It's 1348 and news comes through Dorset that there is a sickness that has started in the small port of Melcombe and is spreading like wildfire. Since people become sick and turn black with seeping blood as they die, the sickness is nicknamed "The Black Death". 

Early in the story Sir Richard, a barely literate and overall vicious and nasty man, sets out with his Norman bodyguards to travel to a nearby estate, in an attempt to secure the marriage of his 14 year old daughter Eleanor. Despite regularly getting drunk with his host, and not being the most educated, he is aware enough of an underlying current in Sir Richard's house to know that something is wrong, even if he doesnt understand what.  Gyles Startout, the only non-Norman member of his retinue, after watching the surrounding village, realises that there is sickness abroad, but by the time the group leave, it is too late for nearly all of them - Gyles is the only one to survive.

During Sir Richard's absence, news reaches Develish and Lady Anne, a convent educated woman, who understands hygiene more than most, and has persuaded the people in the village that isolation of the sick, and cleanliness is best way to reduce the spread of infection. She refuses to accept the local Bishop's assertion that the sickness has come about due to sin, and that the only way to survive is to repent, and with constant praying. 

Pulling the people into the house, and refusing entry to anyone else is the first line of attack, even if it means that Sir Richard is not allowed entry to his own home. Eleanor, her father's daughter, is incensed, especially when he dies. Spoilt, illiterate, sadistic, petulant, she is barely self aware that perhaps she is at fault in anything she does and has no empathy as to the effect her actions have on anyone else.

Meanwhile, a death occurs just before the gates are shut and the serf Thaddeus has his suspicions as to who was involved. He pulls the young men, sons of the higher valued serfs, out of the imposed isolation, with an excuse that they need to find food before the stores run out. Here the book splits in two, alternating between the claustrophobia of the manor house (and all the shifting alliances) and the attempts of Thaddeus to obtain food whilst having the young men he is with actually grow up and take on some responsibility. There is a scene where Thaddeus and the group are confronted with this terror of an animal that they have never seen before, and it takes some time to realise that it's a cat - I didn't know that cats had been virtually wiped out in the 14th Century in the belief that they were the devil/a witch's familiar, and it was the loss of their ratting capability that helped with the spread of the plague. 

Lady Anne has to deal with the fact that she doesn't like or trust her husband's steward (him being Norman, and having declared his loyalty to the now dead Sir Richard doesn't help). She also has to deal with threats from outside (local Lords wanting to extort money from unsuspecting tenants) whilst dealing with the declining mental and physical health of Eleanor, who is struggling with her place in the world after her protector (Sir Richard) is no longer around to provide the love and support she thought she deserves.

There's a lot more going on in the book, and it's the first book in ages where I've actually had to sit down and be properly "Challenged". Not everything is resolved, so the book  ends on a bit of a cliff hanger - it'll be interesting on how far the story is taken.  As it is known, with the loss of so many skilled field workers after the Black Death, there is a power shift that allows the serfs to be much more in charge of where their life goes and what their worth is - no longer can the Lords rule through fear, with people dying from starvation because they are too fearful of eating the food they themselves have been growing.

There are several subjects covered, which are seen as "modern" issues, but are equally possible in the 14th Century, but I wont say more because of spoilers! I have read reviews where this book is described as a "historical dystopian" and I would generally agree with that. 

Definitely looking forward to the sequel, which I believe will be coming out in the latter part of 2018.

After a rather uncertain start with a few anachronisms of expression and tone, the author gets into her stride for her first historical novel and imbues it with her trademark qualities of suspense and pace. She has taken an unusual period and topic and fashioned them into an engaging page-turner, which revolves around the lives of both ends of the social spectrum in the fourteenth century. It explores the themes of power and privilege in a closed society with particular focus on the status of women of the period, but is essentially a story of strong characters and relationships set in the middle of a life or death struggle with the onset of the plague. All the more frustrating then to discover - rather abruptly - at the very end that this is not a stand-alone novel, and more will follow with a sequel or possibly series of further books. I found much to enjoy in the book, but definitely felt let down by its sudden ending.

“A Black Death has fallen upon our land…”

I have never read anything by Minette Walters before, but am aware she is best known for writing crime novels. As such, this is something of a change for her, being historical fiction. In fact, in a way, this is almost a modern dystopian novel, set in the historical setting of 1348 amidst the sweeping plague of the Black Death.

It is set around the household of Sir Richard of Develish, who, when we meet him, is preparing to travel to visit Bradmayne in Dorsetshire, to seal the marriage of his fourteen year old daughter, Eleanor, with Peter of Bradmayne. It is fair to say that Eleanor is not much enthralled by the thought of her marriage – in fact, the spoilt, vicious and supremely unlikeable Eleanor, is never pleased by much at all. While the convent raised Lady Anne believes in duty and education, Eleanor thinks only of herself and idolises her brutish father.

Lady Anne has no love for her husband and has given him no heir. Mostly, she avoids him as much as possible; using her keen intelligence to help protect the serfs, to teach them to read and to educate them about rudimentary health care. This means that, although the serfs fear Sir Richard, they respect, and trust in, Lady Anne deeply. So, when Lord Richard and his party encounter the plague on their trip, it means the villagers follow Lady Anne’s plan to isolate the people and keep them safe from the plague.

What follows is a fascinating look at a community, with many characters at odds with each other, isolated in a land teeming with death. There are personal animosities, the tension between Normans and Saxons, the role of the Church, the enlightened Lady Anne set against the fear, ignorance and superstitions of the time and many secrets, which emerge over time. There is also a great depiction of a society which falls apart, as plague lays waste to the countryside. There is obviously, at least one more book planned, as a sequel to this one and so this novel has no definite ending. However, it is certainly a very interesting read, with some excellent characters and a great sense of place. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

I found The Last Hours a wonderful read. Great storytelling and an easy, flowing style. There are some strong characters which meant I soon got so engrossed that nothing much was done around the house until I got to the end.

I liked the story and I liked the characters. There is plenty of detail which makes it easy to imagine the place and the people. Some are good, some bad, some corrupt and some completely evil.

The story is set in Dorset 1348 and opens just as Sir Richard of Develish is leaving with his men to travel to another estate to arrange a marriage for his 14 year old daughter, leaving behind his wife Lady Anne, his daughter Eleanor and the new steward, the sly Hugh de Courtesmain together with 200 or so bonded serfs.

Sir Richard is a pretty nasty character - a cruel, brutal and ignorant Norman lord who cares for no one but himself and takes what he wants and certainly cares nothing for his serfs. Develish is a prosperous, peaceful estate despite Sir Richard's neglect and selfishness..

Lady Anne was born Saxon, was brought up and educated by nuns and can read and write. She is the one who really runs the estate (without making it obvious to her husband) and has been quietly improving conditions for the serfs, including teaching some to read and write. Their daughter Eleanor is her father's daughter: cruel, vindictive, spoiled and arrogant.

While Sir Richard is away, a messenger arrives from the Bishop with news of a terrible sickness; that the rapidly spreading plague is a punishment from God and all should pray and atone for their sins as there is no cure and few will be spared. Lady Anne is ahead of her time and knows something of how disease spreads. She also questions the church's message that it's a punishment from God. She therefore orders that no one is to leave the estate and no one is to enter it. She brought every serf to live inside the moat and organised living and sleeping arrangements and the storage of food and medicines and then ordered the bridge over the moat destroyed to cut them off from the outside world.

The feudal system operated on the basis that the serfs were the lowest class of society, bonded to the master and his land for life and had no voice and no way of escaping their serfdom. Hugh de Courtesmain is completely shocked that there are educated serfs on the estate and that Lady Anne knew them by name and talked to them.

Meanwhile things are not going well for Sir Richard. The plague has spread to the estate where he is staying and people are dying. His party set off for home but the sickness is already among them.

Hugh is even more shocked when Lady Anne later appoints one of the serfs, Thaddeus Thurkell, to be her steward. Thaddeus becomes one of the main characters in the story but there is a mystery to him. He looks and acts different from the other serfs. He was born a bastard and is hated by his stepfather who has never accepted him as his son; Eleanor hates him and has caused and causes all sorts of trouble for him; Lady Anne quietly encouraged his learning and his hopes for a future away from Develish.

As time passes tensions rise with everyone living in close proximity. No one has died of the plague but the question is, how can the people inside the moat know what is happening on the outside? Eventually their supplies will run out, but is it safe to leave?

When a youth is found dead its not clear if it is a tragic accident or foul play. However Thaddeus arranges for the other youths that may have been involved to disappear with him and they steal away during the night, with a view to finding out if there is anyone left and to look for supplies.

I found it a really engrossing tale of life and relationships both inside and outwith the estate.

Throughout we get excepts from Lady Anne's journal and also some shocking truths.

My only disappointment was the unexpected 'open' ending. I was left wanting to know more .... then I realised that there will be a second book next year!

I really enjoyed this book - rural departure for this author but there is clearly nothing wrong with that. Obviously well researched; I learnt some interesting facts, even though I thought so knew a fair bit about this period of our history. I actually gasped out loud when I got to the end!!! Can’t wait for the next one

The Last Hours by Minette Walters is a totally different novel from anything I have read of hers before. It was an absorbing story that floated ideas about the plague I had never given thought to before. The story leaves some unanswered questions, that will hopefully be answered in the next installment from the author. I cant wait to read it!

I really enjoyed reading this. I felt connected with the characters and had a picture of their environment in the Middle Ages. I like Minette Walters writing and this did not disappoint, except that it is the first of a series. So the story isn't finished, I hope that this will not make it a long and too drawn out saga.
Meanwhile, I am really happy to recommend it.

I love historical fiction and this is a well-researched and lively portrait of medieval serfdom, with plenty to like and learn about. It is, however, painfully long and often far too slow, to the point where I felt as though I was going through the events of the story in real time: Thaddeus goes into a deserted inn to look for supplies and we get every single second of his search in mind-numbing, granular detail. If you are prepared to skim entire chapters to get to the important bits, its still a really good yarn, with characters I cared about.
When I got to the end and discovered it's only the frst book in a series, my heart did sink a bit as I enjoyed it just enough to probably make me endure the sequel - hopefuly it willl move faster!

Many writers of historical detective fiction choose to set their novels in Tudor times, or in the Roman Empire.
Minette Walters has chosen England at the time of the Black Death for hers - though to describe it as historical detective fiction isn't quite right, there is a murder, but this is much more a depiction of England at that time than detective fiction. As such it is meticulously researched, and we are left with a compelling view of an England divided into serfs (mostly Anglo-Saxon) and masters (Normans) both equally devastated by the plague. It is thought provoking in terms of what happens to a society where most of the population has died and is still dying.
It is well-written though I did find it overlong. My main gripe that means 4 rather than 5 stars is that one of the main characters, Lady Anne, is essentially quite a 21st century figure, who unlike her contemporaries recognises the importance of cleanliness, a sewage system etc and is quite egalitarian in her approach to serf/master relationships. A lot of novels are similarly anachronistic but it jars.
There are hints at a sequel. I think I'will read it.

The distant abstract horror of life during the Black Death becomes explicitly imaginable in this gripping book following a demesne's decision to cut itself off from the world to survive. Beautifully written and full of drama, it's a story of woe and hope, God-fearing and education, the undoubtably heroine being Lady Anne. Wonderful read.

Enjoyable medieval tale chronicling the sudden arrival of the black death and one community's attempts to protect themselves against it. Some good characterisation and plot but it was spoilt by the very abrupt ending, one minute they're all geared up for an enemy onslaught then the next paragraph they've jumped to a quick resume of said onslaught and the words 'to be continued'. It was almost like a child's essay with a word limit where the author suddenly realised the word limit had been reached so they needed to cram the last 1000 words into 10.

Well researched book set in the time of the Black Death of 1348 - it’s victims and survivors. This focuses more on the social shift, where peasants who survive begin to have more bargaining power as so many people die - a time where social status could change quite dramatically. I’ve read many stories set during this snapshot of British history and this one is pretty much on par.

I felt the pace was quite slow in places, not too much of a story line beyond the Black Death and the character portrayal lacked any subtlety to my mind.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Last hours by Minette Walters
Having read many of this author's books before, the surprises kept coming: it was a historical novel; the murder was incidental (though influential to the plot); it was overly long and it was a 'part' book.......

...... The latter was the most frustrating discovery. I have always enjoyed the style of this author's writing and this book is no exception. She brings to life how folk lived in those difficult times by keeping the characters central to the story and the plot. Sadly I felt it was overly long with minute details that served no purpose to the story or the plot. Having said that, I will no doubt read the sequel.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. Do not I need to say more?

This historical novel captured the whole period for me. The characters were so well drawn they jumped out of the page.. The smells, the sights of old Dorset were described in such breathtaking detail.

I was absolutely devastated to find this wasn’t a stand alone and I will have to wait for the next instalment.

A must for any lover of Pillars of the Earth. This is your next book.

This book was simply not for me. The premise sounds fascinating. The plague arrives in England, Dorset to precise and spreads like wildfire. Lady Anne, educated by nuns, realises that the sick have to be separated from the healthy and so barricades herself with her serfs and her husband's stewart in her castle and lets no one in and no one out. Her husband returning from a visit to a nearby castle is also not let in.

It felt initially very much like a dystopian novel in a historic setting, which is fascinating. And Minette Walters has clearly researched the plague and its effect on Dorset and England really well. However, there are historical fiction authors that do all the research and then tell you a story based around it without having to convey all the details and then there are those who tell you all. She tells all. Also, I struggled with seeing the 1300s through a 21st century lens. The main characters were cold and felt unreal. The rest of the cast (and there are a lot of people) were mostly unlikeable.

I think, however, what it boils down to for me is that I want my historical fiction to transport me to a time different than mine, giving me a lens to look through at what life may have been like, I simply could not get on board applying 21st century sensibilities to the 14th century.

It's the year 1348, and the little port of Melcombe in Dorseteshire will become known as the place where the sickness 'The Black Death' began.

No one knows the reason for this sickness, how and why it spread so quickly or why it killed so many. The church is happy to preach that God is the reason behind it - that it's a punishment for sins and wickedness.

Lady Anne of Develish thinks differently, she is something of a rare female in this period in history, in that she is well educated, astute, and completely literate, something which her husband Sir Richard is not! He is not only illiterate, but he's also a brute of a man.

Sir Richard is away seeking a husband for their daughter Eleanor (A whole book could be written about Eleanor - sadistic, spoilt, petulant, you get the picture - very much her father's daughter). Whilst he's away, news arrives of the pestilence that's spreading through the villages, one by one. Lady Anne isn't interested in people's confessions of sin and misdeeds, she believes the way to keep this dreaded sickness away from Develish is to isolate themselves from the rest of civilisation, combined with a strict level of hygiene. She gathers her people inside the moat surrounding the Manor House, and refuses entry to all, including her husband Sir Richard. However, in doing so, she makes an enemy of her daughter Eleanor, and nobody wants to make an enemy of Eleanor!

This imposed isolation made for a compelling read, as the claustrophobic confines of the Manor House brought about all manner of madness and fear. Matters only got worse as the meagre rations of food became even more limited. Because of the geographical restraints of confinement within the boundaries of Develish,the storyline relies heavily on its characters to bring the story to life, and the author managed to carry this out particularly well with some truly memorable characters. She was at great pains to illustrate the inequality of this period, where serfs were of little value other than to work to their deaths, whilst the power of the ruling classes was paramount, and everything they surveyed was theirs for the taking.

It was a story about the fragility of life, humility, and sharing with others regardless of class or status. Minette Walters has produced a very welcome addition to the historical fiction genre with this excellent book.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Books, Allen & Unwin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*

An 'insiders' view of what people had to endure during the Black Plague. There are some strong and unique characters, who enrich the book and keep the reader hooked from start to finish. Looking forward to enjoying the next in this series.

I have not read anything by Minette Walters before but I was excited to read her novel about the Black Death, set in fourteenth-century Dorset. The writer has plainly undertaken a great deal of research on the time period and the plague, and writes an interesting and authentic account of life on a Dorset demesne.

Yet I struggled to finish the book. Authenticity is undermined by imposing modern attitudes to class, gender and religion: I wanted insight on how people may have viewed the world at that time, not to read a reflection of my own 21st-century attitudes. My problem with the characters in The Last Hours is not just that some of them hold anachronistic views, sadly I found none of them likeable or relatable. Sir Richard is a villain with not one redeeming feature. Our heroes, Lady Anne and Thaddeus, are we are told good and kind but their speech and thoughts often reveal them to be cold and critical. Anne can never ever speak to 14-year old Eleanor without rebuking her weaknesses or similarity to her father, and this becomes increasingly irritating to read. Eleanor's is a problematic character: she is shown to be mean-tempered and sadistic but we are also told that she has mental health problems. She has been left to her father's malign influence and whims and nobody, least of all Anne, seems to have any sympathy for her. Eleanor certainly is written as bad in thought and deed but she has long been written off by the other characters for her wickedness, and I am unhappy with a child being condemned in this way.

2.5 stars.

I received this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is an interesting historical novel which I believe is accurate in detail about the plague. It had a modern slant in the feminist and equality issues it dealt with. Also the way in which they are beginning to solve how the plague was spread, which is quite advanced for the time. I felt that it was a little slow and was disappointed to find that it did not conclude satisfactorily, and there will be a sequel. I don't think I will want to read more of the same, because I can predict how it will continue and conclude.

I am a lover of all of Minette Walter's previous books and I will admit to a slight worry at the change from gripping mystery and gruesome criminal acts to historical fiction.
I have read a number of books about the plague in the 14th century; the speed with which it travelled and the devastation that cut swathes relentlessly through Europe.
MW sets this book in rural Dorsetshire, in England, in the demesne of Sir Richard Develish - a Norman with no saving graces. A cruel man who thought nothing of raping serfs as young as ten and putting the blame on the girls. His marriage to the fourteen year old, convent raised Saxon, Lady Anne put a stop to his carnality in his own yard.
As his own daughter reaches an age to be married Sir Richard and his retinue of soldiers set out to discuss dowry terms with another noble. Whilst guests in a filthy manor with faeces running in the streets feeding rats which live in every corner they contract the plague.
Meanwhile Lady Anne has done her all to turn Develish into a sanctuary for daughter and serfs alike.
The degree of attention MW has paid to every detail in this book is stunning. Her descriptions of the Norman lords and Saxon serfs; their language, dress, mannerisms; the crops, animals and countryside of the time and the vivid picture of the stages of the contagion speak of impeccable and exhaustive research.
There is more to come,more to learn, more to enjoy. I read this book in one sitting. It is far too good to put down.