The Beholders starts quite, slowly building characterisation as we get to know the narrator and the.story she telling. The atmosphere in the house where she has procured work is extremely tense and foreboding. I love the Victorian gothic setting. Soon, the villain and the extent of the evils becomes apparent and the second half of the book is much pacier and dense in plot reveals. The scenes change from.the eerie estate to the streets of London and New York, to court rooms and asylums. An engaging read. #rhebeholders #hestermusson #netgalley

This was a good book but more of a slow burn to me.

The story was an intriguing one and I definitely got the gothic elements.

I feel if you like slow burn, historical fiction books then this will be for you.

In June of 1878, the body of a male infant is pulled out of the Thames, and he is soon identified as the son of renowned Liberal MP Ralph Gethin. Gethin is quick to point the finger at his estranged wife, who is currently missing. 

Months earlier, a young maid named Harriet takes up a position at Gethin's country seat, Finton Hall. Though initially captivated by her beautiful, talented mistress, Harriet soon begins to feel that there is something terribly wrong simmering beneath the genteel surface of Finton Hall. 

This intriguing debut by Hester Musson is a welcome addition to the modern gothic novel genre. Finton Hall, as described through Harriet's eyes, is infused with a profound wrongness which pervades the narrative and generates a feeling of unease which gradually builds to the novel's satisfying conclusion. 

Harriet and Clara Gethin's parallel arcs highlight the repressive nature of Victorian society for women across the social hierarchy; Clara is expected to put aside her own dreams in order to play the perfect high society wife and mother, while Harriet has to choose between a lifetime of domestic drudgery in service and a marriage of convenience which will trap her in the tiny village she longs to escape. A subplot about baby farming further elucidates the impossible choices many women - especially poor women - were compelled to make in order to survive. In contrast, the men of the time are portrayed as basking in their power and freedom (although Musson subverts this picture cleverly with the character of Laurence, the young footman.) 

Some readers may feel that the plot unspools too slowly in the fast part of the novel, but I felt that the time spent describing in detail the hierarchy of Finton Hall and the minutuae of Harriet's days amounted to essential world-building. Had the main part of the plot got going sooner, I don't think we would have such an in depth understanding of the societies which Harriet and Clara inhabit, and it would be difficult to convey Harriet's mounting misgivings which develop over the months she spends at the hall. 

Thank you to NetGalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you very much for this eARC.
This was enjoyable, yet a bit slow, and there were some contradictions that made little sense, which made it lose the "thriller" air..

I started off strongly disliking this book to be honest, I found Harriet, our new maid, unlikeable and stupid.

However, it’s rare for me to DNF a book so I persevered, and I’m so pleased I did. I don’t think I grew to like Harriet that much but it doesn’t matter.

This book is absolutely gripping. It twists and turns and I didn’t know who was telling the truth. It does get very very dark at one point and I was slightly shook, and quite frightened. Perhaps a tigger warning may be needed?

Absolutely fantastic though - I feel rather exhausted!

My thanks to Netgalley and 4th Estate and William Collins for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.