Bookseller Reviews
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A Victorian gothic mystery that is tense, dark and rich with insidious undertones.
What a book! This dark gothic mystery slowly unfolds into one of the most insidious and tense reads of the year. Musson is incredible at evoking a creepy, ... READ MORE
Gothic crime
I was expecting a Gothic haunting tale when I started this book. And in the beginning it feels like it is heading that way with dark corners in libraries a... READ MORE
Perhaps it is the living you should fear... not the dead.
Dearest reader,there is one thing you should always remember;some houses are not haunted by those who have left this mortal realm, but it is those who stil... READ MORE
Very gothic, very dark
T’is the season to be reading gothic fiction, and this proof, The Beholders by Hester Musson is a wonderfully atmospheric and dark page-turner. Set in Vict... READ MORE
A gripping thriller
The Beholders opens with a June 1878 newspaper report about trial proceedings at the Old Bailey. A Mrs Clara Gethin, the wife of a widely admired MP, is ac... READ MORE
For fans of Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters.
'The Beholders' is a gothic historical debut that is gripping & dark, that will be a jewel to those who are fans of Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters. June 18... READ MORE
Synopsis
June, 1878. The body of a boy is pulled from the depths of the River Thames, suspected to be the beloved missing child of the widely admired Liberal MP Ralph Gethin.
Four months earlier. Harriet is a young maid newly employed at Finton Hall. Fleeing the drudgery of an unwanted engagement in the small village where she grew up, Harriet is entranced by the grand country hall; she is entranced too by her glamorous mistress Clara Gethin, whose unearthly singing voice floats through the house. But Clara, though captivating, is erratic. The master of the house is a much-lauded politician, but he is strangely absent. And some of their beautiful belongings seem to tell terrible stories.
Unable to ignore her growing unease, Harriet sets out to discover their secrets. When she uncovers a shocking truth, a chain of events is set in motion that could cost Harriet everything, even her freedom…
Publisher information
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN: 9780008559021
- Number of pages: 336
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 24 mm
- Weight: 220g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allBear in mind when you read this book that it is set in the 19th Century, not the 21st.
There are just so many parallels between the behaviour of the "rich and famous" in the 19th Century and today. If you have money and power they tend to get... READ MORE
MP Ralph Gethin looks respectable but what really happens in his home?
Set in 1878, MP Ralph Gethin seems to be a benevolent man but things are very different in his grand country home. Harriet goes to work there and worries f... READ MORE
A Powerful Gothic Tale
What a wonderful debut novel.
This book was utterly enthralling, bewitching and imaginative. A Victorian Gothic tale with atmosphere aplenty, explores ... READ MORE
Fantastic page turner!
All is not as it seems in the Gethin household. Hester Musson keeps you wanting more with this book. Just when you think you know what is happening, Hest... READ MORE
An atmospheric Gothic mystery
‘Some houses are haunted by the living’ - cover tagline.
My thanks to 4th Estate William Collins for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Beholders’ by Hester ... READ MORE
High quality Historical Fiction
This is a wonderfully written story that weaves fictional characters into true historical events. I love the work of Stacey Halls and Laura Purcell and thi... READ MORE
Victorian Gothic thriller
Harriet is employed as a maid at the country home of a respected M.P. She forms a bond with the mistress of the house and is promoted to be her ladies mai... READ MORE
Intrigue and Deceit
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 req... READ MORE
Rather satisfying Victorian Gothic
Harriet Watkins has gone into service and supported a beloved employer through her last years. Her family expect her to return to the country and marry her... READ MORE
Gothic tale
Set in Victorian England & told mostly through the diary entries of Harriet. She is a maid that went into service because she didn't feel ready to settle d... READ MORE
Gripping gothic thriller which offers a little bit more
Harriet's new post as maid in the home of the admired Liberal MP Ralph Gethin offers an opportunity for her to escape her small village and the engagement ... READ MORE
Engrossing
I was sent a copy of The Beholders by Hester Musson to read and review by NetGalley. I loved this novel! It has an engrossing story, which is told first ... READ MORE
Interesting Story
A slow start to the story andi t took awhile for me to become involved but then it suddenly took off and was exciting and interesting through to the end. S... READ MORE
1889 twisted crime thriller
It is June 1898, and Clara Gethin, wife of highly respected Liberal MP Ralph, is on trial for the abduction and murder of their baby son, Edward. In the p... READ MORE
Picks up well after a slow start.
Whilst the build-up to any action was very slow – to the point where I was about to give up - the action did begin, and the pace of the book picked up rapi... READ MORE
Strong story-telling and well-drawn characters in this historical debut
Debut novel time and publishers 4th Estate are using the tagline “Some houses are haunted by the living” to promote this strong historical thriller. Writt... READ MORE
A suspenseful Victorian gothic novel
The Beholders starts quite, slowly building characterisation as we get to know the narrator and the.story she telling. The atmosphere in the house where sh... READ MORE
Victorian novel set in HERTFORDSHIRE
This is a rounded Victorian Gothic novel, that is perhaps a little slow in the scene setting but warms up well as the story develops.
Harriet is newly e... READ MORE
Gripping and gothic
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... READ MORE
Gripping!!
This story is a historical fiction based in England and I found it really gripping! The plot was brilliant but I really didn’t expect the story to take a t... READ MORE
A middling gothic historical fiction
The cover of this book really drew me in, as did the description of "The Beholders" by Hester Musson. However this isn't the best gothic historical fictio... READ MORE
Good Debut
Thank you to the publishers for this early review copy. This is a good debut read, gothic crime thriller.
The plot is a steady build, just enough to hook ... READ MORE
Brilliantly done
I started off strongly disliking this book to be honest, I found Harriet, our new maid, unlikeable and stupid.
However, it’s rare for me to DNF a book ... READ MORE
A dark upstairs/downstairs mystery
When starting out, I thought this was going to be a gothic, spooky novel however it turned out to be more of a historical mystery tinged with murder, abuse... READ MORE
A tale of two women - a bit of a Gothic mystery - enjoyable stuff.
Harriet finds herself working for Mrs Gethin at Finton Hall and becomes embroiled in her life as matters turn from bad to worse, resulting in a murder tria... READ MORE
A Great Read
The Beholders is a Gothic historical story set in the 1870's .A very enjoyable story about Clara a Lady with a very controlling husband and Harriet her mai... READ MORE
Great read
Some of the Gothic style novels I’ve read have annoyed me with distracting, unnatural and forced writing styles. This book’s writing style is not that; it ... READ MORE
Loved!
Didn’t expect to like this book very much as it’s set in late 1800s but I really enjoyed it.
The first half was slow compared to the second half but di... READ MORE
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