Mrs England – Stacey Halls
West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.
Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby is forced to confront her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family – and she should know.
Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, weaving an enthralling story of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception. Set against the atmospheric landscape of West Yorkshire, Stacey Halls’s third novel proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our times.
Review
The book didn’t grip me as quickly as I had assumed and hoped it would. The first part felt like it dragged a bit because of that, I didn’t always feel like picking up the book and continue reading. That being said, I loved the dark atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors and the stately home of the Englands. The scene describing how Nurse May arrives at the house sets the tone immediately.
The pacing issues I had disappeared once the mystery got a bit more pronounced and the events revealing bits of the secrets started following each other more quickly. I was hooked and wanted to know all the sordid details of what was going on in the England household, as well as Nurse May’s own secrets.
In the end I was a bit let down by the revelations. Although all loose ends were tied nicely at the end of the book, I had expected something… more.
I have to admit though that the very last sentence in the book threw me off and made me re-evaluate the entire book, so kudos for that!
Release Date: June 7nd, 2021
Publisher: Manilla Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 338
Format: Kindle e-book
Source: Bought
