A great book. Despite guessing most of the twists and turns this book took, I really enjoyed it. The atmosphere of the woman’s gaol was written well. Interesting characters.

Having read, reviewed and enjoyed all three of Laura Purcell’s other novels (The Silent Companions, Bone China, and The Shape of Darkness) I can only assume that I’ve been holding off on The Corset for fear of having no more of her deliciously dark Gothic goodness to read!

The Corset, Purcell’s second novel, alternates between the narratives of Dorothea Truelove, a wealthy philanthropist with a fascination in phrenology; and Ruth Butterham, a teenage seamstress sentenced to death for the brutal and calculated murder of her employer. Fixated on testing her hypothesis that the shape of a person’s skull can cast a light on their darkest crimes, Dorothea at first is dismissive of Ruth’s own belief that her sewing needles hold a deadly power beyond her control. But as Ruth’s story unfolds – and it becomes apparent that this young woman may have more than one death on her hands – Dorothea begins to suspect that there may be more to Ruth’s plight than meets the eye.

Laura Purcell is so brilliant at capturing atmosphere in her work. From the refined confines of Dorothea’s family home to the sparsity of Ruth’s prison cell, the sense of both time and place drips from the page. Purcell’s writing is rich in description without ever becoming overblown, drawing the reader into the world of the characters.

And what a grim and dark world that is! Although Dorothea spends her days in a world of privilege and relative independence, her experience is sharply contrasted by that of Ruth. Coming from a background of genteel poverty, Ruth has known little but hardship in her short life. A natural seamstress, she is forced into labouring as an apprentice for the tyrannical dressmaker Mrs Metcalfe after a series of family tragedies. A seeming escape from penury, Ruth’s time at Mrs Metcalfe’s soon turns into a horrifying ordeal: one that may require use of her strange and disturbing powers to escape from.

To say any more about the plot of The Corset would be to spoil some of the shocking twists and thrilling turns of the narrative. Content warnings, however, for forced labour, forced confinement, imprisonment, child abuse, and murder.

I have to say that I was more drawn towards Ruth narrative – brutal though it is in places – and, at times, felt that some aspects of Dorothea’s story were a distraction rather than an addition to the central narrative thread. Dorothea’s interest in phrenology, for example, wasn’t explored as much as I had expected – although it did make a brilliant comeback towards the end! I also felt that the ending, although satisfyingly surprising, was a little rushed in terms of the way that it connected the two narratives together. In particular, Dorothea’s narrative strand took a sudden and somewhat unexpected turn that I felt could have been introduced and set up earlier on.

Ruth’s ‘power’ – an ability to transmit her feelings and intentions through her stitches – incorporates magical realist elements into the novel and I enjoyed the contrast between Ruth’s honest and fearful belief in this supernatural ability and Dorothea’s rational and scientific scepticism. I also found the supporting cast to be vividly drawn: Mrs Metcalf, in particular, is a a truly disturbing creation and it was easy to empathise with Ruth’s hatred of her. I also loved the way in which Laura Purcell uses narrative perspective to manipulate the reader into seeing characters through a particular lens, only for us to see them differently when viewed at a different angle. In a tale in which belief is central, it was interesting to have my beliefs and perceptions of several characters inverted at times!

Although not my favourite of her novels (I think The Silent Companions is still my number one), The Corset is another accomplished and page-turning gothic tale from Laura Purcell. Combining elegant and rich prose with a compelling narrative, it offers readers a creepily satisfying tale of murder, revenge, and the supernatural that enthrals right through to the very last page!

Dark, haunting and very atmospheric. Perfect for rainy days in front of the fire place. The story is challenging enough with a good level of mystery and complexity and will keep you wanting more.

I read The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell a few years ago and loved the spooky gothic nature of her writing. The Corset was just as good and was full of atmosphere throughout. I loved the story of Ruth, although very difficult to read at times, she was such a well rounded character. I enjoyed the commentary on Women's treatment in the Victorian era especially in regards to the prison system. I found the ending to be a little rushed but all in all a fantastic historical fiction book.

A creepy Gothic Tale, Laura Purcell's The Corset is a hard book to put down and absolutely beautiful writing.

I really enjoyed this creepy gothic novel. Featuring a strong independent female character, and some fascinating magic (sort of magic??) it is very engrossing. I actually listened to the audiobook of this novel, and it is a wonderful on audio. The narrator really adds to the novel, the story-telling elements of the novel are really increased by the narrator.
This book will keep you reading, it is difficult to put it down!

Rich in atmosphere and character, this Gothic tale has touched of Sarah Waters' Affinity and Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, tinged with the uncanny elements that made the Silent Companions so memorable. The Corset is brilliantly compelling and kept me guessing to the end.

This started off well for me. In fact i was sure I was going to love it. It had enough suspense and creepiness for me to turn the pages for the first few chapters. Then I didn't want to read anymore - I can't even really tell you why as I don't know, I just didn't want to continue reading. I thought maybe I'd want to go back to it, but I never have.

It's a mystery :(

Dear Laura Purcell,

What have you done to me?

From the first sentence, I was your captive. “My sainted mother taught me the seven acts of corporeal mercy: to feed the hungry; refresh the thirsty; clothe the naked; shelter the traveller; comfort the sick’ visit those imprisoned; and bury the dead.” After this, I was forced to follow where your words lead.

Then you introduced me to Ruth. “If I had been born a boy, it never would have happened. I never would have picked up a needle, never known the power I possessed, and my life would’ve gone down some other path. I might have been able to make my way in the world, to defend my mother.”

I also seem to have developed a fondness for the lingering slow burn that cradles you, rocks you into a false sense of security and then tips you just to make sure you’re paying attention.

The Corset set in fictional Oakgate could be any Victorian city of the period. This is a clever idea as it means the reader isn’t at a disadvantage if they’ve never been to London or Edinburgh or any of the major cities where stories are usually set.

The writing flows so smoothly and elegantly. At no point, during either character’s narration, is the reader suddenly thrown by a stray, misplaced word. The words weave themselves around you, wrapping you in a tale both real and otherworldly.

Purcell, who lives in Colchester, seems to have found some of the same regional magic as Sarah Perry, author of one of my favourite books, The Essex Serpent. Both of these writers are firm favourites and I honestly think I will read anything and everything they write.

I know that sometimes, with books as intricate and delicate and marvellous as this, there is sometimes a catastrophe in the writing, right at the end. Fear not, gentle reader. The Corset has one of the best endings I’ve ever read.

I hope there’s more to come.

Thank you - we featured Kate Atkinson on Caboodle (website and newsletter) in 2019! We look forward to working with you in 2020.

Amazingly dark, supernatural/magical, historical novel. Was astounded to find some of the awful events were based on truth! I don't usually find myself drawn to historical novels but the author managed to keep me entranced with the dark and magical themes entwined. I really recommend this title if you want something a little bit haunting set in the past.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was genuinely one of the creepier books I’ve read in a really long time. You're not entirely sure what is happening is real or if people are actually just a little bit mad and that's kind of its strength as a book. The way that Purcell kind of plays with reality and the inequalities that exist in the world this is very excellent Gothic writing. The writing itself is kind of gorgeous, just thoroughly excellent. The two characters that you hear form very distinct characters and draw you into their narratives in very different ways and for very different reasons.

I really enjoyed this sophomore offering from Laura Purcell. It tells the story of Dorothea, a young heiress who believes in the science of phrenology and tries to show that the bumps on a person's skull can show their personality traits by focusing on the women in prison, specifically, murderous teen, Ruth. I thought the dual perspectives structure worked really well and felt that Dorothea's chapters often lightened the mood when contrasted with the horrors discussed in Ruth's chapters (the birth scene was particularly gruesome). Dorothea is unashamedly intelligent, which was refreshing given the historical setting and similarly, the Metyard family is absolutely grotesque, almost to the point of parody. There is a hint of the paranormal throughout the narrative, but for the most part, this is very much rooted in reality and the horrors that people can inflict upon one another. I would say that some of the reveals within the plot were quite easy to see coming, but given that the narrative is so deftly woven, it doesn't impact on the reading experience and the ending is suitably sinister. Overall, I thought this was a great read and am looking forward to further offerings from the author.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Corset is a ‘gothic’ novel by Laura Purcell set in Victorian England.

The Corset isn’t a light Victorian pastiche, in fact at times it is graphically violent and bleak. There are grotesque plot twists and a pervading feeling impending doom. The descriptions of poverty in London and the British penal system of the time are quite shocking.

Loved this - wonderful brooding atmosphere and a story that draws you in. A great follow up to The Silent Companions firmly establishing the author in all things gothic.

A creepy and slightly off-kilter mystery set in Victorian times. The heroines are well-drawn and some of the indignities visited upon women are a little to graphically described. Well-written and cleverly evoked although the ending is not necessarily a happy one.

Unlike many others, I'd not read Purcell's previous novel, The Silent Companions, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As a hobbyist dressmaker, this book piqued my interest with it's concept that one might be able to kill with a needle and thread. The story features two central female characters: Ruth and Dorothea, from very different worlds who meet when Ruth ends up in prison after confessing herself a murderess and Dorothea - obsessed with phrenology - visits the prison to study the criminals and their skulls. The book was very well written and definitely recreated the period effectively for me. The books switches between the lives of Ruth and Dorothea, including when they are in one another's presence. I became fascinated by Ruth, what was happening to her and how she would deal with the cards she was being dealt in life (albeit somewhat unbelievable cards!). Sadly, I had far less interest in Dorothea, apart from when her story began to twist and turn towards the end. The ending I didn't really see coming but I almost missed it, having to go back and read it again. There is some pretty grotesque and violent events in this book, which weren't always easy to read but certainly got the message across. The descriptions of dressmaking were accurate and well-placed, something I almost neglected to mention as it blended in so well. Despite some of the slight niggles, I enjoyed this book and would read another from Purcell as I enjoyed her style of writing and the way she wrote Ruth was captivating.

Like a lot of people, I went into this book having enjoyed the author's previous novel: The Silent Companions, and I was looking forward to another gothic horror filled with suspense. This didn’t quite manage to reach the same atmospheric heights as its predecessor, but what I got instead was an interesting historical horror of another kind.

The Corset is centred around two women, Dorothea Truelove and Ruth Butterham. One, a rich and privileged woman obsessed with phrenology and how it can be prescribed to the insane, the other a murderer languishing in prison with the gift to kill using her sewing skills. The initial premise is incredibly interesting, mixing this Victorian horror with murder mystery in quite a modern way. Purcell excels at creating and describing her scenes in such a way that you can imagine the horrors unfolding around you extremely easily, and the writing itself is well done and flows well. It’s always atmospheric, and when you factor in unreliable narrators in both these women, the reader becomes deeply unsettled as to what is real and what is not, which was cleverly done and added to the story's tension.

However, I do think Purcell has moved more away from the traditional ‘gothic’ feel of her previous work and moved more into horror. Some descriptions are incredibly unsettling and gory, removing the untold subtlety that the author is more known for. I wanted to be quietly scared through clever and subtle descriptions, but I found I largely wasn’t. It wasn’t creepy enough. I wasn’t hiding under my covers like I was with The Silent Companions.

I also found the characters very unevenly matched in terms of emotional depth and development. Ruth’s backstory is harrowing and deeply upsetting, providing a sound reasoning for her attitude and behaviour. Dorothea less so. I found her quite flat, irritating and superficial. When directly comparing the two it wasn’t hard to see where most of the author's time was spent on character development. I also thought that there were too many secondary characters with large portions of the plot spent developing them only for their story’s to peter out by the end. I wish more time could have spent developing Dorothea. The ending was worked up to well, and manages to weave the two women’s stories together to a satisfactory ending that I didn’t see coming.

Wonderful writing as always, but I was expecting gothic creepy not gothic gore. Purcell certainly has a way with words however, and I’ll be picking up her next book regardless if only for the wonderful atmospheric worlds she weaves.

Had put off reading this if I'm honest as i was thinking i want to read it but naybe its too heavy for night time reading. I found the audiobook from my local library to get me started. Then the commute time decreased so had to pick up the book as I couldn't wait to know what happens.
Very moving book with a great plot. A story that drags you in and doesn't let you leave.
If you like historical fiction then this is for you. Harrowing in places but fantastic.

I found this book a bit on the slow side and a bit off drag if I’m honest. Although it’s atmospheric and and has the right ingredients for a brilliant book it wasn’t a book that took flight for me. I found that I could put it down and forget about it and did on quite a few occasions as it just didn’t grip my enthusiasm it was over long and drawn out.