Maude Horton is one of those novels that make you glad you picked it up and started reading despite it being not your usual fare

Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook
I had read and thoroughly enjoyed Lizzie Pook’s debut novel Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter so I eagerly anticipated reading this novel. I was not disappointed it is an intelligent and well written story about Maude and her search to find out what befell her sister, Constance. She powerfully evoked the period of the 1850’s with her brilliant descriptions and I felt engrossed in the story.
Maude’s sister had disguised herself as a boy and boarded a ship travelling to the Arctic in search of Sir John Franklin who had gone missing along with two ships and all of his crew. When Maude goes to the Admiralty for answers about her sister’s death she is palmed off and so with the assistance of her sister’s diary she goes in search of the truth.
She involves herself in a macabre tour of hangings in order to get closer to the person she thinks is responsible for her sister’s death and whilst we follow her investigations we also discover what happened to Constance through reading her diary. It is a terrible indictment of the misogyny at the time the way in which both Maude and Constance are treated. I really enjoyed the novel and will be recommending it at my various book groups. My thanks go to the author, the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

Lizzie Pook is rapidly becoming my favourite author. I thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter and this second did not disappoint.
Set in 1850 Maude Horton is trying to find out what happened to her sister, Constance. Constance disappeared leaving a brief note saying that she was boarding the ship bound for the artic in search of Sir John Franklin's lost expedition. Since women were not permitted on naval ships, Constance had disguised herself as the ship's boy. However, when the boat returns and Maude and her grandfather wait for Constance to disembark they are met with the tragic news that Constance died during the trip.
Maude visits the Admiralty to try and find more information but laughed out of the room by those in charge. However, a clerk manages to smuggle to her her sister's diary of the trip and thus begins her endeavour to find justice for Constance.
Initially it appears Constance is the sister with the get up and go about her, but as the book develops, Constance also becomes an indomitable heroine, single-mindedly pursuing those she deems guilty of Constance's death. The journey takes us in the underworld of London, on train journeys, to the spectacle of hangings which had become public entertainment in those days, and into the world of Madame Tussauds.
The characters are well drawn. I loved the weasily and obnoxious Edison Stowe, who believes the whole world has it in for him, and the characterful Carter, king of the underworld, to say nothing of Lady Westbury and her fascination with all things about executions.
Wonderfully researched with much attention to historical detail and good pacing as well as a good twist at the end made this an unputdownable read for me.
With thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Absolutely loved it! The writing style is very elegant, and immersive. It was exactly what I had in mind when I read its summary, and was not disappointed.
Its gory details made me shiver, and at times even horrified me but I found the morbid curiosity of the era quite fascinating despite the violence behind it. What particularly tickled my fancy was its atmosphere of mystery, and exploration - just like a visit to the Natural History Museum.
Finally, I was entranced by the sister love in the book, and spent most of the book in deep denial.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed the authors first book, Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter and was keen to get hold of a copy of this, her second.
“Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge" is the compelling tale of a determined woman seeking retribution for her sister's untimely demise.
Situated in 19th-century London, the narrative weaves a gripping account of vengeance and sorrow, as Maude delves into the circumstances surrounding her sister Constance‘s tragic passing during an Arctic expedition that she stowed away on while dressed as a boy.
A real pleasure to read!

This was such an interesting story- I never knew about the tours described within and I always enjoy historical fiction most when I learn something new! I thought the main villain of the story was more interesting than Maude’s character! Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

A romping good story set in the 19th century. Two sisters - one wants adventure and glory at sea in the search for lost sailors. She has to hide the fact she’s female as she’s well aware of the danger she could be in. Back in England her sister is ready for her own adventure, as she is off to find out where her sister has gone.
It’s a pacy story and we’re introduced to the morbid and voyeuristic way people had of going off to watch criminals being hanged, as if on a day out. What a macabre pastime.
This book will not disappoint. It’s a great read and I loved the ending.

I was very keen to read this author’s second book as I really enjoyed her first one. This did not disappoint- beautifully written, fabulous plot line and as her previous book, extremely well researched. Loved it! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advance review copy.

Maud receives a letter from The Admiralty office, informing her of her sister’s death, and sets off to find out the details. What on earth was her sister, Constance, even doing on board an exploration vessel in the arctic?
The authorities tell Maud it was an accident, but then she receives a diary, her sister’s diary and things fall into place. Strange things happened on board the Makepeace. Things that Constance recorded. Maud becomes convinced that someone on board that ship murdered Constance, and thanks to her sister’s diary, she knows who that person is. Maud forms a plan to make the man pay for what he did.
Set in the mid-19th century, the book moves between two timelines. In the present, in England, Maud plots her revenge. It means her getting closer than she would like to the person she believes killed her sister, but she will do whatever it takes. In the arctic, through Constance’s diary, we discover what really happened on board the Makepeace.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It told the story of an arctic adventure, set in the middle of the 19th century. It is full of historical detail and suspense. I found the book hard to put down. I liked, that the main characters were women.
Maude Horton's sister Constance had disguised herself as a ship's boy. and set off for the Arctic aboard the Makepeace. The two sisters were orphaned and lived with their grandfather in his apothecary shop, watching and learning the skills of his trade.
Lizzie Pook has delighted me with both her books and is an author I will now look out for. I believe she wrote this story with great sensitivity, dealing also with many of our modern day issues.
Thank you Lizzie Pook

This is a wonderful read and I will absolutely recommend it to anyone who asks (or doesn’t) Maude has to be one of my favourite female leads that I have discovered this year! I loved the way the book is told from various perspectives.

Set in London in 1850 it follows Maude’s journey for the truth behind the disappearance of her sister.

I’d recommend this to anybody looking for a to get stuck into. This is the first book by Lizzie Pook that I have read and will definitely be seeking more books by her following this read.

Thank you for allowing me to review an advance copy of this book. This is the second Lizze Pook book I have read and I certainly wasn't disappointed. The characters, imagery and the plotline was spot on and cannot wait to read another by her.

Really enjoyable historical fiction that is spot on with enough details to transport you to that time and place. It was a hard time to be a woman and Constance has to pretend to be a boy to get where she wants to. Her diaries gradually reveal sides that her grieving sister Maud didn’t know. Excellent mystery, original and gripping.

When Maude’s sister Constance dies suddenly, she is determined to find out what happened. A tale of adventure and the macabre, Maude is glorious in her revenge.

I really enjoyed how Lizzie Pook structured this book. Using Constance’s alter-ego (Jack Aldridge) diary entries as a guide, she ekes out details to plot Maude’s revenge. I found the themes of adventure, crime and punishment really interesting. I would definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction and crime novels.

Well...this is a bit of alright isn't it?!

At the beginning of the book, we get a small prologue if you will, a pre-chapter, which starts with a bang. And then chapter one is where we meet our Maude Horton, and again, we're thrust straight into the heart of the story and it picks you up and you just want to stay for the whole journey - which, if you're like me, will be a short one as you just can't face putting it down.

I love the poetic feeling of the description: from the colours of glass bottles, to the scenes coming from a pharmacy, to what you see in a reflection - it's just gorgeous. Describing something in written form can be difficult, as it can so easily feel like reading a list, and that's a bit boring, but to create such beauty in the simple, Lizzie has excelled at that.

I red an e-copy, but having seen the beauty of the physical book, I will have to buy myself a copy once it's released to have on my shelf as it's just gorgeous.

If I'm honest, I never knew that a book so heavy on detail regarding a ship expedition could be so gripping! I don't know much, if anything really, about old ships and voyages and whatnot, but I found out there's quite a lot in this book that's true to life, if given slight artistic licence, which I liked. It sent me on a real Googling black hole.

The crux of the story is split into two formats: the present scenes from Maude's point of view, and then diary extracts from the voyage of the Makepeace. This is a really great way of portraying the story, as we get multiple POVs, and we get to see how the past is affecting the present without having to have clumsy flashbacks.

It's more detailed than I thought .Yes we have the main story, but we get someone else's too (I wont spoil who or what or where), which was great as it makes it more 3D. Not that the main story is flat, absolutely not, it's fabulous, but by adding these extra layers, this depth, it become even better to lose yourself in.

I love reading books set in a time where women were subservient, to be seen and not heard, and we have a female protagonist here who is anything but the expected. It made her very powerful and it's very easy to root for her. The men, on the whole, come off worse in this book (there are some exceptions) with the women - two in particular - holding the narrative together. It's a wonderful balance of power and expectations.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a "be tucked up in bed by 9pm because I'm cold and I tend to be awake by 5am" kind of woman, and because of this, I rarely read late into the night. But this one, I just couldn't put it down and was reading it well past 10pm (I know this doesn't sound late but I'm an old lady in a young woman's body so go with it). It just grabs you and it becomes a need, rather than a want, to finish it.

I was sad when I finished it. The world Lizzie has created is not always a good one, and yet I didn't want to tear myself away. Definitely one for the 2024 release highlights!