Narrated by Emily Tremaine, The Cloisters by Katy Hays delivers a gothic mystery thriller. A deadly game begins when Ann discovers a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards. Grab a cup of coffee and see what I enjoyed about this one….
by Katy Hays
Narrator: Emily Tremaine
Length: 10 hours and 16 minutes
Genres: Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.5x
The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel following a circle of researchers as they 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.
Ann is excited to leave her small-town of Walla Walla, Washington behind and spend the summer interning at the Met. However, she quickly discovers that she has been assigned to the Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval art collection and deviation research. Hello. I loved the setting and history.
The tale that unfolds was twisted from the relationships to the tarot cards. Can they really predict the future? If you love books steeped in the arcane, you’ll want to grab your earbuds and listen. The pacing built to a crescendo and hooked me from the start as it slowly reeled me in.
Ann befriends Rachel, another intern. The girls are opposites and the author leaves you unsure if they are besties or enemies. As Ann’s summer unfolds, you’ll encounter hidden tarot cards, romance, suspicious activity and a poisoning. It was atmospheric from the creepy gardens to the questionable relationships.
None of the characters were particularly likable, and that helped with questioning everyone’s actions and motives. Aside from Ann, there is Rachel, the girl from privilege, Patrick, the curator, and Leo, who manages the dangerous and poisonous plants. Are they being friendly or is something else at play?
The manipulations, characters and setting gave this gothic mystery a bit of a thriller vibe. It was fascinating seeing Ann with these mysterious cards and the changes in her over the summer.
Emily Tremaine narrates and masterfully captures these unreliable characters while enhancing the atmospheric tones of the tale, the gardens and museum.
A gripping tale set against the backdrop of the Cloisters that will pull listeners in.
The Cloisters by Katy Hays delivered a gothic mystery thriller that will pull listeners in. #audiobook #EmilyTremaine #audiobookreview #SimonAudio Share on XAbout Katy Hays
Katy Hays is a writer and adjunct art history professor in California, where she teaches rural students from Truckee to Tecopa. She holds an MA in art history from Williams College and pursued her PhD at UC Berkeley. Having previously worked at major art institutions, including The Clark Art Institute and SF MoMA, she now lives with her husband and their dog, Queso, in Olympic Valley, California.
About Emily Tremaine
Emily Tremaine is an actress and audiobook narrator. She has acted in several major motion pictures, including The Wolf of Wall Street and Obvious Child, and was one of the narrators featured on the audio version of Chuck Klosterman's Eating the Dinosaur.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
Katherine
This looks amazing! I love that it takes place in a Gothic museum!
Sophia Rose
Historical gothic and arcane artifacts? yes, please!
Mary Kirkland
That sounds pretty good. I’ve always been interested in tarot cards but never got good enough to remember all the meanings of the different cards.
Wendy
This sounds very creepy in a very good way. Terrific review, Kimberly