An atmospheric story of lies and deception, told by an unreliable narrator, that kept me second-guessing as I read along. Always tricky to trust the story of a prisoner on death row.  Through the use of flashbacks, we learn from Lucy the series of events - and the possible suspects - for the crime Lucy stands accused of. Cleverly written and steeped in vividly descriptive details, Blakemore gives readers an absorbing Gothic tale of jealousy, forbidden love and a cautionary glimpse into the precarious nature of the balance of power and false affections.   

If you like your historical fiction stories to be dark, atmospherically Gothic and character-driven with a slow-building psychological suspense, this may be the perfect read for you!

This was absolutely one of my favorite books. I love that it takes place in 1800 and its a mystery. I honest am going to reread this again because it was so good. Cant wait to find more books by this author.

This a story of a young woman, with a past, who is in prison, waiting to be hanged. For murder. While she is waiting she tells her story of how she got there. It’s hard to tell whether she is telling the truth or not because she paints herself as a bad person. Who is murdered and is she guilty or not keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The time is in the mid 1800’s and this book has a gothic feeling to it. I would easily recommend this book.

At a tender age, Mary Blunt used deception to wheedle her way into a position as maid at the mansion of the Burton family, in mid-19th century New Hampshire. It is a household with six servants who work for Mr. Burton, a textile tycoon.  His wife is blind, and retains a 'companion' by the name of Rebecca. Mrs. Eugenie Burton is childless and has resorted to taking laudanum to make her days more palatable.

When Lucy is summoned to take care of Mrs. Burton when Rebecca is temporarily absent, she gets a taste for the 'easy' life of a companion. No more skinning rabbits, emptying bedpans, scouring pots. Also, Lucy finds herself mightily attracted to the engaging Mrs. Burton. Who could blame her if she once more uses deception to secure the companion's position on a more permanent basis?

However... Rebecca has her own agenda and is not to underestimated...

MY THOUGHTS

Twenty-four year old Lucy Blunt sits in a damp and dismal prison cell. She is awaiting death by hanging. She is said to have murdered two women, but pleads innocence.

"I am not a thief, though I have stolen. I am not a murderer, though I have killed."

One must always be cautious when hearing a story told by a single narrator. After all, this narrator is bound to be biased in their own favour....  Such is the case of Lucy Blunt. Can we believe everything she says? Do we want to?

In my case, YES, I did. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her plight due to her tragic and sorrowful personal history. Her life had been filled with loss, drudgery and struggle, with little experience of love. So, if she was less than truthful - it was understandable, yet not wholly unforgivable.  Despite the more unsavory aspects of her character I found myself rooting for Lucy throughout the entirety of the book.

This is a story of lies and deception. Of a precarious balance of power, and questionable affections, betrayals, jealousies, and suspicion.

The characters were not thoroughly likeable, but in this case, I could overlook that. The atmospheric descriptions of the mansion, the servants, and the time period added to my enjoyment of the novel greatly.

I recommend this debut novel to readers who have enjoyed the work of Laura Purcell, and those who like character-driven, atmospheric historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union for this é-copy in return for my honest review. It took me a while to get into the book but I'm delighted that I stuck with it. This is a well written, intelligent novel reminiscent of “Alias Grace” by Margaret Atwood.

I recently watched/enjoyed on Netflix Alias Grace, and found out , series is based on Margaret Atwood book (thanks Wikipedia) .  The Companion's blurb  caught my eye, and I jumped at the chance to be able to read it. 

The story is set in the late 1800s in America, and told from the POV of Lucy Blunt , a young, poor woman. She is sitting in a dark, dirty , wet prison cell  awaiting trial for double murder. Lucy is not a reliable narrator and she has you doubting and double guessing the entire time. I gather that was what she wanted.

I  liked this character driven story.  While reading , I felt transported to the dark , gloomy, gothic setting , the oppressive atmosphere and limitations for women during that time. 

The Companion is an engaging read. And would recommend to readers who love Gothic stories , with an underlining romance , in this case , between two women. 
 
I just reviewed The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore. #TheCompanion courtesy #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing

Review of The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore 

I absolutely loved this dark, sumptuously written historical novel, set in the late 1800s in America. The story is told by the archetypal unreliable narrator: a young, poor woman with a shadowy past who is currently locked up awaiting trial for double murder. Switching back and forth in time, the story of Lucy Blunt’s part in the untimely deaths of her ‘mad’ blind mistress, Eugenie, and her doting maid Rebecca, slowly emerges.  

‘It is deep night, no moon. The dark rolls oily black down the walls of my cell. It spreads in the cracks like the edge of a whisper and oozes towards my mattress in a murmur and sigh. It is not quiet here. Blood drums my ears and swooshes back to my chest. Knocks against my ribs. When I shift, the straw bedding cracks like lake ice under my weight. There’s a scratch of a creature’s nails at the corner near the door and a hiss of movement as it slips through the bars. I hear the plod of the guards’ boots along the walkways and the troubled hum of the men’s dreams. Two cells to my right, Laura Reed wails. There’s an answering keen. It comes from me.’

Mysteries infuse this novel. What really happened to Lucy’s predecessor, Mary Dawson? Is Lucy responsible for the deaths of Eugenie and Rebecca? Can Lucy be trusted at all?

For me, this novel had echoes of the film The Favourite about it, in the sense that the ‘love’ between Lucy and her mistress was unhealthy and obsessive. And yet the novel was much darker in tone, sinister and heartbreaking. I was entirely convinced by the writing, and could not put this book down. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

It took a while for me to really understand what was happening in this book. It had strong characters and a strange storyline. I did persevere and finished the book but I don't really know if I did enjoy it Sorry.

Unfortunately this just wasn't for me.... 
Although written well, it was a bit too dark for me, personally.

Count the bodies.
One. Two.
Three if we count Mary Dawson.
Four if we count my Ned, who breathed and suckled three days and nights before succumbing to the augue.
All blamed on me.

I am not a thief though I have stolen.
I am not a murderer though I have killed.

Lucy Blunt has been found guilty of a double murder and is awaiting her death sentence to be carried out. During the last week leading up to her hanging, we find her reflecting on the bits of her life that paved her way to this present moment of imprisonment and imminent death. But how much of her musings can we trust to be an authentic version of her innocence?

The strength of this book is in the writing. It is a character driven book, and the gothic and gloomy atmosphere of the setting plus the pace of the book works well to portray the ambiguity and suspense surrounding each character . I was really drawn into this book and Lucy's character. Lucy isn't a saint but she is a survivor.....she has had to learn to be a survivor against her will from a very young age and you can't help but sympathise with her. Despite her best intentions with regards to people and life, she always finds herself in situations which can be best described as 'in the wrong place, at the wrong time'.....life has just not been fair to her! It's ironic that the only people who show her any kind unconditional love, respect and acceptance are the ones she befriends in prison....a place that boasts the worse of mankind is the place where Lucy is finally made to feel human.

My thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union publishing and the author Kim Taylor Blakemore for giving me an e-Arc of the book.

A surprising love story that broke my heart. Wonderful writing. A different and interesting plot. I found the characters dark and mysterious but well developed. The plot jumps around a bit so its not a light read. I quite enjoyed this book! 4 stars

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review !

The Companion
by Kim Taylor Blakemore

It took me some time to get into this story and I put it away to read a couple of other books before giving it another chance. I am so glad that I did,  once past the first 30 pages the story had me hooked. 

Set in nineteenth century Virginia, leading character Lucy Blunt takes on a job as a maid in the Burton household. A position that had recently become available due to the untimely and unusual death of the previous maid. Lucy along with a few other members of the household have secrets they keep  carefully hidden. Initially, Lucy seems indifferent to most situations and isn't that likable but once the reader learns more about her back story a certain understanding of her personality is realized and she becomes a more amicable character.

The story alternates between past and present. The setting is described as rural and depressing during a long harsh winter in the the Burton house and in the prison in which Lucy is waiting for her hanging date to arrive. The author has a great descriptive ability, I felt chilled for almost the entire read.

This is a well written, intelligent novel reminiscent of “Alias Grace” by Margaret Atwood. For readers who enjoy 19th century mystery/fiction this is an excellent book. Just stay with it in the beginning, it is well worth it.

I will say, at first this book reminded me of quite a few others. After a few chapters, it still did, but I didn’t care. 

Quite a few books deal with females who are facing the death penalty, and have their backstory told through a series of flashbacks. This one does have a bit of a twist and can stand on its own merits. 

In The Companion, our main character Lucy has had a rough go of things. Her childhood was difficult, she’d been betrayed by men, and faced horrors that I would wish on no one. She’s also painted as not exactly coming though those things with her right mind, so as the reader you aren’t quite sure what to think of the world through her lens. 

I enjoyed this read, and I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review it.

This is an interesting offering by Ms. Blakemore that held my attention throughout. It is 1855 and we retold a story of a young woman, Lucy Blunt, who is about to be hanged for a double murder. I am all for unreliable narrators, and I think Lucy is definitely one of the best I have met recently. We learn only what Lucy wants us to learn, which I find interesting as it leaves a lot to my interpretation of the character.The idea for the novel is not unique, still I think Ms Blakemore managed to write an interesting and atmospheric novel which I recommend.

A full, more thorough review will be posted on CelticsLibrary.com by 2-16-2020

Lucy Blunt sits in a dark, dirty, wet prison cell waiting for her doom. While sitting there, she is visited by a man who wants to hear her story. He feels pity for her and brings her treats that she refuses to eat. When not in her cell, she helps with the laundry, working with the Matron and couple other women. Her story switches between the past leading up to her trial and the current moment. The jumps in time can be a bit disconcerting and jarring at times without any real hint to when the time jump takes place. Her story is a slow burn, but pay close attention. There is more lurking in the shadows than meets the eye at first. Her story is a dark one filled with so many sad moments in her life leading her to her present situation, but there are also moments of beautiful bright colors of moments of stolen joy.

In this atmospheric historical suspense/ women's lit novel we find Lucy Blunt sitting in prison awaiting her hanging while reflecting back to how she got there. Set in 1855 New Hampshire and alternating between past and present (sometimes confusingly), this well paced tale featuring an unreliable narrator keeps you guessing as to what her crimes are, if she did them and will they lead to her demise. 
If you like atmospheric period pieces with a dark gritty setting I think you'll enjoy this one as much as I did.

The companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore
Lucy Blunt tells her story as she awaits her date with the gallows but can we believe her version of events? Lucy is funny, resourceful and quick to take advantage of any opportunity that comes her way. Set in New Hampshire during a cold winter in the late 19th century did she commit the murder of her mistress? The story has mystery, betrayal, forbidden love and murder at its heart. You have to have sympathy with Lucy but at the same time, her constant watching over events and people to gain advantage adds a more realistic view of the events. Just how many people did she kill was it one or two or no one? You will have to make your own mind up. Lucy has had a hard life, lost her baby and was mistreated by others .We can’t blame her for trying to improve her lot in a world controlled by rich men. Blakemore writes with sympathy and draws a harsh world for us to view. This is an excellent read by an accomplished writer. You will want to read her other work.

“The Companion” is about a maid set to be executed for double murder and her reflections on the events which led up to her current situation. As she looks back on her days working on the Burtons’ mansion, we discover a tangle of secrets and a love affair which triggered a jealousy that sets into motion a series of betrayal.

The first part of this book reminds me a lot of Jane Eyre except that instead of Mr. Rochester, it was with Bertha that Jane had a romantic relationship with. It has the same gothic feel to it and the dialogues between the characters have a subtle quality in it which invites the reader to read between the lines.

The story mainly revolves around the women in this book and the complexities surrounding their relationship with each other. And I love how their interactions felt tender but at the same time there’s a hint of suppressed intensity in it which puts into mind a taut string that’s about to snap at any moment.

All throughout the book, there’s a constant tension buildup leading up to the question of whether the main character, Lucy, would actually hang for the crimes we’re not sure she committed. However, at the few chapters where the truth was finally revealed, it kind of felt a bit anticlimactic because I’ve already predicted what happened beforehand.

Moreover, even though the writing was captivating and beautiful, I was often confused and disoriented with the time shifts since the story was told in alternating timelines of present Lucy in the prison and past Lucy working as a maid. The reason for this is that there’s no definite partition or cue whenever the time shifts so it took me a while to get used to it.

All in all, I find the book good especially the first part of it and I would recommend it to those looking for a gothic mystery story with LGBTQIA+ characters.

The atmosphere of the novel is almost gothic as New Hampshire experiences one of the bleakest and most bitter winters as Lucy competes with the companion of the lady of the house to win her favours. The slow build up of secrets, betrayals and lies is well written and I enjoyed the suspense of not knowing who died until late in the book. As the narrator, Lucy's character was well developed as events are seen through her eyes, but I would have liked to have got a better feel for both the lady of the house, Mrs Burton and her companion. Overall, an atmospheric, haunting tale of secrets and jealousy.

To be honest I just didn’t like this book. I tried so hard to but about a third of the way in I stopped reading. It could not hold my attention and I had to put it back down. Maybe eventually I can go back to it and try again but to be honest it’s just not my kind of story. The timeline and the servants. This was not for me. I’m so sorry but I have to skip this one for now at least.

I can’t say I recommend it but also can’t say I don’t. I leave that up to the readers as we all like different things. I’m sure others will love it. Just not me.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, for this eARC.