Norfolk, England, 1895: When renowned spiritualist Edward Blackmore receives a desperate message from his cousin Barnabas, begging him to come to the coastal village of Thistlewick Tye, his first thought is to ignore the request. Despite his cousin’s insistence that his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, Edward has no time for the man who stole his inheritance.
Lured by the promise of money, along with a genuine concern for Barnabas’s wife – who he’d once loved – he reluctantly travels to at Thistlewick House, only to arrive too late. Emma is dead.
Barnabas suspects there are supernatural forces at play. But Edward is convinced murder is afoot. As he begins to investigate, he finds himself drawn into the lives of those in this isolated and unnerving village, especially the beguiling woman who gathers up the human bones falling from the rapidly eroding cliffs.
Then he discovers that a travelling circus completely disappeared in the area forty years previously and no one is willing to talk about it. Perhaps not everything at Thistlewick Tye is quite what it seems…
The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer presents a fascinating premise that ultimately left me feeling emotionally distant from much of the story. I had difficulty fully relating to the characters, whose inner lives often felt muted, making it harder to invest in their personal stakes. This detachment was compounded by the novel’s handling of transmigration. While the concept itself is compelling, the lack of a clear answer about what happens to the original souls displaced by the process was frustrating.
That said, Keer’s social commentary is sharp and effective. The hypocrisy of Catholics who harshly judge others while excusing their own moral failings is portrayed with pointed accuracy. Similarly, the labeling and marginalization of outcasts—those branded as peculiar, sinful, or dangerous—feels painfully authentic and well observed.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
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