Woman on trial for murdering her employer/lover and a household rival. Period piece that deftly portrays the helplessness of servants and class warfare.

This historic novel is set in rural Maine in the 1850s, it is winter and life is physically hard. A new maid Lucy Blunt turns up the household of the Burtons – their previous maid has just been found dead in an icy pond – apparently drowned. Lucy will immediately be on trial in the household – under the strict scrutiny of the other servants first and then the upstairs residents of the household, Mr and Mrs Burton. The latter, needing unspecified special care has as her companion her sister-in-law Rebecca who is unmarried and resentful of her place in the household.
This is a very clever and vibrant novel, compelling so that it pulls the reader along at speed. But at the same time almost casually drops more and more background details. Details that could be said to build the background – or maybe question what you have already been told. Without giving away too much of the tale it is presented through three threads of the developing story.
We have the straightforward settling of Lucy into the household – first proving herself as a suitable and competent maid. With experience that role will change to that of “companion” to Mrs Burton thereby seriously annoying Rebecca. However, it is made clear from the very start that Lucy – if indeed that is her name – has lied to get the job, raising the possibility that everything subsequently told is a lie too. Lucy will look back to her previous life, certainly not the expected one of a kitchen maid. This will include her family background and past challenges and start the story of how she reached the place she is. The third thread will be Lucy in jail because she has been charged with killing Mrs Burton and Rebecca both – something that she is denying.
Taylor Blakemore handles all these themes, placings, characters and issues with wonderful certainty and skill. This helps to make the story so believable, even when we are faced with constant contradictions of storylines as presented by the characters. It means that the reader cannot take words on trust and has to think through the possibilities and what might be real. With complex characters and emotions, interlaced with characters needing to deal with the pragmatics of life in not ideal situations – this makes for an interesting read as one has to constantly re-assess what you have already been told. Then of course, there are the possible murders – or were they? Not your usual crime novel, but an extremely fine one. Lots of questions, not necessarily the right answers, but the challenge of thinking through the behaviour of people.

Set in 1800 NH, The Companion tells of the reflection of Lucy Blunt's life, or is it someone else's. Can you trust what she's telling you as she faces execution? Is it the truth, or the truth as only she sees it?

As we learn how she got to where she sits, we get to know those she knew along that journey. While her life was a bleak ordeal fraught with hardships, jealousy, and deception, I felt the mystery and suspense intrigue was not as strong as the fact that it was simply a good historical fiction read. That aside, I think this author has much to offer in future writings, and it will keep you reading to the end. The detail and meticulous efforts in the writing here, through dark, reflect the times so well.

Thank you to NetGalley to Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

I did not like this book. For the first two thirds of the book or so, I was confused beyond anything and I was so close to DNF'ing this one. The narrative moves between present day Lucy in the jail, waiting for the moment she's going to hang and past Lucy who comes to the Burton home under false premises and tries to get work. The problem for me is that there are no markers what so ever between when we are where and the past story is written in the exact same way as the present story line, as if Lucy is telling someone what happened. I hated this, I don't like switching time or pov in the middle of a chapter and especially not without any indication.

I liked the concept of the characters well enough but the execution was way, way, waaaaay of for me because of the way it was written. I sadly feel like I wasted my time reading this one, it needed a major rewrite if you ask me. I love unreliable narrators and the way stories like that twist your mind, but its difficult to manage and even more so with dual time lines and everything. And for me, <i>The Companion</i> did not do any of that.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In The Companion by Kim Taylor Blakemore we have a multilayered story of a condemned woman and the acts that led to her date with the hangman. Set in the 1850s the book takes a swipe at many social issues of the day. The constricting social roles of women. The injustice of the legal system. The gulf between those with means and those who serve them. Mental illness, drug addiction, and obsession make an appearance as well. But instead of a complex story of a young woman at the mercy of the patriarchy the story is muddied and bogged down with no clear, overriding point. Is it a love story? A domestic suspense set in the past? An attempt at literary women's fiction? I couldn't get a grasp on what the author wished to say.

The story is told in drips and dollops, doled out as the scene shifts from the days leading up to Lucy Blunt's execution to the events that led to her conviction. The prose is gorgeous, almost lyrical, but Lucy herself is not very likeable. Neither are her victims. Her employer is not cruel enough to garner sympathy for his wife, nor is he negligent enough to warrant her descent into the laudanum bottle. Mrs. Burton's escape into the arms of her maid seems petty and contrived, an act to get his attention or perhaps to alleviate her boredom, not a passionate affair. The jealousies of Rebecca and Lucy are too stilted to warrant vengeance. It's not a badly written book, but it's not what the reader expects from the descriptive blurb.

Perhaps the biggest issue I have is that the book is, at its heart, a same sex love story. Not that a same sex love story can't be a great book, but there was nothing in the blurb about the LGBT content. That may or may not have affected my decision to read it, but it would have set the tone a lot better. I expected a twisty thriller, like Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace, not a jealous maid and lady's companion vying for an unstable woman's affection. The person I felt the most sympathy for was the husband. He was a good provider, turned a blind eye to his wife's proclivities, and seemed to be guilty of being a product of the time rather than a brute.

While Ms. Blakemore's story falls flat in it's ambitious attempts at social commentary it is not a bad story. I wanted to know how it all played out. Whether Lucy would hang, or if there would be a last minute reprieve. I enjoyed the descriptive language and the bleak feel of the New England mill town. It's worth the investment of time to see how it all unravels. I leave it to other readers to decide what category the book belongs to.

Author Kim Taylor Blakemore has written a riveting historical novel with many twists and turns. Lucy Blunt seems to be a victim of circumstance as she was being raised by her father, who is a drunk. As the story unfolds, it seems Lucy was trying to survive any way that she could, from stealing from her employers to possibly prostitution. Being thrown out of her father's home due to being pregnant by a married man, Lucy is devastated when her baby dies. Using different alias, Lucy goes to work until circumstances cause her to change locations again. The brunt of this story is told from the past and then the present situation, Lucy is set to hang for the murder of her last employer's wife, Eugenie Burton, who was also Lucy's lover, and her employer's cousin, Rebecca. The mystery behind the murder's is weaved throughout the story. Lucy claims her innocence right up to the end but it is never really clear as to who the murderer was. Lucy declares Rebecca as the killer and in the way it is depicted, it is possible. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and I envisioned each scene as it progressed. Author Kim Taylor Blakemore completely drew me in as each chapter was read! I look forward to seeing what more this talented author will be writing next

Unreliable narrators, openly interesting relationships that run the gamut and an unlikeable at first protagonist. Is Lucy telling the truth? Only you can decide.
A very good historical novel, that I greatly enjoyed, with themes that I'll discuss on my blog later.

I was so excited for this book because it seemed in the same genre of Alias Grace which I absolutely devoured. I loved the unreliable narrator who we as the reader (along with other characters in the book) desperately wanted to believe but left us questioning everything and everyone.

Things I Liked:
1. Unreliable narrator
2. None of the characters were completely likeable. There were things that made you question their intentions and actions. They were sometimes wonderful and other times wonderfully cruel.
3. LGBTQ content!!! In 1850s America!!!! So rarely seen in novels and I loved that it was involved in this story (no spoilers for who or how though)
4. So suspenseful. I read the last 40% late into the night because I just couldn't put it down and had to know how it ended.

Things I Didn't:
1. The story was a little hard to track and I almost feel like I need to read it again so I don't miss anything. Time jumped between the present, past, distant past, present, back to recent past without any kind of indication time had changed. I couldn't get a handle on tracking until about halfway through.
2. The ending will not be satisfying for some. It seems like you got a resolution and the truth is finally out but did you really?

Overall I would definitely recommend this to fans of Alias Grace and I will be rereading again in the future!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Lucy Blunt is in prison and sentenced to hang for double murder. The story is told from her perspective as a maid in a new household, her role as companion to the Mistress of the house, then finally as a prisoner for a crime she claims she didn't commit.
Really good historical crime fiction. I really didn't like Lucy's character at the beginning, but the flashbacks to her past and the way she's treated by the other servants made me see her in a different light.

The Companion is an intriguing story told from the point of view of Lucy Blunt, a young woman sentenced to death by hanging. While she waits for news on her appeal her story is told with twists and turns along the way. It is hugely atmospheric and recounts perfectly the baser human instincts of loyalty and betrayal. However, it did lose me along the way sometimes, particularly when it jumped from Lucy in her prison cell and the events which led her there. It was a dark read, gloomy and I found it hard to remain focused on the story at times. The characters just didn’t engage me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy
#TheCompanion #NetGalley

<i>Fingersmith</i> meets <i>Alias Grace</i>. But, Lucy isn't as engrossing as Grace and her love affair with Gene isn't as enthralling as Susan and Maud's.

I think I would have appreciated this more had a few more things been flushed out a bit better, but there are a lot of loose ends. Who killed Mary? What was Rebecca's motivation in all this?
And, really, Lucy didn't need that many tragi-secret backstories. One is actually enough. Historically, it doesn't take much to put a woman down on her luck and have no one believe her/be in her corner, so maybe stop at the one cause. Extras don't make it more believable or more sympathetic.
The denouement is also a bit chaotic, the big reveal of the events that lead to Lucy's imprisonment all happen in a rather madcap fashion that left me as much befuddled as enlightened.

That being said, I enjoyed this read and I think the frame narrative is really successful - I actually think I found it more compelling than the central plot. As Lucy is waiting for her execution (or stay from it) her days in prison are filled with interesting reflections, interactions with other characters (new and previously established), and come the conclusion of the novel, I think everything felt narratively earned.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc to review.

I recieved a copy for review from NetGalley in exchange for review. Overall I very much enjoyed this one. It was slightly mysterious and featured a main character who was very flawed and of questionable character, yet her story was very poignant and resonated with the reader. The novel alternated between the protagonist Lucy's past and her current situation in prison for murder. The back and forth between time periods with no warning was the only real issue I had with the novel. I found it sometimes hard to follow, and was annoyed at the changing back and forth. I also expected a but more explanation of a few mysteries in the book that never were fully addressed. It's a solid "3" for the entertainment and characters.

I really enjoyed this book, its full of drama and twists. My first book to read by this author I will read all her work. Very good.

A well written atmospheric book...It centers around Lucy Blunt and what happens when she gains employment with the Burtons...It waived between Lucy in prison and what led up to her going to prison...Lucy is haunting in her narrative....
My thanks to Nergalley and the publishers for a free ARC.

Lucy is serving as a washer in the home of a woman she's fallen in love with, but Lucy is on the run from a past and an exploitative father that finds her no matter where she goes. He holds secrets that she would kill to keep quiet. But is she truly guilty of the things that land her in a cell awaiting the gallows? Perhaps, perhaps not. Dual timeline plot, told from Lucy's point of view, and just spectacular character development. I enjoyed every minute of this twisty tale and Lucy is one of the first characters in a very long time that I've genuinely liked. She's feisty, spirited, and intelligent. Absolutely great read.

The Companion is a top-notch piece of dark historical fiction with an unreliable narrator. Lucy Blunt tells us the stories of the murders she's about to hang for. She's not responsible for any of them. Or is she? As a reader I wanted to believe Lucy, but I also didn't trust her: there were so many troublesome loose ends and unlikely details. If you like historical writing, if you like mysteries that may never really be resolved, this is a book for you!

[I will put my review on Goodreads and Amazon closer to the publication date.]

The Book was a quite a thriller with many twists. The story was narrated from the point of view a doomed woman Lucy Banks. The story is set in a historical background which was very interesting and added to the interest in the book.

I loved this book but it was a bit drawn out in parts, which makes you wander out of story for a bit. Short review due to lack of time, but will update the review in details once I get some time.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Lake Union Publishing, for the ARC.
This is an intriguing book, but I really can't rave about it.
This is Lucy Blunt's story, her reflections upon the circumstances which have brought her to prison, having been condemned to death by hanging there are some who are still working to overturn the sentence.
It's 1855 in New Hampshire. Lucy arrives at the Burtons' mansion for the position of washer-up/maid. She has forged her references which are only cursorily glanced at by Cook. She's there to replace Mary Dawson who had recently drowned in a near-frozen river.
Mr Burton is a mill owner and his cousin Rebecca is his wife Eugenie's companion. All doors are kept locked and upstairs is quite a mystery to Lucy until she spies Eugenie one day entering the house unconventionally and realises the Mistress is blind.

Eugenie begins to enjoy Lucy's company to Rebecca's. causing a catastrophic rivalry. Lucy is a murderess - or is she? Lucy is a thief - or is she? Is she misunderstood?

This is an historical drama, but I found the constant references to the frozen ground, ice and freezing temperatures all too detailed and rather tedious. Yes, there was well-written atmosphere of the time - the horse/carriage/cart transport and dated dialogue, but I didn't find any of the characters particularly interesting. It was all, well, a bit boring.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author Ms. Kim Taylor Blakemore for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The Companion".

This is an absolutely delicious read!

Drawn in to the characters immediately, there was no stopping this book...dark and atmospheric with an "Atwoodesque" feel, this is exciting Historical Fiction.

It's 1855, New Hampshire;
From behind prison walls "Lucy Blunt" reflects on the circumstances that brought her here. She is soon to hang in the gallows for heinous crimes...that she may or may not have committed, its difficult to know...

Weaving a rich tapestry of lusts, possessions, and hate, her story is a compelling one as she narrates her life before prison and now on death row.

"Lucy" has a strong descriptive voice that emotes feelings of suffocating hardship, which women can fully appreciate, throughout this Victorian Era story. Struggling with what is about to happen, we listen helplessly as "Lucy" has to accept her fate and come to terms with the choices she created.

A little too wishy-washy for me, although there were some passages of tense plot exposition and dark description of surroundings.
Who exactly is Lucy Blunt? Not a thief, although she has stolen, not a murderer although she has killed.....
I liked the switching between the present day and the events leading up to Lucy’s imprisonment, that kept the tension high. However, my attention drifted an awful lot throughout the book and around halfway I realised I just didn’t care about any of the characters enough to give it my full attention. Peripheral characters came and went, without ever adding much. There’s an excellent book in here but it was swamped by melodrama, well worn tropes about female relationships and a jarring sense of having read similar yet superior novels. It was also unsure about where it was set, which was irritating. I’m not sure the domestic set up would be applicable in the US at that time and it ticked along as if it were set in an English stately home before throwing in the odd anachronistic mention.
Excellent Reading Club questions at the end for readers who enjoyed the book, but it just didn’t gel together sufficiently for me to like it a lot.