L. V. Russel’s The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses is a spooky tale that wraps you up in the smell of mossy forests, dusty floorboards, and mansions unwilling to give up their stories. This horror-romance novel was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far.
The story of TQSoEH (I will be abbreviating the title as such for this review) begins with Theodora Corvus, and just the same, ends with her. It follows Theodora as she sets out on an adventure to become a governess at a strange mansion. There she befriends the lord, the lord’s daughter, and grows close with the family. She also, in time, becomes aware of the dark secrets the house holds.
One of the first things I loved about the book was the atmospheric writing. It immediately took me right to where Theodora was. The descriptions were beautiful and visceral. I fell in love with the prose, as well as the story.
I also fell deeply in love with the great friendship Russel curated between the main two characters, Cassius and Theodora. It’s a dark kind of friendship, one built on two people who are seeking connection in a time of loneliness, and one which suggests more than what lies on the surface. For the sake of keeping out spoilers, I will not go into details, but I fell into their friendship and dynamic like a warm bed and I loved reading every moment of it.
Aside from just the cozy darkness that the book puts on, however, the air of mystery kept me turning pages until the very end. While the book never outright says something about anything is inherently wrong, or inherently mysterious, the intrigue bleeds off the page. I just knew there was more going on, and so did Theodora, and together, we found out. I adored the little bits of mystery fed to me in the form of tiny details that jumped out just enough to make me wonder.
And one of my favorite parts of the book, although I will not detail it so you may find out for yourself, was the ending. I have to mention it because I finished this book and I simply felt satisfied. I needed more, but I had been filled up in the best way possible. Russel does not leave anything wanting, except for the intense need I have for more of her writing. The ending of TQSoEH made me feel as though I had just finished the best conversation with a close friend, as though I had plumbed the depths and found treasure and uncovered an ancient mystery all at once. I was happy, truly happy for the characters, and I will say at the risk of spoilers that the ending of this book is not a sad one, but it is more than a happy one. It is fulfilling.
I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is a work of art, and the perfect read if you want to curl up with something that will make you feel cozy and curious all with the perfect air of ghosts and mystery. I would highly recommend this read to anyone who has enjoyed stories like Crimson Peak or has a love of slow burn and mystery. It is not a long story, but it will leave you feeling as though you have spent a lifetime with it and been satisfied.
You can find The Quiet Stillness of Empty Houses by L.V. Russel through Quill and Crow Publishing House.