Book Review: “A Deadly Fortune” by Stacie Murphy
“A Deadly Fortune” by Stacie Murphy (2021)
Genre: Historical, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction
Page Length: 368 pages (electronic review edition)
Synopsis:
Amelia Matthew has done the all-but-impossible, especially for an orphan in Gilded Age New York City. Along with her foster brother Jonas, she has parleyed her modest psychic talent into a safe and comfortable life. But safety and comfort vanish when a head injury leaves Amelia with a dramatically-expanded gift. After she publicly channels an angry spirit, she finds herself imprisoned in the notorious insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. As Jonas searches for a way to free her, Amelia struggles to control her disturbing new abilities and survive a place where cruelty and despair threaten her sanity.
Andrew Cavanaugh is familiar with despair. In the wake of a devastating loss, he abandons a promising medical career—and his place in Philadelphia society—to devote himself to the study and treatment of mental disease. Miss Amelia Matthew is just another patient—until she channels a spirit in front of him and proves her gift is real.
When a distraught mother comes to Andrew searching for her missing daughter—a daughter she believes is being hidden at the asylum—he turns to Amelia. Together, they uncover evidence of a deadly conspiracy, and then it’s no longer just Amelia’s sanity and freedom at stake. Amelia must master her gift and use it to catch a killer—or risk becoming the next victim. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
A Deadly Fortune follows Amelia, a woman who tells fortunes for a living. She has the power to see premonitions and beyond the ordinary. After an unfortunate accident, she awakes from deep sleep to terrifying nightmares and disturbing visions. And this leads her to accidentally turn up in an asylum where no one knows Who she is. How will she escape and what are the secrets behind her ghostly sightings?
This novel moves very fast and the constant twists and turns is kept me hooked into the story. Amelia is able to channel the spirits of the dead, which puts her in danger at the asylum due to the cold doctors and nurses lurking around every corner. On the other hand, we have the narrative of her friend, Jonas who wants to help Amelia and is searching for her. Additionally, we have the pov Andrew the newest doctor at the asylum. The other doctors see him as a threat since he criticizes the treatment of the patients, but he believes he can make a change in the system.
The suspense mixed with elements of the supernatural is what had me hooked into this story. The constant shift of changing perspectives keeps the story moving forward at a smooth pace. It’s a page-turner with a lot of surprises and at many times it caught me off guard with all of its twists and turns. From Murphy’s descriptive writing you can feel the true terror that lurks within the asylum and the desperation of the patients who are women put there against their will. You really can resonate with Amelia who feels trapped with nowhere to go but is also torn with wanting to stay behind and help other patients/restless spirits.
This story is so detailed and I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded at the end. It was a thrilling read and the sheer terror of trying to discover the truth while avoiding the killer put me on edge. All of the secrets slowly start to come to light and there is something sinister taking place within the asylum’s walls. I love a good mystery and this one is satisfying and well written.
Final Verdict:
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
