The House Saphir

By Marissa Meyer

Book Overview

The "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" is back #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before. This is a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery, perfect for fans Meyer's Cinder and Heartless.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir--otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu--who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can't resist. A paid vacation at Armand's country manor? It's practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation--and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she'll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 125032095X
• ISBN13: 9781250320957
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.6" x 9.4"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Love it!

An awesome story and really fun to listen to as an audiobook. I could see all the characters, from Mallory leading not so legal tours about the manor of Count Bastien Saphir and conversing with ghosts (love Lady Triphine who is hilarious and provides a nice light bit of humor at dark times) and trying not to get arrested for being a fake to Armand, Duke in name but definitely not in manner, found often in his gardens tending the plants. Enter the return of the ghost of Bastien Saphir aka Monsieur Le Bleu, determined to finish his spell of five dead wives to become immortal and Mallory's sister, Anaiis, who has powers that many be of use, and a couple handsome supernatural hunters jumping in to aid in their darkest moments and this was a fun story, well as fun as it can be with a retelling of captain Bluebeard. It has twists, surprises both good and horrible, and sadly at least a couple more deaths to add to the ghosts already haunting the manor. Plus lots of supernatural creatures to be dealt with! And of course a sweet ending after all the trials, learning to trust yourself, and how sometimes it is an awkward young man making advances, not a loathsome nasty ghost! I enjoyed listening to this audiobook! The narrator, Rebecca Soler, did a wonderful job in bringing Mallory and her adventures in ghost banishings and finding out who she is and what she is capable of, plus finding a bit of love on the way. I am also happy to know how the supernatural creatures Mallory finds are pronounced! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this audiobook.