Maybe the best way to summarize how much I loved Honeysuckle and Bone is to say that once I finished it, I immediately started searching for more books by the author and was immensely disappointed there weren’t any. This is a classic Gothic thriller, but it does so much more with the tropes and themes of that genre that it stands out and makes for a truly memorable reading experience.
Carina Marshall has never been to her parents’ home country, Jamaica, until she arrives as an au pair for the wealthy, politically powerful Hall family. The patriarch, Ian Hall, is running for office and the family presents an impeccable image that Carina is expected to maintain and ensure their two young children maintain.
Right away we get the “house as a character” trope of Gothic literature. The Hall’s mansion, Blackbead, is cold but immaculate, except for the room of a former au pair. The room is under construction, but never seems to be completed–suffering from a myriad of delays and complications. The grounds are also manicured to perfection, and Carina notices the smell of honeysuckle is ever-present, despite the plant not being located anywhere near Blackbead.
Shortly after Carina arrives things start going ary. She experiences visions of demonic bulls with red eyes, experiences fires that turn out to be vivid hallucinations and finds threatening writing left on her mirror. A ghost is haunting her and Carina might know why. The ghost is targeting Carina and freaking her out, which the image-conscious Hall family cannot tolerate. Carina needs to figure this out because she can’t afford to lose this job or be investigated more closely by her employers.
I found this to be an excellent divergence from the typical spooky Gothic–we have a ghost,yes, but we aren’t sure if it’s haunting Blackbead or Carina specifically. There are dual storylines here. The first is the fact that, of course, nothing at Blackbead is exactly as it seems and Carina suspects that the Halls have dirty laundry to hide. Then there’s the fact that Carina is lying too–she took the job intended for her friend, Joy. Carina is pretending to be Joy and constantly refers to their horrible falling out, but we only find out what exactly happened between them (and why Carina is lying) as the novel progresses.
The possibility that the ghost came with Carina as opposed to her stumbling upon it while working at Blackbead adds a richness to the narrative and a lot of complexity to Carina’s character. She’s a self-described mess, possibly paranoid, and her backstory is as dark and intriguing as Blackbead’s history.
This novel also has a wonderful, nuanced sense of place that feels transportive and immersive without any infodump. I have read so many au pair/nanny Gothics set in New England or England itself that I can’t even count them. I experienced Jamaica for the first time through Carina, from the food (OMG THE FOOD), to the patois, to the cast of secondary characters that flesh out this mystery so much. The other younger domestic workers the Hall’s employ (the self described Young Birds) welcome Carina into their group, though some are allies (like gardener and love interest, Aaron) while others are adversaries (like the cold and often hostile housekeeper, Juney). Carina experiences the island locals’ life through them and also the tension between the extremely rich Halls and the people they employ who are barely earning a living wage.
We also get to experience the haunting element of the story through an Afro-Carribean lens. Carina is specifically experiencing a duppy, not just any ghost, and her search for answers and to banish the spirit are rooted in Afro-Caribbean folklore. Again, I have read so many Gothics, but none were rooted in this specific mythology before. Having a new twist on something I was familiar with made it feel brand new and more enjoyable.
Overall Honeysuckle and Bone felt familiar, while at the same time it felt entirely new. Rather than just being a victim of a haunting, Carina is a participant in it. Her recent trauma is as likely a cause for her experiences as is a ghost that was already at Blackbead. We also get a wonderful sense of place, a creepy house standing in as a main character, and a diverse take on ghosts and hauntings. This book absolutely crackles with tension, and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. It’s a one-sitting read, so set time aside before you crack this one open.