Strange Beasts

By: Susan J. Morris

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

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?

©2024 Susan J. Morris (P)2024 Podium Audio

Critic reviews

“A magnificent book . . . of gas lamps and murders, of Paris, of secrets and love, and of finding yourself and trust. I treasure this tale. I hope it’s the first of many, and until those many start appearing, I’ll reread this one. Often.”—Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms

“A riveting gas-lamp fantasy that’s equal parts bloody mystery and flat-out supernatural romp. Morris deftly weaves existing lore—from both the classic literature her characters are born of and a taxonomy handbook’s worth of supernatural creatures—into a vivid feminist tale where the pages fly. A delightful debut bursting with affection for its magical world.”—Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

"In Strange Beasts, Susan J. Morris gives readers a subtle alchemy of beauty, poetry, suspense, and horror, nestled perfectly in Paris during the belle epoque . . . Hel and Sam are a stunning pair, fighting monsters in the darkest catacombs, while at the same time fighting against a world that would make monsters of them. A delightfully wicked read.”—Jaleigh Johnson, The New York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the Dragonfly

Engaging with fantastic characters

The world is interesting, the characters feel well defined, the mysteries are fascinating, and I can’t wait for more of the story!

Excellent

Strong, interesting characters. Look forward to the next book. Both characters grew as a result of their partnership.

SO GOOD💗

Rating: 4.25⭐️
This book my dude! THIS BOOK! This should be a movie because of how intricate and detailed it was. I loved the adventure, the gore, gothic and spookiness of this story and how everything interconnects. Even though it has a very seen before kind of story and characters, I see and loved their differences to other characters we have seen before and how their world works. I really liked Sam and Hel together, their unusual and complicated partnership shows us two women that are considered insane or rotten, become the ones that change everything for their world but also, their own lives and what they believed of themselves. This is a feminist call to women to remind us that we can be anything we want even when the world tells us we are historical and NOT MADE FOR something other than being what society thinks we should be. This book was so good and I really hope everyone reads this and loves it as much as I do. This being a movie or a TV series would ABSOLUTELY KILL 🖤
Did I mention this is a DEBUT?????? Yep, yep!

monster mash

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris in exchange for an honest review. I loved having the daughters of Moriarty and Harker investigate a potential werewolf attack. This book had so many layers and a beautiful love story.

A Sherlock holmes sapphic taste

Such a welcome spin as a Sherlock Holmes-esque story and especially LOVE the wlw undertones. Wished they could have developed more in this story. But now I just want more!!

Fantastic narrator, great story!

Honestly, I got the book because I really enjoy the narrator (crazy I know). The story was very good though so I will be looking forward to the next one!

What do we want? Edwardian weirdness!

An exciting romp into an alternate Edwardian past that isn't so much SteamPunk, but WeirdPunk. A generation after the adventures of their famous parents, a new team of investigators has to solve a paranormal mystery, but must also answer the real question - who are actually the beasts? Morris and Zeller make a great team too. Looking forward to more.

Loved this adventurous story!

First of all, I love a book that weaves in elements of classic stories, in this case Sherlock and Dracula, into its framework, then puts strong female characters in the drivers seat! Always a great recipe! The book is fast paced, and the clever twists will keep the listener on their toes and immersed in the story. The characters are laid out brilliantly but then as the story moves along the layers of their depths and growth have you falling in love. I always enjoy books where the female leads are smart and cunning and where any notes of love interests fall far down the line of the plot. The narrator did start off a little shaky for me but by the third or fourth chapter felt much more solid! Highly recommend! Hope readers enjoy as much as I did.

Great read!

Really enjoyed the story, and the narration was excellent! Fun for fans of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes!

Amazing details

I loved this story. It had so much meat! Great storyline, amazing detail, and loved the characters!
If I had one critique it would be to build more on the WLW romance. Normally you can feel the tension building between characters and there's a certain pace. I felt that lacking a little. But that being said, I'm waiting patiently for a Book 2!! Maybe there will be more tension and anticipation in the second!