The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong Series: Ruby Vaughn #2
Published by Minotaur Books on December 3, 2024
Source: NetGalley
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 323
Format: eARC
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Following the atmospheric and award-winning gothic historical mystery debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall, USA Today bestselling author Jess Armstrong's heroine, Ruby Vaughn, returns in The Secret of the Three Fates, where the Scottish Hills hold ghosts of the past that threaten Ruby’s present.
American heiress Ruby Vaughn still hasn't entirely forgiven her octogenarian employer and housemate Mr. Owen for bringing the occult into their lives during her recent trip to Cornwall. He claims their journey to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders is simply to appraise and acquire illuminated manuscripts for their rare bookshop, however when Ruby discovers there are no manuscripts and receives news of a séance to be held that very night, she begins to grow suspicious about the true reason why they have come.
The Great War left grieving families willing to sacrifice anything for the chance to say goodbye to a lost loved one. Mr. Owen is no exception. He is desperate to speak to his son, but he doesn’t want to face the spirits alone. When the séance—hosted by a trio of mediums billing themselves as The Three Fates—goes awry, Mr. Owen’s secrets begin to unravel, threatening to reveal a history that he has been running from for half his life. Something Ruby knows all too well how to do.
When Ruby finds one of the Three Fates murdered the night of the seance, she and Mr. Owen quickly become the prime suspects. To clear their names, Ruby enlists the help of Ruan Kivell, the folk healer Pellar who helped her weeks before in Cornwall. As their investigation progresses Ruby and Ruan realize someone is determined to prevent them from uncovering the truth about what happened to the dead medium.
The Secret of the Three Fates picks up a few months after the first in the series, The Curse of Penryth Hall, in October of 1922. This one probably works as a stand alone, but you’ll have a much better feel for the characters and appreciate what we learn about their backgrounds here.
This time around, Mr. Owen and Ruby are at a remote manor house in Scotland, supposedly to purchase illuminated manuscripts. Mr. Owen, however, has lied to Ruby and the two of them are actually there to attend a séance- Mr. Owen is hoping to speak to his son, Ben, who died in the War. The séance, hosted by three mediums going by the name of The Three Fates, is frighteningly real. One of the mediums, seemingly possessed by a spirit, delivers an ominous message:
There’s nowhere on earth you can hide from the dead. We have not forgotten … we shall not forgive. The dead know what you’ve done.
When one of the mediums is killed, Ruby and Mr. Owen both become suspects. It turns out Mr. Owen’s past is deeply connected to this piece of Scotland and his secrets will gradually come to light over the course of the book. Thankfully, Ruan, the “pellar”/ witch/ love interest we met in the first book, arrives to help Ruby with the investigation.
The atmosphere is a bit spooky and gothic; it’s a place where ghosts can exist and witches can heal people, a place where people are both skeptical and believing. You can shoot the living, but that may not silence the dead.
I love the characters. Ruby is smart, hard-headed, loyal, and has enough money that she doesn’t have to worry about society’s conventions, at least anymore. Ruan is gentle, but also tough, and a bit of a mystery, even to himself. The chemistry between the two of them is convincing, as are Ruby’s reasons for not wanting to start a relationship. I liked getting to know Mr. Owen a little more, too.
The mystery itself was put together well. The past and the present are so tied together, but I was still surprised at who the killer turned out to be.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the next in the series.
About Jess Armstrong
Jess Armstrong is the USA Today best selling author of the Ruby Vaughn Mysteries. Her debut novel, The Curse of Penryth Hall, won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur First Crime Novel Competition. She has a masters degree in American History but prefers writing about imaginary people to the real thing. Jess lives in New Orleans with her historian husband, two sons, yellow cat, speckled dog, and the world’s most pampered school-fair goldfish. And when she’s not working on her next project, she’s probably thinking about cheese, baking, on social media or some combination of the above.
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