Title: King Nyx
Author: Kirsten Bakis
Pages: 320
Release: February 27, 2024

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A tightly woven and haunting gothic mystery that left me supremely satisfied.

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A creepy island, a reclusive benefactor, and three young girls vanished into thin air. If those ingredients weren’t enough to hook you, the evolving mystery at the heart of the book does a tremendous job of pulling you deeper and deeper into the abyss as important answers always seem tantalizingly out of reach.

It’s more eerie than it is scary, but Bakis sets the atmospherically rich and period-specific tone incredibly well, as the dialogue and imagery effectively evoke the the haunting quality that brings the plot to life.

The story itself tackles contemporary issues through the lens of life in 1918 – the rejection of science, toxic men in high places, and even a disease outbreak requiring quarantine! Timeless themes, an alluring mystery, and beautiful prose make this a supremely satisfying read.

★★★★½

My thanks to the public library for providing me with a post-release copy in exchange for a promise that I’ll return it within 14 days. (I did).