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Nella Clavinger in the late eighteenth century is a ‘friend�� to women and a ‘brewer of secrets�� and twelve year old maid Eliza Fanning is sent to consult her on behalf of her mistress. In the twenty first century American Caroline Parcewell is on vacation and takes up Bachelor Alf’s offer to join a mudlarking search. Her discovery on the banks of the Thames takes her in a journey of investigation, self discovery and realisation. The story is told by these three women.

This is fabulous storytelling which is so immersive, compelling and very hard to put down. The narrative is visual and so you feel the squelch of the Thames sticky mud, the soot blackened apothecary comes to life before your eyes and so you see what the characters see. There’s a magical atmosphere permeating the narrative and blending with ghostly, gothic overtones. You feel the chills, the goosebumps, the hairs standing up on the back of your neck and sense the impending danger. The use of language for Nella and Eliza is authentic as is the historical context. I like the contrast between then and now but which also demonstrates clearly that some things never change. The characterisation is very good with them all being well developed. The plot unfolds at a good pace with twists and turns, keeping you wanting to find out the outcome and fate of the key characters. There’s suspicion and tension, threat and manipulation in both time periods, fear and betrayal of trust with a desire for revenge which leads to the alteration of life’s course, demonstrating too that lives can change on a dime. For Caroline, the trip to London gives her the time to think but which also awakens something dormant or suppressed in her. In some ways all the women wear disguises of some sort which are revealed to us as the storyline progresses especially as truths are dredged up and brought to the surface.

Overall, this is a captivating and clever story which is very well written. It’s dark, a bit sinister, intense, magical, ghostly with the two parallel timelines blending seamlessly. This is good escapist reading which I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Legend Press for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.