The Deception of Harriet Fleet by Helen Scarlett

This is a book of secrets. Harriet definitely has one and the book begins with her fleeing her home in Norfolk and travelling to the North East to take up the position of Governess to Eleanor. The house is dark and foreboding and a place the locals avoid. The hall and Harriet's experiences in her room will tick all your gothic boxes if you like that sort of thing, which I do. We quickly discover the events haunting this house and its occupants and what happened to the previous governess. The beginning of the book had some likenesses to the Woman in Black in my opinion.

Harriet soon finds she is not there to teach Eleanor but to watch over her and monitor what she eats causing distrust. Yet an interesting relationship develops when Harriet begins to probe into the death of Eleanor's brother Samuel who was murdered at the hall. Eleanor provides Harriet with snippets of information about the case and trial in return for short spells of freedom. Harriet continues to unravel the mystery of the death and as well as being well-plotted and a great story, it shines the light on the harsh treatment of women at the time. Harriet is penniless and trapped at the house and cannot return home due to what happened to her there. Eleanor, an intelligent woman, wants the same freedom as her brother but threats of the asylum keep her small and tethered and Eleanor's mother finds herself trapped in a marriage with a philandering and unpleasant man. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Helen Scarlett that's full of twists and turns and would definitely be interested in reading her next book.


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