Review of 'The Cloisters'

“For fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Secret History…The perfect mystery for fall.” —Jenna Bush Hager, Today

In this “sinister, jaw-dropping” (Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary) debut novel, a circle of researchers uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

When Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, she expects to spend her summer working as a curatorial associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she finds herself assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and its group of enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination.

Desperate to escape her painful past, Ann is happy to indulge the researchers’ more outlandish theories about the history of fortune telling. But what begins as academic curiosity quickly turns into obsession when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future. When the dangerous game of power, seduction, and ambition at The Cloisters turns deadly, Ann becomes locked in a race for answers as the line between the arcane and the modern blurs.

A haunting and magical blend of genres, The Cloisters is a gripping debut that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Review

The Cloisters follow Ann through a gothic museum and garden, caught in a web of lies, death, and mystery.

“A Masterful Debut”

A masterful debut, Katy Kays tells a haunting tale of a girl eager to escape her home and the memories left there. Still reeling from the unexpected death of her father, she takes a position at the Met in New York, only for those plans to fall through.

She meets the magnanimous Peter and charismatic Rachel, who take her under their wings at The Cloisters, a “gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection.” Eager to please, Ann loses herself in studying the ancient divine, racing to find that deck of tarot cards that could help her make a name for herself.

Excellent Tension

Both haunting and mysterious, the tension within the story is a slow build. Beginning with a murder, the journey goes back to when Ann first meets her newfound colleagues and how fate begins to twist and turn. Ann begins the story as a mousy girl, unsure of herself, but as the story progresses. Under Rachel’s influence, Ann slowly becomes more daring and more sure of herself.

Ann is a brilliant character with a brilliant mind, taking the reader on a deep and intuitive journey. Hays has imbued her story with such a wonderful atmosphere. Equal parts gothic and haunting, the reader sees the beauty of the Cloisters and the darkness hidden in the shadows.

And as the story progresses, the mystery and intrigue rise.

The Cloisters has a slow and steady pace, but the intensity sends the reader into overdrive. It lures you in and builds up those character dynamics and plot twists. And the level of detail Hays puts into her story, her knowledge and her background give the story more realism without taking away from the pace. There are studies here, and there are remarks on the history, time periods and art style. Still, it adds to the novel’s beauty instead of being distracting.

Final Thoughts

The Cloisters is a fantastic novel. Slow and steady, the story’s intensity never falters and that ending, simply put, is to die for.

• Writing Quality : 9/10
• Character Development : 10/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 9/10
• Intellectual Depth: 10/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.