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c40fa42d. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. "The Secret of the Three Fates." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 37, 30 Sept. 2024, p. 33. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811729251/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2dc01bcc. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. Holstine, Lesa. "Armstrong, Jess. The Secret of the Three Fates." Library Journal, vol. 149, no. 10, Oct. 2024, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A813629121/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=278dcb27. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025. "Armstrong, Jess: THE SECRET OF THE THREE FATES." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898627/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f4acee42. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

• Bookreporter.com
  https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-secret-of-the-three-fates-a-ruby-vaughn-mystery
  Word count: 741

  The Secret of the Three Fates: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery
  by Jess Armstrong
  Buy this book at IndieBound
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  Jess Armstrong's latest mystery, THE SECRET OF THE THREE FATES, continues the story of Ruby Vaughn, a transplant from New York to England. Ruby is no young simpering ingenue; she spent several years in the First World War helping wounded soldiers and facing the blood and trauma of battle. Now she calls Exeter home and lives with Mr. Owen, an octogenarian whose bookstore she runs.

  Ruby's family died when they were traveling home on the Lusitania, which sunk after being hit by a German torpedo. Ruby is the only one left, and the family's fortune is now hers. But all she wants is to live a quiet life. She's not interested in romance after she was taken advantage of by an older man when she was just 16 and a society debutante. There was a scandal, and she left town.

  "There is tons of gripping action, tragic betrayals, gruesome deaths, vengeful ghosts, paranormal phenomena, terribly venal men abusing their powerful positions in society, and many people hiding from their pasts, all with a soupçon of romance."

  The first book in the series, THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL, takes Ruby to Cornwall where she meets Ruan Kivell --- a Pellar, a kind of witch --- and magic ensues. It's worth reading the opening installment before diving into this one to understand all the backstories of the main characters. There's a lot, although Armstrong does an admirable job providing some of the information in this sequel.

  Ruby and Ruan have a strange connection, and their relationship continues to develop in THE SECRET OF THE THREE FATES. Ruan's special abilities include "hearing" Ruby's thoughts. He also is able to break curses and make healing potions. Mr. Owen shows Ruby a telegram indicating that some rare manuscripts are going to be sold at a Scottish castle. But once they arrive there, Ruby realizes that the telegram was a fake. Mr. Owen wanted to go to Manhurst Castle because a séance is scheduled there. He tells her that someone contacted him and said he needed to come; his deceased son, Ben, has a message for him.

  Ruby had more interactions with the supernatural during her stay in Cornwall several weeks before (in the first book), but she reluctantly agrees to attend with Mr. Owen because of her affection for him and his obvious emotional distress. However, the séance is more than Ruby expected. While she doesn't believe in ghosts, what happened seems real. The three women who run the séance call themselves "The Three Fates," but one of them is murdered that evening. Ruby finds the body, and very quickly she and Mr. Owen become prime suspects. She is determined to find out what is going on before either of them is incarcerated.

  What we come to find out is that Mr. Owen is not who he appears to be. In fact, that is also the case for many people at the castle. Mr. Owen's wife might have been the ghost who appeared during the first séance. She mysteriously disappeared one night after an argument, and he has never been able to figure out what happened to her. He was suspected of killing her, but Ruby sees the sadness in his eyes and believes that he loved her dearly.

  Ruby is not someone to be underestimated. She is strong, clever, passionate and quite intelligent. A generous and caring person, she is determined to protect those she loves no matter the cost. Ruby also has a special kind of magic that she is just learning about. Those who enjoy a touch of the supernatural in their mysteries will appreciate Ruan's ability to read Ruby's mind and hear, in a general fashion, the thoughts of those around him.

  There is tons of gripping action, tragic betrayals, gruesome deaths, vengeful ghosts, paranormal phenomena, terribly venal men abusing their powerful positions in society, and many people hiding from their pasts, all with a soupçon of romance. It makes for a delightful read, and we look forward to another Ruby Vaughn mystery in the future.

  Reviewed by Pamela Kramer on January 25, 2025

• Bookreporter.com
  https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-curse-of-penryth-hall-a-ruby-vaughn-mystery
  Word count: 856

  The Curse of Penryth Hall: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery
  by Jess Armstrong
  Buy this book at IndieBound
  Buy this book at Amazon
  Buy this book at Barnes and Noble
  When Ruby Vaughn’s boss asks her to deliver a mysterious trunk of rare books to a man in Cornwall, she has no idea that she’ll be thrust into a complex --- and possibly supernatural --- mystery.

  At first, the lively and unconventional Ruby is reluctant to make the trip on behalf of the kindly Mr. Owen. She has a violent hangover and would much rather relax at her comfortable home in Essex (where she’s recently installed a newfangled bathing pool) than traipse about the Cornish countryside. But her curiosity has been piqued. “Dangle the faintest hint of mystery before me and I would be captured like a fox in a snare,” she admits to herself. Plus, the excursion gives her an opportunity to visit her former friend and lover, Tamsyn Chenowyth. Years ago, Tamsyn broke off their relationship to marry Edward, a baronet and the owner of Penryth Hall, and Ruby hasn’t heard from her in 18 months.

  "THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL delivers plenty of spooky ambiance courtesy of threatening rainstorms on rugged and craggy moors and a foreboding, fortress-like house... But there are also dashes of humor and wit."

  Ruby’s unexpected journey sets the stage for Jess Armstrong’s debut novel, a moody and tense gothic mystery that evokes THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and Daphne du Maurier. When Ruby arrives at Penryth Hall, she discovers that all is not well. Tamsyn is thin and withdrawn, with a “haunted” look in her eyes; Edward is cruel and possibly abusive. That night, Ruby is awakened after a strange dream and sees a mysterious figure in white slinking off into the trees near the house. The next morning, Edward’s mutilated body is discovered in the woods. The constable arrives to investigate. So does Ruan Kivell, the local pellar, or witch.

  The philandering Sir Edward had no shortage of enemies (including his wife), and Ruby believes there is a logical explanation for his death. But Ruan and the local villagers aren’t so sure. They wonder if a fabled curse has struck Penryth Hall again. Perhaps the same “beast” that killed Edward’s uncle and his wife decades earlier is responsible for the most recent death. At first, the practically minded Ruby rejects the idea. “I didn’t sign up to be in someone’s fairy tale,” she tells Ruan. But she can’t ignore the increasingly bizarre things that keep happening, including her strange mental connection with Ruan. Even more alarming, Ruby has become a target herself. And even though Edward is dead, Tamsyn is still fearful for her safety and that of her young son.

  THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL delivers plenty of spooky ambiance courtesy of threatening rainstorms on rugged and craggy moors and a foreboding, fortress-like house (though the latter setting isn’t used to full effect). But there are also dashes of humor and wit. Ruby is far from a shrinking gothic heroine. Instead, she’s a brash American heiress who fled to Europe after being caught in a compromising position with a married man at a society ball. (The Vanderbilts were “happy to see the back of me,” she quips about the escapade that forced her to leave New York.) During the First World War, she drove an ambulance on the front lines, which is where she met Tamsyn.

  The lingering trauma of the war looms large in the book. Whether or not they believe in ghosts and curses, virtually everyone in the book is haunted by the past. A local mother struggles to cope following the apparent suicide of her shell-shocked son. Ruby’s boss, Mr. Owen, lost all three of his children in the conflict. Ruby is attempting to outrun the memories of her parents, who died on the Lusitania, while Tamsyn is desperately trying to get back to a more peaceful time. “She longed for a past that was dead, and I longed for a future that had not yet been born,” Ruby thinks.

  Is a human or an otherworldly force to blame for Sir Edward’s death? As the book progresses, all signs point to the former. But Armstrong keeps the supernatural element in play, weaving in references to Cornish folk traditions and beliefs, from wish-granting mermaids to mischievous piskies, and suggesting that even if a man (or a woman) killed Edward, there are still forces in the world beyond our understanding. The book’s ending leaves a few threads dangling, especially when it comes to the simmering sexual tension between Ruby and Ruan. It also sets up future mysteries involving Ruby and Mr. Owen, an intriguing, if underdeveloped, character. Fans of gothic tales and unconventional heroines will likely have their fingers crossed that this isn’t the last they’ve seen of Ruby.

  Reviewed by Megan Elliott on December 16, 2023

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