Inheriting Her Ghosts by SH Cooper

Forty something Eudora Fellowes defies Victorian convention in many ways. She’s single by choice, prefers the company of her wolfhounds, Cerberus and Black Shuck, to other humans, and she often wears trousers rather than dresses.

When her great-aunt leaves her the seaside manor of High Hearth, Eudora looks forward to a quiet country idyll. Unfortunately, she discovers she’s inherited more than a hoarder’s old house full of junk.

Congratulations to SH Cooper on Inheriting Her Ghosts becoming a Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2022 finalist.

I immediately took to Eudora. She’s content to be by herself, is fiercely independent, and she loves her dogs. She also has an interest in the macabre, judging by the names of her hounds. Unfortunately, this aspect of her character wasn’t explored.

She’s not the only strong minded woman in this novella, however, and I enjoyed reading the different fates that befell the women who struggled against Victorian society.

High Hearth is shrouded in gothic chills, which are vividly described. I liked the way Eudora reacted to the various unsettling incidents around the house. She takes no nonsense, but likewise she’s willing to accept things outside her experience when they’re presented to her.

At it’s heart, this novella is grief horror. It’s a sad tale, and I liked the themes of helping the dead. There’s a lot about healing the past, as well as inheriting the burden of others.

My only nitpick is that the undefined time period and location pulled me out of the story at times. However, it also creates a dreamlike never-when that suits the story quite well.

I award Inheriting Her Ghosts…