Hester White fell on hard times following her parents' death, so when an accident offers her access to a better life, she seizes it without hesitation. She is taken in by a brilliant and ambitious doctor with advanced views on relieving poverty. During her physical recovery, Hester becomes part of an experiment to determine whether paupers can be improved through teaching. Hiding her early education, she progressively gains the approval of her tutor, the doctor's haughty sister Rebekah. Together, the young women try to investigate a series of apparently senseless disappearances among poor people, but dark motives are afoot that threaten to tear Hester and Rebekah apart.
Set mostly in the London slums in the 1830s, this is a fast-paced, sinister and very atmospheric narrative. Our heroines overcome some of their difficulties a little too easily to my taste, and certain elements of the plot are not new, but the author connects them to the rest of the story in a very satisfactory way. Once it becomes clear that things are not what they seem, we're constantly questioning whom to trust, which makes this book even more gripping — we simply must know what's really going on! Although the sophisticated prose may not be everyone's glass of laudanum-laced wine, some scenes are an absolute sensual treat; I think fans of Sarah Waters' Fingersmith would enjoy this novel. This is Laura Carlin's debut, and I hope we get more from her soon.
I purchased this book online.
Rating: ****
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