I was really drawn to the synopsis of The Beholders as I love novels set during the Victorian period.
The body of a young boy is pulled from the Thames, and it's suspected that he is the son of Liberal MP Ralph Gethin. 4 months before this Harriet takes a job as a maid at the house of Gethin and his wife Clara and feels a strong sense of unease.
This novel ticked all the boxes of a classic Gothic novel- a big house, a mystery, a tense and creepy atmosphere and a largely absent husband. However sadly, I found it very difficult to immerse myself fully and it was a very slow read for me. It was so slow paced that it became ponderous and difficult to get involved with the characters or the plot. However I do feel that there was a good plot and characterisation there and hope to read more from the author in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is just the sort of book that I love and I couldn't put it down! A brilliant dark gothic historical story set in an atmospheric old house.

Harriet is a newly appointed maid at Finton Hall and quickly becomes appointed as Lady's Maid to Lady Clara. She immediately feels ill at ease as the other servants are distant and unkind. There are rumours that Lady Clara is mad. Why does she not visit her newborn son? Why does the house have such a fast turnover of servants? Who is Master Gethin, the MP, and can his reputation as an honorable and selfless man be trusted?

There were so many questions forming whilst reading this. I loved the creepy and claustrophobic feel within the house and the slow reveal of the true nature of each character. There was such a great cast of characters which were all so well written. Despite knowing from the first page where the story was leading (as Lady Clara is accused of murdering her son) I still found it hard to predict and I really enjoyed the slow reveal of the characters intentions.
This was a brilliant historical debut and I can't wait for the next book by this author.

A gothic mystery narrated by a maid in the house of a Victorian MP. It has a unique voice and atmospheric setting, but the pacing is so slow I almost DNF several times. Not one for me.

Harriet is a housemaid waiting for her betrothed to have enough savings for marriage. Even with this live laid out for her, she feels incomplete and wants more from life. She becomes enamored with the "girl in green" both in the portrait and in real life. Clara has some sort of hold on her. So when Mrs. B passes and asks Harriet to go work for Clara's home and protect her, Harriet cannot think of anything she would love more. Even if that includes giving up the life her family had planned for her.

While in the employ of Clara, Harriet gets wrapped up in a secret and horrific ordeal that she may not live to see the end of.

This book was quite the journey. The pacing was very slow and is one of the reasons I only gave it three stars. While I agree that slower pacing can help you to bond with the characters and build the suspense, if I feel like I'm trudging through the story, I'm going to enjoy it less. It is about balance for me. If the story had moved along a bit more quickly, I may have scored it higher. All in all, I like this and would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a historical fiction thriller.

This was such a good book. I felt thoroughly ill at ease throughout, and the excellent narration by Ashley Tucker, Harriet Carmichael and Elliot Fitzgerald added to that. Victorian society is always portrayed as being very primitive and proper and on the surface, the Gethins are. But dig a little deeper and there are a lot of frightening things going on in this house.

Ralph Gethin MP, owner of the house, isn’t at all what he seems, and there’s a simple explanation why all of the staff are so attractive.

Clara Gethin’s attitude towards her baby did puzzle me, though. It’s understandable that she doesn’t like her husband and what he and his friends get up to, but why she should distance herself from her baby seemed to be out of character. There would (to me) always be the hope that Clara could influence her sons attitudes towards the staff and those less fortunate and make him less swayed by his father.

Harriet’s diary entries are a really good way of showing just how claustrophobic life as a servant could be: in one house all day, every day, not even able to get fresh air in the grounds, not really able to form friendships. It sounds awful.

This was a gripping listen, made more impactful by the different narrators. I didn’t want to stop listening!

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

I really struggled with this book. I found it very hard going and, although the story did pick up, it just didn't hold my interest.

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and the cover of this debut novel by Hester Musson is certainly a beautiful thing to behold.

We begin in June 1878 with Clara Gethin on trial at London’s Old Bailey for the murder of her own child, whose body has been pulled from the River Thames. As the wife of a highly respected politician who has provided evidence against her, things look very bleak for Clara, but there’s one person who believes – or at least wants to believe – in her innocence. This is Harriet Watkins, her lady’s maid and the only friend she has in the world.

We then go back several months to Harriet’s arrival in Clara’s household following the death of her previous employer. Her mother wants her to return home to marry her fiancé, but Harriet isn’t at all convinced that William is the man she wants to spend her life with, so instead she accepts a new position as housemaid at Finton Hall, the Gethins’ Hertfordshire estate. When Harriet begins her new job, she quickly senses that something is very wrong at Finton Hall. The housekeeper is hostile and unwelcoming, the footman seems to be hiding secrets, and the master, although largely absent, casts a shadow over the entire household. Harriet makes an effort to befriend her new mistress and is rewarded with promotion to lady’s maid, but she is concerned by Clara’s lack of affection for her baby son and her habit of dismissing servants seemingly on a whim.

The story unfolds through the pages of Harriet’s diary as she gives her account of her early days at Finton Hall and the things she experiences and observes there. The diary entries are long and detailed – sometimes more detailed than they really need to be – but otherwise the format is a good way to convey Harriet’s growing sense of unease as she learns more about what is really going on within the Gethin household. However, I think I’ve read too many similar books recently, because I found it easy to guess what was happening and wasn’t surprised at all when it was revealed. It also seemed to take far too long to reach that point – the first half of the book consists of a lot of very slow build-up and there were times when I struggled to stay engaged.

The pace picks up in the second half as the action finally moves outside the confines of the house and we learn more about the fate of Clara Gethin’s baby. This part of the book felt more original and I was less able to predict what was going to happen; I also liked the romantic storyline which developed towards the end – although it felt slightly rushed, the love interest was not the person I’d expected earlier in the book and I was glad the author hadn’t gone in that direction. Overall, I think my feelings about The Beholders are more positive than negative; I just wish it hadn’t taken so long for the plot to emerge!

Debut novel time and publishers 4th Estate are using the tagline “Some houses are haunted by the living” to promote this strong historical thriller. Written in the form of a diary from the 1870s the narrator is Harriet Watkins who becomes a maid for MP Ralph Gethin and his wife Clara. Gethin starts off a shadowy figure, often absent from home but very much respected by the household staff. Clara is seen as morose and neurotic by those living with her. Harriet, on her arrival, begins to wonder if these perceptions are twisted.
The author gives the direction this will be going in right from the start with proceedings from a court case where we piece together Clara is on trial for the murder of her infant son. We backtrack as to how this has come about through Harriet’s writings. It’s being touted as a Gothic thriller and there are some Gothic elements here but not especially so. The country house setting with an outsider trying to penetrate its secrets and what has gone on before will be familiar and I feel that it takes the first half of the book to fully get up to speed and then it goes off in a surprising way.
There’s some vivid well-drawn characterisation here (the narrator Harriet comes across extremely well) although the MP remains a little elusive as a character (intentionally perhaps as Harriet is never going to know how to react to him).
Certainly for the second half of the novel I was really drawn into some strong story-telling and this feels an impressive and commercial debut which should win Hester Musson a considerable number of fans eager to see what she comes up with next.
The Beholders will be published on 18th January 2024 by 4th Estate. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

I enjoyed the premise of this and although the twists and turns kept me engaged I really struggled with the first section (pre the introduction of Mr Gethin) as the pacing was just too slow for me. I didn't mind the diary format itself but I think the repetitive nature of some of the early entries before the plot gets going just dragged along and I was ready to dive straight in after that prologue.

I'm on the fence about Harriet a little as I loved how brave and single-minded she was towards the latter half of the book however her involvement in the mysteries in the house just clashed with the version we meet at the start as the slow pace didn't really showcase her own development to get to this point (she didn't want to go home so risking her position just seemed a little strange when she doesn't come across as an overly curious character). I liked most of the side characters though; Mrs B was a hoot and Laurence was probably the one that intrigued me the most as his plotlines were a couple of the more interesting subplots. I really wanted to know more about some of these characters for example Mr Gethin himself however with the diary format unless Harriet was outright told something or it happened in front of her we just don't know it. The nickname Clockface also made me laugh every time I came across it.

The prologue sets up the third act so you know what is coming and I did have a sense of dread knowing what was to come and was interested to see how we got there. There is definitely a turning point in the book where the action picks up and I found it hard to put down after that. There were also a couple of twists towards the end I didn't see coming; one of which hit harder than I expected as I had thought I had the whole thing figured out by then but was pleasantly surprised.

There are just so many parallels between the behaviour of the "rich and famous" in the 19th Century and today. If you have money and power they tend to get abused; sycophants abound and the disenfranchised get the dirty end of a very sharp stick.

The Beholders does an excellent job of setting all of these things out in plain sight and goes on to show, very well, how those who object to the way they have been treated (poor and rich) can and do find ways to achieve retribution.

A very worthwhile read, just try to remember when you do read it that it is set around 1870 and not 2024!

I love reading historical gothic stories, and have found some real gems through my ARC reading. However, this book isn’t going to be making it onto my recommended reads list, but this is just my opinion - if you like slower starts, this is right up your street.
The premise started brilliantly - intrigue, murder and secrets, all wrapped up around a wealthy Victorian family and their estate that hides the ugly underbelly of power from priveledge. The events are given primarily in the form of a diary entry from the main character (there are some news reports and letters in there too). These diary entries give us a glimpse into the world of the servant Harriet, who snoops where she shouldn’t, uncovering the sordid secrets that have been carefully been hidden away in plain sight, where power and prestige are enough to keep tongues from wagging.
Whilst there was the constant reference to these secrets as the story progresses, the build-up to the action was slow. Very slow. I did at one point consider DNF’ing this book, but had seen such great things about it on Social Media, that I did persist. I had to power through the first hundred pages.
But when the action began, it picked up the pace rapidly. The remainder of the book definitely held my attention better and I was constantly trying to guess what would happen next, as I was desperately hoping some of the characters would get their HEA. The author did create great tension within the story and unravelled many of the mysteries that were earlier hinted at during the beginning of the book in an almost edge-of-your-seat manner. This definitely improved the rating of the book for me and it was a welcomed relief!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hester Musson and Harper Collins for an ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review.

This book has me gripped right from the very start. With a stunning historical London setting, what starts as a young girl reclaiming her identity from society ends as a dark, mysterious tale that will leave you wanting more.

Set in Victorian England & told mostly through the diary entries of Harriet. She is a maid that went into service because she didn't feel ready to settle down in the village where she was born. Her first posting to a somewhat eccentric lady led her to meeting Clara Gethin, wife of popular Liberal MP Ralph Gethin & subsequently on her mistress's death joining the Gethin household. It is not a pleasant place below stairs as the autocratic housekeeper takes an instant dislike to her. Being suddenly promoted to the position of Mrs Gethin's maid doesn't help. However Harriet soon becomes obsessed with Clara. She is willing to overlook Clara's strange mood swings & enjoys hearing her amazing voice. She also wants to know what happened to the maid before her & why is Clara so disinterested in her child?

This is a strange book to review. The atmosphere & setting was very good, but I wanted to shake Harriet on many occasions. It led in some unexpected directions which kept me reading. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Really enjoyable to read. It had quite a slow start but it develops into a great story, so I’m glad I continued. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book

I have to admit this took a turn about a third of the way through and I briefly thought 'oh dear' but I stuck with it and by gum, I'm glad I did. I would consider this an outstanding debut. Excellent stuff.

This book was a very slow start and I very nearly DNF the book, but a few reviews I’d read said that the pace picks up so I stuck it out and the pace does most definitely pick up with quite a sinister turn of events I wasn’t quite prepared for so please check trigger warnings. Unfortunately, it then went right back to a slow pace. This just wasn’t for me I’m afraid but for someone who would love a slow historical thriller it’s perfect.
It lacked a finishing for me and just left me feeling confused and frustrated.

This was a very strange book. I very nearly DNF this but I read a few reviews where it said it picked up so I carried on. I kind of wish I hadn’t.

This book is written as a series of diary entries by our main character Harriet who has taken a position as a maid at Finton Hall.

That first 30% is a slog! It was so slow with nothing really notable happening. Things picked up when the Master returns home and then a series of events kickstarts into a somewhat interesting read.

Honestly though I was pretty bored and only finished because I felt I should give it a chance.

I think maybe the pacing just isn’t my vibe. This would be perfect for fans of historical fiction who love a slow pace.

Absolutely brilliant debut novel.
This is a dark atmosphere historical thriller that takes you into some of the more uncomfortable sides that women had to endure from men in the Victorian era.
It has many twists and turns with a very satisfying conclusion.

Harriet Watkins has gone into service and supported a beloved employer through her last years. Her family expect her to return to the country and marry her long term sweetheart but Harriet has follwed the wishes of her previous employer and gone to work at a country house. There she falls under the spell of Mrs Gethin, a fragile beauty. The house is disquieting and Harriet discovers the horrors that happen there - the master is both powerful and corrupt. She escapes and tries to help her mistress but can there be a happy ending?

At a point in this book I began to question whether I would be able to finish, the Gothic elements were laid on so thickly, however I'm glad I persevered. This is a rather good Victorian story about the venal underbelly of society and the powerlessness of women. There is redemption of a sort at the end but it's only partial and leaves the reader wanting to know more. A very good debut.

This is a historical thriller which I found grew on me the more I read becoming compelling and a real page turner. Examining themes of freedom, independence, truth and identity this was intelligently written, not only being deeply evocative of the 1870s, but also commenting on insights into power and corruption that still pervade our world today. I became really invested in Harriet and Clara's story and ended up really enjoying this debut.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.