The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, Katie Lumsden, Penguin Random House, ISBN: 9780241556078

THIS gothic mystery, while not incredibly fast-paced, was still a gripping read.

It’s the late 1850s, England. Margaret Lennox, a young widower with a seemingly dark secret and no inheritance from her late husband, is desperate for a fresh start.

With only a few recommendations from the families she worked for, years prior to her marriage, she finds herself employed as a governess for a little boy, Louis, at an isolated and slightly dilapidated mansion in the countryside, known to the locals as Hartwood Hall.

Margaret’s employer, who is also widowed, Mrs Evarsham, is very unpopular and mistrusted in the superstitious little farming community.

The young governess soon finds herself feeling unsettled and suspicious in her new position with tales of ghosts, the discovery of an off-limits east wing as well as unexplained noises and eerie sightings.

Things become even more complicated when one of the other servants threaten to uncover her secret. Looking for comfort and a distraction, a lonely and desperate Margaret starts a forbidden love affair with the Hartwood Hall gardener, Paul.

As the relationship puts both of their positions at risk, she increasingly feels torn between her fondness of Louis and her growing affection for Paul.

While there isn’t a whole lot of world-building, the book is slow-paced. It really is primarily about the inter-relationships and uncovering of pieces of the puzzle.

There were so many loose threads that it took me a while before I was even remotely able to try and guess the truth.

However, as satisfying as the mystery was, I struggled to emotionally connect with any of the characters – despite the fact that they had all endured truly awful pasts.

I could empathise, and in some cases, relate to their thoughts and feelings, but I was never emotionally roused by any of the events or revelations.

What’s more, the romance element, while, in my opinion, was tastefully done, wasn’t very convincing. I didn’t feel the chemistry between them.

The ending was a little more exciting, however, compared to the rest of the book, but felt a little rushed and just a little too convenient.

I truly loved how the book featured such strong female characters in a book centred in the 1800s. I got Josephine March (Little Women) and Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice) vibes from Margaret. If you enjoy period dramas, you will also enjoy The Secrets of Hartwood Hall.

I didn’t have high expectations for this, not for any reason other than I hadn’t heard anything about it. But I read the synopsis and was intrigued… and I am so glad I read it!! It was honestly so good!! It wasn’t predictable at all and ended up finishing it in less than 24hours.

Very atmospheric with lots of twists but a bit of a slow burner.
Set in 1852 with Margaret who`s husband had died and not left her with anything so she became a governess to a 10yr old boy in Hartwood Hall. Margaret starts seeing strange sights and hearing strange sounds in a blocked wing of the house making Margaret wary of what`s happening in the manor.
Once I got over the slow bit I enjoyed it and wanted to know the ending and what everyone was doing.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed this, I have followed Katie Lumsden on YouTube for a while and when I heard this was coming out I thought it sounded great and I was not disappointed. Katie really knows her stuff when it comes to Victorian literature and that is obvious from this book; she displays the social differences between servants very well as Mrs Lennox is still a servant but as she is a governess she has a different place in the household and so is somewhere between the servants and house owners.

This book is primarily a mystery; Margaret Lennox is recently widowed and goes to work at Hartwood Hall where there are few servants and some mysterious goings on and she has some secrets of her own. I loved the way the mystery was written and the scheming of servants. I had so many theories but did not guess the truth and the ending was good too, I was concerned it would be a happily ever after ending which I hate but this was much more ambivalent. I also really enjoyed the inter-textual nature of the book with Jane Eyre, but also I think The Turn of the Screw and Victorian sensationalist fiction. The writing was generally strong and not overwritten or with too much description.

My only criticisms would be that I could have done without the romance parts of the book, I think they were not needed and also these parts were not as well written and felt contrived and a bit like padding, this is partly personal preference as I am not a fan of romance generally. I also thought some of the feminist parts were a bit heavy handed so some more nuanced application of social history would have been better, for example just because the law was that a woman was a man’s property it does not mean all men thought like this or were abusive in some way. There is Paul in the book who is nicer and even says he does not want to own Margaret and she says that he would so it makes no difference when really it makes all the difference so this does not make sense.

Otherwise this was very enjoyable and I would highly recommend it.

— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Secrets of Hartwood Hall
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: N/A
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Katie Lumsden
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Historical Mystery
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 30th March 2023
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬/𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬: Forbidden Love, Domestic Abuse, Religion, Isolated Country House, Misogyny, Found Family
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5

TW: domestic abuse (physical and emotional), misogyny

It’s the 1800s, many women are in loveless marriages and are at the mercy of the whims of their husbands. Margaret included. But whilst she manages to escape that life, she is drawn into another world, the world of Hartwood Hall and it’s occupants. Her ten year old charge, Louis, intelligent yet isolated. Her employer, Mrs Eversham, who seems to disappear mysteriously. Susan, who is better at being a manipulator than she is at being a maid. And Paul Carter, gorgeous gardener who Margaret is drawn to like a moth to a flame. But all of these characters are hiding a pyre of secrets and it only takes one match to spark the pyre alight.

Let’s talk about the main character in this book: the setting. Hartwood Hall is kept half in upkeep by a small number of servants, whilst the other half is locked away from the residents, who are warned to keep away by the owner due to the disrepair and rot of the east wing. I know the focus was on the storage of secrets in this novel, but I thought the setting was brilliant, even the grounds and the isolated road towards the house that snakes through the woods. It was atmospheric with a subtle creepiness to it, but beyond all that, I’ve never been so gaslit by a house before. I thought I’d come into this reading about a haunted manor when really, I should have been eyeing up its haunted occupants.

The forbidden love trope is a big theme in this book and I am a big fan. The theme itself is explored in such a way that it reminds me of this phrase: legality is not a guide for morality and in that same fashion, social norms aren’t a guide for morality either. The Secrets of Hartwood Hall acknowledges these norms and laws—it is a novel set in the 1800s, after all—and defies them anyway.

One of my favourite things about this story was the pacing, which is surprising because that’s almost never my favourite thing, but I found this book plotted just right, with each reveal made in a timely way that allows me to define this book as a page turner. Seriously, I read this is a matter of hours and it was easy which isn’t something I could normally attribute to a historical fiction novel.

Without spoiling anything, I couldn’t help but wish for a different ending, but this subtle found family collects secrets like coins, so really, the ending was fitting for the characters.


𝑲𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉 @ 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒉 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚
🧚‍♀️🤍

"The Secrets of Hartwood Hall" by Katie Lumsden is packed with mysterious goings on in the traditional gothic manner. We've got shadowy figures, a governess down on her luck, a remote house that may be haunted and one or two love interests. I really liked the way that Mrs Lennox's back story was mirrored by the other female protagonists. I also liked her relationship with Louis. Not the traditional ending, but maybe that isn't such a bad thing.

I was hooked from the first chapter and absolutely loved this book. Although not my usual genre of book I nevertheless found myself trying to unpick all the threads to try and solve the 2 mysteries running concurrently throughout this book. This book will stay with me for a long time after finishing.
A fantastic read and a wonderful way to spend a few hours, lost in a book.

Margareth the new widow get a job as a governess in Hartwood Hall. The place was strange people on the village dosnt like that place its say the place was cursed. Surely there are secret about the family slowly uncover tragic event. Margareth had hard live, she deserve new star in Hartwood, her relationship with Paul was sweet..

I love how scenery in Hartwood Hall, yes it have scary vibe but i cant imagine the beauty. How hard one sicknes at that time will end as dead. I dont like Susan, why she enjoy black mailing people was weird, i know she has her own reason at the end i feel sory for her.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheSecretsofHartwoodHall #KatieLumsden #MichaelJoseph #PenguinRandomHouse #NetGalley #ARC

A 5* read!

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a historical novel in the gothic tradition, amazingly well written, with a modern twist that works really well.

The newly-widowed Mrs Margaret Lennox arrives at Hartwood Hall as a governess. Right from the opening pages, we are plunged into a world that is dark and uneasy. As Mrs Lennox approaches the Hall in the dark, in the rain and mud, even the coachman is rather lost and has to stop in the village to ask directions. The locals are not friendly, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

As in the best gothic novels of the 18th and 19th century, throughout the book, the author uses descriptions of the weather and nature to build the atmosphere, to hint at what is hidden. It has the mysterious locked rooms, the mysterious sightings of lights and ghostly figures, odd noises, secrets. I'm not an expert on the genre, but from the books I remember, this one could just as well have been written in the 1870s as now (for the most part). I loved the subtle (or direct) reminders of old favourites like The Castle of Otranto and Jane Eyre.

I'm at a loss for words to explain how much I loved this. The atmospheric descriptions, the incredibly good writing, the vivid characters, the sheer immediacy of every scene. I felt I was living in Hartwood Hall, at Margaret's side witnessing everything she was living through. I could feel Louis small warm hand in mine, cringe at Susan's nasty sneers, feel the pull of Margaret's attraction to Paul....

I devoured this book, grabbing it whenever I could, staying awake too late, unable to put it down and unwilling for it to end. But it did.

I read in the Achknowledgements that the author is also a professional editor. Oh boy does it show. She also clearly loves classic British fiction, as I do, and it was an undiluted pleasure to share this as I read.

Love it, love it, love it......

Firstly I would like to thank @katiejlumsden , @michaeljbooks and @netgalley for sending me The Secrets of Hartwood Hall as an ebook ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

This book is a historical fiction, gothic thriller fan's dream. Recently widowed Mrs. Margaret Lennox accepts a governess post in the remote Hartwood Hall. Tasked to care and teach Louis, the only child of Mrs. Evesham, Mrs. Lennox realises upon her arrival that there is an ominous atmosphere in the decrepit Hartford Hall. The house exists on a skeletal staff and Mrs.Lennox is quickly informed that the East Wing is completely out of bounds. Receiving a cold and suspicious welcome in Hartford Village, Margaret learns that locals believe Hartwood Hall and it's deep dark woods are cursed.

I adored everything about this book! The author has a glorious writing style that although descriptive it keeps the reader constantly engaged. The characters are wonderfully developed and I loved how I felt I knew the smaller characters and their background as well as the main players in the book. I really do not want to say to much more regarding the characters in fear of revealing any spoilers.

The tense and taut atmosphere created throughout will have you staying up until the early hours reading to discover what lies ahead. I lost count of all the twists and turns in this book and for a debut book, this is a five star read for me.

If you're looking for a gripping piece of historical fiction/ gothic thriller then you really need to grab this.

Publication Date: 30th March 2023

Margaret Lennox is a young widow in 1852 England. She escapes memories of her unhappy marriage and rumors about her husband's demise by accepting a position as a governess at Hartwood Hall. Her employer Mrs. Charlotte Eversham is a mysterious figure with something to hide. The scarce servants are aloof and unwelcoming and the local villagers are hostile, but Margaret bonds with her young charge, Louis. The novel is wonderfully suspenseful and atmospheric and kept me glued to the pages. An excellently done modern Gothic.

What to say about this debit gothic novel? I love historical fiction, but less so gothic examples. I typically find the tension building a little slow and this novel was no different.
However, once it exploded I couldn’t put it down and binge read it in several sessions.
The basic premise involves a recently widowed young woman becoming a governess to a 10 year old and living at Hartwood Hall with his mother and servants. Hartwood Hall is isolated and a bit spooky, but the plot and personalities are what really made this up to a 4 star book. I love the characters and the easy reading style of the prose. The secrets are many!
The author’s knowledge of the Victorian era provides a vivid framework for the story and I think it would be perfect for teenagers and upwards.
That you to Katie, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. Despite being a huge fan of Katie, I would not allow any of this to influence my rating or review. I look forward to meeting Katie’s next creation!

A Hall of Shadows ★★★★☆

After her controlling husband dies and leaves her penniless, Margaret Lennox takes a position as a governess at Hartwood Hall. Mrs Eversham and her son Louis live alone with their staff in the isolated mansion, feared and reviled by the villagers and surrounded by rumours.

Margaret quickly bonds with cautious and clever Louis despite Mrs Eversham’s paranoia and strangeness. Yet at night Margaret hears somebody walking the halls and becomes increasingly certain that there is something lurking in the east wing. And Margaret has her own secrets to hide…

When illness strikes the hall all of the secrets are gradually brought to light and Margaret must decide on her future and where her loyalties lie.

A gothic tale which both exposes the limited choices of women in the nineteenth century and resists a traditional ending.

It’s 1852 and the recently widowed Margaret Lennox has just arrived at Hartwood Hall to take up a new position as governess to ten-year-old Louis Eversham. Margaret worked as a governess before her marriage, so has plenty of experience, but she quickly discovers that the Evershams are not quite like any other family she has worked for. Mrs Eversham is secretive and overprotective, isolating herself and Louis from their neighbours, and in the village rumours are spreading that Hartwood Hall is haunted. Although this makes Margaret feel uneasy – and the hostility she faces from one of the maids, Susan, doesn’t help – she does her best to settle into her new job, while also trying to conceal the truth about her own past.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is Katie Lumsden’s debut novel and is obviously heavily influenced by the work of the Brontës, particularly Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Agnes Grey. One character turns out to be an author not dissimilar to Charlotte, Emily and Anne, while others are seen reading Brontë novels – and of course, there are elements of the plot and setting that feel very familiar as well. The descriptions of the locked east wing of Hartwood Hall, off-limits to Margaret, with its strange noises and flickering lights made me think of Jane Eyre’s ‘madwoman in the attic’ and had me wondering what exactly was going on in there! Of course, this is a book written in the 21st century, not the 19th, and I could never quite forget that; some parts of this story could never have been written by the Brontës – or would have had to be alluded to much more vaguely.

This is not the only recently published book to be inspired by classic Gothic novels and at first I thought it was going to be very similar to Stacey Halls’ Mrs England, Marianne Ratcliffe’s The Secret of Matterdale Hall or Beth Underdown’s The Key in the Lock, to name a few. However, although I think readers of those books would enjoy this one too, it’s still different enough to be a satisfying story in its own right. I didn’t guess the solutions of all the mysteries hinted at in the book – although I was convinced at one point that I’d worked it all out, some of the revelations still took me by surprise!

There’s a romantic thread to the novel too, as Margaret begins to form a relationship with a male member of the Hartwood Hall staff. However, I found this the least successful aspect of the story. I sensed very little chemistry between the two of them, neither was honest with the other and I felt that Margaret treated him unfairly. For this reason, the later stages of the novel didn’t have the emotional impact they probably should have done. I did enjoy watching Margaret’s relationship with the Evershams develop, as she gained the trust and respect of Louis and Mrs Eversham – and I was angry on Margaret’s behalf about the treatment she received from the scheming Susan! Although I didn’t always agree with Margaret’s decisions, I found her quite an engaging heroine and narrator.

This was an entertaining novel and while not every part of it worked for me, I would be happy to read more books by Katie Lumsden, particularly if they fall into this same subgenre.

There were a few moments of well-done Gothic suspense in this novel, but I found the overall execution disappointing. Marketed as an homage to Victorian fiction, it is instead a modern, rather sordid soap opera. The heroine is more of an anti-hero, really, and although at the beginning one expects her to be a Jane Eyre type, she is lacking in all of the steadfast qualities that make Jane Eyre so admirable.
As a side note, I found myself hoping that the curriculum that the governess follows was some sort of in-joke, as it consists almost entirely of her reading novels of varying quality to a young boy. But by the end, I was no longer sure this was a joke.

Dark and gripping read! Really kept me glued to my seat. It reminded me of Mexican Gothic, I really love this genre.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review

This is such a compelling read! I do love a gothic mystery, a book that makes me question, makes me think - and this book did exactly that! Full of mystery, secrets, lies - and who doesn’t love an old house with a history? I certainly do! I love the way the characters are depicted, flawed, imperfect, surrounded by secrets, and the plot line is excellent, keeping me captivated, and wanting to know more. The book is full of fabulous description, twists and turns, and I didn’t want it to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wholeheartedly recommend.

What a spell bounding book after I read this I was still thinking it days after I read this , it was such a delight to read this book and was so excited to have a change to read this book

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I was enjoying it a lot and wondering what was the 'ghostly' secret of the house and why there were so few staff in the place and why, why, why everything really.
Margaret, who is recently widowed and hired to be a governess to Louis, is the central character of the novel. She grows to love Louis very much and likes living at Hartwood Hall despite the local villagers treating everyone from the house with hostility and some of the housemaids acting strangely. Rumors abound that the place is haunted. There is certainly something not right within the walls of the house and Margaret tries to discover what it is.
The first part of the book is setting this up and we get to know Louis quite well and have a glimpse into the life of Mrs Eversham. There is also a character I really liked, the gardener, Paul. He and Margaret become very close.
Then it started to drag. Something happens and it goes on and on and could have been wrapped up sooner. The second part changed almost completely. Lots of things happened in a hurry and I wasn't sure how I felt when the truth was discovered.
Also Margaret disappointed me. She didn't have an easy life before she came to Hartwood Hall and found only kindness and happiness with Paul and I thought she treated him very shabbily at the end and it made her appear selfish.
It's written in the gothic style like novels of old and that certainly came through. The ending was very over the top and it needed a little more to satisfy me as a reader.

I love a historical gothic novel - The Secrets of Hartwood Hall has it all: a mysterious family in a remote hall with a wing that can’t be entered and a governess with her own secrets. This review has a few spoilers btw!

I have been disappointed by other novels recently but nothing about this is a disappointment. It brings in modern themes of coercion and same sex relationships alongside the historical.

I was enthralled and couldn’t wait to get back to the novel. Look out Laura Purcell and Stacey Halls - Katie Lumsden is going to steal your crowns and become the queen of gothic literature! Read it now!