Title: Her Dark Curiosity
Author: Megan Shepherd
Series: The Madman's Daughter #2
Genre: YA Historical, Retelling
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: January 28th 2014
Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Source: eARC received from Publisher in exchange for honest review

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To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.


When I first read The Madman's Daughter I fell in love with Megan Shepherds writing. It was so imaginative and embracing. I loved the way she describes this world she created and the characters within it. I loved that her main character was a strong young woman who lets loves lead her stray and finds herself in the middle of something she never expected. So when I saw that there was going to be a sequel to this story I knew I needed to read it. And I am so glad that I did because it did not disappoint.

Although it took me a little longer than normal to get into this story, I still found myself entrapped by this world of mystery and intrigue. Juliet is once again in the middle of something she cannot possibly understand and it is again her Father's memory and work that haunt her every move. She is desperate to find the cure to her disease and she will do anything to find it.

I will warn readers that this book, like the first one has a love triangle, but it is stronger this time. I did not like some of the actions that Juliet took, especially when it came to her feelings. And I will not say who the triangle involves because it will ruin the story but if you read the first book if should not be that far of a stretch to figure it out.

The mystery aspect of the book was my favourite. When girls that Juliet knows are murdered she has to find it who, or what is doing it and how to stop it from happening again. I loved the similarity between the monster and Juliet, because once you figure out who it is, these two characters become intertwined in a way I never expected. The Jekyll and Hyde aspect of this book was amazingly well done because it gave an extra spark to the story.

There is a clue at the end of this book that tells you what the next book will be about and I seriously cannot wait. Juliet had grown into a very complicated character. She is no longer innocent in the dangers of her world, and she is now intertwined in her Fathers legacy, something I don't think she ever would be.