I was attracted to this title by the cover, which is stunning, and intrigued by the blurb. Harriet is employed as a maid for a wealthy family and finds herself drawn into the world of ‘upstairs’ by her seemingly eccentric mistress. The book begins with Harriet witnessing said mistress being tried for the murder of her baby son, and then jumps back in time to describe how this all came to be.

Although I finished the book, if I’m honest I did find if a bit of a slog. The first half of the book is dry and very slow. It does recover in the last half but by then I was already partly disengaged. It’s a shame because the plot has promise.

With thanks to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book, it was brilliant

A fine debut entry into the Gothic fiction bookshelf.

The story opens in London in June, 1878 when the body of a young boy is pulled from the River Thames. It's believed to be the missing child of MP Ralph Gethin. We are then returned to a period four months previously when young Harriet takes up a new job as maid at Finton Hall, having been "poached" by the glamorous and mysterious Lady Clara Gethin, wife of the MP. But Harriet soon senses all is not well in the Gethin household, and quickly sets out to discover the secrets it holds.

And so we are drawn, albeit slowly and sometimes torturously, into a dark and twisting tale of family, secrets and lies and Harriet soon sets in motion events which end in tragedy. It's definitely a slow-burner book, only really picking up halfway through. That said, its populated with interesting characters, most of whom are not what they seem, and a plot sufficiently deep to ensure you turn the next page. Harriet's own background, much of which is related through her diary, is a sub-plot worthy of du Maurier. The prose is clear and concise and the period detail is spot on, although some readers might find the detail a little too much. It's very reminiscent of early gothic writing.

I'm glad I stuck with it to the end, and would recommend "The Beholders" to fans of Stacey Halls, Laura Purcell and Diane Setterfield. The author describes herself as "writer, nature lover, horror film fan", which is enough for me to keep an eye out for her next book.

Harriet moves from being housemaid to an eccentric lady to being housemaid to an eminent politician and his wife, complete with a set of bizarre, rather unpleasant below stairs staff. A body of a child dredged from the river is thought to be the son of the family, the MP is largely absent, the wife off with the fairies (although, today, she'd probably be considered as having post natal depression). Harriet noses into everything. The story, as it was, dragged for a long time. When it did finally liven up I'm afraid that it just seemed predictable - I knew what Lawrence was about, I did feel sorry for the wife, I got fed up with Harriet. I'm sorry but everything was rather jumbled and dashed around without any clear path. Sometimes this works, not this time for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for reviewing.-

A beautiful cover for an intriguing story. The Beholders is a fascinating historical tale that weaves its tangled web slowly but surely, and I found it hard to put down. 5 stars!

I was in the mood for a gothic fiction book and this did not disappoint. While occasionally, more modern language and viewpoints were wedged jarringly in, overall this was atmospheric and intriguing. It didn't really do anything new in the genre but as a fan of gothic fiction, it was exactly what I wanted at the time. Great read.

Beholders is a tense and mysterious historical gothic fiction. Although this didn't completely blow me away as something new in this genre this made for a fun and interesting read with a great set of characters who you don't know whether to truly trust or not, I definitely recommend if you like books in this genre and want something to read for Halloween.

Harriet is young maid newly employed at the home of MP Ralph Gethin. She anxious to make a good impression having moved from her previous employ at the request of Clara Gethin, the MP's wife. She is destined at some point to return home to marry William but she finds Clara entrancing, especially after she hears her mistress singing. However, all in not well in the fine house. The other servants are unpleasant and downright nasty to Harriet, and her mistress is often distant and odd. As secrets unravel Harriet finds disturbing things go on at the hall and all is not as it seems.
I found this book very slow to begin with, and was reluctant to pick it up again to read. However, at the half way point, when the action moves to London so the speed picks up and so did my interest. I very much enjoyed the ending too.
The characters are quite complex as they are often not what they appear and even Harriet has more to her than initially meets the eye. The details of life in the big house and the servants life along with the clothing and food and transport are all well told.
All in all a good and interesting read and worth persisting with, although trimming a bit from the first section would make it an easier read.
With thanks to Netgalley, 4th Estate and William Collins for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Who doesn't love a gothic historical fiction?

I really enjoyed this novel and the theme kept me reading despite the slow-ish start. I do think the second half of the book was better although a little predicable.

I did enjoy it. Whether this was because I like the gene - possibly. However I would definitely recommend,

The Beholders is a solid addition to the gothic historical fiction genre.

It starts off strong, with a mysterious sense of that something is not quite right at Finton Hall. There are some interesting characters, and the upstairs downstairs setting makes for a great dynamic. I enjoyed that the story is told through a diary too, with all the possibilities for duplicity and unreliable narrators that allows for.

However, the source of the uneasiness is unfortunately far too predictable (if you have read any of this genre before you will see it coming a mile off) and the story loses some of its power as the mystery unravels. I enjoyed the storytelling and there is some great, page-turning prose, but I could always guess where it was going to take me next.

Dark and unsettling, if a little too safe, The Beholders is a promising debut.

Harriet Watkins is taken on as a house maid at Finton Hall, home to the much revered MP Ralph Gethin and his wife. Mr Gethin is not a regular at the house, and his absence lends something of a mystique to his character. Having previously worked for the lovely, if bonkers “Mrs B”, Harriet is finding life at her new post very different. The staff leave a lot to be desired, with the dreaded Mrs “Clockface” Clarkson lording it below stairs. Not one to mind her own business, Harriet becomes embroiled in the nastiness and darkness of this, at times, macabre household.

My goodness this took its time getting going! If you enjoy domestic disputes and the squabbles and hierarchy below stairs then you will be in for a treat, there’s plenty of that. Whilst I appreciate a good background sells a story, this was too much too slow. However when it did take off the story was well told, interesting and well worth the read.

I would recommend this book, with the proviso that it’s a slog at the beginning and that made it seem very long. When the action starts it’s very good.

Thank you NetGalley.

This was a great read! Some readers might find the first half a bit slow, but I actually enjoyed reading about the characters' lives and not knowing at all where it was leading me to! With the second half of the novel tension increases still leaving the reader to guess about the future events... I found the intricate plot very compelling! The writing also is very pleasant to read with interesting descriptions of the characters through paintings. Very promising author!
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and Net Galley.

This book took a while to get going but wow the second half really ramped up fast!

We follow a maid who has taken a position in a different home following the death of her mistress. She has a betrothed waiting for her but she seems reluctant to go back and agrees to go and serve one of her mistresses friends. Her new mistress behaves strangely, lashing out at times, mood swings, confiding with her maid at times. Our MC is conflicted about whether to go back and get married or stay in service. However she starts to learn things about the family she works for and reveals some horrifying truths.

The first half did feel a big long and repetitive. Our MC goes back and forth a lot on if she should get married. There’s a lot of issues with a senior servant and a lot of barely there interactions with the new mistress. However it’s all worth it for the second half where the books becomes really thrilling!

In the second half the book goes in a completely different direction and mysteries and true characters are unravelled.

We have gothic themes of entrapment, oppressive houses, cruel men, alleged madness.

I enjoyed this. I’m glad I stuck with it as once it got going it was gripping.

I would warn there’s some quite dark content in this. I don’t want to say too much in case of spoilers but I would advise checking content warnings. There are violent acts described.

I raced through this pacy thriller in two days and it was a wild ride. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I knew I wanted to follow…..⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A slow burn sinister tale.

There’s lots of twists and turns and a sense of unease throughout the story, which when dramatic events were unfolding kept me gripped wanting to know what would happen next.

I did feel at times though that the story dragged and overall the book could have been shorter.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

Gothic historical fiction is one of my favourite genres so of course I was intrigued by The Beholders. Set in the 1870s, it opens with a shocking crime, and then we turn to our protagonist, Harriet, who gets employed as a housemaid at the Gethin family house. Told mainly through Harriet's diary entries, letters and a handful of newspaper articles, this is a sloooow burn. Secrets and suspicions are thrown around, the master of the house is a big enigma, Mrs Gethin acts strangely, and there's that terrifying and terrorising Mrs Clarkson, the head of the help, if you will.

Although overall a good read with a few twists, I have read so many similar books and The Beholders didn't quite grip me enough. I didn't root for Harriet and frankly most of the rest of the characters were simply awful. The story takes a very grim turn towards the end and I didn't like that.

A slow burn with beautiful, vivid descriptions. Murder, corruption and lies. How far would you go to protect someone you love? Harriet, a young housemaid sees far more than she should. She sees what others turn a blind eye to. What are the risks of her challenging those around her? A solid debut.

Harriet is the person at the heart of this story. The difference between the upper and lower classes is well portrayed in this book.

Slow to start with, but well worth sticking with it. Deceipt, and lies told by the people in power then reflect on the justice system or rather lack of it at the time.

Harriets views of things are portrayed in diary form, and this does not have the ending you thought it would have.

Thank you Nstgalley for letting me read this book.

Harriet starts work as a housemaid for an eccentric mistress and an initially absent master and even after reading about 25% of the book I was still regarding this as a cosy tale of employment in a 19th century country estate but then things gradually become more sinister.
Dark secrets start getting unearthed and Harriet becomes closer and closer to her mistress but still unsure of what to believe.
The second half of the book is like a thriller as the action ramps up leading to dramatic final chapters and an emotionally satisfying finish.
At 25% of the way through the book i wondered if i might lose interest but am very glad i persisted as i really enjoyed the read .

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

What a mixed bag! Had I bought this book I probably would have put it down after a couple of pages and never picked it up again. However when you’ve been gifted an ARC I feel duty bound to read it. The beginning I found so garbled and confusing that I tried to ignore it and just carry on. I’m so glad I did because it was a very good read. Trying to discover who was telling the truth and wondering how it would all end kept me gripped. At times there was a little too much detail about rather inane things but overall a good and very different book. Maybe three stars is actually a bit harsh as I would definitely recommend reading it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins