If you crossed The Miniaturist with Promising Young Woman, you'd get The House of Barbary . . . a blazing feminist roar of a novel set in c17th Bern. Twists abound in this gripping tale.

Naomi Kelsey, author of THE DARKENING GLOBE and THE BURNINGS

A raw, visceral tale, Shakespearean in scope, that presents the difficult choices that await a young girl when she discovers the evil she has inherited along with her wealth. Set in seventeenth-century Switzerland, Schuler skilfully weaves a tale of the paradoxes inherent in a supposedly civilised city that maintains a literal bearpit at its centre. If you enjoyed Lady MacBethad, you will be obsessed with Beatrice Barbary.

Laura Shepperson, author of PHAEDRA and THE HEIR OF VENUS

I loved the dark, tangled web of intrigue and the intelligent, fiery Beatrice. As a fan of fairytales, I adored the echoing of Bluebeard and the historical detail brought the period and setting to life with such vivid beauty. A wonderful novel!

Georgia Leighton, author of SPELLBOUND

It is inspired distantly by the Bluebeard legend, but 'outcreeps' Angela Carter's retelling of that
famous myth. One of the most original books I have read in a long time

Katherine Mezzacappa, Historical Novels Review, Issue 111 (February 2025)

A novel of exceptional vigor and originality.

The Sunday Times, "The Best Historical Fiction of 2025 so far"

Suspenseful, atmospheric and full of twists and turns, I loved the brutal, backstabbing world that Isabelle Schuler conjures up where only the most ruthless can survive

Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of ARIADNE on QUEEN HEREAFTER