SYNOPSIS 1871. An age of discovery and progress. But for the Wainwright family, residents of the gloomy Teesbank Hall in County Durham the secrets of the past continue to overshadow their lives.
Harriet would not have taken the job of governess in such a remote place unless she wanted to hide from something or someone. Her charge is Eleanor, the daughter of the house, a fiercely bright eighteen-year-old, tortured by demons and feared by relations and staff alike. But it soon becomes apparent that Harriet is not there to teach Eleanor, but rather to monitor her erratic and dangerous behaviour - to spy on her.
Worn down by Eleanor's unpredictable hostility, Harriet soon finds herself embroiled in Eleanor's obsession - the Wainwright's dark, tragic history. As family secrets are unearthed, Harriet's own begin to haunt her and she becomes convinced that ghosts from the past are determined to reveal her shameful story.
For Harriet, like Eleanor, is plagued by deception and untruths.
REVIEW
The Deception of Harriet Fleet is a historical mystery novel, the main storyline centred around the death of a small child - Samuel - twenty years previously. I began reading the book thinking that this would be the focal point for the whole story. A historical whodunnit, perhaps with a supernatural element to the narrative, but in actual fact, it was about so much more than a murder.
For me, it was a portrait of how women during the late 1800's were treated, mainly shown through the two incredibly strong female lead characters - Harriet and Eleanor. After finishing the book and reflecting on what happened, it is clear that every female character had been a victim in some way of the times they were living in - whether this was the treatment of women with postnatal depression or other mental illnesses, the opinion that women should not want to be educated or have any desire to build a career, or simply the way in which women (in particular servants) were treated by men in a position of power.
Having said this, the details surrounding the death of Eleanor's brother Samuel were particularly brutal. The different elements of this part of the storyline (told through the old court case records) were intriguing and addictive. Reported in small snippets, there was just enough information each time to keep me guessing and wanting to find out more.
Despite being a cold and, at times, very dark story of a murder - the portrait which was painted of the oppression of women, and the way women were hidden away rather than supported or celebrated was definitely the key factor of the book for me. A fantastic choice for historical fiction or historical mystery fans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Helen Scarlett - 'The Deception of Harriet Fleet' is my first novel and is set in the north east of England. I’ve always loved the big, classic novels from the nineteenth century, with lots of governesses and intrigue, and I sometimes wonder whether I was born in the wrong era!
Although the Victorian period was a time of huge changes, the inhabitants of Teesbank Hall are trapped in the past by the destructive secrets they hold. Teesbank Hall itself is fictional but most of the other settings in the novel are real and close to where I live with my husband and two daughters. I teach A Level English and write whenever I can grab a spare moment.
Thanks to @QuercusBooks, @katyaellis_ and @HelenSWriter for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Historical Thriller / Historical Mystery
Product format: Hardback
ISBN: 978-1529407549
Pages: 368 pp
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