I struggled with this book. A gothic mystery set in two different timelines but unfortunately the storytelling and the characters did not work for me.

I was a massive fan of The Corset and although this one wasn't quite up there for me, I did enjoy it nonetheless.

The descriptions and locations in Bone China are brilliantly described and you can feel the tense pressure throughout the story as you eagerly turn the pages to discover more.

Well written and packed with spooky goings on, an enjoyable read!

Two women, two stories, forty years between them. They appear to have little in common except that their lives are blighted by dark folklore and strange faerie demons. This is a dark story, full of evil and tragedy. Hester is an unreliable protagonist, an addict, so is what she experiences real? Or only real to her?

This is a richly historical story, that brings the era to life, in all its chilling detail. The settings are well described and enhance the plot. Whether you believe the events or think they are part of the protagonists' delusions this story will disturb you, and make you wonder.

I received a copy of this book from the Bloomsbury-Raven Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love historical gothic fiction, and 'Bone China' is an achingly beautiful dark Victorian tale. Now I have no idea why I have never read a book by Laura Purcell before and I could kick myself for not starting sooner, but this book, in particular, is a great intro in the style of such an obviously talented author.
It is no means an easy read, but that is not a bad thing. It is bleak and deals with some chilling themes but it is handled beautifully.
Even though many of the characters are clearly disturbed and at times morally ambiguous, you can't help but feel for them at times. As the novel progresses, it becomes increasingly more chilling and claustrophobic which thrilled me to no end.
I now must read all of Miss Purcell's novels at once, and so must you.

This was another deeply unsettling, haunting read - AND I LOVED IT! Laura Purcell continues to prove herself a master of the genre and I have no shame in saying I am a HUGE FAN!

I deliberately waited until the nights started to draw in before picking up Laura Purcell's latest novel Bone China. Having read and loved her brilliantly spooky debut The Silent Companions, I knew Purcell excels at providing her readers with a healthy slice of the Gothic, some sinister happenings, and atmosphere that you can cut through with a knife. And in this respect, Bone China absolutely did not disappoint. 

Offering shades of Daphne Du Maurier, Bone China centres on the occupants of the forlorn Morvoren House. Isolated and gloomy, Morvoren sits high on the Cornish cliffs, watching over the caves that lie beneath it. When Hester Why arrives at Morvoren to nurse the elderly Louise Pinecroft, she is taken aback by her new mistress's isolation - and by the superstitious household staff with their tales of fairies and their numerous rituals. Morvoren House is, it seems, a house of secrets. And Hester herself if not everything she appears to be...

From the dark and oppressive shadows of Morvoren House, with its dank caves and chill winds, to the refined confines of an elegant London townhouse, every one of Purcell's settings drips atmosphere. I was fascinated by the world that these characters inhabited, filled with hidden codes of conduct and constantly treading a balance between science and superstitions. 

Sadly I was less captivated with the lives of the characters themselves. I raced through the first portion of the book, which sees the enigmatic Hester arrive at Morvoren House. From the off, it is clear that Hester has suffered a fall from grace. Increasingly reliant on the contents of her hip-flask just to make it through the day, she is a far cry from the competent and reliant ladies maid she was in London.

Yet just as I was drawn into Hester's story - and the tragic reasons behind her sudden alteration in character and circumstances - the narrative moves back forty years and switches to the viewpoint of Louise Pinecroft, Hester's new mistress. Whilst Louise's story is a tragic and compelling one in and of itself, the sudden shift left me feeling disconnected from Hester.

And, whilst the strands of the two narratives do come together as the novel progresses, I never felt like I quite got the grasp of either of them. There was, if I'm honest, a little too much going on: Hester's terrible secret, Louise's haunted past, the sinister nursemaid Creeda with her spells and rituals, and the mysterious Rosewyn who seems to be being kept at Morvoren against her will. Add in a secondary plot involving a theoretical treatment for consumption (now better known as TB), and the third strand about fairy superstitions, and it was sometimes hard to keep all the dots joined together in my head. 

Which is such a shame because, when Bone China works, it really works. I was genuinely fascinated by Hester's story and backstory. And Louise's tale, especially all the information about TB and the early attempts at finding a cure, was clearly very well researched and made for a compelling read. Either of these would have made, I felt, a brilliant novel in their own right. But I wasn't sure that the two stories fit together particularly well, or that the third strand about fairies added anything to either of them. 

All of this makes it sound like I really didn't enjoy Bone China, which certainly isn't the case. I don't review books I don't finish and I don't finish books that I don't enjoy - so Bone China did compel me enough to finish it. It's a solidly good book. Good but, for me, not brilliant.

As I said at the beginning of this review, the atmosphere is spot on and the story has a compulsion that did leave me wanting to know how everything fitted together. I suppose I just felt that, ultimately, the novel was a little disjointed and that the ending, when it came, raised more questions than I felt it answered.

As many others I fell in love with Purcell's spooky writing in The Silent Companions and mysterious plot in The Corset. Naturally I was super excited to see how Bone China will compare to it's predecessors.

Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling this one as much as others but at the same time I didn't hate it. The plot was a bit difficult to follow, I was confused whilst reading (which I suppose is my fault) and it just felt a bit... all over the place. I did, however, love the Gothic feel, which is so familiar and what I love the most about her writing.

3 out of 5 - my least favourite from Purcell but definitely not the worst book I've ever read.

Thank you NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am in charge of our Senior School library and am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to our readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me! It's perfect for our gothic unit and I can't wait to convert more of our students to the delights of Spooky Purcell

Laura Purcell never fails to write deeply-textured, evocative historical fiction, and Bone China is no exception. As chilling as a sea-washed cave, this stark tale of broken people and their attempts at redemption is as sharp as a shard of porcelain. Bleaker than Purcell's previous books, this is a gripping novel perfect for reading curled up in a cosy chair while the weather storms outside.

Loved this book. Laura Purcell is one of my favourite Authors and she didn't disappoint! Brilliant! Enjoyed it immensely. Easy to read and unputdownable. Thank you netgalley for a copy in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable but unmemorable Gothic novel. Somewhat overburdened with plotlines and could have done with pruning back. However it is definitely readable.

Two distinct stories set forty years apart, involving Louise Pinecroft. Set in an isolated house on the ragged Cornish coastline, it is a story of hope and despair in equal measures. A strong cast of characters bring this story to life and when I was reading the later story, the descriptions were so vivid I almost felt that I was Hester Why.
Like Purcell’s previous books, The Silent Companions and The Corset, this is a dark gothic novel. Some parts, especially the descriptions of consumption, were difficult to read but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

Hester Why arrived at Morvoren House on the bleak Cornish coast to become maid and nurse to an elderly invalid. Hester has changed her name and escaped from London after her previous position did not work out and when she arrives at her new post she begins to fear the worst. Morvoren House is in thrall to fear of fairies and Hester is caught up in this. Her charge came to Cornwall forty years before and madness killed her father. Are events repeating themselves?
I have struggled with Purcell's books before but this one was completely different. For most of the book the supernatural is kept in check and this reader was happier with the idea of madness. It is only at the very end where the book stays too far to the 'magic' and, for me, this was the least successful part.

This started out with two of my personal cardinal sins: a list of characters, something I always skip past because it's meaningless until they have context in the story, and present tense writing. Having said that, the first chapter was very effective that way and would have made a great prologue. Dickens used to write the occasional present tense chapter to put immediacy into a segment of a story, but it doesn't work to do a whole book in present tense.

It starts out with a woman running from something, riding in an old time coach and wearing a dress that gives the impression of a lady, when she is not. An accident leads to her helping an injured man, remonstrating with herself for drawing attention so that people will remember her.

This is where I'm glad I skipped the character list. Learning who this woman is and what she's running from gives me a reason to continue! She has had some form of medical training, which makes her stand out as a woman healer in an older era when such things were uncommon.

We get a flashback of her history that explains where the dress came from and that her mother was a midwife. This is told in past tense and I found myself very interested in her story. A lot is put into her psychological make-up and motivations to develop a clear picture of the character.

There's a strong element of Cornish Pixie lore (though it should be Piskies there) to add a creepy element. The story behind the delicate blue and white china comes out by the end and the significance becomes clear.

I have mixed feelings about the end, but the story as a whole did keep my attention and had just that hint of Horror to make it fit firmly in the Gothic category.

Written very much in the style of the Victorian writers with relevant description from that era Purcell has created a book that conveys a feeling of that time.
A secret past is hinted at but, just as the main character wishes to keep that from the reader, I found it difficult to really become engaged with her character or her predicament.
The plot becomes more interesting but I somehow just couldn't engage with this although I am sure there are those readers who will very much like this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had enjoyed 'The Corset' but it was still an enjoyable read. I rated The Corset four stars, and so gave this one three stars. Still look forward to more from this author!

Enjoyed this for what it was, a Gothic horror spooky book and some weird goings on. The writing was easy to read and very reminiscent of Victorian England.
However I struggled at times to get to the end and I'm not sure why, but I did enjoy reading it even if it did feel very average.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2019/10/28/bone-china-by-laura-purcell/
Bone China is the third book I’ve read by Laura Purcell and firmly cements her in my mind as an amazing storyteller. I might not have quite loved the story here as much as the previous two books but the writing is amazing and Purcell’s ability to conjure a novel full of gothic atmosphere is second to none. I just love her writing. Definitely an auto buy author for me and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Bone China brings to us a story of two women. Told in alternating timelines we first make the introduction of Hester Why as she makes her way by carriage to Moroven House. Hester has taken a new position and travels by coachlight during a bout of particularly fierce weather. We discover immediately that Hester is hiding something and in fact has taken on a different identity hoping to start afresh. All will be eventually revealed as to why exactly Hester has felt the need to runaway from her past.

The second timeline takes us back to the past when Dr Pinecroft and his daughter Louisa take up residence at Moroven House. The rest of their family have died, taken by consumption, and Dr Pinecroft is determined to find a cure for this deadly disease that steals so many lives. He’s using the beach at Moroven as an experiment and has moved a number of prisoners, all at different stages of the disease, to a cave there, where he believes the sea air will help to revive them.

Both stories have an edge to them that involves myth and folklore. There is talk of the fae and changelings and both tales have a creepy ominous feel that deepens as each story progresses. I also really liked that some of the characters play a role in both stories although I won’t discuss that particular element further.

What I think works really well here is the atmosphere that Purcell creates. A sense of dark foreboding where you almost want the main protagonist to simply get the hell out of there – I know that’s what I’d want to do anyway. Deliciously dark.

In terms of the characters I think this might be the only element that kept me from being totally bowled over. Hester is an unreliable narrator which is actually something I usually enjoy very much and up to a point it works really well here. I think my main issue is that I couldn’t really find it in myself to like Hester. Her earlier actions with her former employer were very dubious to say the least – I won’t say that she was fully to blame for the chain of events that occurred but her actions, prompted by jealousy, were bad, very very bad, and so even though some of her later actions helped to redeem her a little I think her earlier character decisions were difficult to shake off. In fairness, at the same time that this gave me pause I also have to applaud it because it’s so suitable for this style of book. Hester isn’t perfect. She’s made mistakes and has run away to escape the consequences but her new position feels akin to out of the frying pan into the fire and it has this feel of retribution, like there simply is no way of running away from your own actions.

I enjoyed the earlier timeline with a young Louisa Pinecroft desperately trying to help her father and stop him floundering with despair and guilt. This is a story that also begins to spiral out of control with the doctor himself becoming consumed with a kind of hysterical madness. I felt for Louisa and again I think that the fact that she was so trapped in the craziness that began to unfold left me feeling a little dissatisfied although i can’t entirely pin down why, I guess I wanted things to work out better for her but then again – the nature of this type of story.

This is definitely a book that has had me turning around in circles. There are so many things that I loved about it. The writing – which is beautiful and evocative. The setting, with the Cornish coast really playing into the story and in fact becoming almost like a character itself. The spooky house, the superstitions. The sense of impending doom. In fact, the more I think about it this book really has managed to grab my attention and keep it for considerably longer than I would normally expect.

I did enjoy this and the more I think about it the more elements of the story, when played over in my mind, on reflection were just really damned good. I think the only thing that keeps me from being blown away is a combination of two factors, the first the authors phenomenal success with both The Silent Companions and the Corset – oh my, did I love those two books and even though I don’t want to compare it’s kind of difficult, not to mention inevitable really, that those comparisons will take place – would I have loved this more if I hadn’t read the first two – very likely, but I’ll never really know. The second is just an overall feeling that I wanted maybe a happier ending somehow – although, that being said this is gothic and happy bunnies and rainbows are not often part of the general landscape.

On a totally fickle note I simply have to mention the cover – it really ties into the book so very well and gives me a serious case of the heebie jeebies.

I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars

And, I cannot wait to see what Laura Purcell comes up with next.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley and Bloomsbury publishing. For me the synopsis of this book is written the wrong way round as we don't meet the good doctor and his daughter until a good way into the book. The whole narrative starts off as one thing and simply becomes another. The linkages between the two or three parts of the narrative are not well made. It didn't really have enough to fully maintain my attention and I think I would have liked it better if the author had chosen to follow an historical or horror perspective and create a deeper more engaging storyline.

I don't think i will be out looking for more by this author

I absolutely loved this book - Laura Purcell gets better with everything she writes. In Bone China she evokes Georgian London and Cornwall with supreme skill. I particularly enjoyed the dual timelines.