Published By: Viper
Pages: 384
Released On: 18/05/2023
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 beloved grandmother’s funeral, Marta discovers that she is to become governess to the young daughter of Sir William Pritchard. Separated from her lover and discarded by her family, Marta has no choice but to journey to Pritchard’s ancient and crumbling house, Fyneshade, in the wilds of Derbyshire.
All is not well at Fyneshade. Marta’s pupil, little Grace, can be taught nothing, and Marta takes no comfort from the silent servants who will not meet her eye. More intriguing is that Sir William is mysteriously absent, and his son and heir Vaughan is forbidden to enter the house. Marta finds herself drawn to Vaughan, despite the warnings of the housekeeper that he 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. And it will take more than a family riven by murderous secrets to stop her…
*****
I’ve been following the publication of this book for ages online, desperate to see what all the fuss was about. And once I’d started it, there was nothing stopping me from finishing it in less than 24 hours.
I’ve read a lot of gothic thrillers in the vein of Laura Purcell and Stacey Halls, and a lot of the “young woman becomes staff at a big manor house where strange goingson…go on” stories, and they can sometimes get a bit monotonous and a bit samey. But a really written one is worth it’s weight in gold and this can definitely go on that pile.
At first, it may appear to be very similar to the type mentioned above. We see a young woman employed by a mysterious person in a country manor, only to find out there’s more than meets the eye. But underneath that outer layer, there is so much more about it that makes it unique.
The main character of Marta is fabulous. She’s not perfect by any means, sometimes a bit naïve, a bit foolhardy maybe, and selfish. But she’s passionate. Often to her detriment. But it’s a quality not always seen in women during this time period. They’re often there to be seen and not heard, to follow rules and comply. But there’s more to her than that. There’s heart and soul. It may not immediately be clear in some of her actions, but I believe there’s compassion there, but there’s also a fire that rules it. I have read some reviews that say she’s an easy protagonist to dislike. She is often blunt and rude and cruel, and whilst I understand their point, in a weird way, because I don’t promote that kind of behaviour, that was almost what made me like her. She was different.
Her charge Grace is described as an unusual girl. It’s never specified why. My assumption is there’s possibly some autism going on – something that won’t have been discussed at the time. And you may feel she slips under the radar at times. But for me, she’s the best person to play off of Marta. She’s only a child and so often has to follow rules, but there’s definitely a power she holds over some of them, a mysterious quality, and I just really enjoyed reading about her.
There’s a plethora of other character, and whilst I won’t go into detail about each of them, I think they’re all well developed and crafted. I did think maybe I’d like a bit more regarding some of the lesser maids, as they’re often just there to sneer. That’s not a bad thing, what’s there is great, but I just wanted more meatiness.
It’s also very female heavy. We see maybe half a dozen men in the entire book. Going back to what I said about women being subservient during that time, it’s great to see them with this power. They hold the attention wonderfully.
Fyneshade itself becomes a star character. It’s creepy and old and dark and secretive, and it takes a life of its own in such a fabulous way.
There is this magical undertone to the story and again, I wished that had been dialled up just slightly more, but I did find the idea of it fascinating. The capability of it, and how Marta can use that to her own gain.
It wasn’t filled with twists and turns and red herrings, for me. Let me explain. That’s not a negative. I like a twisty thriller as much as the next person, but I felt this was so subtly thrilling, that it still kept you on your toes, and made you feel uncomfortable whilst reading it – in the best way possible.
And I know we don’t judge books by their cover (yes we do), but regardless of what they say, this was a really beautiful cover.
I think it’s going to be one I share with my fellow bibliophiles.
Books By Your Bedside 