This is the tale of a young servant girl in the household of Oliver Cromwell. Ruth Flowers, after seeing her mother hanged as a witch by a hysterical mob of her townsfolk, is sent, for hers and the Cromwell’s safety, to live with the Poole family in London. There she meets Lizzie Poole and, enraptured by the older woman, embarks on a dangerous life. As Civil War rages through the land, and as it becomes an increasingly dangerous time, Lizzie and Ruth are propelled violently into the very heart of the battle for the England of 1646.

This is the debut novel by Katherine Clements and her passion for, and background in, History is evident from the detail and atmosphere she includes. I found this to be a rather enjoyable read about a period of English history that I am a little unclear on and  it was enjoyable to learn more as the story progressed.

The first chapter launches you into the story in great style and the pace is kept up throughout most of the book. For me, their seemed to be a lull in the central section before the tale continues to it’s riveting end. Clements writes the female characters particularly well but I felt that the male ones, such as Joseph, were a little less well defined.

All in all I enjoyed this book and will be intrigued to read more from this exciting new novelist.

The-Mustachioed-Reader

My Rating: 3.0* out of 5.0*

Publication Date: September 2014 (paper back)

Published By: Headline

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