This one was definitely a page-turner and I was enraptured right until the end! I thoroughly enjoyed the character development throughout and it is definitely one I would recommend!

This book starts off quite slowly as you get to know the characters and the goings on in the big house. Then in the second half of the book as everything becomes that much clearer the story suddenly takes off. The second half of the story is much more fast paced and addictive as you become much more invested in the characters and what really is the truth. This is an really enjoyable historical gothic read.

I do really enjoy Victorian Gothic novels and this was a decent read but perhaps not as interesting to me as it appeared to be from the blurb. Would I recommend this book ? Yes, but only if you have a particular interest in this type of Gothic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I enjoyed this book. It has a good, fairly straightforward story with a lot going on. I liked Harriet immediately and there is just enough about Clara and Laurence and what they are up to, to make the story interesting throughout.

The characters felt realistic to me and their interactions and dialogue seemed authentic. The ending was unexpected but satisfying in its way. There are no great Issues to think about or things to ponder but it is none the worse for that - I, for one, sometimes just like to read a good, undemanding story with no fancy layouts, copies of tweets etc., excessive time shifts or too many puzzles and unreliable narrators.

I thought I would love this book, it sounded exactly like the type of book I love to read.. but...It didn't quite hit the mark for me.

I love The greatest Showman so the fact this book has characters from PT Barnum's circus really intrigued me.

I didn't really connect to any of the characters and I found myself skimming though pages of the book at a time.

It is described as being full of suspense but I can't say I found that to be true.

Overall, I would read other books by this author in the future as I did enjoy her writing style I just think this book could have gone further.

Thank you Netgalley and for this arc.

I just reviewed The Beholders by Hester Musson. #NetGalley

A slow start to the story andi t took awhile for me to become involved but then it suddenly took off and was exciting and interesting through to the end. Some well described characters and good, descriptive writing.

4/5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this title.
Slightly different style than I would normally read but I found it to be a very enjoyable read. But boy oh boy, does this book need some trigger warnings. I do understand why they would not be included at the start of the book as some of them would spoil important plot points, but I would recommend adding some support websites/numbers at the end. Do not expect fast paced action. This is more of an atmospheric, slow-burn thriller. If you’re looking for a period piece with diary-style writing and an unreliable main character look no further than this book.

What an great book. A little tip don’t start reading it at 10pm. You won’t get any sleep. A Victorian gothic fiction which opens with a newspaper article from June 1878 reporting a disturbance at the trial of Mrs Clara Gethin, wife of Ralph Gethin, MP, who is accused of murdering her 5 month old baby. Told in the first person by Harriet Watkins in the form of her personal diary, but as a continuous narrative such that I kept forgetting it was a diary! It is a bit of a book of two halves where the first half is slow paced as it introduces most of the main characters, with the notable exception of Ralph. The second half really ramps up the tale as Ralph appears at his home along with friends. I enjoyed the way the pace gradually increases and I was completely engrossed.

Briefly, early in 1878, after her current mistress dies, maid Harriet is employed by Clara as a downstairs maid. The housekeeper isn’t happy and treats Harriet badly and when Clara then promotes her to lady’s maid it is clear that the housekeeper is just waiting on the masters return to see Harriet gone from the house.

This is a dark tale full of hidden secrets, secrets that Harriet is determined to uncover. When she does, and there are lots of them, there are some truly shocking moments, some really uncomfortable moments. The characters are well fleshed and none of them is perfect, but there really are some really despicable ones and although I hated Ralph and the housekeeper the one who really made my skin crawl was Ralph’s valet. A good gothic psychological thriller, some dark themes and a good story that I really enjoyed.

The Beholders is a Gothic historical story set in the 1870's .A very enjoyable story about Clara a Lady with a very controlling husband and Harriet her maid who live in Finton Hall .A very compelling and exciting plot with great characters I especially liked "clockface" the housekeeper what an awful woman ! some clever twists and a good ending .Thankyou to NetGalley for my ARC.

The Beholders was a tale of two halves for me. The first part seemed to drag on, while the pace picked up in the second part of the book. I am a very fast reader, but I feel as if I've been reading this forever. Overall my response is very lukewarm to a story that has some interesting twists. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

3/5 Thanks to NetGalley for my copy

Plain Harriet Watkins finds a position in service in the home of MP Ralph Gethin and his wife Clara. The grand house holds secrets and as Harriet finds herself a lady’s maid, she discovers that these secrets are darker than she imagined…

Plenty of twists and turns in the second half of this slice of gothic Victorian melodrama, but a slow start, and lots of unnecessary side plots (Clara’s singing, the policeman etc). Kind of like a dirty Downton Abbey.

Not bad for a debut, and good, if you like that sort of thing.

I've found it hard to know what to write about this novel, the cover is beautiful and the synopsis and good reviews encouraged me to think I'd love this book. However this was far from the truth, I didn't dislike it and I can't quite put my finger on why I couldn't get into it. The first half I felt dragged along with no indication where the story was going, just Harriets feelings about living as a lady's maid to Mrs Gethin and the household she lived in. I found the 2nd half almost seemed as though it was written by a different person, although the storyline became slightly more engrossing. I'm normally a fast reader but this book took me over 3 weeks to read as I kept picking it up and putting it back down. I'm sure it will interest lovers of gothic Victorian novels
I wish the author success with it.

A complex tale in the years leading to WW1 as recorded by a house maid as she enters a new position. Her arrival is greeted with hostility with plans to dismiss her but saved by the mistress promoting her to be her ladies maid. However the beautiful mistress and richly furnished Manor house with beautiful artifacts is not what seems as she slowly discovers. She senses hidden secrets and is caught in a sinister spiders web that she must escape before its too late. How she slowly uncovers its malignant secrets and saves those she loves is a dark story of courage and self-sacrifice

The Beholders really subverted a lot of my preexisting preferences for books.

I'm generally not a huge fan of first person POV - I often find it quite clunky and a lot of books that I DNF will be first person as it can be so hit and miss for me. This book is an absolute hit - the POV works so fantastically and Harriet's voice is so clear and consistent throughout the book. The choice of the format is incredible and allows for a few twists I did not see coming. I also enjoyed the diary format - though at times it flowed so well I forgot that the formatting was this way.

This is a beautiful Gothic mystery, blending historical fiction with thriller to delve deeply into the power rich men hold over their wives and servants - while presenting a different face to the world. Some of the characters set my teeth on edge, while others were so heart wrenchingly complex it's hard to know which way to feel about them.

I'm so glad I've already pre-ordered a copy of this book - I will definitely be rereading it again soon to pick out the details I might have missed this time around.

A tale of two women - a bit of a Gothic mystery - enjoyable stuff.

Harriet finds herself working for Mrs Gethin at Finton Hall and becomes embroiled in her life as matters turn from bad to worse, resulting in a murder trial. It's through Harriet's diary that we read about life at the Hall and the effect that it has on both women. Other servants are also involved as well as the master - and all characters are well-developed. There's not a lot of action until towards the end of the book - the rest is building up to that point. It's engaging stuff and an interesting plot. Recommended to lovers of Gothic-type novels.

For fans of Victorian gothic mysteries this one had it all. Lots of twists and turns, the big country house, London's industrial nature and some dark, menacing characters. Solid 4 stars, and will keep an eye out for this author in the future. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this gothic thriller. It was a little slow to start, but after persevering I went on to finish it in one sitting. Whilst the subject matter of the plot didn’t particularly interest me, I enjoyed the diary style format and felt the story built tension well.

My first from this author, in the beginning I was not too keen on how I thought the story was going to go. Thankfully I read on and found it to be a fantastic book, heartbreaking, intriguing, horrifying and hard to put down.
I could not have predicted any part of this book which is unusual for me, I cannot rate this higher. Very recommended.

3.5 stars

Victorian Gothic Murder Mystery
Un-reliable Narrator
Diary and Newspaper Clipping Format


I enjoyed The Beholders. The first 50% of this book did not grip me, there was a lot of 'setting the scene' which at times was a little dense. However once into the second half of this novel the stakes heightened and I was gripped. I was second guessing whether I knew where the story would end right up until the final chapter.


I would recommend this book to those looking a historical mystery.

I was provided a free ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

The Beholders lays down its mystery steadily - with the sliding of an auspicious newspaper clipping across your table and the curled lip of a cruel housekeeper.

As a gothic novel it focuses on subtly and tension first before hitting you with drama, but I enjoyed its gradual building of pace. It establishes your loyalties to mournful characters securely, and the constant reminder of a body being pulled from the Thames is juicy enough that my curiosity never slipped.

Musson does an excellent job at crafting the twists and turns of her plot; each time I found myself comfortable another character was thrown into suspicion. A smile. A secret. A withholding of information. I went to bed every night looking forward to reading Harriet’s diary entries so I could unravel the mystery. Pleasantly, while I made plenty of guesses at the ending, I was never afforded any actual certainty until the last handful of pages.

Finally, while I would struggle to say that the outcome is a truly cathartic one, it certainly flowed with the plot and I was left feeling satisfied enough.

If you’re a fan of the likes of Laura Purcell then I would certainly recommend giving The Beholders your time.

7/10 stars.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.