This was a very strange book. I very nearly DNF this but I read a few reviews where it said it picked up so I carried on. I kind of wish I hadn’t.

This book is written as a series of diary entries by our main character Harriet who has taken a position as a maid at Finton Hall.

That first 30% is a slog! It was so slow with nothing really notable happening. Things picked up when the Master returns home and then a series of events kickstarts into a somewhat interesting read.

Honestly though I was pretty bored and only finished because I felt I should give it a chance.

I think maybe the pacing just isn’t my vibe. This would be perfect for fans of historical fiction who love a slow pace.

Absolutely brilliant debut novel.
This is a dark atmosphere historical thriller that takes you into some of the more uncomfortable sides that women had to endure from men in the Victorian era.
It has many twists and turns with a very satisfying conclusion.

Harriet Watkins has gone into service and supported a beloved employer through her last years. Her family expect her to return to the country and marry her long term sweetheart but Harriet has follwed the wishes of her previous employer and gone to work at a country house. There she falls under the spell of Mrs Gethin, a fragile beauty. The house is disquieting and Harriet discovers the horrors that happen there - the master is both powerful and corrupt. She escapes and tries to help her mistress but can there be a happy ending?

At a point in this book I began to question whether I would be able to finish, the Gothic elements were laid on so thickly, however I'm glad I persevered. This is a rather good Victorian story about the venal underbelly of society and the powerlessness of women. There is redemption of a sort at the end but it's only partial and leaves the reader wanting to know more. A very good debut.

This is a historical thriller which I found grew on me the more I read becoming compelling and a real page turner. Examining themes of freedom, independence, truth and identity this was intelligently written, not only being deeply evocative of the 1870s, but also commenting on insights into power and corruption that still pervade our world today. I became really invested in Harriet and Clara's story and ended up really enjoying this debut.
This honest review is given with thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

A Powerful Gothic Tale

What a wonderful debut novel.

This book was utterly enthralling, bewitching and imaginative. A Victorian Gothic tale with atmosphere aplenty, explores the darkest crimes of sexual violence, murder and corruption.

This story seen through the eyes of the lead character, Harriet, a young maid employed at Finton Hall, home to Clara and her husband Liberal MP Ralph Gethin, takes you on a page-turning journey of love, power, exploitation, tragedy, secrets and lies.

This was a definite 5 star read for me. I can't wait to read more from Hester Musson.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publishers for this ARC.

A thoroughly enjoyable Victorian gothic mystery. When Harriet joins the staff at the wonderfully foreboding Finton Hall she is dragged into its secrets and horrors. All is definitely not as it seems and as the story progresses Harriet must make choices that will resonate for all those involved. A slow burn at the start this novel certainly picks up the pace as it progresses and the reader is not sure who to believe and is kept guessing. The book deals with some difficult issues not least the powerlessness of women in society. A great book to curl up with on a cold winters evening. I will certainly be looking for more from this author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

An intriguing and entertaining gothic mystery story, with all the wonderful elements you might expect.

Harriet is a likeable maid who gets very involved with her employers and their many secrets. With very badly behaved gentlemen, frustrated ladies and a compelling plot that comes right at the end, this book is lovely to read, hard to put down and very enjoyable.

An eerie gothic mystery that follows maid Harriet who is working for the Gethin family - flash forward and Clara Gethin is on trial for killing her son.

This had an interesting plot and intriguing characters but it was very slow, I found it very hard to get through the first half and almost gave up many times as the pacing was just too slow for me. I’m glad I didn’t give up on it because it did have a good pay off, however I do think books should be able to grip you in the first half and this just didn’t unfortunately.

‘Some houses are haunted by the living’ - cover tagline.

My thanks to 4th Estate William Collins for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beholders’ by Hester Musson.

This debut novel is a Victorian Gothic mystery that focuses upon a sensational crime.

In June, 1878 the body of a five month old boy is pulled from the River Thames. It is suspected to be the beloved missing child of the widely admired Liberal MP Ralph Gethin. On trial at the Old Bailey is his wife, Clara Gethin, indicted for his murder. During testimony a commotion breaks out in the public gallery caused by a young woman.

After this dramatic opening the story moves back four months as Harriet Watkins comes to work at Finton Hall, initially as a housemaid. She is quickly entranced by the grand country house and by her glamorous mistress, Clara Gethin. Yet Clara’s behaviour is quite erratic and her husband, a highly regarded politician, is often absent.

Harriet’s curiosity gets the better of her and she sets out to discover the secrets of the family. She becomes closer to Clara, becoming her lady’s maid and confidant. When Harriet uncovers a shocking truth, it sets in motion a chain of events. No further details to avoid spoilers.

One of the devices used by Hester Musson is to have Harriet confide her thoughts to a diary as well as the occasional report from the police investigation and the trial.

It is quite a slow burn of a novel building up its characters as well as the setting of Finton Hall, which is full of dark crooks and crannies and exotic objects that fascinate the unworldly Harriet. We encounter Clara and her husband through her eyes.

Overall, I was impressed with ‘The Beholders’ feeling that it was an atmospheric Gothic mystery that sought to explore the more sinister side of Victorian society. It was a promising debut and I shall be looking out for her future projects.

*Many thanks to Hester Musson, 4th Estate and William Collins, and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An interesting voice in the genre so popular nowadays, namely Gothic novel set in Victorian period. I enjoyed the plot albeit it was rather predictable. Some motifs are a little overdone. Still, atmospheric and a decent read for fans of such fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and Fourth Estate for this eCopy to review

The Beholders was an intriguing mystery from start to finish. Why was Mrs B so keen for Harriet to become a maid for Clara. What secrets is Finton Hall hiding? Why are the other servants so odd? And what is wrong with the Master Ralph?

As Harriet finds out more about what is happening her life becomes in danger, can she protect herself, Clara and baby Edward from Ralph?

I found the characters well depicted and the locations well described and was completely swept up in Harriet's investigations and the relationships she forms with others. This was an excellent Gothic mystery, please note sexual abuse and infanticide are subject matters which may be triggering for some.

Set in 1878 The Beholders starts at the Old Bailey where Clara Gethin is on trial for the murder of her baby. We then backtrack to the appearance of a new maid, Harriet, who takes up a position at Finton Hall, the impressive country residence of Mrs Gethin and her mostly absent husband, Ralph Gethin MP. Harriet is in thrall to Clara who is a conundrum wavering between violent outbursts and absences of the mind. She is strangely cold and disinterested in her new baby but capable of showing real affection towards the new maid. The household is well drawn and their dynamics fascinating encompassing violence, manipulation and love. The house itself is full of beautiful objet d’arts and paintings but nothing is as it seems. The story takes many disturbing twists and turns and becomes a real page turner. Hester Mussen has delivered a well researched and enthralling tale of deception, murder, mystery and love. Thanks to Fourth Estate and NetGalley for the eARC.

Musson had such a compelling voice in this twisty Gothic tale of corruption, secrets and exploitation. The final third felt a bit lacklustre for me though and I was uneasy about the depiction of Laurence.

After a bit of a slow start, setting up the story of Harriet, the young maid engaged to work in the wealthy and well-connected Gethin household at the end of the nineteenth century, the plot takes a sinister and compelling turn, involving the discovery of a toddler’s body from the Thames and the trial of his mother, Clara Gethin, for his murder. As Harriet settles in to her new job, her diary reveals a number of red flags about her employers and it soon becomes evident that not everything is as it appears. The storyline gets stronger as the reader progresses through the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Hester Musson’s debut is set in late nineteenth-century England where a young housemaid Harriet Watkins finds herself caught up in an unexpected web of deceit and intrigue. What starts out as a fairly standard pastiche of a conventional, nineteenth-century novel unexpectedly morphs into something closer to the sensation fiction made famous by writers like Mary Elizabeth Braddon. But Musson also displays the influence of authors like Sarah Waters and Michel Faber in her reframing of Victorian society, as she exposes its lurking depravity and hypocrisy: from wealth that’s the legacy of slavery to child sexual abuse and the exploitation of those without money or power.

Harriet finds herself working at Finton Hall, a great house in rural Hertfordshire, where she becomes fascinated by its mistress the enigmatic and melancholy Clara Gethin who’s the subject of unsavoury rumours, not least her inexplicable coldness towards her young child Edward. As Harriet becomes closer to Clara, she becomes increasingly aware of the secrets that surround Clara and her husband, a member of parliament who’s absent more often than not. There’s a general sense of unease surrounding the household and a mystery concerning the countless servants who’ve abruptly left its employ. Harriet confides her thoughts to her diary, a blow-by-blow depiction of her everyday life which beautifully conveys the claustrophobia and isolation of life in service, tied to one building day after day, not even free to wander its grounds. Musson also teases the reader by introducing a fleeting reference to what might be to come, the possible, brutal murder of Clara’s baby son.

I had mixed reactions to this one, there are Sapphic undercurrents that ultimately led nowhere, and these – along with a subplot involving a young Black servant – felt grafted on and awkwardly tokenistic. The pacing of the narrative could definitely be tighter and more even, the early sections are particularly slow moving. Some elements would be unlikely to stand up to close scrutiny, the exploits of Clara’s husband and his band of male followers seemed overblown at times, but I responded to Harriet’s voice and as Musson’s plot unfolded, I was increasingly gripped and desperate to know what was really going on.

An Atmospheric gothic novel that had me instantly drawn in! In short it is historical mystery with lots of secrets and twists and deadly consequences!

the beholders is an intoxicatingly atmospheric gothic novel with a sinister underlying tension that slowly unfolds as the plot progresses. i couldn't get enough of the intricate relationship between harriet and clara, her mistress, which was mesmerising in the way it progressed from uneasy acquaintances to tentative friendship, and then intimate allies in the face of adversity. the way the diary format was used in this book was very intriguing, and the writing style flowed so well. everything falls into place in a resolution that was unexpected but wholly satisfying, and i enjoyed seeing how the finer details unravelled in the final moments of the book.

ultimately, a compelling narrative with characters that are never 100% fixed in one place. 4 stars.

We know from the start of the novel that Clara Gethin is awaiting trial for the murder of her baby son and so what then follows is the description of events leading to this point.
When Harriet Watkins’ employer dies she is placed as a maid in the household of the MP Ralph Gethin. She doesn’t find it an easy or welcoming place to work. Her mistress Clara seems cold and prone to rages whilst the other servants dislike Harriet. She doesn’t fit in and finds it hard to know who she can trust.
The novel maintains a steady pace in the early chapters as Harriet settles into her new surroundings but with the arrival of the master, Mr Gethin, the book evolves into a page turner with gothic novel qualities. What initially seems a typical historical novel becomes a great, immersive thriller which I can highly recommend.
I look forward to reading Hester Musson’s future novels.
Many thanks to the publishers for the ARC.

A story of dark gothic wickedness. A world of baby-farmers and abject poverty. A house full of secrets, dark corners and lurking staff. A family bound together by anything but love.

This was a really captivating story from beginning to end, with a few very graphic scenes along the way - this is not for the faint hearted, it is but gloriously gothic.

Harriet, as maid, and Clara as the lady of the house form an unlikely friendship, they are both in danger and need to escape but at what price?

Mixed feelings here, so bear with me.

Dead babies. Pears. Dodgy pictures.

The first third was slow, almost painfully so, and it was a challenge to work through. A sinister component is introduced and completely switches up the pacing, and I flew through the remainder of the book. However, looking back on the second half, the pacing was too fast and didn't have much meat to it because it was just exposition…

I think the diary entry format was a bad choice for this story as doesn't work all of the time. The supporting characters also felt a bit flat and should've been used more! We get glimpses of depth, but nothing is done with it. The writing style felt a bit too inconsistent and almost seemed like a different writer at times.

There are moments I really enjoyed and wished were explored further: the twisted and disturbing elements within this story are only briefly explored. I think they've just been used for shock value. I'm not saying I needed more detail, but everything happens so suddenly, and within such a short space of time, that it all just hangs loosely over the rest of the story.