The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster is an absolute page-turner of a book!

The book centres on Margaret Dickson, a woman separated from her husband, who survived being hanged in Edinburgh 1724 for the crime of concealing a pregnancy in the case of a dead child.

The story unfolds from Maggie’s point of view - her life with parents and sister Joan and that of her married life. It was such a compelling read, the books had so much detail about the lives of fisherwomen, the tight knit community of fisherwomen, smuggling, the poverty, camaraderie, dreams of a better life.

As with Foster’s other books, this centres on a strong Scottish woman. The 1720s is a dangerous time to be a woman and fortunately for Maggie - she is a quick thinking survivor and a real heroine.

I really enjoyed the Historical Notes at the back of the book in which Kate Fosters details the life of the real Maggie Dickson and also provides historical notes on the tea smuggling which took place at that time on the Scottish coast.

The Mourning Necklace is great Scottish Historical Fiction at its best.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Compulsive read.
Loved this, not a word wasted in this emotional roller coaster.
Story starts with Maggie rising from the dead, she survived hanging and walked into her own wake in Edinburgh in 1724.
The story goes back a year and finds Maggie living with her parents and spoilt sister Joan in a small fisherman's cottage, her Father is a fisherman supplementing his income by storing contraband for people in his cottage, this gives them a slightly better standard of living. An Englishman Spencer calls one day to leave a parcel and Maggie catches his eye, she is a forthright woman and a hard worker and they marry quickly and rent a nearby cottage, Maggie is happy at last with a prospect of setting up a perfume business with Spencer in London, although her sister Joan is jealous she often visits at the cottage.
Whilst at the local Inn Spencer is pressganged and taken away, Maggie is distraught and Joan comes to live with her, Joan's secret is uncovered causing further heartbreak for Maggie, she decides to go to London and with careful planning sneaks away. The cart she is travelling in stops at Kelso and needs repairs, so she stays at an Inn for the night where she is robbed by a seemingly gentile woman, with no money left, Maggie takes up the offer of work at the Inn, settling in well and still planning to go to London. Joan comes looking for her just after Maggie discovers she is pregnant, hiding her condition she continues working until she goes into early labour with only Joan to attend to her. Although not originally wanted, Maggie loves her baby and it survives for a day. The dead babies body is found and Maggie accused of murdering the baby and not informing anyone of her pregnancy, she did not realise she had to inform anyone.
Maggie is imprisoned and found guilty, that is how she came to be hanged.
The story continues, will Maggie find peace and happiness?
Well researched and written, the attitude towards women and their hard life is heart-breaking.
Thank you Kate, NetGalley and PanMacmillan for this ARC

“Human life is cheap. They die on street corners, in rags, an empty bottle rolling around beside them . They die of poxes and plagues and starvation and hangings. They die in childbirth. Or shortly thereafter. Whispers of the afterlife are sometimes the only hope we have.”

Where do I even begin with The Mourning Necklace by Kate Foster? This novel swept me off my feet and delivered a powerful emotional punch. Having adored The Maiden and The King’s Witches, I thought I knew what to expect from Foster, but she exceeded every expectation. With The Mourning Necklace, Foster proves beyond doubt that she is a master of feminist historical fiction, standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Stacey Halls and Susan Stokes-Chapman.

This book is a revelation. Maggie Dickson’s story, rooted in historical fact, bursts to life with Foster’s lyrical and immersive prose. Maggie is a true force—raw, vulnerable, and unbreakable. Her transformation, from a woman sentenced to death to one who reclaims her narrative, is among the most gripping character arcs I’ve ever encountered. It’s impossible not to ache with her, cheer for her, and ultimately feel empowered by her tenacity.

Foster’s storytelling is nothing short of genius. She captures the harsh realities of 18th-century Edinburgh with such precision that you can feel the cobblestones beneath your feet and the oppressive weight of societal judgment. Yet, she balances the grit with a narrative so captivating and fast-paced that I flew through the pages. The twists—oh, the twists—were as satisfying as they were surprising, leaving me breathless at every turn.

What makes The Mourning Necklace shine even brighter is how it bridges historical authenticity with timeless themes of injustice, gender inequality, and redemption. Foster weaves a tapestry of social commentary into Maggie’s journey, crafting a story that feels as urgent now as it would have been in 1724.

And the writing—goodness, the writing! Foster’s prose is sheer poetry. Her ability to capture the complexity of human emotion, the beauty of fleeting hope, and the terror of facing one’s mortality is unparalleled. I paused so many times just to reread sentences, marvelling at the craft.
If you love historical fiction, feminist narratives, or just plain phenomenal storytelling, this book is a must-read. It’s an anthem for the overlooked, a tribute to those who endure, and a testament to Foster’s extraordinary talent.

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley, I’m incredibly grateful for the e-ARC of The Mourning Necklace. All opinions are my own.

A massive thank you to Pan MacMillian and the fantastic Bookbreakuk team for approving my Netgalley request for the eARC of The Mourning Necklace (which I dutifully devoured as soon as it landed on my virtual Netgalley shelf).

The Mourning Necklace is a riveting and chilling story based on the historical events of a woman, Maggie Dickson, who survived being hung in Edinburgh in 1724. The portrait of Maggie as a character beautifully recreates her story, bringing to life a soul full of dreams, loneliness, and inner strength that brings her through the pain and suffering she endures, making her relatable and viscerally real on the page. Her story is recreated with care and sensitivity to the real people behind the history, showing the challenges of poverty, the powerlessness women faced with unjust laws, and the struggle to have rights over their bodies, which were the property of their husbands.

Kate Foster knows how to bring history to life with a story that hooks into your heart so you become emotionally invested in her novel and don’t want to put it down. Her storytelling is masterful, full of amazing historical details that pull you into the era and poignant issues that reach across time to be a relevant and powerful message in the 21st century as it was in the 1700s. The pacing is tense and full of suspense as the dual timeline explores the events of Maggie’s life leading up to her hanging, the aftermath of her survival, and the question of whether she will face the gallows again.

A heartbreaking, enthralling read about finding the strength to endure adversity and the joy of finding happiness after trauma. I love how Kate Foster is able to bring a feminist twist to the strength of women in history, which is often veiled by the shadow of antiquity. The next favourite read of any historical fiction lover, especially if you loved Kate’s other books, then you will not be disappointed by The Mourning Necklace.

I love Kate Foster's books and "The Mourning Necklace" is excellent. I knew nothing of Mistress Maggie Dickinson but her story is fascinating. The book starts of grim with a hanging but then the story rewinds and you get the back story and what happens after. Brilliant and a tale of what happens when people give you a second chance.

I was aware of the history of Maggie Dickson and was intrigued to read this tale by Kate Foster on how she envisaged Maggie's life after surviving the hanging. It was a fantastic story and once started couldn't put it down. An excellent read.

I love author Kate Fosters work, she has a way of getting me totally invested in a novel and I do not want to put it down.

The Mourning Necklace was such a unique and special read and I loved every minute of reading it.

We meet main character Maggie who lives with her family, the year is 1724. The story opens up after Maggie has been hanged, but not actually dead. She leaves her coffin and goes and finds her family.

The main story really is about how Maggie became to be hanged and it is gripping. The Mourning Necklace is actually based on a true story and it was eye opening to read about this part of history.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars from me.

Set in 18th century Scotlans this is quite a powerful but heartbreaking story.

Maggie is just a beautiful character to get to know and her plight is as relevant today as it was back then.

This authoir knows how to write a good tale. her descriptions of the poverty and the opinion of women is brillaintly told and I just loved getting immersed in this book..

I really enjoyed this book. I particularly liked Maggie and though she was a great character. It definitely highlights how a woman's lot has not changed much over the centuries which is particularly apt for some parts of the world now. can I imaging this exact same story set in a country today with a new President? You bet. Different to the Handmaid's Tale but equally as pertinent. I didn't know until the end that it was based on a true story. Excellent writing, great characterisation this book was an great read

A heartbreaking story, which underlines the powerlessness of women in 18th Century Scotland. Beautifully told, the reader feels immersed in the location and the time period. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

Kate Foster brings us the story of Maggie in The Mourning Necklace. An extraordinary story of a young women battling to do better and live happily 18th century Scotland. Her family are generations of fishermen and her life is set in her small fishing village but Maggie wants to travel, she wants to go to London and break the traditions she just doesn’t want to live.
Kate Foster is an exceptional author who builds a story and delivers it with so much detail and depth, the characters feel like friends. The pain and suffering experienced by Maggie is staggering and made all the more exceptional by Kate Foster. Her third book and another 5 star read, not many authors can manage to deliver historical fiction that makes its thrilling and exciting to read. Poverty, historical depriving laws regarding women and their right are hard to digestive, however must be spoken about. Maggie is a real women and Kate Foster created her story, built her story beautifully.

#themourningnecklace #katefoster #netgalley #thebookcaseofkay

fascinating story that I learned at the end of the book is based on a true story.

Maggie’s tale is raw, heartbreaking and also triumphant.
She fought circumstance, much of which she couldn’t avoid, she fought authorities, the fragility of life and the evils of others and she came out the other side, scarred and heartbroken but she survived.
I felt her loneliness, her vulnerability after being betrayed by those closest to her. Her fear and pain jumps from the page as the most devastating thing happens to her and yet she finds a strength to go on and to live another day.
A really well written book, it was heartbreaking but also inspiring to read.
Thank you to the publishers for inviting me to read and review this book.