I adored this cover so just had to pick it up and it did not disappoint!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Margaret is part of the mass media observation project and is based in Blackpool. Margaret comes across a disgraced Rector who is seeking support of his plight. She has to work out if he is really a victim or a master manipulator.
This book gave me Dear Mrs Bird vibes so if you liked that I think you will enjoy this. It also lead me to read about the mass observation project. Definitely a book worth reading

With a main character very reminiscent of the popular Eleanor Oliphant with her detached observation of the people around her, this mystery set in 1930's Blackpool unfurls slowly but sheds light on a period I knew little about but was fascinated to follow along. I'm not sure this would be for everyone as the central narrative voice is quite unusual given Margaret's distance from others giving a remoter colder tone than used to but still a pleasantly absorbing read.

Unfortunately I really couldn't get in to this. I was excited for the setting - I grew up going to Blackpool on holiday and thought it would be cool to "experience" it in a time gone by - but ultimately, I just felt a bit lost and I wasn't given a reason to care.

I requested The Misadventures of Margaret Finch on a bit of a whim – it tells the story of Margaret Finch, a Mass Observation researcher based in Blackpool in the summer of 1938, and her attempts to untangle the truth of a story surrounding a disgraced rector. There was such a sweet romance at the heart of this, and it was really nice reading about working-class Northern people and their holidays in Blackpool. It felt really well-researched and the setting was impeccable; I just wish I'd been more interested in the plotline surrounding the rector, which never really grabbed me. A solid 3.5 stars!

I really struggled with getting into this book. The writing was like trying to decipher some kind of secret, I constantly felt like I had more questions then I was getting answers for.
I was really excited about the setting of this - Blackpool in the 30's, but I just couldn't get past the fact I felt I was missing part of the story.
Unfortunately it turned out this book just wasn't for me.

I knew very little about the inspiration behind this novel so I think this may have left me feeling a little adrift about this novel. I enjoyed the first half, but then couldn't really see where the story was going and whether there would be a definite outcome to it or not. I felt there wasn't, and that's ok in itself, but unfortunately it felt a little flat throughout the main part of the second half, though it picked up a bit at the end.

As a born-and-bred Blackpudlian, I was delighted to find a novel set during the town's glitzy heyday. What's more, as a lover of historical fiction, The Misadventures of Margaret Finch absolutely did not disappoint. Fantastic characters, funny, gripping, and with a solid sense of mystery throughout - a really well crafted work. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading more of Claire McGlasson's work in the future.

I loved this mix of historical fiction and mystery: there's humour, social remarks and an interesting main character.
It's a well written story of a historical moment and of the coming of age of a woman.
Compelling and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

"The Misadventures of Margaret Finch" is a delightful and engaging novel that blends humour, drama, and mystery to create a unique and entertaining narrative. It is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, coming-of-age stories, or tales of female friendship and empowerment.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words, and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Absolutely loved this, a fascinating piece of social history and so well crafted. Margaret is a fascinating character, brave yet sometimes naive, confined by her childhood yet independent and resourceful. Her search to find the truth about the defrocked Rector of Stiffkey, ,the prostitutes’ padre is a mixture of fact and fiction but unusual and compelling.

Margaret Finch is a researcher living in Blackpool in the pre-WW2 1930s. She stays on the outskirts of society looking and taking note of what she sees.

After a chance meeting she becomes friendly with Harold Davidson, a former priest who was ousted from the church after accusations of inappropriate behaviour with young girls.

Margaret makes it her mission to find out the truth about Harold and whether he is as innocent as he claims…

This is an interesting book that took me quite a while to get into, I didn’t realise that it was based on a true case and that Harold Davidson was a real person (don’t google the case beforehand as it will give the books ending away!)

I really enjoyed Margaret’s character and her quirks and darker backstory. I also thought the the mixture of fact and fiction was great - it was really well written and transports you right back to 1930’s Blackpool!

It was slow in parts and did take me a while to get through which is the reason I didn’t give it a higher rating.

I found this a bit of a struggle to read. I'm not sure if it was because it was based on real life but I didn't find myself getting involved in the storyline or any empathy with the characters. Interesting to follow life as it was before the war and the issues that women had in those days. However, for me, this was just lacking that certain something that keeps you want to keep turning the page.

A fabulous historical fiction tale set in 1930s Blackpool, where you find Margaret Finch observing working class holiday makers and reporting her findings to the Mass Observation Project
I found it an utterly fascinating read based partly on truth, as the Mass Observation Report did actually happen in 1930!s Britain, where the upper classes spied and observed the lower working classes and actually recorded aspects of their daily lives.
I grew to love the main character Margaret - her powers of observation and how she was quiet and assuming and blended into the background
The rich descriptions and observations were true to life, my family heritage is working class north east mining pit village and their annual holiday to Blackpool was the highlight of the year - a chance to let their hair down and have fun.
When Margaret crossed paths with Harold Davidson aka Rector of Stiffkey again based on an actual factual person, we saw her character deepen and become more assertive, feeling it was her mission to investigate whether he was a victim or an exploiter.
The whole story kept you totally engrossed and you cared about the characters and what happened to them.
Loved the little dalliances with her boss James, will they won’t they, as Margaret, herself says in the book she wants a life of purpose, a talented mathematician for whom marriage offers very little opportunity to use her skills, no, it wouldn’t be fair to inflict herself on a husband
However by the end of book, with the onset of World War 2 and the new roles that Margaret and James have taken on you wonder if a relationship is possible - I do hope so - Margaret you deserve to be happy!!!!

I enjoyed Claire McGlassons debut novel The Rapture, so was excited to read her new book.

The story is set in 1938, Blackpool and follows Margaret Finch who has just started working in a job that requires her powers of observation 👀
Then, her path is crossed by the disgraced Rector of Stiffkey (aka Harold Davidson), who is the subject of a national scandal. Is he an exploiter of the vulnerable as the church are making out or actually a hero? Margaret is determined to uncover the truth 🧐

This was an enjoyable historical fiction story and I was a big fan of Margaret. She was self conscious, inquisitive, very awkward, and so endearing. I loved her determination in finding out the truth about Harold. Harold was quite the character 😅 The writing was descriptive especially of the setting and time period, with the sense of war looming in the background. The book transports you to Blackpool with all the attractions, and straight into the hustle of Margaret’s observations. I found the book really entertaining and Margaret was a fabulous character.

An interesting book about a young woman working as a researcher into working class people on their holidays, set in Blackpool 1938. I really enjoyed the period setting, the details of how restricted a woman’s life was then makes me very glad to be living today. The descriptions of family holidays at the time are evocative and very well drawn.

A very different type of read - but no less interesting!

Margaret Finch is 'in digs' in Blackpool as she works at her job. This is a novel which keeps it's cards close to it's chest; the story unravels slowly and enticingly. I wasn't exactly sure what Margaret was up to to begin with, but she is studious and methodical about her job, rarely interacting with her colleagues except for James, the man in charge of them all. As things proceed, we discover more about Margaret and her family life and I was most definitely on her side from there on in. A good read, true to the period and one which held my interest all the way to the very satisfying ending. 4*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I enjoyed this book - the setting and atmosphere of Blackpool just before the Second World War was perfect.
Margaret was an interesting character with obvious flaws and peculiarities. I enjoyed reading about her although I did find the tone, which was mostly quite jaunty, become quite dark in places and it felt like some themes gently disappeared rather than get addressed… Overall though, an interesting take on a piece of modern history.

I struggled with this book, which I found rather odd. The main character is interesting but not particularly appealing, and although I enjoyed the evocation of the period, I never really felt immersed in the story - not for me I'm afraid.

This took me quite a while to get into, it was quite "quirky" and a little bit weird but I felt that this did work quite well and added a uniqueness to this. I was reminded of "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" when reading this which is another book I really enjoyed. I also loved that you felt like you were transported to 1939 when reading this and it was partly based on truth which added a nice atmosphere when reading.