Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - by Charlie N. Holmberg

December 7, 2023 8:43 PM

Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.

Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has been trained in taming such structures in order to preserve their historical and magical significance. She understands the dangers of bespelled homes given to tantrums. She advises that it’s in Merritt’s best interest to make Whimbrel House their ally. To do that, she’ll need to move in, too.

Prepared as she is with augury, a set of magic tools, and a new staff trained in the uncanny, Hulda’s work still proves unexpectedly difficult. She and Merritt grow closer as the investigation progresses, but the house’s secrets run deeper than they anticipated. And the sentient walls aren’t their only concern—something outside is coming for the enchantments of Whimbrel House, and it could be more dangerous than what rattles within. - blurb from Amazon

posted by Literaryhero (1 comment total)

I put cozy in the tags, but this is more like cozy adjacent. The description (stolen gleefully from Amazon) in the post makes it sound like horror, but it really isn't. There are some scenes that could be read that way, but the overall tone of the book is not scary.

I actually liked it more than I expected to and it looks like there are two more books in the series, so I am going to check them out.
posted by Literaryhero at 8:47 PM on December 7, 2023