I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The year is 1349. The people of Develish have been living in quarantine under Lady Anne’s orders and have miraculously survived the plague that has been wiping the whole of England clean. However, while closing the town off permitted them to save their lives, it is now causing its own set of problems. Food supplies are running low, and unless someone is willing to venture into the outside world in search of food, the people of Develish now risk succumbing to starvation.
I will start off by saying that this is the second book in Minette Walters’ The Black Death series (the first one being called The Last Hours) and I obviously only realised that after starting to read this one (somehow, I have a knack for doing that). However there is an extensive description of the characters and their back stories at the beginning of the book which helped me get the gist of what was going on. So, it can be read as a stand-alone book, but I still feel like I would have enjoyed it more, had I read the first one beforehand.
This story for me was quite different to the historical fiction that I am used to read and it is, in part, because of Lady Anne’s character. Her husband Richard, Lord of Develish, succumbed to the pestilence so she took it upon herself to protect the rest of their people and quarantined the town in order to prevent the spreading of the disease. Lady Anne is a well educated and very compassionate woman. She is also a figure of authority and has earned her people’s respect and devotion after saving them from the plague.
The character of Thaddeus Thurkell is just as interesting. He was born a serf but gained his Lady’s admiration after proving his value to her (namely by venturing into the outside world with a group of young lads in search for food and news from neighbouring towns). He is a strong-willed, vigorous and kind character and the boys that surround him have naturally fallen under his authority. As a repayment for all he achieved for Develish, Lady Anne comes up with a plan of pretending that he is a distant relative to her and making him Lord of Athelstan, therefore raising him to the status of noble man. While the people of Develish are happy to accept this since they love and respect Thaddeus as much as they do Lady Anne, people from different towns will try and make Thaddeus out to be an impostor, mainly because he is “dark-skinned” (as described in the book) and they cannot accept that someone who isn’t white could be anything but a serf.
I’ve read some people say that Lady Anne’s beliefs and behaviours are too modern for a story set in 1349. I don’t agree with that. After all, it might be historical but it’s also a work of fiction so anything goes. I like Lady Anne, she has a lot of feminist qualities and it’s refreshing to see that portrayed in a Middle Ages society. Also, I’m sure that there were women with similar beliefs and behaviours in those days too, it’s just that they’ll have been squashed from the history books.
While I found a lot of criticism about Lady Anne in other people’s reviews, not many have mentionned Thaddeus Thurkell’s “dark skin”. It is clear from the book that Thaddeus isn’t white (though it isn’t clear what race he actually is) and that’s one of the main reason why people are so ready to accuse him of being a fraud. By raising him to the status of Lord, Lady Anne is being progressive for her time (once again, some people might argue that this is too modern to be realistic but I think it’s a nice touch, to me Minette Walters is giving representation to people of colour, who didn’t have any back in those days and it’s a breath of fresh air compared to the usual rigidness of historical fiction.)
Religion also constitutes a big part of the book as people wonder whether the plague was sent by God to punish them for their sins, and whether only sinners died from the pestilence. Differences of opinions between priests start to emerge and people can’t decide who to listen to anymore. While the people of Develish managed to survive the plague by maintaining standards of hygiene and steering clear from infected people; people from different towns believe that their fate is in God’s hands. Their devotion to God is so that they cannot fathom any other method of surviving and they will therefore label Lady Anne and her people as a bunch of heretics for daring to think differently.
When you think about it, all about this book is progressive for the time period that it is set in: the place of women and people of colour in society and the turning away from God as being the be all and end all of everything; and that’s what makes it so interesting. As I said before, historical fiction can be quite rigid as it tries to mimick the customs of the time period it reflects, but this one offers different perspectives while still remaining believable.
I would give this book a four stars out of five, only because it was harder to follow without having read the first one, but otherwise this is a very impressive piece of work by Minette Walters!

The second in this ambitious and enthralling and spellbinding series . It continues the farsighted and ambitious plans of Lady Ann to help her subjects survive the Black Death and serfdom. The people of Develish are still ensconced in their moated refuge but supplies are dwindling. They owe their survival to the guile of Lady Ann who is branded by others not in her sway as a heretic. Her plans are fulfilled by The brave and trustworthy Thaddeus who was a serf and she secretly educated him. He has become a leader of men and sets out on forays with Five trusty young men to find the lay of the land after the plague.
Lady Ann and Thaddeus devise a plan to make a bid for freedom for her people. It is brave, adventurous but perhaps foolhardy.. life threatening struggles ensue along with other unforeseen incidents none less than being brought to trial for heresy.
A good and thrilling read.

Very good. I enjoyed this sequel to The Last Hours and highly recommend this. The characters and setting were very detailed both in historical accuracy and design.

Set back in the 14th century it is difficult to understand the different views held by the people - but Minette Walters describes the difficulties of the time so well that you almost feel as though you are there.
The plague seems to have run its course and seeking information about the surrounding area is imperative. Thaddeus takes the 5 boys implicated in the death of Jacob and the machinations of Lady Eleanor out into the countryside to search for food and information. The devastation of the country and the strong ideas of the Church are well researched as too the hierarchy of the time .
I liked that at the beginning of the book was a synopsis of the previous book, The Last Hours, which served as a refresher.
Maybe not quite as engrossing as her previous novel but still worth 5 stars.

This continued the story started in the Last Hours. Again well described characters in a well depicted world in the time of plague. with a fascinating plot

TW: mention of rape and sexual assault

Depicting the aftermath of tragedy with a skilled eye for historical detail, Minette Walters’ much-anticipated sequel to The Last Hours nonetheless falls into much the same traps as its predecessor, neglecting character for plot and continuing to leave the reader somewhat dissatisfied.

Isolated and alone, the once-strong people of Develish find themselves stranded in a countryside ravaged by plague. So far, their leader Lady Anne has kept them safe, as indeed she did when her tyrant of a husband was still alive, but with food stores rapidly dwindling and no news from the outside, their situation looks desperate. There is, however, the possibility of salvation, embodied by loyal serf Thaddeus Thurkell: gathering together a group of village boys and setting out from the small demesne, he alone can secure the future of Develish. But such a reprieve cannot come lightly, and so faced with near-certain destruction, Lady Anne and Thaddeus hatch an audacious plan to save Develish, and guarantee the future of all its people…

Once again, Walters’ talent for meticulous, accurate description shines through in her second historical novel, ably continuing the complex story contained within the first book. The medieval landscape depicted in The Turn of Midnight is a particular highlight of the story, as is Walters’ more general focus on European culture and society in the 14th century. Her penchant for real places and realistic plotlines can only aid the novel’s narrative, and indeed encourages the reader to find out more about this crucial period of British history.

However, despite all her research, Walters’ sequel to The Last Hours cannot help but retain many of the same flaws present in that first novel, especially as regards characterisation; and once again, the main culprit is Lady Anne. Her knowledge, her beliefs, and her sheer insight are simply too modern to ever really let her feel real, and as a result, the reader is left mourning the idea of what this protagonist could have been. This flaw is a pitfall of character development, an issue shared by much of the novel’s main cast.

But the problem of modern anachronism in the novel runs deeper: in essence, it represents a general lack of development as regards the characters of The Turn of Midnight. Nowhere is this inadequate character-building more evident than in the relationship between Lady Anne and her strange, spiteful daughter Eleanor. Not only does Walters’ second novel reflect the same understanding of the Madonna-whore complex so apparent in The Last Hours, in which Lady Anne plays saintly witness to her daughter’s unabashed sexuality and uncontrollable anger, but this dichotomy is misused further if we contemplate the abuse Eleanor has suffered.

As we discover at the end of Walters’ first book in the series, Eleanor was made pregnant at the age of fourteen by her own father, an act that even to medieval sensibilities is heinous. That the characters of the novel cannot reconcile the brutality of what is effectively rape, with Eleanor’s own unpleasant personality, perhaps reflects more harshly on Walters’ story-telling ability than on any historical attitude towards sexual abuse.

Yet perhaps the greatest disservice Walters does to Eleanor is simply to relegate her to the background. Once so flawed, so selfish and yet to the reader so compelling, Eleanor has slipped into bland, forgettable stereotype by the novel’s conclusion, her savage nature tamed and her commanding voice silenced by a newly-discovered humility. Without the character growth necessary to justify such a powerful transformation, the reader feels just a little short-changed by Walters, and indeed by the story as a whole.

In an epic depicting possibly the worst pandemic in human history, and in primarily narrating a tale of survival against the odds, it just seems such a shame that Walters’ characters – the main actors of this historical drama – never quite manage to hold the reader’s attention, even when they are centre-stage. In addition, a reliance on the most basic of stereotypes not only limits the novel’s narrative arc, but is actively harmful when it comes to Walters’ under-developed female characters.

The Turn of Midnight might be set in the Middle Ages, and its protagonists certainly medieval in custom, if not in attitude, but it is Walters’ portrayal of her characters that is most firmly stuck in the past.

(Thank you so much to Atlantic Books and Allen & Unwin for offering me the chance to review this book; I received a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review).

I enjoyed this book.. catching up with characters from the first book. Although I felt the story didn't flow the same as the first. Still a good read tho

The Turn Of Midnight is the sequel to The Last Hours, I would suggest that you read book one first, where the characters are introduced to really appreciate this book which continues the story.
Book one began the story in June, 1348, as the Black Death arrived in England via the port of Melcombe in Dorset. We met Lady Anne, who soon took charge along with Thaddeus Thurkell, and they make the decision to quarantine the estate of Develish. The Last Hours follows the lives of the estate villagers and the struggles that the plague and the decision to quarantine brings.
The Turn of Midnight picks up the story, as 1349 approaches, and the Black Death continues to spread across England. In Develish the people remain in quarantine, still lead by their young mistress, Lady Anne. However when their stores and rations begin to run out they need to make a choice of whether to leave the safety of their estate.
The basis of the book is about the plague spreading throughout England, and this could have made the book a bleak read, however it is so well written that it keeps you gripped from page one. You really get to know and feel for the characters as they are so well developed, especially the main characters, Anne and Thaddeus. The descriptions of the estate of Develish and Dorset really bring the locations to life and you can see, hear and feel how they would have felt in the quarantine situation, with the fear the plague would bring.
I felt completely involved in the story and read the book over a rainy weekend. I would recommend the book but would advise reading The Last Hours first.

I LOVED the first book, and keenly awaited the arrival of its sequel; I was delighted when I finally received it and dropped all other reading material immediately in order to get stuck in.
And my opinion? Well, I did enjoy it, and it was good in parts, but I have to confess that in the end I found Thaddeus' journey, and the lllooonnngggggg....interview of Lady Anne on which his fate rested a little tedious. Furthermore, having been a fan of Thaddeus in book one, I became irritated by the sheer *perfection* of this man, born a serf, yet apparently able to carry himself off as gentry without detection.
It was great to catch up with events, but my overall feeling was that the book needn't have been quite so long!

This is less a sequel and more a direct continuation of the previous book, The Last Hours and if you haven't read that, this will make so sense whatsoever.

I'm sure the story proceeds at a similar pace to the previous and there will be some lovely touches, but I couldn't finish it due to the shocking inaccuracies in the actual history of this historical novel. In places it is just plain wrong, in others so wide of the mark it descends into parody.

Ms Walters has done no background research into the era and relied almost entirely on Braveheart and Walt Disney's Robin Hood. She has peasants telling the time in seconds, Saxons and Normans running amok in a land that was revelling in its Englishness, a noble lady calling everyone 'sir' like a stroppy supermarket cashier, bandying about specific feudal terminology without ever defining what it means and therefore getting it wrong. And to take the biscuit, documents with the king's 'signature' at the bottom.

She also can't even keep in character within the narrative. A set of twins who My Lord of Bourne has never seen before, and yet he suddenly knows the name of one of them and refers to it in his stream of consciousness.

True, I read an uncorrected proof, but for these errors to even make it this far means they are going nowhere.

After previously reading and enjoying Minette Walters The Last Hours I was most interested to find out how the story of the quarantined inhabitants of the medieval estate of Devilish in what would now be the county of Dorset would conclude. To gain a full appreciation of the novel it would certainly help to read The Last Hours first but if this is not possible a useful comprehensive summary of the plot so far and a biography of the characters can be found in the forward.

The story starts where The Last Hours ends. It is 1348 at the time of the Black Death which swept Europe claiming a death rate of an estimated 20% of the English population. Devilish has the good fortune to be guided by the (for the time) progressive Lady Anne who has managed to save the population of the estate by isolating it. Of course at that time the cause of this devastating plague (oriental rat flees carried on black rats ) was unknown and this ignorance exacerbated the scale of the pandemic. The general belief propagated by the corrupt church and the Norman overlords was that the plague was the will of God brought on a sinful populace.

With the countryside a decimated wasteland the heroic and charismatic Thaddeus Thurkell leads a group of fellow serfs on a dangerous adventure seeking a hidden dowry, fresh supplies and news of the extent and continued potency of the plague. As the story unfolds a plot emerges that through subterfuge and imposturing the serfs of Devilish will become free men but to succeed they must overcome Anne's duplicitous former steward and Thaddeus must pass himself as a Lord in the eyes of the cruel and self serving steward to the vacated Lord of the region. This is a time of feudalism and rigid social hierarchy and to be found guilty of such an act of deception will lead to an inevitable execution.

I liked Walters descriptive writing and she gives you a real sense of the fear, horror and desolation that would have been prevalent when journeying through the countryside at that time. Also it is overladen with a sense of social justice, equality and the need to question and be free of superstition. Perhaps Lady Anne is a little too perfect but she is representing an early form of feminism and an enlightened altruism that the modern reader can relate to. Overall I thought the time reading the two books was well invested.

Another period masterpiece by a highly talented writer. Drew me into the story & the period, all the detailing was superb, characters and storyline captivating. Best historical fiction book of the year for me.

Certainly a book for fans of historical novels that retell events complicated by a turmoil of deception and greed. Walter's description and interaction between the characters ensured I quickly became engrossed in the world inhabited by the survivors of the pestilence - their sorrow and fears became mine and I was just as determined as them that good would prevail.
My only niggling doubt about this was that, despite the awful events arising from the pestilence and the main characters' struggles to overcome the animosity of jealous stewards and clergymen, everything seemed just a little too easy for them. Also, whilst I fundamentally admired the main character. (Lady Anne) and her ethical code and methods, I began to find her 'niceness' just a little too much and too grating. However, this was not too annoying a feeling to prevent me from really enjoying this.

Thank you to NetGalley and .Allen & Unwin for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series. It was interesting and informative in places but I also found it hard going in places as well. I am a fan of Minette Walters and would definitely read more of her books. I found this book did not engage me as much as some of her others.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was given a free copy of this book by netgalley for a honest review.

Walters knows how to combine the right historical details and characters that pop off the page to give you a immersive medieval experience.

The sequel to The Last Hours continues the story of the people of Develish, Lady Anne and Thurkell in particular, although the younger and older generation aren't missed.

With the Black Death seemingly on the wane, Thurkell and the five young men who accompany him, are able to move around Dorsetshire with more ease. The bleak aftermath of the plague is never far from them, and the depictions of a deserted landscape are haunting.

The suggestions of social mobility, explored throughout The Last Hours, and by the serfs of Develish, who have long worked in secrecy to buy themselves out of serfdom, are cast into stark relief when Thurkell comes into contact with different demesnes, where the Norman Lords have ruled through the threat of the Church and the whip. Perhaps more than anything, it is this which truly reveals the hierarchical society of the time and the fear with which serfs were ruled. The ideas, conveyed against the more common sense approach of those from Develish, that even when starving the men and women of different demesnes are too fearful to eat food that is freely available for fear of the wrath of their Lord's stewards, no doubt dead, even though they've tried to outrun the plague, is shocking. Time and again, I felt rage for these fictional characters, who, I hope, are a representation of what the time period was truly like when so many were oppressed.

It is a delight of the novel, that it manages to convey the coming social changes with skill that never becomes tedious.

The novel, does, unfortunately, fail to maintain the tension of the first book in the series, and the end scenes only truly work because the reader is so desperate for Lady Anne and Thurkell to succeed in their attempts.

That said, this is a deeply satisfying novel,and it was a delight to read.

I loved The Last Hours and looked forward to the sequel The Turn of Midnight did not disappoint. It is equally as good as the first one. I was completely engrossed in it. Although it is set many centuries ago the characters and the story are totally absorbing and I strongly recommend it. In fact read them both, they are brilliant.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I am not sure what to make of this book or the previous one The Last Hours to be honest. Perhaps read the book at the wrong time.

Will the promise of freedom for serfs hold against the power of the church and the greed of noblemen?

It is the year 1349 as we see the ravages of the Black Death in England. The cause of the pestilence, introduced in the The Last Hours, is yet to be discovered. It has swept the land with such severity that many have been left unburied with fields untilled and settlements deserted. Sheep and cattle wander over the fields untended. As a woman ahead of her time, Lady Anne has saved all in her demesne and continues her role as liege lord of Develish. With her strong belief in education for all men and women, she supports her serfs with care. Alongside her steward and most trusted friend, Thaddeus Thurkell, she develops their knowledge and health. However, notwithstanding their dwindling food supplies, they need to deal with the threats of those who do not believe in freedom for serfs and interpret Lady Anne’s progressive thinking as heathen practices and black arts.

The novel unfolds with Lady Anne’s midnight visit to Lady Eleanor, Sir Richard’s illegitimate daughter. She needs to prompt Eleanor to perform an act that could inflame Eleanor’s hatred for her even further. Lady Anne is riddled with guilt and keenly feels her failure as a mother to Eleanor. To hide her pregnancy, Lady Eleanor’s vindictive lies and foolish games have driven five boys from the demesne. Thaddeus has taken them as his companions in his quest to find what is beyond Develish.

The party of six discover much devastation, and they are forced to burn down villages in the hope of containing the pestilence. Along with finding supplies for Develish, Thaddeus and the boys are tasked with finding Lady Eleanor’s hidden dowry. When Thaddeus is run off by a pack of dogs the boys find his horse tangled in a rope without its rider, they are forced to follow the trail to Athelhelm. Here their newly acquired skills are put to the test. As the novel progresses they become unrecognisable as the five serf boys that left Develish and become known as Athelstan’s men.

To her detriment, Lady Anne has no choice but to re-appoint the duplicitous and antagonistic Frenchman as her steward. His betrayal drives her from Develish in a quest to salvage her plan of freedom for serfs and bondsmen. She will stop at nothing to keep the promise she made to her people and can only hope that her allegiance with a noble will be to her advantage.

Walters writes fluidly, and her depiction of the characters accurately sketches the power wielded over bondsmen by the constrictions of religious beliefs and the rulership of the nobility. As her characters start believing that they can live as free men and women, they are enlightened by the knowledge that religion is not about penance and God’s punishment, but about forgiveness and living in celebration of it.

The novel leaves us with several loose ends which suggest that we can expect and look forward to a third in the series.

Ange

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters is the follow up to The Last Hours a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Turn of Midnight picks up the story where the previous book had finished in 1348 with Dorsetshire still recovering from the Black Death.

The story again shows how Lady Anne and Thaddus Thurkell think and act differently from other leaders and allow the people of Develish to grow as individuals.

The writing is once again excellent and the story both thought provoking and compelling as Lady Anne and Thaddus face numerous obstacles and challenges.

If you haven't read the prequel then you will be stil be able to fully enjoy The Turn of Midnight as there is a short background to the main characters at the beginning along with sufficient backstory within the actual book.

Again this book is thoroughly recommended.