I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it really kept me going the whole way through.

It was very well written and the dark aspect of the book made me feel on edge.

I'd definitely read more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for providing me with this arc

I'm intrigued by the author, I think I will check out future books but the pacing was definitely off in this one. It was far too slow to stay in the suspenseful/ anxious vibes. There are some difficult themes in here that I wasn't expecting, check the trigger warnings if you find certain themes traumatic. Overall the writing was good but i felt a bit let down by the plot and its pacing.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance copy of this book. A Gothic novel set in Victorian times which tells a dark story. The book starts with Clara Gethins iwho is on trial for the murder of her child. It would seem her husband has made the accusation but her faithful maid, Harriet Watkins, is not convinced this is the truth even though Clara never appeared to show much interest in her son. This, for me, was a contradiction. Clara shows no love for her child prior to the murder accusation yet the reader discovers she would gladly give up her own life to save him. It’s a little confusing. Is her son dead or is the deceased child unknown. There’s some toing and froing departin* from England then returning back. I enjoyed the book, it was ok, but it will not leave any lasting impression. Indeed, by the time I finished it I’d forgotten much. However, I could definitely see this as a dramatisation which I would watch. Not great writing as none of the characters came to life for me but it was ok and a good idea for a story.

The Beholders by Hester Musson. We NEED to stop calling things Gothic when they are not. This is a good story about a girl called Harriet and a baby pulled out of the Thames. It’s a very well paced story that doesn’t have a lot to do with a dead baby until the final half. I really enjoyed each half but they felt very disconnected from each other. This isn’t a gothic thriller. I thought the way the lady of the house was portrayed was really interesting but again, not gothic. My take away from this is don’t marry an MP

An excellent book. This book tackles gaslighting, psychological abuse, potential murder.

I absolutely loved it, historical fiction at it's best and so cleverly written. I would recommend it.

The Beholders: A Disappointing Encounter **Hester Musson's "The Beholders" unfortunately fell short of expectations.
The novel, while promising an intriguing premise, ultimately failed to deliver a compelling narrative.

The story, which revolves around a group of individuals with unique abilities, lacks the depth and nuance one would anticipate from a book exploring such a fascinating concept. The characters, despite possessing intriguing powers, remain underdeveloped and their motivations feel unconvincing.

The narrative itself suffers from a lack of engaging plot points and a predictable trajectory. The pacing feels sluggish, and the writing style, though adequate, lacks the spark needed to truly captivate the reader. While the author attempts to introduce suspense and intrigue, these elements fail to materialize into genuinely thrilling moments. The ending, particularly, feels rushed and anticlimactic, leaving the reader with a sense of dissatisfaction rather than fulfillment.

While "The Beholders" might appeal to readers seeking a quick, light read, it falls far short of becoming a truly memorable or impactful work.

The lack of character development, compelling plot, and engaging writing leaves the novel feeling ultimately unremarkable. It is a missed opportunity to explore the rich potential of its unique concept, leaving the reader with a sense of disappointment rather than fulfillment.

This is my favourite genre of book - I loved it. A look inside the sinister, murky world of the rich and famous - in this case a ghastly MP. I cold read books like this all day long - I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Beholders by Hester Musson is a chilling read that unravels shocking secrets about the most trusted and respected in the society, and unmasks the true nature of the rich and powerful.

Thanks to the publisher and the author for the eARC.

Why did I wait so long to read this one!! Absolutely loved the atmosphere and storytelling. Through Harriet's diary/journal we get inside look into a household of a UK MP and as the saying goes you don't always know what goes on behind closed doors.

It's written in such a way I never knew who to trust....

Would highly recommend!

I didn’t love this one as much as I expected to I found it quite slow a lot of the way through and I didn’t really bond with the characters.

There was something compelling and gripping about this book at the start, the way it was written as diary entries made it such an easy read.

Covering some triggering topics, you see the workings of a dark establishment with high power, and what can go on behind closed which people of a lower class are forced to turn a blind eye to.

Around 60 pages in, I felt like it fell flat a little bit with not much going on, at around 50% the book started to pick up again, and dropped off again at around 75%.

The characterisation was really good and I got a feeling for the characters and found them really likeable specifically the protagonist Harriet.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing, however found the story itself didn’t wow me towards the end, and think more could have been achieved from the story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for this book in turn for a honest review.

Thank you to 4th Estate and William Collins and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of The Beholders by Hester Musson.

It took a little while for me to become fully engrossed in this book, but once I was, I was fully invested in the book and the characters.
We are introduced to Harriet who rises above her station (at least to some of the other household staff) and becomes Clara Gethin's personal maid. As she spends more time in the house, she starts to uncover deeply unsettling secrets putting her own life at risk. Clara and Harriet (under assumed names) sail to a new world, but Clara gets caught by the police and is sent back to England. She is soon on trail for the murder of her son, and rather than implicating anyone else and exonerating herself, she continues with her plea that she murdered her son. This would be the murder of the young boy pulled from the River Thames a few months earlier.

As the story unfolds we discover who the real evil is in the household and that Clara, and many others are unfortunate victims of a cruel master.

I had read this book over a few days, but could not wait to get back to it each day.
This would be a great film!

A really well thought out novel & very believable characters who try to fight the injustices of class in the late Victorian era. I don't wish to write anything that might give spoilers to the story needless to say I feel all who read this book will enjoy it #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

The body of a child is pulled from the Thames and the search for the beloved missing child of the widely admired Liberal MP, Ralph Gethin, is finally over. Four months prior, Harriet was a maid newly employed in the MP's home but she rarely saw him or his child. Instead it was his wife, Clara Gethin, who walked the many hallways alone. Harriet became equally as enraptured and fearful of her new employer, as well as the multitude of strange items that filled her home. Harriet filled her days with her duties and her nights with attempting to discover the truths behind them all.

This became a far different story to the one I thought I would be reading, full of many dark subject matters and sordid narrative twists. I did, however, find the setting up of the story and its conclusion to be my favourite aspects, as knowing the tragedy that this centres on led to some middle sections feeling just a little mundane when nothing entirely new felt delivered for some span of pages. The ending, however, had me enamoured with the storyline all over again although, overall, this remained only an enjoyable experience but one I can't see myself revisiting.

I'm not sure how to describe this book- it's set in the 1870s so historical, its a mystery with murders,- no spoilers as the first chapters tells us that on of the characters has been charged with murder. IT is told by Harriet a servant in the home of a thoroughly dreadful MP.
You can't take any of the characters at face value- with maybe the exception of Clockface.
I thought the end of the tale was a little bit rushed ad the build up was quite involved, but I would recommend it.

Enchanting and troubling. I really like how it addressed the matters of choices and freedom. I liked Heaster as a character, she is a complex individual that is somehow naive but overall paints a great picture of a complex reality. Her relationship with her mistress at times sounded a bit unmotivated, verging more on obsession than healthy relationship, but overall it is also a great representation of how many relationships develop in real life.
The master was a troubling figure, and UI really liked the exploration of the topic of having a good reputation and how that would change and shape interactions and judgement in society. At the end I wasn't sure if I liked the main character, but the idea of freedom from a tyrant on the mistresse's own term was truly powerful and I loved it, as the meaning of freedom varies whenever having to consider the circumnstances of the individual.
I would definitely recommend this read.

A Victorian gothic genre about power and manipulation that had a slightly slower paced and haunting beginning, which led to a dark and sinister read midway through that I was definitely not expecting.

It was full of twists and turns throughout, and the character and relationship building between Clara and Harriet among others kept me guessing the true integrity and intentions of people until the secrets were finally revealed.

I enjoyed this book, and would read the author again.

3/4

Once again slight disappointment …
I think because of the hype around this book I expected more !
It was lacking of the spark that you get from this type of books

Not many Victorian Gothic novels seem to tackle baby farming - which really surprises me as it's the perfect subject matter and Musson handles it brilliantly with truth and sensitivity.
Loved the structure through the use of diary entries and Harriet had a really strong voice.
It was quite a slow burn, however, but an enjoyable read.

2.5 ⭐️⭐️
Unfortunately I did not enjoy The Beholders nearly as much as I expected or would have liked to.
It certainly has a lot of redeemable qualities, such as the setting of Victorian London and a story between social classes. The story takes a long time to build, feeling quite confused (and confusing) for at least the first quarter, if not slightly more. The last quarter of the novel unfolds well, cleverly and interestingly, with much informative detail about topics such as baby farming. Some elements feel unclear, but my interest levels definitely spiked around the middle, after the initial difficulties.
With many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.