📖 Blog Tour ~ The Widows Vow by Rachel Brimble

Boldwood
16 December 2025

My thanks to Boldwood for the invitation to read this book 

 

1851, England. After her merchant husband saved her from a life of prostitution, Louisa Hill was briefly happy as a housewife in Bristol. But then a constable arrives at her door. Her husband has been found hanged in a Bath hotel room, a note and a key to a property in Bath she knew nothing about the only things she has left of him.

To a new life as a madam…

Knowing the debt collectors will arrive any moment, Louisa must leave everything she knows behind, and move to Bath. But left with no means of income, Louisa knows she has little choice but to return to but her old way of life. But this time, she’ll do it on her own terms – by turning her new home into a brothel for upper class gentleman. And she’s determined the horrors she was forced to endure in the past are not experienced by the girls she saves from the streets.

Enlisting the help of Jacob Jackson, a quiet but feared boxer, to watch over the house, Louisa is about to embark on a life she never envisaged. Can she find the courage to forge this new path?

📖 My Review..

Louisa's arrival in Bath doesn't go smoothly especially when she discovers that the house she has inherited comes with rather more problems than she anticipated. With rising debts, Louisa and her companion, Nancy, decide to return to their old profession and open the Bath town house as an exclusive brothel. They enlist the help of the enigmatic fighter, Jacob Jackson , to offer them protection.

The author writes well and the story entertains from the beginning bringing the Victoria underbelly of Bath society to life in an altogether different sort of way. I expected there to be more about the intimacies of the brothel and was pleasantly surprised that the author didn't go into explicit detail, instead leaving more to the imagination of what went on behind the brothel bedroom doors.  The story focuses on the close relationship between Louisa and her 'girls', the problems they have in trying to build up their reputation, and the growing friendship between Louisa and Jacob. Jacob's story is an interesting addition, he's a solid and dependable figure, and yet his penchant for violence is shown in the particularly shadowy world of fist fights and drinking dens.

Filled with an air of mystery and with a smattering of romance A Widow's Vow is an interesting start to a new Victorian saga series. The ending was entirely appropriate and lends itself very nicely towards the next story in the saga, which I hope won't be too far away.

About the Author 

Rachel Brimble is the bestselling author of over thirty works of historical romance and saga fiction. The first book in her series, The Home Front Nurses is set in Bath. This book was previously published as A Widow’s Vow and published by Aria.

Website

 Twitter @RachelBrimble #TheWidowsVow

X @ BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers

X@rararesources

📖 Book Review ~ Fyneshade by Kate Griffin

Viper
18 May 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Many would find much to fear in Fyneshade's dark and crumbling corridors, its unseen master and silent servants. But not I. For they have far more to fear from me...

On the day of her grandmother's funeral, Marta discovers that she is to be sent to be governess at Fyneshade, her charge the young daughter of the owner, Sir William Pritchard.

All is not well at Fyneshade. Sir William is mysteriously absent, and his son and heir Vaughan is forbidden to enter the house. Marta finds herself drawn to him, despite the warnings of the housekeeper that Vaughan is a danger to all around him. But Marta is no innocent to be preyed upon. Guided by the dark gift taught to her by her grandmother, she has made her own plans. It will take more than a family riven by murderous secrets to stop her...

📖 My Review

After her beloved grandmother's death Marta is sent to be governess to the daughter of Sir William Pritchard at Fyneshade, a large house which nestles in the remote Derbyshire countryside. In this house of plain women, Marta shines like a beacon, quietly looking after Grace, whilst at the same time watching everything that goes on in this brooding house of secrets. For Marta has secrets of her own and she is definitely not what is expected of a god fearing governess. Of the mysterious Sir William we know very little but as this sinister story continues, Fyneshade, such a perfect central character is about to, reluctantly, give up its creepy secrets.

I enjoyed getting to know Marta, she's wonderfully manipulative, not at all likeable, but gloriously addictive so that every page she is on comes alive with hidden meaning and certainly when, son and heir, Vaughan Pritchard makes his appearance in the novel the sparks between these two flawed characters literally fly off the page. 

The author writes well and builds up the tension with beautifully imagined scenes which bring a creepy edginess to what is quite a darkly detailed story. There a few unexpected twists and a final reveal to the story that I didn't see coming, which all helps to make Fyneshade into a wonderfully gothic story of revenge, and retribution, with a smattering of sinister suspense thrown in for good measure.

About the Author

Kate Griffin was born within the sound of Bow bells, making her a true-born cockney. She has worked as an assistant to an antiques dealer, a journalist for local newspapers and now works for The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders, Kate's first book, won the Stylist/Faber crime writing competition. Kate lives in St Albans.

Twitter @KateAGriffin

@ViperBooks

 

📖 Blog Tour ~ The Fascination by Essie Fox

 

Orenda Books
22 June 2023

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book
and to Random Things Tours for the invitation to the blog tour

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn't grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father's quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’. 

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name. 

Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts. But it is Theo’s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a dark web of deceits, exposing unthinkable secrets and threatening everything they know...

📖 My Review..

The Fascination takes us into the dark underbelly of Victorian England to places which creep into your imagination with sinister intent and yet the story is so imaginatively written that you can’t help but be inextricably drawn into a fascinating world of obsession and deeply troubled secrets.

Twins, Tilly and Keziah Lovell tour the country fairs with their father selling a noxious cure-all which provides a living of sorts however, life isn’t easy for the Lovell’s and there is exploitation along with cruelty. On the surface the twins shouldn’t have anything in common with Theo Seabrook whose sad and lonely childhood marks him out as another misfit and yet their lives entwine in a suspenseful story which captures the imagination right from the very first page.

The sinister and morally corrupt world of Victorian England is brought vividly to life, from the simple pleasure of a country fair, to the macabre exhibits in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, there is never a moment when the story-telling falters or fails to plunge you deep into a Victorian world of freaks, misfits and the downright macabre. The rich assortment of shady characters who are such an integral part of the story give us a fascinating glimpse into the shadowy world of Victorian obsession.

Beautifully written, and meticulously researched, The Fascination is Essie Fox writing at her Gothic best, it's definitely one for my Best Books of the Year list.

About the Author

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London.

Twitter @essiefox #TheFascination

Website

@OrendaBooks

@randomttours

📖 Book review ~ Lily by Rose Tremain

 

Random House UK
Vintage
Chatto&Windus

11 November 2021

My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book

Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer...

Abandoned at the gates of a London park one winter's night in 1850, baby Lily Mortimer is saved by a young police constable and taken to the London Foundling Hospital. Lily is fostered by an affectionate farming family in rural Suffolk, enjoying a brief childhood idyll before she is returned to the Hospital, where she is punished for her rebellious spirit. Released into the harsh world of Victorian London, Lily becomes a favoured employee at Belle Prettywood's Wig Emporium, but all the while she is hiding a dreadful secret...

Across the years, policeman Sam Trench keeps watch over the young woman he once saved. When Sam meets Lily again, there is an instant attraction between them and Lily is convinced that Sam holds the key to her happiness - but might he also be the one to uncover her crime and so condemn her to death?

📖 My Thoughts..

The eponymous, Lily Mortimer is abandoned as a baby and left in a London park from where she is rescued by Sam Trench, young police constable, who delivers baby Lily into the ordered world of the London Foundling Hospital. This harsh environment which shows its young inhabitants no affection comes alive in the description of what life was like for those children who had, quite simply, been abandoned to their fate. 

Lily's early fostering with the kind hearted Puck family in rural Suffolk is the only bright spot on what seems like a very dark journey for Lily, a journey which takes a decidedly darker turn when she is forced to leave behind a loving family only to return to the Foundling Hospital as a bewildered six year old. Lily's life unfolds before us in this intriguing Victorian melodrama which has both pathos and poverty. 

Well written, and cleverly researched, there is a real sense of the darker side of life which brings Victorian London alive in such an authentic way so that you practically feel the grime and sense the squalor. I found Lily's employment at Belle Prettywood's Wig Emporium absolutely fascinating especially as Lily's nimble fingers make this complicated process seem all the more realistic. 

Amidst a life of incredible harshness there are moments when the story becomes unbelievably sad, but what shines throughout is Lily's strength of spirit despite the deadly secret she carries with her. Moving between timescales Lily is a melancholic story of a Victorian orphan who is determined to make her way despite her poverty and with the fickle nature of fate stacked against her.

About the Author

Rose Tremain's best-selling novels have won many awards, including the Baileys Women's Prize, the Whitbread Novel of the Year, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the Prix Femina Etranger. Restoration, the first of her novels to feature Robert Merivel, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. She lives in Norfolk and London.

Twitter #RoseTremain #Lily

Website

@ChattoBooks @vintagebooks

Halloween Read ~ Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

👻👻 Happy Halloween Publication Day 👻👻

Head of Zeus
Paperback 31 October 2019

My thanks to the publishers and ed Public Relations for my copy of this book

‘Wakenhyrst is the story I’ve wanted to write for years’ Michelle Paver

Inspired by a series of real events and fuelled by secrets from her maternal past: from Michelle’s sighting of a murmuration of starlings on a Suffolk marsh; to the discovery of a battered copy of The Book of Margery Kempe by a 15th Century mystic; to the story of the Wenhaston Doom, a medieval painting of the Last Judgement; to the real-life story of Richard Dadd, the Victorian murderer and artist; this is Michelle Paver’s most evocative and personal masterpiece to date. 

In Edwardian Suffolk, a manor house stands alone in a lost corner of the Fens; a glinting wilderness of water whose whispering reeds guard primeval secrets. Here, Maud grows up as a lonely child without a mother, ruled by her repressive and emotionally-absent historian father. When Maud’s father finds a painted medieval ‘Doom’ in a graveyard, an ancient evil is disturbed, and her battle begins. In a world steeped in witchcraft, legend and the even more nightmarish demons of her father’s past, Maud must find a way, not only to survive, but to fly free.

What did I think about it..

In the shadow of the ancient land, Maud Stearne lives with her family at Wake’s End the house which nudges the nearby water of the Suffolk fen, but which for many reasons stands apart from the landscape, for the house has too many secrets and many dark corners, where glimpses of an evil past sometimes surface.

In 1966, when the story opens, three unusual paintings have been discovered which direct public interest back to Edward Stearne, Mauds’s father, who was incarcerated in a mental asylum for many years. The reason for this curiosity in Stearne’s work becomes apparent as we move back in time to the early part of the twentieth century when Maud was growing up in the shadow of her dictatorial father and beautiful, but totally compliant, mother.

Filled with a wealth of supernatural imaginings and with more than a hint towards the gothic gloom of the Edwardian era, Wakenhyrst is an incredibly detailed story, with a wonderful dark imagery, which immediately places the reader right in the centre of the action. To say I devoured this story is absolutely correct, the place, the people, the inherent danger, all drew me in from the very beginning, and I couldn’t wait to see how the story played out.

There is an undeniable darkness to the story for all is not quiet at Wake’s End and Maud’s childhood is a deeply lonely affair, and whilst she is brutally aware of the undercurrents of the dark and dangerous emotion which plague her parents’ marriage, she finds what comfort she can in the myths and legends of the place she calls home. The stark beauty of the Suffolk fens, and the ancient superstitions which are at the very heart of local folklore are described in such beautiful detail that I could picture myself with Maud in the damp and cold, watching the creeping shadows of the fen come to life as a murmuration of starlings glide and dance in the early evening twilight.

To say much of what happens in the three hundred or so pages of Wakenhyrst would do both the author and the story a complete disservice as this is one of those beautifully plotted stories which takes time to emerge and is all the stronger for taking things slowly.

I’ve now read most of this author’s work, with the exception of her books for children, and I am always aware of how beautifully intuitive her writing is, and how she does her utmost to include the reader every step of the way so that the engagement with the story is utterly consuming from start to finish. There is no doubt that Wakenhyrst is a glorious example of this author writing at her absolute best.

About the Author

©Anthony Upton

Michelle Paver is an international bestselling author with over 3 million copies of her books sold in 37 countries across the globe. She writes for both adults and children and her work includes two of the most critically and commercially acclaimed ghost stories of modern times, Dark Matter and Thin Air and the prize-winning, million copy selling, children’s series, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. A new book in the series, Viper’s Daughter, will be published by Head of Zeus in April 2020. Born in Malawi, Michelle Paver came to England as a child. She studied Biochemistry at Oxford University before becoming a partner in a City of London law firm. She began to write after her father’s death prompted her to take a one-year sabbatical. She has never looked back. Known for her extensive research, Wakenhyrst was inspired by the rich and haunting folklore of the Suffolk fens, chance encounters, and both the personal and universal stories of women’s quest for independence. 

Website

Twitter @MichellePaver #Wakenhyrst

@HOZ_books

@ed_pr

Amazon UK

Hist Fic Saturday...Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato

On Hist Fic Saturday let's go back in time...


To Victorian England and Italy in this Gothic Novel of Love and Obsession

Hodder&Stoughton
May 2017

First off, the book's cover drew me in, the beguiling figure of the woman promised a dark and rather mysterious tale and I'm pleased to say that the story lived up to my expectations.

The dark and gloomy Victorian underworld sits very comfortably with this story of obsession and possession which starts on Waterloo Bridge in London in 1853 and the saving of penniless prostitute, Annie Stride, as she stands with her arms outstretched about to leap off the bridge. The man who saves her from her untimely death is none other than proclaimed artist, Francis Maybrick Gill who inspired by Annie endeavours to educate her, whilst at the same time uses her as his muse and inspiration for a series of paintings.

The lure of obsession and the darkening grip of power fill this novel from the very beginning. At first it's a case of rejoicing as Annie is saved from harm but yet, her puzzling relationship with Maybrick hints that there is is perhaps more to this man than we, at first, imagine. Annie's entry into society as she  mingles with the artists and models of the pre-Raphaelite era is done with a fine eye for detail. I liked to see Annie attending soirees at the Royal Academy and exchanging gossip, with that other pre-Raphaelite muse, Lizzie Siddal.

In Crimson and Bone the author has combined classic Gothic gloom with the Victorian art world, and as it gets darker and darker, the story swaps effortlessly between London and Italy. Combining a dark and menacing story with the added excitement of never really knowing what's going to happen next made this a really fascinating story to follow.

I've read this author's work before and I am always excited by her stories, She writes historical fiction really well, controlling the narrative with a sure hand, so that there's always a palpable sense of authenticity. I think that this is her darkest story to date, and whilst there will be the inevitable comparison with that other classic Victorian Gothic, The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber, I think that Crimson and Bone comes out very favourably against the comparison.

If you like dark and brooding Victorian melodrama, with a more than a hint of menace, and a generous dose of fallen woman, then Crimson and Bone ticks all those boxes !



More about the Author can be found here

My thanks to Bookbridgr and the publishers Hodder&Stoughton who provided my copy

 of Crimson and Bone to read and review

~***~

Review ~ Victorian Fairy Tales : Edited by Michael Newton

Oxford University Press
2015

I love Victorian Fairy Tales and this volume contains a selection of some of the finest stories. Nestled amongst the better known tales lie some hidden gems which fire the imagination and feed the soul and anyone who loves Victorian melodrama will be as beguiled as I was with the contents. There is a good selection on offer , from the well known by the great and the good of the Victorian literati, to some lesser known works, which sit equally as comfortably side by side with the greats.

The book has been thoughtfully complied with a fine eye for detail. The stories are mixed and varied and the  comprehensive introduction by Michael Newton places the stories into the context of their time. If you enjoy well written short stories which contain elements of mystery, pure melodrama and more than a hint of the paranormal then I am sure that you will find this beautiful book as intriguing as I did.

The cover is sumptuous and looks like it could have stepped straight out from a roll of William Morris wallpaper.It really is one of those books that you could find yourself dipping into and out of at whim and  it would be a stunning addition to any book shelf. 

My thanks to Oxford University Press and NetGalley for my copy of this book,




~***~

Review ~ I am in Blood by Joe Murphy

Brandon

2015

A dying century,a killing presence

I am in Blood is a dark and brooding Gothic novel, which, primarily aimed at the YA market, is one of those books which can quite comfortably cross genres.

At its centre, is the riveting story of seventeen year old Nathan, who, in modern day Dublin, is bewildered and confused by the death of his adopted father, and as he struggles to make sense of the world around him, the sense of pain and loss is ever present within him, and dark thoughts seem to overwhelm him. In late nineteenth century Dublin, a murderer is systematically targeting prostitutes who linger in the alleys and doorways of The Munto, a notorious place where despair and degradation often go hand in hand. George Frohmell, a police sergeant in the Dublin Metropolitan Police force, is under extreme pressure to find the perpetrator of these deadly crimes, before too many woman lose their lives. In England in 1846, a strange child seems to delight hurting others and the darkness in his soul is as dangerous as it is deadly.

What then follows is a well thought out Gothic mystery which takes the reader on a journey into the very heart of Victorian Dublin and as the sights, sounds and smells of a teeming city come to life, so the terror at the heart of a community starts to bite. The book is divided into distinct chapters, so that we always know who is speaking and yet, as all the stories start to come together and coalesce, the boundaries start to blur and the edges become less defined and George and Nathan, both troubled in their own way, need to find some sort of resolution.

Overall, the story is quite compelling, dark and dirty in places, with glimpses into the tortured souls of characters who stay with you long after the story is finished. The writing is succinct and quite beautiful and the wonderful use of descriptive language really makes the story come alive in the imagination.

My thanks to Real Readers and Nudge for my copy of this book.

~***~

My Halloween Read ~ This House is Haunted by John Boyne

Random House
Transworld
2014

Take a pinch of Jane Eyre, a snippet of Dickens, stir together with a spoonful of Wilkie Collins and mix in a whole load of classic gothic gloom and you’ll have an idea of just how good John Boyne is at expressing the darker side of Victorian life.

When Eliza Caine arrives in Norfolk in the winter of 1867 she is a twenty one year old orphan; her father having recently died. Impecunious circumstances force Eliza into making the decision to relocate from London to the rather bleak environment of Gaudlin Hall where she is to be governess to Isabel and Eustace. Her arrival at the hall is fraught with danger and on meeting the children she is frighteningly aware that there are no other adults present and yet the children clearly expect her arrival. And there is no sign of her mysterious employer, the enigmatic H Bennet. From the beginning of the story , it is clear that this is a place of momentous secrets. The malevolent presence which lingers in the shadows, and which enfolds itself around Gaudlin Hall creates a realistic atmosphere of fear and as the tension racks up, you feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

There is no doubt, that John Boyne is a classic storyteller. His unique ability to get right into the heart and soul of his characters is evident in the way he portrays Eliza who could so easily have become a caricature of Victorian maidenly distress, but instead he makes her into a classic unstable narrator, in whose company you wonder just what’s going on, not just inside her head, but also in the way she comports herself.  The gothic gloom of the rest of the story is classic horror with a supernatural plot, an isolated and shadowy manor house and whole bucket load of secrets, all these components  help to turn This House is Haunted into a rather special spooky story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my copy 

of 

This House is Haunted.


About the Author

*~*~*

The Quick - Lauren Owen

Random House UK
Vintage Publishing
2014

The magic and menace of Victorian London is brought to life in this ambitious debut novel which takes the hazards and dangers of living in the underbelly of society and converts them into a story which abounds with trickery and mystery.

James Norbury, and his sister Charlotte are separated in their early childhood, when James, like all well brought up young men, is sent to complete his education away from home. Recently down from Oxford, James finds lodgings in London with a young aristocrat. James explores the Victorian world of love through poetry but when he unexpectedly disappears, Charlotte sets off to find out just what has happened to James. What then follows is a dark and sinister look at Victorian society where all is often not as it seems.

To say more about the story would give away far too much and this is one of those books which should to be read in its entirety without any prior knowledge. On the whole, for a debut novel, I thought it was a job well done. I wasn’t riveted throughout the whole of the story – some parts of the epistolary exchange, which occurs later in the story, I found to be rather tedious, but as a venture into the dark and sinister world of Victorian melodrama, it earns its place as a reasonable, if slightly underwhelming story.

*~*~*

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House, UK Vintage Publishing for my ecopy of this book

About the Author

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