Review: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a true gothic horror. It has all the hallmarks of the genre: a crumbling manor, ghosts that haunt the night, and the lingering presence of a dead wife who refuses to stay quiet. I’ve often heard this book compared to Rebecca, and while I haven’t read that one yet (it’s on my list for a future buddy read), the synopsis alone was enough to convince me that the comparison is probably fair.

The story follows a new bride who arrives at her husband’s decaying manor, a place haunted by the ghost of his first wife. The difference here is an important one: the staff never knew the first wife. They aren’t conspiring to make the new bride feel unstable or unwelcome. Whatever is happening in this house is real, and that distinction makes the story feel even more unsettling.

I’ll admit that I struggled with this book in physical format when it was first published. I tried picking it up several times and just couldn’t get into it. This time, I decided to listen to the audiobook, and that made all the difference. The narration does an incredible job establishing the atmosphere and pulling you into the story right away. The tension, the unease, and the slow unraveling of the manor all felt much more immersive in audio.

I loved Jane as a character and found myself rooting for her throughout the book. I wanted her to succeed, to save the manor, and to make sense of what was happening around her. By the end, though, I was left with a lot of questions. That isn’t a criticism. I love books that leave me thinking after the final page, because those are the stories that continue to live in my head.

This was also a buddy read, and discussing it afterward only deepened my appreciation for the writing. My buddy and I came away with different interpretations and noticed things the other hadn’t picked up on. I love when nuanced writing does that, when it invites readers to have entirely different takeaways from the same story.

If you love gothic romance or gothic horror, this is absolutely a book worth checking out. I highly recommend the audiobook over the physical copy, as the narrator does an incredible job setting the tone and drawing you into the story from the very beginning.