The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

                                                 

Audio: 10 hrs  57 m

Narrators:  Joanne Froggart, Mark Noble, Asif Kahn, Gemma Whelan and Simon Harvey.

Genre:   Fiction, Mystery

Publisher: Penguin Audio Feb 2024

Source:  Purchased from Audible

First Sentence:  It would be easy to say that it all started with the murders, but actually it began when Margaret thatcher became prime minister.

Review Quote: A touching paean to lost innocence and the comfort of friendships, its dark undertow leavened by stout Yorkshire humour ― The Times

Literary awards:

British Book Award Nominee for Debut Fiction (2025)

Setting:  Yorkshire, England, 1979

My Opinion:  

'The List of Suspicious Things' is the very successful debut for Jennie Godfrey whose childhood was spent growing up in the seventies in Yorkshire.  It is therefore interesting but not surprising that the infamous Yorkshire Ripper was the inspiration for this novel.  I am very late to the party, possibly because it is in my Audible collection and I have still not got into the habit of regular listening.

The protagonist is Mavis, known as Miv, an eleven year old girl. Growing up in the shadow of the seemingly ever present unsolved murder cases she with the help of her best friend Sharon decides they can help solve the case. Their adventures and investigations introduce the reader to many characters along the way. The emphasis of the whole story is on the importance of family life, friendship and community spirit.

At times a heart wrenching read, this novel sensitively covers dreadful events and is well worth reading or listening to.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

"We'll make a list. A list of all the people and things we see that are suspicious. And then . . . we'll investigate them."

Twelve-year-old Miv is panicking. Life has been complicated since her mom got sick, and now her dad is talking about wanting to move their family away from the town Miv has lived in her whole life—because of the murders. Young women are dying, everyone is afraid, and no one knows who the culprit might be.

But as far as Miv is concerned, leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a a list of all the suspicious people and things on their street. People they know. People they don't. But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighborhood, within their families—and between each other—than they ever thought possible. What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

Author Profile

                                                      

                                                                                                                                                             

                                                            Courtesy of Google

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The Orphan From Verona by Siobhan Daiko

                                                           

Ebook:  278 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romantic Fiction, WWII, Italy,

Publisher: August 2026  Boldwood Books

Source:  NetGalley

Location: Verona, Northern Italy, 1944 

First Sentences:  'I've made you potato gnocchi with tomato sugo', Claudia's mother said as she placed the dish on her kitchen table. 'Help yourself, tesoro.'

Review Quote: 'So much heartache but alongside this the love of the people who did so much in WWII'  Reader Review

My Opinion:  

 This is the third novel I have read by Siobhan Daiko. I was first drawn towards her writing because of her Hong Kong and Italy connections, both places which are close to my heart.

Set in Verona, Italy during the latter months of WWII.  A dual timeline story 'The Orphan From Verona' one part is set in 1944 when Elisa and her older brother Robi are trying to avoid being separated after the death of their parents in a bombing raid.  The second setting takes us to 21C Verona when Elisa travels to Italy, having spent many years in America, with her adult daughter Claudia.  The intention is after all these years to try and find out what happened to Elisa's bother.

The author's research about Verona's strategic position during WWII has enabled her to write a realistic storyline inspired by true events.  An emotional read about the resilience of those living through these dreadful times. Recommended to fans of WWII stories with some romance.

With thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads: 

Verona, 1944. When an air raid strikes Elisa's home, she is left with nothing but the clothes on her back, the teddy bear clutched in her arms and her beloved older brother. Traumatised into silence, six-year-old Elisa can no longer speak and relies on Robi to guide her through this war-torn world.

Alone on the dangerous streets of Nazi-occupied Verona, the siblings must fight to survive. With the Nazifascists hunting for boys to conscript, Robi is at constant risk. So for Elisa, who cannot call out or cry for help, losing her brother would mean losing everything…

New York, 2000. Decades later, Elisa has built a life far from the shadows of war. But the past has never truly let her go. Separated from Robi during those desperate days, she’s spent a lifetime wondering what became of him.

But now, she is finally ready to return to Verona. With her daughter Claudia by her side, Elisa sets out on a journey into the past. Because some bonds can never be broken, and some lost souls are still waiting to be found…

A moving and heart-breaking wartime novel that shows that hope can endure and war is not always the end. Perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Fiona Valpy and Dinah Jefferies.

Previous Reviews:  Daughter of Hong Kong.     The Girl From Lake Maggiore

Author Profile

                                                    

                                                            Courtesy of Amazon

Siobhan Daiko is a bestselling author of powerful, emotional wartime fiction. Her stories are perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Fiona Valpy and Dinah Jefferies. Set in Italy and Hong Kong, Siobhan’s books feature ordinary women dealing with extraordinary circumstances. They also celebrate courage, survival and unbreakable bonds. Siobhan lives in the Veneto region of northern Italy with her husband, a Havanese dog and a Siberian cat. She was born of English parents in Hong Kong, attended boarding school in Australia, and then moved to the UK — where she taught modern foreign languages in a Welsh high school. Siobhan now spends her time writing books and living the dolce vita sweet life near Venice. Her novels are compelling, poignant, and deeply moving, with strong characters and evocative settings, but always with romance at their heart. You can find more about her books on her website siobhandaikodotorg

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Author Page.  Author Official Website.   Goodreads Author Page

The Song of the Lotus Flower by Lelita Baldock

                                             

Ebook:  392 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Adult Fiction, 20C Historical Fiction,

Publisher:  Storm Publishing August 2026

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence:  Breaking through the thick foliage of the jungle, I spy the helicopter.

Review Quote: What a poignant and beautifully written book: Reader Review

Series:  Women War Reporters #1

My Opinion:

A new to me author, but I believe 'The Song of the Lotus Flower' is her eighth published novel.

It is a powerful dual timeline story set in war torn Vietnam in the fifties and sixties. The protagonist for the 1967 setting is American journalist Jude Murphy, who is fighting against all odds to report the truth. The earlier setting in the nineteen fifties is about Susan, a British woman who while working in Vietnam, starts to question what is really going on. The paths of these two strong women eventually cross as we learn more and more about the atrocities that occurred and the barriers these women came up against in trying to share the truth.

Some of the descriptions are very graphic and some readers may find them distressing, but they are necessary and the author portrays such scenes in a humane way.  Recommended to readers looking for compassionate historical fiction set in an unusual setting.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

An epic tale of courage, love and heroism inspired by the true stories of women working as journalists during the Vietnam War.

1967. Jude Murphy has never taken no for an answer. When her editor refuses to send her to cover Vietnam, she books her own flight to Saigon – typewriter in her luggage, borrowed camera over her shoulder, and every intention of reporting the truth of a war her country would rather sanitise.

But on arrival, she clashes with the stubborn military officer who blocks women from frontline reporting. Determined to break through every barrier, Jude fights the authorities for her right to report. Then, while waiting to join a platoon, she meets a young American soldier whose warmth and idealism starkly contrast her growing cynicism about the war, opening her eyes – and her heart – in ways she never expected.

When she’s captured behind enemy lines, Jude faces an impossible choice between protecting the people who saved her and exposing the devastating truths her reporting has uncovered.

A moving and utterly breathtaking story of loss, love and the determination of women to fight for freedom in a time of war, this unforgettable story will captivate readers of The Rose Code, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Perfect for anyone who loves:

Strong, independent women defying the odds
Rich period atmosphere
Forbidden love in a warzone
Stories inspired by real women in history
War fiction with emotional depth and moral complexity

Author Profile:

                                                      

                                                          

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of Goodreads

Lelita Baldock was born in Adelaide, Australia, she is an author of historical and literary fiction. 

Raised in Australia, living between the capital cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. In 2018 Lelita relocated to Surrey. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English Literature and History, and a Bachelor of Education, specialising in English.

As a secondary school English teacher, Lelita taught across multiple disciplines, including High Level International Baccalaureate English Literature and A Level English, in both Australia and the UK.

Lelita's novels focus on lesser-known aspects of history and the incredible everyday people who endure and overcome.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Author Website.    Instagram Profile.   Facebook Profile.   Amazon Author Page

Goodreads Profile

When She Was Ours by Anna Nordberg

                                                        

Ebook:  308 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

Publisher:  Lake Union, August 2026, 

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence: When Astra was nine and travelling with her mother to Chicago, the passenger in front of them had a panic attack.

Review Quote: “This isn’t a book that demands your attention with dramatic twists; it earns it through emotional honesty.” — Manhattan Book Review

My Opinion:

Not sure now to be honest why I decided to read 'When She Was Ours', probably should not have done so as it was not for me.

A complicated story about a family that are navigating grief. Thea the mother is terminally ill and coming to terms with her imminent death. We learn how her adult daughters Astra and Phoebe cope, or rather don't as the plot lurches from one chaotic moment to the next.

A character driven novel about relationships and one that I believe the author wanted to write due to her own life experience. She certainly writes from the heart with regard to the death of a parent. 

This certainly seems to appeal to many readers, judging by the reviews, unfortunately not to me.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Thea Erickson, a renowned surgeon, is filled with both joy and grief as her family gathers at their home on a summer night in 1995. Her elder daughter Phoebe is getting married, but even the happiness of the day feels bittersweet, as Thea grapples with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She worries she won’t be around to support her younger daughter Astra, who’s still in college, but even Thea cannot foresee what is to come—a terrible accident the night of the wedding that changes Astra’s life forever.

In a last-ditch effort to protect her family, Thea arranges a secret meeting with an old family friend and extracts a promise that will reverberate long after she’s gone.

Years after her mother’s death, Astra has moved forward with a career and relationship, but she still struggles with her grief. When a man reaches out to her and Phoebe, offering a window into their mother’s past, Astra must make a choice, and her decision forces her to face what it means to love someone after they’re gone, who we decide to forgive, and how families reckon with the past.

Author Profile:

                                                           

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of Goodreads

Anna Nordberg is an author, journalist and culture writer whose essays have appeared in Slate magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She spent a lot of her childhood writing novels with a number 2 pencil on yellow legal pads. She actually still has these novels. 

In 2015, she started writing a memoir about becoming a mother without her mom, who died when Anna was 17. This memoir never found a home, but its themes—how loss unfolds throughout a life, how we carry the memory of someone forward, the surprising legacy of grief—are all themes in Anna's debut novel, When She Was Ours, out August 1.

Anna grew up in New York City and now lives in San Francisco with her husband, son and daughter, and English cocker spaniel, Guinness (who also loves books). She loves muddling through middle school with her kids, trying to remember what the formula for the circumference of a circle is, and rereading books like Tuck Everlasting and A Wrinkle in Time. Favorite books she has read to her kids: The Hobbit, The Dark is Rising, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and Bridge to Terabithia. 

It was always her dream to write a novel after watching her mother write one on an ancient Apple IIC when Anna was eight years old. When She Was Ours is dedicated to her.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Profile.    Author's Official Website.    Amazon Author Page

The Painter's Daughters by Emily Howes

                                                       

Hardback: 372 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher:  Phoenix 2024

Source:  Tywyn Library

First Sentences: First, the canvas. Not one, but many. Great oblongs carried in and out, wrapped carefully in shrouds.

Review Quote: 'Convincing, engaging, transporting' GUARDIAN

My Opinion:

Emily Howes was a new to me author when I recently read her second novel Mrs Dickens and decided I should definitely be reading her debut novel. 

'The Painter's Daughters' is centred around Gainsborough's life in Bath, where he moves to enable the family, he hopes to have a decent standard of living.  The main protagonists of this story are his two daughters, who though so very different in character are devoted to each other.  Their mother's complicated past is also revealed to the reader as a secondary storyline. This helps one to understand the personal difficulties the family faced in private behind the public facade.

An engaging but sad insight into the life of the 18C artist Thomas Gainsborough's daughters. Recommended to readers that enjoy historical fiction, especially if it is based on fact.  

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

A story of love, madness, sisterly devotion, and control, about the two beloved daughters of renowned 1700s English painter Thomas Gainsborough, who struggle to live up to the perfect image the world so admired in their portraits.

Peggy and Molly Gainsborough—the daughters of one of England’s most famous portrait artists of the 1700s and the frequent subject of his work—are best friends. They spy on their father as he paints, rankle their mother as she manages the household, and run barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are from a young age, Molly periodically experiences bouts of mental confusion, even forgetting who she is, and Peggy instinctively knows she must help cover up her sister’s condition.

When the family moves to Bath, it’s not so easy to hide Molly’s slip-ups. There, the sisters are thrown into the whirlwind of polite society, where the codes of behavior are crystal clear. Molly dreams of a normal life but slides deeper and more publicly into her delusions. By now, Peggy knows the shadow of an asylum looms for women like Molly, and she goes to greater lengths to protect her sister’s secret.

But when Peggy unexpectedly falls in love with her father’s friend, the charming composer Johann Fischer, the sisters’ precarious situation is thrown catastrophically off course. Her burgeoning love for Johann sparks the bitterest of betrayals, forcing Peggy to question all she has done for Molly, and whether any one person can truly change the fate of another.

A tense and tender examination of the blurred lines between protection and control, The Painter’s Daughters is a searing portrait of the real girls behind the canvas. Emily Howes’s debut is a stunning exploration of devotion, control, and individuality; it is a love song to sisterhood, to the many hues of life, and to being looked at but never really seen.

Previous Review: Mrs Dickens 

Author Profile:

                                                      

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of Amazon

Emily Howes was born in Essex in 1981. 

She has worked as a storyteller, theatre maker, writer, performer and director in stage, television and radio. In addition to writing fiction, she holds an MA in Existential Psychotherapy, and works as a psychotherapist in private practice. She lives with her two children, her two cats and her dog in East London.

THE PAINTER'S DAUGHTERS, her debut novel, won the 2021 Mslexia Novel Competition, judged by Hilary Mantel, Jo Unwin and Marianne Tatepo. It is the relatively unknown story of Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, and their mutual struggle with insanity. 

Her second novel, MRS DICKENS, is about Catherine, wife of Charles, who had ten children, climbed Vesuvius, and wrote a cookbook. 

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Profile.      Goodreads Profile

The Pool Party by Rebecca Bainbridge

                                                 

Ebook:   343 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Thriller, Domestic Drama, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller,

Publisher:  Quercus Books, July 2026, 

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence: From the moment Kate realised the commotion in the room was not the crowd simply revelling in the party, it was as though someone had slipped their foot onto the accelerator pedal.

Review Quote: A pacy and sharply observed thriller about the precariousness of 'school gate' friendships and the lengths we'll go to to protect our externally perfect veneers. Fans of Liane Moriarty will want to dive right in! — Lizzy Barber

My Opinion:

A debut novel that I chose to read as it sounded like it had the potential to be an entertaining domestic thriller.

The novel revolves around the friendship of the female protagonists Kate and Melody as they navigate their seemingly perfect life styles. As the new friends get to know each other tensions mount as everyone around them, including themselves seem to be hiding secrets. The two women are both vulnerable in different ways to the dramas unfolding in their respective lives.

Rather slow in parts and did not for me deliver the pace I expect from a thriller. Nevertheless  a readable character driven story if you are looking for an easy read.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

One summer's day. Two families. Countless secrets . . .

Kate is new to the idyllic village of Fletching. She's determined this move will be a fresh start for her family, though she misses her old life.

Melody has it she's as beautiful as her house, with a wealthy husband and two beloved children. But she'd love a friend she can rely on.

From the year's first school run, Kate and Melody grow close - a friendship formed during playdates and shared glasses of wine.

But when Melody's annual summer party turns into every parent's worst nightmare, a near-fatal accident threatens to expose secrets both women have kept beneath the surface.

Who is really to blame? And what have they been hiding?

Author Profile:

                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

        Photo and Bio Courtesy of Amazon

Rebecca Bainbridge is a new and exciting voice in the domestic suspense genre. For readers of Liane Moriarty, Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell, and lovers of character-driven family drama, Rebecca is a debut author whose experience as a global brand and marketing professional provides her with an insight into gaining and retaining attention, and the very best storytelling.

Rebecca has led projects for organisations including Procter & Gamble, Warner Brothers, the BBC and Unilever. Having lived in Switzerland, France and Italy, she is passionate about languages, travel and culture, and is settled in the UK.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Author Profile.       Amazon Author Page.    Facebook Author Page.   

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Venus Vanishing by Rebecca Birrell

                                                             

Ebook:  377 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Lesbian, Art History,

Publisher:  Picador, July 2026, 

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence: Mother, I write to you from another life.

Review Quote: A deeply felt debut -- Chloe Ashby, The Art Newspaper

My Opinion:

'Venus Vanishing' is the debut novel from Rebecca. As she is known for her work in feminist and unorthodox art history, it is no surprise that her inspiration came from these interests.

The characters Kurt and Elke Grese draw the young Jewish protagonist Hannah Sherman into their lives, without Hannah in her innocence realising that she was being used. Although the main characters are fictional the author has woven their stories into real life in pre WWII Berlin, when many peoples lives were ruined by the rise of the German Reich.

A fascinating read with an obviously well researched art element. The author's historical notes make this clear and they are well worth reading at the end of the novel.  Recommended to fans of historical fiction and art history.

With thanks to NetGalley, Picador and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

Venus, Vanishing is the blisteringly passionate and page-turning debut novel from Rebecca Birrell, of desire, art, and the stories lost to the darkness of history – for readers of Sarah Waters, Yael van der Wouden, and Alice Winn.

Berlin, 1928. Hannah is new to the pleasures and freedoms of the city. An artist, a runaway, she is building a new life, loving without boundaries and sketching with a cutting edge.

But the party is ending. Hannah begins a recklessly consuming affair with a powerful man’s wife and it soon threatens to do more than ruin both of their reputations. People are disappearing. The shadows of something unspeakable are growing darker. Her art could be the thing that secures her survival – or will deny her any chance

Author Profile:

                                                   

                                                                                                                                         

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of  Goodreads

Rebecca Birrell grew up in Southport, and currently lives in Cambridge. She studied English Literature at UCL, followed by Women’s Studies at the University of Oxford. She has occupied curatorial positions at the Jewish Museum London, the Department of Prints and Drawing at the British Museum and at the Charleston Trust. In 2018 she undertook a fellowship at the Yale Centre for British Art. She recently completed her PhD at the Edinburgh College of Art. For the next year she will be Assistant Keeper of Paintings, Prints and Drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Goodreads Author Profile.    Rebecca Birrell on Amazon

Land by Maggie O'Farrell

                                                                         

Hardback: 436 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, 

Publisher: Tinder Press, Headline Publishing Group 2026.

Source: Tywyn Public Library

First Sentence:  His father was ever a man of few words.

Setting:  Ireland

Review Quote: 'Magnificent... a feat of the historical imagination' INDEPENDENT

My Opinion:  Wow! What a talented storyteller Maggie O'Farrell is. She writes beautifully descriptive literary prose with cleverly woven storylines that have never disappointed me in recent years, her writing just keeps getting better.

'Land' opens in 1865 with the west coast of Ireland suffering in the aftermath of a great famine. It is the story of the life of Tomas and his family when at this time he and his son Liam were working on the formidable Ordnance Survey project to map Ireland. As the family makes its way through the trials and tribulations of life in that era we the reader share their love and loss through stories of ancient times. These Irish folklore tales blend seamlessly with the struggles the family currently face.

Maggie O'Farrell has successfully taken this period of Irish history and turned it into a literary masterpiece of storytelling. Highly recommended to everyone.

Precis Courtesy of Goodreads:

'You will never understand how the land remembers, how deep the roots grow'

A spellbinding story of separation, longing, recovery and survival as a family makes a new home in the aftermath of tragedy.

On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. The year is 1865, and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger, the task is not an easy one. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster.

The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed, but Tomás is sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse. His life, and those of his family, will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomás and how is Liam, aged only ten, going to finish the mapping, and get them both home?

Land is a story of buried treasure, overlapping lives, ancient woodland, persistent ghosts, a particularly loyal dog, and how, when it comes to both land and history, nothing ever goes away.

Previous Reviews:    Hamnet.   Instructions for a Heatwave. The Hand That First Held Mine   The Distance Between Us  The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. 

The Marriage Portrait

Author Profile

                                           

                        Photo and Biography courtesy of Official Author Website

Maggie O’Farrell is one of the most loved writers in the English language. Her debut, AFTER YOU’D GONE, marked the start of a career which has established Maggie as one of the great storytellers of our times.

From that point onwards, Maggie has enjoyed critical acclaim and received numerous literary awards. THE HAND THAT FIRST HELD MINE won the 2010 Costa Novel Award. HAMNET, which imagined the untold story of Shakespeare’s son, won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and was Waterstones’ Book of the Year, and was also a no. 1 bestseller.  Her 2022 novel, THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.

Maggie has recently co-written, with Chloé Zhao, the screenplay for HAMNET. The forthcoming film will star Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley and will be directed by academy-award-winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). Hamnet has previously been adapted for the stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company.Maggie is also the author of three books for children, WHERE SNOW ANGELS GO, THE BOY WHO LOST HIS SPARK and WHEN THE STUTTER CAME TO STAY.

She was born in Coleraine in Northern Ireland and grew up in Wales and Scotland. Currently, she lives in Edinburgh.

Photograph and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites.

Goodreads - Author Profile   Maggie O'Farrell - Facebook  Amazon Author Profile

Official Author Website.  Instagram Profile

Mrs Dickens by Emily Howes

                                                           

Ebook:  434 pages                                                                         

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Publisher:  June 2026, 

Source:  NetGalley

First Sentence: I have never been much interested in love.

Review Quote: ‘An impressive, involving novel' The Times

My Opinion:

Emily Howes is a new to me author and I will definitely be reading her debut novel published a couple of years ago at a later date. I was keen to read 'Mrs Dickens' having enjoyed over many years the writing of Charles Dickens. I thought it would be interesting to learn more, albeit fictional about his family life.

The novel centres on his relationship with his wife Catherine (Kate) and her long term servant Anne. Twenty two years of marriage and ten surviving children with Charles, a man that Catherine obviously loved dearly. However Charles was a volatile man who treated his wife both in private and public with abusive and cruel behaviour.

An emotional read that made me angry and sad. I learnt about a side of the author Charles Dickens and his behaviour that I did not much like. Recommended to those readers that find fact weaved into a fictional story a worthwhile read.

With thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

 

Précis Courtesy of Goodreads:

In the early days of their marriage, Charles Dickens was infatuated with his pretty, sweet-natured new wife, Kate. But as he found fame as a novelist and their family rose through the ranks of Victorian society, he grew increasingly frustrated that real people could not be controlled as easily as his characters. 

Kate bears her husband ten children and travels the world by his side but the harder she tries to be a model wife the more she finds herself falling short. She seeks comfort and companionship in Anne Brown, the family's trusted servant, but whilst Anne comes to care deeply for Kate, her loyalties are tested to breaking point as the Dickens' marriage unravels.

Mrs Dickens reimagines the life of a complex, forgotten woman and tells the story of a decades-long marriage in all its tenderness, grief, romance and fury. Above all, it shows a woman silenced by more powerful voices until she finds the courage to use her own.

Author Profile:

                                                      

                                                Photo and Bio Courtesy of Amazon

Emily Howes was born in Essex in 1981. 

She has worked as a storyteller, theatre maker, writer, performer and director in stage, television and radio. In addition to writing fiction, she holds an MA in Existential Psychotherapy, and works as a psychotherapist in private practice. She lives with her two children, her two cats and her dog in East London.

THE PAINTER'S DAUGHTERS, her debut novel, won the 2021 Mslexia Novel Competition, judged by Hilary Mantel, Jo Unwin and Marianne Tatepo. It is the relatively unknown story of Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, and their mutual struggle with insanity. 

Her second novel, MRS DICKENS, is about Catherine, wife of Charles, who had ten children, climbed Vesuvius, and wrote a cookbook. 

Photographs and Biographical Information courtesy of the following sites:

Amazon Profile.      Goodreads Profile