Drawing on classic gothic and horror creations of the 19th century, such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Rappaccini's Daughter, The Island of Doctor Moreau, Dracula and the Sherlock Holmes stories, Goss reimagines the works of such literary greats as Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, H. G. Wells, Bram Stoker and Nathaniel Hawthorne from a feminist perspective, as well as the historical record of the Jack the Ripper murders.

In the process, Mary discovers and befriends other "monstrous" daughters of infamous scientists, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, called The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter a "tour de force of reclaiming the narrative, executed with impressive wit and insight", crediting Goss with "easily surmount[ing] the challenge of making such a male-defined premise belong to the women as shapers of their own destinies.

"[1] In his NPR review, Jason Heller writes: "Strange Case is a swiftly paced, immaculately plotted mystery full of winning characters you always thought you knew, as well as ones you would never have imagined.

[3] Leah Schnelbach of Tor.com calls Strange Case "a feminist retelling of Victoriana", as well as an "examination of class, mobility, propriety, and finances, and how they echo through women’s lives, and constrain them.

Goss’ women aren't willing to play ball, and unlike their often solitary creators (who occupy labs, remote islands, and castles), they work together to take control of their own destinies, and stop the brutal murders.