Descriere
*A Women's Prize Futures 10 Finalist *
A Waterstones Best Book of the Year
'Highly atmospheric and tense' Richard Osman
From the bestselling author of The Familiars and The Foundling comes Stacey Halls' most compelling and ambitious novel to date.
'Something's not right here. In the house. With the family.'
West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly-graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple form a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beau, mysterious Mrs England.
Ostracised by the other servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, soon a series of strange events will force Ruby to question everything she thought she knew . . .
Simmering with slow-burning menace, Mrs England is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, weaving an enthralling story of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception. Set against the atmospheric West Yorkshire landscape, Stacey Halls' third novel proves her one of the most exciting and compelling new storytellers of our times.
Praise for MRS ENGLAND:
'As treacherous and invigorating as the moors. I didn't want it to end' Laura Purcell
'Enticing and beautifully written' Sunday Express
'The new Hilary Mantel' Cosmopolitan
'Utterly compelling. Menacing and marvellously written, this is a hugely accomplished Edwardian chiller' Daily Mail
'Outstanding. Haunting, compelling, atmospheric' Emma Stonex, bestselling author of The Lamplighters
'Mesmerising, entrancing, a spellbinding novel of emotion and mystery, a heroine caught in an impossible world of twists, turns and lies. Gripping to the very last page' Kate Williams
'Full of gothic menace, this Edwardian mystery is convincing and absolutely enthralling' Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
'Both dazzling and dark, as beautiful as it is disturbing. A captivating, sensuous novel' Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon
'In precise and evocative prose, Stacey Halls has conjured a devastating, compelling and utterly real world. I was gripped from start to finish' Joanna Glen, Costa shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
'Jaw-droppingly brilliant. Exquisitely written, incredibly atmospheric, a masterclass in rising tension. The deliciously addictive love-child of Daphne Du Maurier and Henry James' Liz Hyder
'Brilliant. An utterly gripping exploration of female fortitude in adversity, with a propulsive, atmospheric plot. Ruby is a wonderful protagonist' Caroline Lea
Utterly compelling. Menacing and marvellously written, this is a hugely accomplished Edwardian chiller. ― Daily Mail
Outstanding. Haunting, compelling, atmospheric. ― Emma Stonex, bestselling author of The Lamplighters
With a desolate setting that shimmers with menace, Stacey Halls' tense novel masterfully tackles issues such as the abuse of power. This enticing and beautifully written story should delight those fans of historical fiction. ― Sunday Express
Hugely readable with a palpable sense of dread, this is a truly brilliant book. ― The Sun
The Familiars author has fast become the queen of historical lit and this new offering, set in 1904, might be her best yet... Evocative and captivating. ― Heat Magazine
Halls hits the sweet spot between commercial and literary historical fiction and this feminist gothic thriller is a lovely stealth read, simmering with tension. ― Metro
Mesmerising, entrancing, a spellbinding novel of emotion and mystery, a heroine caught in an impossible world of twists, turns and lies. Gripping to the very last page. ― Kate Williams
Halls shows genuine skill in building the sense of menace within the England household and in the unfolding of its secrets. ― Sunday Times
This enthralling read is a powerful examination of an Edwardian marriage, and the underlying currents of control, courage and power. ― Woman & Home
Halls certainly knows how to write gripping historical fiction. ― Good Housekeeping
Jaw-droppingly brilliant. Exquisitely written, incredibly atmospheric, a masterclass in rising tension. The deliciously addictive love-child of Daphne Du Maurier and Henry James, one of those rare books that you want to re-read immediately. ― Liz Hyder
Nobody and nothing is what it seems, including Ruby May who has secrets of her own, in this wonderfully menacing mystery. ― Red
Full of gothic menace, this Edwardian mystery is convincing and absolutely enthralling. ― Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
Like a stroll on the sun-flecked Yorkshire Dales, Mrs England is both dazzling and dark, as beautiful as it is disturbing. A captivating, sensuous novel about a grand country estate and a family so full of secrets that a peal of children's laughter, the whispers of a maid or a letter hidden under the mattress may bring it all tumbling down. ― Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon
I tingled with suspense, burned with questions and lived Nurse May's story as if it were my own - jumpy and on edge in the menacing atmosphere of Hardcastle House. In precise and evocative prose, Stacey Halls has conjured a devastating, compelling and utterly real world - and I was gripped from start to finish. ― Joanna Glen, Costa shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope
Brilliant. An utterly gripping exploration of female fortitude in adversity, with a propulsive, atmospheric plot. Ruby is a wonderful protagonist. ― Caroline Lea
Highly atmospheric and tense. ― Richard Osman, The Observer
"As treacherous and invigorating as the moors. I didn't want it to end ― Laura Purcell
