Fyneshade: A Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of 2023

Product Information

Marta has been brought up by her French Grandmere, a woman who ‘died too soon to complete my education’.

m sure when I reread it then I’ll have changed my mind about the ending, and then I’m pretty sure I’ll change my mind again. She was calculating and ruthless and I kept wondering until the very end who was the real villain of this story. After her grandmother dies and after an affair with a young gentleman ends badly, Martha has little choice but to become a governess. I love the idea of knowing more about a classic character and their motivations, especially when they have a dark streak. The young girl is not at all what she expected and the house, Fyneshade, a mysterious and dark place, the staff mostly hostile.Here the author has cleverly reversed many Gothic mystery tropes, so that the ‘innocent young governess’ arriving at the creepy big house full of dark family secrets appears to be more predator than prey… but you know what they say about appearances and this story is FULL of deception! I loved how Kate griffin builds the tension with each chapter and how she linked Marta’s story with the seasons of the moon. turns out she's Miss Jessell from The Turn of the Screw and this book ends as she's about to enter that second literary adventure! Thank you Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm very lucky that my current work as press officer for a heritage charity allows me to visit and explore some amazing, inspiring places, including the wonderful Wiltons Music Hall in the East End.

Marta realises that the housekeeper had acted to avoid this, and she now warns Marta off: Vaughan Pritchard may be the heir to Fyneshade, but he is barred from the house, and Marta should not trust him, he is a devil. Every year I save one or two books that I’m desperate to read – and keep them until I have a holiday.Marta's pupil, little Grace, can be taught nothing, and Marta takes no comfort from the silent servants who will not meet her eye. Oh, and who can ignore that gorgeously unnerving tagline ‘In a place where many fear to tread, She is the greatest threat of all…’. Marta quickly discovers that her charge is mostly non verbal and won’t require traditional teaching.

I was born in the City at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, within the sound of Bow Bells - so I really am a true-born cockney! Marta is tough as nails, self-assured and witchy in a wicked sort of way, which is just so much fun.Marta's days are brightened by the arrival of Vaughan Pritchard the heir to Fyneshade, who spends his days as a falconer until his inheritance is released. To Mrs Gurney’s consternation, Marta accidentally encounters Grace’s older brother Vaughan and his hawk. To be fair, there aren’t many characters to like within the pages of this book but they all play their parts beautifully and bring the story together to an unexpected conclusion. There were moments when I caught myself rooting for her (I feel low-key guilty about it) but generally she was not a character you want to relate to. The north side of the manor has long been closed off, although Marta occasionally sees a servant entering a room.

Marta and her beloved grandmother have always been close, with dear Grandmere teaching Marta many dark secrets before she left this life. Firstly, I’m a huge sucker for anything even remotely gothic, so I knew I had to read this as soon as I heard it compared to one of my all time fave novels, Jane Eyre—If Jane had been a witchy, calculating social climber eager to get her hands on the grand (but crumbling) manor.Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders (published by Faber and Faber) is partly based on that building. The pace of the novel is perfect, slowly drawing the reader into this strange world and I couldn’t get enough! Still, the twists are well-delivered (even if I saw some of them coming) and fans of the abovementioned Gothic comparators will enjoy this clever new take on the genre. Grandmere is not a witch and neither is Marta but she should remember, says Grandmere, that stories often have great power. Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders, Kate's first book, won the Stylist/Faber crime writing competition.