SYNOPSIS: What would you do if you thought you had married a murderer?
He is my husband.
To honour and obey.
Until murder do us part.
London, 1888: Tormented by the death of her secret lover, Nurse Susannah Chapman rushes into marriage to a doctor. While attracted to her adoring, younger husband, she is more than aware her decision is at least partially driven by her ambition to escape a life of servitude to the labouring poor of the East End of London. After a passionate honeymoon, she returns home confident in her marriage.
But then everything changes.
She quickly learns she has swapped her profession for a type of captivity; that of a Victorian middle-class housewife, feeling isolated in her home as her housekeeper refuses to acknowledge her as mistress. Her husband becomes increasingly volatile and distant, he stays out all night, returning home dark with secrets.
Following the first death in Whitechapel, Susannah's interest is piqued. Lost in boredom and self-doubt, she becomes obsessed with the string of violent murders terrorising the city. Horrifyingly, she finds herself beginning to believe the charming young man she thought she had seduced for economic security, could well be involved in the crimes.
Is it coincidence? Or is her husband the man they call Jack the Ripper?
MY THOUGHTS: This chilling historical thriller was such a great read. I loved the setting; London 1888 during a time where women were getting brutally murdered by an unknown man nicknamed Jack the Ripper. This element alone really captured my imagination and I couldn't put the book down. I loved how Whitfield encapsulated society of that era into her writing outlining the cruelty that was placed upon the poor or less fortunate. It still shocks me how women were treated in those days and how wives were 'owned' by their husbands.
I loved reading about Susannah, she was such an intriguing character. Her early life was heartbreaking with the death of her mother and then Grandfather (who I adored). Once she escaped the confines of her grandmother and moved back to London Susannah finally gets a chance to live her life and trains as a nurse. However, after a short love affair with Thomas she finds herself married to a stranger and suffering through his constant abuse and torment. Susannah becomes a prisoner in her new surroundings and questions Thomas's comings and goings in the small hours of the night. Obsessed with the murders taking place in Whitechapel and the constant overbearing presence of Mrs Wiggs the housekeeper, Susannah turns to Dr Shivershev for support. But is she right to put her faith and trust into this man or is she putting herself in further danger?
There were some really good and shocking twists throughout this novel which I loved and didn't see coming. I was desperate to learn the truth about what her husband had been getting up to on those nights that he returned home covered in blood and why Mrs Wiggs always seemed to be coming to his aid. Gruesome in places but a totally compulsive read and definitely the page-turner I was looking for. It is hard to believe this is Whitfield's debut novel and I cannot wait to read more by her in the future. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to Midas Public Relations and Head of Zeus for inviting me to join the blog tour and for my gifted copy ahead of publication on the 1st October 2020.
AUTHOR:
Clare Whitfield is a UK-based writer living in a suburb where the main cultural landmark is a home store/Starbucks combo. Clare nurtures an obsession with female characters that are as much villain as hero, and enjoys lurking in the blurry landscape between perception and reality. She is the wife of a tattoo artist, mother of a small benign dictator and relies on her dog for emotional stability.Previously Clare has been a dancer, copywriter, amateur fire breather, buyer and a mediocre weightlifter. People of Abandoned Character is her first novel.Follow Clare on Twitter (@whitfield_riley) and Instagram (@clarerileywhitfield).
The Inspiration behind ‘People of Abandoned Character’ in Clare’s own words:
‘The book was initially inspired by Jack the Ripper, and newspaper articles from the time, which lead me to the idea that perhaps the Ripper may have been married. With this in mind, I wanted to create a complex and strong female protagonist who was prepared to do anything to keep her head above water, and succeed.
While based in a historical setting, the story has a contemporary appeal as the language is accessible, set in the Victorian era of the 1880s when years of austerity had taken their toll on the communities of an increasingly gentrified London. The novel explores the smoke and mirrors of perceived social mobility, the role of a wealthy society and their responsibility to the poor (or not as it may be the case), toxic relationships and narcissistic abuse, gender equality and freedom to pursue personal ambition.’