People of Abandoned Character

Oh my goodness did I enjoy this book. "People of Abandoned Character" is Clare Whitfield’s debut novel and I knew, simply from reading her “about the author” blurp at the back of the book, that I was going to enjoy the writing. Susannah is an “old” nurse by Victorian London standards, who meets and quickly marries Dr. Thomas Lancaster. In marrying him, she believes she is saved from life as a poor nurse and an upbringing she very much wants hide. When his once charming and devoted behavior quickly dissolves into abuse, gaslighting and violence, she realizes she has trapped herself in a new life that she keeps trying to convince herself is better than the one she left behind. Soon Thomas stops coming home in the evenings or, when he does, returns bloodied and erratic. Susannah is infatuated with the recent spree of murders at Whitechapel and begins to wonder if it could be her husband that is the man they are calling Jack the Ripper. I’ve seen mixed reviews on the book and I think it’s important to note that this is clearly written with a Victorian lens and also has elements of gothic horror to it—ghosts, fainting, gore, a dreary mansion and a quintessential villain going after our damsel in distress. Only in this one, there is no hero coming to save Susannah and she must use her wits and courage to cut herself out of the life and lies trapping her. Creepy, interesting, triggering, well-paced and unique, this was a welcome departure from some of the more modern psychological thrillers that are all starting to blur together in my mind. 4.5 stars.