I found this to be an utterly enthralling piece of historical fiction, that had plenty of angles to enjoy and meant that there were very few, if any, lulls in the storyline.
It is centred around the terror and panic that the black death bought to the residents of the county of Dorsetshire, and how very little was known about where it came from, how it was transmitted, and how to stop it. The estate of Develish is under the watch of Lady Anne, while her husband Sir Richard is away, and she seems a much needed heroine to take control - she has the respect of all the serfs and is well educated which was a rarity amongst women of the time. Her daughter, Eleanor, is a total brat though and does all she can to rebel against her mothers' wishes, and treats the serfs with utter contempt!
One of Lady Anne's most loyal servants is Thaddeus is quite adept at keeping things under control, and takes it on himself to ride out with a group of young men to gain further knowledge of what has been happening in estates beyond theirs. So the story is split between their travels and what happens back in Develish.
This is the first book I've read by Minette Walters and won't be my last - especially as there is a sequel due! - and I loved how she brought history to life with ease. I often find with some historical novels of this kind of length that there is a lot of padding and unneccessary elements, but in this story everything seemed to happen for a reason and the switching between the storylines also helped break things up. There is plenty of scandal and some darker storylines which come to light along the way which added to the intrigue in each chapter.
The book gave a great insight into attitudes of the day and how life was for many. It also captured the fear when the plague began to hit and the speed in which it travelled and killed those infected. Rumours abounded as there was no contact from others and they had to work things out for themselves. Lady Anne was an amazing character as she was so strong despite her background, very assured and not afraid to take charge when needed. I can't wait for more!!
It is centred around the terror and panic that the black death bought to the residents of the county of Dorsetshire, and how very little was known about where it came from, how it was transmitted, and how to stop it. The estate of Develish is under the watch of Lady Anne, while her husband Sir Richard is away, and she seems a much needed heroine to take control - she has the respect of all the serfs and is well educated which was a rarity amongst women of the time. Her daughter, Eleanor, is a total brat though and does all she can to rebel against her mothers' wishes, and treats the serfs with utter contempt!
One of Lady Anne's most loyal servants is Thaddeus is quite adept at keeping things under control, and takes it on himself to ride out with a group of young men to gain further knowledge of what has been happening in estates beyond theirs. So the story is split between their travels and what happens back in Develish.
This is the first book I've read by Minette Walters and won't be my last - especially as there is a sequel due! - and I loved how she brought history to life with ease. I often find with some historical novels of this kind of length that there is a lot of padding and unneccessary elements, but in this story everything seemed to happen for a reason and the switching between the storylines also helped break things up. There is plenty of scandal and some darker storylines which come to light along the way which added to the intrigue in each chapter.
The book gave a great insight into attitudes of the day and how life was for many. It also captured the fear when the plague began to hit and the speed in which it travelled and killed those infected. Rumours abounded as there was no contact from others and they had to work things out for themselves. Lady Anne was an amazing character as she was so strong despite her background, very assured and not afraid to take charge when needed. I can't wait for more!!