'The Animals at Lockwood Manor' by Jane Healey is an intriguing historical fiction novel with a possibly haunted house and a collection of animal specimens at its center. 
With World War 2 on the horizon, Hetty is sent along with a collection of mammals from the natural history museum to Lockwood Manor, an estate far enough outside of London to keep the collection safe. But Lockwood Manor is haunted, or so it seems, though it is unclear who may be stalking the halls. Lucy Lockwood, Lord Lockwood’s daughter, is plagued by her mother’s death and strange occurrences around the animal collection have begun to transpire. 
There are many things that I think are strong points in ‘The Animals at Lockwood Manor.’ The atmosphere of the possibly haunted estate is palpable, added to by the inclusion of stuffed animals that have been added to its halls. Hetty and Lucy are both complex and fascinating characters who are both dealing with trauma while trying to figure out who they want to be. Healey’s prose is evocative and adds to the atmosphere as we learn more about Lockwood Manor and what has happened in its halls. 
I did have a few problems with the story. Though there were hints dropped throughout the story leading up to the reveal of what is actually happening at Lockwood, I found the truth of the situation unsatisfying. This is due in great part to the fact that the villain of the story gets to get away with zero consequences or being held to account for their actions. I also would have liked some further explanation around Lucy's mother as her situation was important to the story but I never felt that it was fleshed out as fully as I would have liked. I also found that the narrative of the story, which switches between first person chapters from Hetty and Lucy's perspective, could be confusing and hard to tell apart at times. Despite these issues, I still think it is a pleasant read with good atmosphere. If you are looking for interesting historical fiction with an original premise and an unsettling atmosphere, ‘The Animals at Lockwood Manor’ is a good choice.