Book Review: Echoes of the EtherStone

Someone is murdering people in Alpinside.

It began with young women, then couples and families, all from the Workers’ District. Dubbed the “Scrubbers’ Stalker” by the press, the killer has created an environment of fear among the poor, and gossip among the wealthy.

When Ellana is attacked, her younger brother stabs the man in the back, allowing for their escape. While deciding on what to do next, they are confronted by the wealthy Lord Estamore and forced into his employ—though Ellana vows to find out why their father was killed.

Elizabetha, the daughter of Lord Estamore, is focused on her upcoming wedding and has little time for teaching Ellana the intricacies of being her new lady’s Companion—but when she learns of Ellana’s encounter with the Stalker, Elizabetha promises to use her time and resources to solve the mystery and unmask the killer once and for all, no matter the cost.

Many of us will admit to having a morbid curiosity around death and those that deliver it. There’s a reason why true crime TV and podcasts are so popular, why famous serial killers are so fascinating, and there are none more mysterious and fascinating than Jack the Ripper. Victorian London is the ultimate backdrop for the mysterious and macabre, and the inspiration behind Echoes of the EtherStone by Lucy A. McLaren, a gothic fantasy that delves into the mind of a killer.

The story begins one dark night as we follow our killer, ready to perform their first kill in the city of Alpinside. It’s a grisly scene that sets the tone for the book. Known as the Scrubber’s Stalker, this killer only targets the poorest within the Workers’ District, including eighteen-year-old Ellana and her family. Returning back from an errand with her younger brother, she encounters the stalker after murdering her father and barely gets away with her life. In a twist of fate, she’s dragged into employment with a noble family – the Estamores – which gives her an opportunity to discover the truth behind the killer.

While Ellana AKA El represents the viewpoint of the poorest in Alpinside, the story is also told from the side of the nobility through Elizabetha AKA Beth’s eyes. Initially shown to be naïve and ignorant to the worker’s woes due to her privileged upbringing, Beth and El are thrust together and begin an unlikely partnership to investigate the continuing murders.

As you might expect from a world inspired by Victorian London, Alpinside isn’t kind to the poor, nor is it particularly kind to women. There are themes of patriarchal and religious oppression throughout, and in much of the story, Beth is bound to her family’s traditions as well as that of marriage, which only serve as distractions from her investigations. This is what makes her growing friendship with El such an important part of the story for both of their characters, as Beth opens herself up to the realities of the working class, and El also learns to trust in others. The author conveys these historical aspects in a realistic way, but there are also paranormal elements that evoke a sinister feeling and will keep you guessing and worrying as you turn the page.

As the dark secrets unravel and we grow closer to the killer’s identity, know that this is a story where sacrifices will need to be made!

While I enjoyed the thrilling mystery throughout, what I really enjoyed was seeing the various chapters through the killer’s mind, which only then made their actions at the end of the book all the more fascinating – we love a serial killer, after all. I would have liked to have learned more about the paranormal elements, as I don’t think we get the full story there, but I wasn’t expecting the ending, that’s for sure!

Final Words

Echoes of the EtherStone is a thrilling gothic mystery where the power of friendship can overcome even the darkest of evils.

Find Echoes of the EtherStone on Amazon and Goodreads – Releasing 7th October, 2025