1700s Edinburgh, bodies of excecuted criminals unclaimed by families, go to the anatomists, by order.
So it was for Maggie. Her body lay in the coffin. Is she being made ready for the doctors to begin their gruesome work, to remove her organs, to cut her into pieces, to study her veins and arteries. But the hangman's rope had not done its work, though there it was, the pitiless mark around her neck, her punishment for murdering her own child. The last thing she remembered was the drop, the scream that would not come, then blackness. She had survived.
What else could Maggie do but walk into the inn, to her own wake...to her family and tell us her story.
Maggie's brutal da earned his keep from the sea, the whole family did. Living out of one room, life was as hard as it could be. But it was life. Extra money could be found from smuggling, but not much. The additional coin came with danger.
Maggie dreamt of escape from this life, some day she would get away and live a different life. One day, her head was turned by a handsome stranger and her dream could begin, but so too would her nightmare..

Such an enjoyable book ! Exciting. Action packed. Energetic. It will tap into all your emotions, as Maggie life unravels. What makes this novel more poignant, is it's based on a true story.
As with all Kate's books, I recommend you read it, because you will love it.

Suse

The Mourning Necklace tells the story of Margaret Dickson, an 18th century Scottish woman sentenced to hang for concealing her pregnancy and murdering her baby. Based on the true story of "Half Hangit Maggie", Kate Foster deftly fills in the gaps left by the historical record with a believable, heart-wrenching and beautifully written story.

Foster's writing is superb - she effectively evokes the sights, smells and sounds of 18th century Edinburgh and Musselburgh. Each character is deftly drawn and evokes emotions from pity to terror. This was very much a "just one more chapter" book. Highly reccommended.

I absolutely loved this book, based on the real life story of Half-Hanged Maggie who survived the noose in 18th Century Edinburgh💓

Maggie grows up in a Scottish family who make their living gutting fish and taking in smuggled or contraband goods for safe keeping. Life is hard, they can barely make ends meet and Maggie has ambitions to move to London and become a seamstress. When a handsome man starts to take interest her head is turned but soon she will hang for the crime she commits, yet if she can survive that maybe Maggie can still make a better life for herself.

There are so many relevant themes in this story for today: the reproductive rights of women, coercive control, betrayal etc. This is so brilliantly told, I was gripped from start to finish.

What an interesting book! The Mourning Necklace is based on the true story of Maggie Dickson, who survived a hanging in Edinburgh near the Grassmarket Gallows during the eighteenth century. Maggie was accused of concealing her pregnancy and murdering her baby.
.Maggie was a fishwife and that was the only way of life she knew. So when a man calls, asking them to keep and hide a parcel for him, Maggie’s head is turned and she marries him. The rest of the story tells of Maggie’s life from this point until her death.
I learned a lot from this book. I found it very informative. I hadn’t known it was a crime to conceal a pregnancy and consequently if the baby died, the crime was punishable by hanging. We had insights into the prison system, gin palaces and such like. Also what life was like for working women.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Kate Foster and the publishers, Pan MacMillan for an arc of this fascinating book.

The Mourning necklace by Kate Foster is about Maggie, a young woman from a small fishing village in Scotland, who is hanged for murdering her baby. However the hanging was not successful as Maggie wakes up in her coffin to the surprise of everyone. The story then goes back to the time before the crime and we learn what has lead to it being committed.

This is my 3rd book by this author and I think my favourite. It is based on a true story, which I didn't know about before reading this book.

The story and characters are very well written and is easy to read. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction.

Kate Foster writes so well about Scotland, and especially the Edinburgh area, in the 18th century. You can smell and taste the lives of her characters!
This story starts with Maggie Dickson miraculously surviving her public hanging for killing her baby, and then we are taken back to her earlier life to discover the journey that led to the gallows. A well-researched and well-written story. Kate Foster never disappoints.

Honestly, I think if Kate Foster wrote the blurb on the back of a packet of cornflakes, I'd read it. I loved The Maiden and The Kings Witches was one of my favourites reads of 2024, so I was excited to be offered the opportunity to read The Mourning Necklace and she's done again! This story is based on a woman who survived the hangman's noose and Kate has offered up her own interpretation of how that might have happened.

This is a compelling book, a great story, a character to route for and a real page turner with twists and turns along the way that reminded me of Sarah Waters book Fingersmith.

Kate Foster has written yet another incredible novel bringing history to life, this time based on the Half-Hanged Woman, Maggie, who in September 1724 was hung and survived!

We learn of the dark side of Edinburgh,with its poverty and death & the surrounding area of Kelso. It is written in such a sympathetic & empathetic way, the reader is pulled into the story as though they are part of the narrative.

I couldn't put it down & when I had finished it I wanted to re-read it straight away!
This is a must-have read for any historical fiction fan.
Thankyou to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Foster has a remarkable ability to write stories about women who are often overlooked in history. Her vivid storytelling captivated me and made this book a true joy to read. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and I found myself completely enchanted by this particular narrative. The characters are skillfully crafted, drawing me into the story so deeply that once I started reading, I couldn't put it down until I finished. I will recommend this book to any historical fiction fan thank
You very much to netgalley for The access to this ARC