Since the death of her parents during the war in a country that’s an alternate version of England, Jane Shoringfield has been raised by a kindly couple in a smaller town. When they decide to move to a larger city, inviting her to move with them, Jane feels it would be best to part ways and find a husband. She’s not looking for love but rather a marriage of convenience where she could continue her satisfying bookkeeping work and be independent. She proposes her idea to the town doctor, Augustine Lawrence, who is hesitant but finally agrees to her terms, with one condition: that she never visit his old family manor outside town.

Before the wedding, Jane assists Augustine at his practice, and she finds that she is impressed with her fiance’s skills and calmness under pressure. She even finds, despite the bloody nature of the work, that she can do more than she would have imagined to help. The two get along well, and Jane is surprised and uncomfortable to realize she’s becoming attracted to this man she sought out simply to be part of a business arrangement, which entirely complicates the situation and her thoughts.

After the simple wedding, Dr. Lawrence’s assistant drives them in a carriage out to Lindridge Hall, misunderstanding their planned destination, and when he starts to drive Jane back into town, a storm and ensuing carriage accident strand Jane, and she finds herself already having to break her promise not to go to the manor. When she is admitted to the house, she finds her handsome and confident new husband a very different person: terrified and paranoid, worried that Jane is a ghost.

As Jane ends up staying nights at the house, she worries about her husband, and she begins to fear for herself. Something is truly not right at Lindridge Hall. She begins seeing things, and she learns about strange things that happened there in the past. As she pieces together more of what has been going on, ultimately, Jane decides to do whatever she can to rescue her husband, whom she has grown to care for deeply. And she may pay any price.

The Death of Jane Lawrence is a story of specters and horrors, about misguided people going down paths they should have avoided. It involves magic and a haunted house; a man with a past, riddled with guilt. It also involves love and sacrifice, two people with the potential to find happiness if given a real chance. It’s gripping, and the last stretch delivers a decidedly clever and fascinating conclusion. It is one of those tales that you’ll find yourself wanting to read back over at least a bit to see how the puzzle pieces came together to show a picture you weren’t quite expecting. I expected strictly a ghost story, and it gave me a satisfying bit more to chew on. But it’s also one of those stories a reviewer has to be careful to share too much about for fear of spoiling anything particularly good. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rated: Moderate. There are hardly any instances of profanity. Sexual content includes kissing and a Married Couple taking off their clothes, then an implied sexual scene, and a second scene where the married couple have sex but there are no details past them kissing and “falling on each other.” Violence/gore includes a number of scenes that include a LOT of blood, some from the practice of medicine and some not.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.