Strange Beasts

Paperback Published on: 09/10/2025
Price: £10.99
Free UK delivery on orders over £25, otherwise £2.99
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Make and edit your lists in your account
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Check click & collect stock near you
Collect today: Pay in shop

Synopsis

'An absolute joy' TJ Klune
'A whip-smart, lusciously atmospheric adventure' Frances White
'Rad as hell' Scott Lynch

In Belle Epoque Paris, a monster is murdering powerful men. Stopping it may be a woman's job.

When the Gendarmes ask the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena for help, they don't expect them to send Samantha Harker.

She's a researcher, more used to papercuts than knife fights. Sam is also the daughter of Dracula's killer and can see into the minds of monsters. It's a perilous power, one that could help her crack this case, or have her thrown into an asylum.

Dr Helena Moriarty is Sam's reluctant partner, the Society's finest agent who has forged a formidable path in her notorious father's shadow. Professor Moriarty is in hiding, but he still makes his presence known: Hel's partners have a way of dying in mysterious circumstances.

From Paris' glittering opera house to its darkest catacombs, the investigation pits Sam and Hel against magic, monsters, and men. And beneath their tenuous partnership, something else is growing . . .

But is trusting Hel the key to solving the murders? Or is Sam just another pawn in a Moriarty game?

With characters drawn from the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, Strange Beasts is a twisty puzzle box of a historical fantasy perfect for fans of Genevieve Cogman, Theodora Goss, Freya Marske, T. Kingfisher, and Gail Carriger.

NetGalley readers LOVE Strange Beasts:

'I am speechless! One of my favourite books of the year, and I swear if this isn't the first book in a series I may go feral!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Think Sherlock Holmes x Fantastic Beasts x Supernatural with a sprinkle of Van Helsing ... I loved this book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect book for anyone who loves a puzzley mystery, badass ladies, and a dark atmosphere' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect mix of murder mystery, gothic horror, fantasy and historical fiction' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
  • ISBN: 9781399734806
  • Number of pages: 384
  • Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm
  • Weight: 269g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

View all
Strange Beasts
Murders, magic and monsters
As an academic, Samantha Harker was no monster hunter, unlike her father Jonathan. Her work at the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena, Lond... READ MORE
Suse
Strange Beasts
Gothic fantasy and monsters!
Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris is a gothic fantasy, full of monsters, and a murder mystery conspiracy. Samantha Harker works for The Royal Society for t... READ MORE
Amy Lewis
Strange Beasts
A wonderful and clever read that kept me guessing until the end
Where do you start when attempting to review a book such as this? This was an amazingly clever read that kept me guessing right until the end. The... READ MORE
Leane
Strange Beasts
A highly entertaining read - roll on book 2 - 4.5/5
This book is a meeting of Sam, an ordinary librarian, and Hel, simply a hunter of "strange beasts". Assuming that is that being a librarian for the Royal ... READ MORE
Nigel
Strange Beasts
Beautiful written gothic fantasy
Title: Strange Beasts Author: Susan J Morris Pages: 384 Rating: 5/5 "In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale―part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box ... READ MORE
Emily Smith
Strange Beasts
I mean…it’s Sherlock, Dracula, and Queer. What more could you want?
Franki
Strange Beasts
1903 female Supernatural
I absolutely loved this book. This is a 1903 female Supernatural and I am here for it. Everything was amazing and I was hooked from the first chapter. I wo... READ MORE
Bookatiepillar
Strange Beasts
A lot of fun!
REVIEW cw: misogyny, violence, horror elements Samantha Harker, a researcher from The Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena in London is d... READ MORE
AlisAdventuresInLiterature