All Her Beautiful Deaths

Author: A. Rushby

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia, HQ Fiction.

Genre: Fiction & Literature, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Gothic

Year of release: 2026

Release Date 01/09/26

Rating 

Synopsis

More than a century apart the lives of two artists intersect through a series of mysterious, eerily beautiful photographs of the dead.

London, 1865. Desperate for work, Minnie takes employment as a maid for the wealthy young Culpepper twins. The siblings lead a strange and unconventional life: Edmund operates a laboratory from the house while Edith experiments with morbid photography. Drawn in by a dangerous attraction to one of the twins, and with a sick sister of her own to provide for, by the time Minnie makes a disturbing discovery it’s too late – she must stay and unravel the mysteries of Culpepper House before she becomes a victim of one of Edith’s photographs herself.

London, present day. Grieving artist Hadley is consumed by an album of Victorian death photography, including the exquisite image of a deceased young girl with a swan. When this photograph is involved in an art world scandal, Hadley is given the opportunity to create an installation surrounding the image. But the enigmatic Kit Culpepper, of the Culpepper Trust, has other plans. He offers Hadley an eye-watering sum of money to sell him the album and never speak of its contents again. As Hadley digs deeper into the album’s truths, she begins to suspect Kit Culpepper is guarding a deathly secret … and she’s not entirely sure how far he’ll go to keep it.

Review

London, 1865. Determined to support her seriously ill twin sister, Minnie accepts a position as a maid for the wealthy Culpepper twins despite the unsettling rumours surrounding them. The siblings lead an unconventional life—Edmund spends his days working in a laboratory while his sister, Edith, devotes herself to the eerie art of post-mortem photography. When Minnie uncovers a disturbing secret within Culpepper House, escaping seems like the only option. She soon realises, however, that leaving is far easier said than done. Instead, she resolves to uncover the truth behind the house and its mysterious occupants before she becomes one of Edith’s haunting photographs herself.

In present-day London, grieving artist Hadley finds herself drawn back to an album of Victorian death photography that has fascinated and comforted her for years. Among the collection is one remarkable image—a deceased young girl resting beside a swan—which becomes the centre of an art world scandal. When Hadley is offered the opportunity to create an installation around the photograph, she believes it could change everything.

Then Kit Culpepper, representing the prestigious Culpepper Trust, unexpectedly enters her life. Offering an eye-watering sum of money for the album—and her silence—Kit raises more questions than answers. Refusing to sell, Hadley begins investigating the photographs herself, only to discover the images may be concealing a deadly secret capable of destroying far more than an art exhibition.

Victorian London, gothic mysteries and dark family secrets are three things guaranteed to catch my attention, so it was impossible to resist picking up All Her Beautiful Deaths. Blending dual timelines with haunting post-mortem photography, buried secrets and an unforgettable atmosphere, A. Rushby has crafted a historical mystery that lingers long after the final page.

From the moment Minnie appeared on the page, I felt I could trust her. That’s quite unusual for me, as I’m typically far more guarded when meeting new characters. There was something immediately genuine about both her personality and her unwavering loyalty. That’s not to say she didn’t make me a little nervous early on, but her curiosity and independent spirit were never driven by selfishness. Instead, they were born from love, compassion and a fierce determination to protect those she cared about. Her small acts of rebellion had my heart racing while also bringing moments of lightness to what is otherwise a wonderfully dark and atmospheric novel.

Minnie develops beautifully throughout the story. She begins as a quiet young woman eager to please her employers but gradually grows into someone willing to make decisions for herself rather than simply satisfying those around her. Considering the expectations placed upon women during the Victorian era, this evolution felt particularly rewarding. Too often, fictional maids exist solely to serve others, with few dreams beyond keeping their position. Minnie, however, longs for much more than a life in service, making her a refreshing and memorable protagonist. I constantly found myself eager to return to her chapters.

Hadley, on the other hand, took me much longer to warm to. She never possessed Minnie’s natural warmth and remained somewhat emotionally distant, even by the novel’s conclusion. That isn’t to say she was unlikeable—her motivations gradually became clearer and often understandable—but I struggled to move beyond her closed-mindedness. As this trait continued to resurface throughout the novel, it occasionally became repetitive, making parts of the story feel longer than necessary. Overall, Hadley remained largely static for me.

Kit Culpepper was perhaps the biggest surprise. Characters of wealth don’t usually hold my attention for long, yet Kit quickly became one of the people I most wanted to read about. Rather than relying on familiar stereotypes, A. Rushby gives readers a thoughtful, compassionate man who listens, contributes meaningfully, values the women around him and never hides behind his family’s name when circumstances become difficult. It was a refreshing departure from the usual trope, and I found myself wishing his role had become even more significant by the novel’s end.

The only aspect I found myself wanting more of was the opportunity to hear from either Elke or Hadley’s mother. Hadley speaks about both women with such depth that I couldn’t help wishing they’d been given chapters of their own. Their perspectives would have added another fascinating layer to an already richly woven story.

All Her Beautiful Deaths was a novel I found myself devouring in generous sittings whenever I had the chance. The pacing slows and accelerates exactly when it needs to, allowing the mystery to unfold naturally without ever feeling rushed or unnecessarily drawn out. Rather than searching for the next dramatic twist, I found myself happily following the clues the author carefully scattered throughout the story, always eager to discover what waited around the next corner.

All Her Beautiful Deaths is one of those rare novels that continually finds new ways to surprise its readers. Even though I deliberately avoid reading synopses until I’m ready to write my review, I still wasn’t prepared for just how many fascinating elements this story would weave together. There was always another revelation waiting to be uncovered, making each chapter feel rewarding and impossible to predict.

Like every novel, there are a handful of moments readers may anticipate. However, A. Rushby cleverly keeps many of the story’s biggest revelations just beyond reach. Every time I felt confident, I’d solved the mystery, the plot shifted in an entirely new direction. That constant sense of uncertainty was one of my favourite aspects of the novel and a significant reason this ultimately became a five-star read for me.

If I had to describe All Her Beautiful Deaths in just a few words, I’d call it an atmospheric historical gothic mystery layered with family secrets, grief, Victorian intrigue and beautifully unsettling imagery. It’s a story where mystery and emotion walk hand in hand, creating a novel that’s as haunting as it is compelling.

Subplots and Tropes

• Blackmail
• Brother and sister relationship
• Class system
• Death of a domestic pet
• Death of a parent
• Death of a sibling
• Domestic violence
• Dual perspective
• Dual timeline
• Family feud
• Family secrets
• Female friendship
• Grief
• Incest
• Lies
• Light-bulb moment
• Potential romance
• Privilege
• Protagonist ahead of their time
• Revenge
• Rheumatic fever
• Same-sex relationships
• Secrets
• Sisters
• The big reveal
• Theft
• The Victorian era
• Wealth

With so many moving pieces throughout the novel, I approached the ending with cautious optimism, wondering whether every thread could be tied together satisfactorily. Thankfully, A. Rushby delivers an ending that rewards patient readers, revealing each secret at precisely the right moment without giving anything away too soon. Rest assured, this reviewer won’t be spoiling any of those surprises.

Readers who enjoy novels by Jackie French, Mark Smith and Petronella McGovern should absolutely consider adding A. Rushby’s books to their shelves.

I highly recommend All Her Beautiful Deaths to readers who enjoy historical fiction, gothic mysteries and historical suspense. If you love richly atmospheric novels filled with family secrets, dual timelines and mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end, this is one to add to your reading list.

With continued thanks to author A. Rushby and HQ Fiction for sending me a physical copy of All Her Beautiful Deaths to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion.