The Cloisters by Katy Hays


The Cloisters by Katy Hays, first published in 2022 by Bantam.

This book has all the ingredients to make a fantastic Gothic novel, yet somehow it just doesn't come together.  It is set, mainly, in the Cloisters museum in New York, complete with its poison garden, and the setting is wonderfully described. The weather is smouldering, with occasional thunderstorms. There is dangerous rivalry, obsession, mental imbalance, hints of the supernatural, tarot cards and murder.
Ann, the main protagonist, arrives in New York from Walla Walla in Washington State to take up a summer residency at the Metropolitan museum. There is a problem, and she is seconded to the Cloisters. There she meets Patrick, the curator and his assistant, the rich and talented Rachel. Patrick is having an affair with Rachel and  initially he appears to be an interesting character, but his character is not developed. This is partly because the story is told through Ann's eyes, and she is only interested in his academic career.
Rachel is more fully drawn. She has been advantaged all her life and everything and everyone seems to fall at her feet, despite rumours of a shady past. Ann is flattered to be her friend and colleague. The love interest is Leo, the gardener, who is also a musician, playwright and thief.
The plot revolves around fifteenth century tarot cards that Ann discovers. Rightly, they belong to Patrick and the museum, but she and Rachel keep them secret, hoping to publish a paper about the cards, which will propel their academic careers. They both become obsessed and will stop at nothing to succeed.
There is a 'big' reveal at the end, which, given the circumstances, is not as surprising to the reader as the author may have anticipated, with the question being "did New York affect Ann, or was she self-centred and selfish before she arrived in the city?" 
Although the novel is atmospheric, it does not have a true Gothic feel. Ann is delighted by everything she sees at the Cloisters and is content to be there at all times of the day and night. There is little real danger for her. Mysteries are explained quickly and problems are almost immediately resolved. She is bland and unappealing, and the ending justifies the reader's lack of warmth towards her.

Gothic rating:

isolated setting:                      🕱
brooding atmosphere:
mental illness:                        🕱
religious reference:                🕱
supernatural reference:          🕱
murder:                                 ðŸ•±
family secret:                        🕱
genius/madness:
doomed love:                        🕱

The Cloisters has a Gothic rating of       ðŸ•±ðŸ•±ðŸ•±ðŸ•±ðŸ•±ðŸ•±ðŸ•±









 

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