Having enjoyed The Last Hours, I was delighted to receive this sequel from Netgalley.
Dealing more with the aftermath of the plague, this book transports you once more to 14th century Dorset and the settlement of Devilish. I really cared about these characters, not just Thaddeus and Anne and the other main characters, but all the seeds and peasants who had their lives devastated by this terribly disease.
It’s difficult to understand the mentality of the church at that time and the total disregard that the Lords had for the lives of the people who served them.
So many lives must have been lost needlessly, partly through ignorance but also through a wilful negligence of living conditions for the poor.
I really loved following this story to its conclusion.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for this copy.

Absolute cracker! I didn't think this sequel would be able to equal The Last Hours but it actually excelled! The characters and plot just draw you into the 14th century with their magnetism. Our lovely heroine Lady Anne and the wonderfully mysterious hero Thaddeus sweep us away on another fabulous adventure. Can't wait for the final instalment.

This, the second in Minette Walters trilogy of books about the plague is even better than the first. Develish, the village at the centre of the first book, has been saved from the ravages of the disease that has decimated the rest of the country. That it and its people have largely survived unscathed is down to the resolve of Lady Anne whose wisdom in keeping them separate has enabled them to survive. But now they have to reach out to the rest of the country and see what is happening there and it is Thaddeus and his group of five boys who do this.

I loved this book and the way the characters grew and developed over time. It is always interesting to read about ordinary people in historical novels and see how they lived and this is written very well. The plague has opened up all sorts of opportunities for social change and it will be fascinating to see how Walters deals with this in in the final book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The Turn of Midnight,  Minette Walters

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Historical Fiction, General Fiction (adult)

I adored The Last Hours, such a realistic read, I felt I was there with the characters. I've been looking froward to this. Its a very detail dense read, and I did put it aside a couple of time to fully absorb what had been written and think about what transpired.

In this next book we can see how some of the characters have changed, matured in the case of certain younger ones, some of the older ones having the reservations about Lady Anne and what she was doing reassured with her successes.
Develish has come through the plague thanks to Lady Anne's early closing them off to the rest of the country. A hard decision, as was the exclusion period for those that had been out to see what was happening in the rest of the country. One too, of which the priest was certainly not in favour of, the line of the day from Pope Clement was that constant prayers and repentance for sins would stave off the disease. Those who died were not devout enough, full of wickedness, the plague was God's punishment.

Once more Thaddeus is the hero of the hour, and the lads that went out with him in book one returned as men, banding together and seeing Thaddeus as their leader, honouring and respecting his decisions. He listens to them first though before deciding a course of action and they feel as if they've had some input. Its clear to see Lady Anne's influence on him here, its similar to the way she rolls up her sleeves and gets on with jobs alongside her people, not just sits lazily, expecting them t do the work.

Thaddeus and the lads find out just how badly the rest of the country has suffered, especially among the labouring classes, and its clear there is going to be a huge shortfall in those with the knowledge to grow food, look after livestock, all the day to day jobs so essential in life. He and Lady Anne come up with a plan to secure independence for her folk, but its fraught with danger, and their worst fears come true.
They've changed some opinions by their example, Bourne has taken to heart what he learned in Develish, and with Thaddeus advice intends to implement much of it on his own estates. He can see their ideas for the future ring true, that workers more than scribes are needed now, that more profits produced when workers are treated with respect and fairly rather than the whip and fear. I feel much of his changing ideals come from the profit angle but that works and everyone benefits so....
Sadly when Thaddeus and the lads seek to bring about the plan he and Lady Anne have come up with to set their people free, they find they've been nurturing a viper.
Some have come round with kind words and deeds, and seen the example of what can be achieved that way, Bourne and Lady Eleanor for example, but someone else treated with the same kindness is still harbouring thoughts of vengeance, and it brings them into a very dangerous position.

Its a great read, transporting me back in time once more. The characters feel so vivid, and I feel I've got to know Thaddeus and the lads really well. Joshua's dogs play a great part here, hard to think of what might have happened if Thaddeus had his way and they'd been killed. They've proved their worth and loyalty time and again. There were times when I struggled to see how Minette would brings these characters through, how would they slide through the murky waters of the deception they planned.

I'm sure much of the UK did look like this after the plague, it decimated the countryside, leaving orphans, ruined homes, fallow fields and a dearth of workers to rebuild. The few who survived in Blandeford were probably very typical of the time, they were so busy deciding who had more rights to what, to ensuring that everyone received a fair share that they didn't actually achieve anything, didn't work together, didn't do what was needed, just struggled on day to day until Thaddeus and Lady Anne explained what happened at Develish, and set them to forming their own leaders and teams. Its pretty typical of what happens in any disaster, there are a few that get on with things while the majority bicker and decide they aren't being treated equally. Its human nature I guess, but once Thaddeus spoke to them about leadership and what could be done they did seem as if they'd move forward. I'm sure there were many Lords though that didn't share Lady Anne's views who insisted their serfs still pay the full tithes even though there were few people to work the fields, mill the flour, spin the wool, butcher the livestock etc.
For those like the workers of Devilish its a time of opportunity, and I'm really keen to see how book three come about, how the events play out.

Stars: Five, another rich, enticing read, that had me fully absorbed in life after the plague.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and Publishers.

I love historical fiction and Walters is one of the favourite authors of the genre. This was a brilliant sequel to The Last Hours.
The characters were developed very well, each one of them had their place in the plot properly. As a bonus., we had an amazing twist that I din't see coming!
I also appreciated Walters' integration of ongoing issues in this historical novel. Lady Anne and Isabella were very likeable as feminist characters. I cared for them a lot. Also, they carried an important message.
Definitely a 5 star historical fiction read. It's not like the others that has nothing historical, but an old mansion and a bit of romance. I would recommend.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for granting a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I so adored this book! It has brilliant main characters, an excellent plot and it kept me engrossed all the way through. I would highly recommend this book.

This is the sequel to Minette Walters book "The Last Hours". If you haven't read "The Last Hours" then please stop reading this review & go & read that first. Although there is an exceptionally handy summary of the first book at the beginning of this one, it is no substitute for reading it in full. Minette Walters writes in great detail with well constructed three dimensional characters which need to be understood right from the beginning & not half way through.

Set in 1349 the Black Death has ravaged England and, indeed, Europe. Whole communities have been wiped out and villages laid to waste. Develish survived better than most and is starting to wonder what life still exists beyond their walls. Surprisingly reminiscent of the post-apocalypic books set in modern or future times. Thaddeus Thurkell and his team of young men set out to see what exists of the world beyond and what can be salvaged to improve the lot of the people of Devilish.

Unusually I find myself saying that this is a better book than the first. I should point out that I loved the first book and gave it a good solid 4 stars. It isn't often that a sequel is better than the original. In this case I think the improvement is the way that the author has built on the characters, surroundings and plot of the original. The groundwork was done well in the first book providing a sure footing for this one. I loved this book. The characters are very 3 dimensional and detailed. There are no issues in telling them apart - though again I do stress that you need to read the first book. The atmosphere and detailed description of the countryside and lives is excellent.

There is no doubt that the author has done extensive historical research. The detail of the day to day life, social structure and interaction between the classes make this book stand out as well researched. I would be quite happy to compare it with the work of Karen Maitland, an author whose historical fiction I heartily recommend.

I should also point out that there is an excellent plot aswell! Plenty of intrigue, some plotting and a few twists.

The winter is, unfortunately, fast approaching. I can see this as being a perfect book to get your teeth into on a rainy night or weekend.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley

If "The Last Hours" (book 1) witnessed the arrival of the plague knocking at the door of every Dorsetshire household , The "Turn of Midnight" (book 2) proves the darkest challenge is yet to creep across the threshold.

This continuing chronicle follows the unrivalled success of the people of Devilish as they endeavour to protect their health and admirable way of life from the pestilence, mercenary opportunists, and vengeance. Although a sensible strategy is universally implemented, their ‘survival’ can be mostly attributed to Lady Anne and her quick wit and level headedness.

The tone in which this tale is narrated gives the feeling of being an observer to remarkable achievements few would believe impossible, rather than a mere reader of a fictional account. Each page brought the past to life and I found myself immersed in the accomplishments of familiar faces, like the striking Thaddeus Thurkell with his distinctive appearance and integrity, not forgetting his ragtag entourage! Watching them undergo many trials to gradually realise their potential was truly inspiring.

"The Turn of Midnight" amplifies the struggle and division pulsing through a woefully diminished population, their destinies determined by individuals with motivations that are not entirely honourable. With no one either courageous or astute enough to present a challenge, their authority is allowed to fester like the plague they have taken advantage of.

A marvellous read with a hugely satisfying outcome – I enjoyed it immensely.

Quite excited to get my hands on the second instalment of this series.
All the same characters,but dealing less with the black death and more with its aftermath... and still the politics of the household when women were the lowest and the word of the priests was not to be challenged.
It was definitely a page turner and I finished it in one sitting.

Full review to come nearer to publication however Walters has provided a worthy successor to the first in the series here. It fed both my lifelong if slightly macabre fascination with The Black Death, and my delight at discovering a new layer of history set in my birth county. Fascinating and enjoyable