Stacey Halls

Mrs England

Moira

Slow to start, but has a gradual build up. Some of the turns were very predictable but others less so. Generally a nice read

Lucy Mills-Taylor

'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.' I was aware of Mr Booth's eyes on me, and he seemed to hold his breath. 'What do you mean?' '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 from 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 beautiful, mysterious Mrs England. Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband, and is far from the 'angel of the house' Ruby was expecting. As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew. Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there's no such thing as the perfect family - and she should know. 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: 'Utterly compelling. Menacing and marvellously written, this is a hugely accomplished Edwardian chiller' Daily Mail 'Shimmers with menace... enticing and beautifully written' Sunday Express '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

The captivating new Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Familiars and The Foundling

Juliana Matias

I have to say this was never a book I would have picked for myself. Despite the absolutely gorgeous cover, I don’t naturally gravitate towards historical fiction. Alas, I was glad I read it. While still not a favourite, this book was very immersive and got a 3.5 star rating, which is pretty good. 🙂

Set in 1904, Nurse Ruby May is a graduate of a fancy institute and very happy in her position caring for a little girl in a fancy London neighbourhood. Unfortunately, the family is moving to America and Ruby is not interested, so she gets a new placement with the England family in North Yorkshire. Mr. and Mrs. England have 4 children, and live very far away by Mr. England’s factory.

With a very involved father and a somewhat strange, distant mother, as soon as Nurse May arrives she can tell that not everything in that house is quite what it seems. So we have a bit of 2 parallel mysteries going on in the book. First of all, what happened in Ruby’s past, and why can’t she leave the country? And maybe more pressing, what is going on with Mrs. England?

This was overall enjoyable, though very slow-paced. The writing is nice, but I wished for more character development, considering the book did not offer much in terms of plot. While Nurse May was somewhat fleshed out, and I came to understand her motivations, the secondary characters were pretty cardboard-like and the broad strokes of the “plot twist” were pretty obvious from the start.

My main complaint comes probably from the fact that the main character seemed to be ascribing romantic motivations to every interaction she had with members of the opposite sex, which did not ring true to me, but I don’t know if other people would notice it. It just took me out of the book because it didn’t seem to quite fit. 

Samantha King

This was beautifully written and really made you feel part of the era. It pulled me into the story and kept me wanting to know more. The ending was fantastic and I wasn't dissapointed.
Though there isn't loads of action in this book, the story unfolds at a good pace. The writing was suburb. 
The way the characters were written, was done extremely well and they felt like real people.
I really enjoyed reading this book and glad I picked it up on a wim.

Adrianna Giunta

4.5 

Another fantastic book from Stacey Halls! I absolutely love the amount of research she does into her books and the amount of history we get to see. This book is set in 1904 and follows a Nanny from the Norland Institute which is a specialist college (I believe it’s now a university or about to gain university status) that trains an elite fleet of Nanny’s for the rich and famous. They really are worth their weight in gold because it’s intense! 
I’m so interested in the institute itself and to see what it was like to be a Norland Nanny in the early 1900s was so interesting. I just love Stacey Hall’s books with my whole heart ❤️

Bad Girl Bex

I really enjoyed this! Subtle yet evocative storytelling, that weaves a gorgeously gothic Edwardian tale of secrets, mysteries, intrigue and creeping unease. If you're looking for huge shocks or a fast-paced tale of terror, this isn't it. But if you appreciate a more careful, deliberate unwinding of a story that you're never quite sure what parts to believe, then I think you'll like 'Mrs England.'

Obviously there's the whole 'Jane Eyre' vibe going on, but it's not what you're truly expecting. There's also a tiny hint of 'Mary Poppins' in there too: not in a childish way, but you'll know what I mean if you read it. I've never read anything by Stacy Halls before, despite having bought both 'The Foundling' and 'The Familiars' last year; now though, I want to go and read both of those previous books, because I really liked Halls' way of storytelling. She uses just the right amount of descriptive prose to lend to the overall gothic feel, without swamping the reader with too much meandering waffle. There were two differing storylines that intersected nicely, without one feeling forced or unnecessary; and the main character was immediately likeable. 

I read it pretty much in a single sitting this evening and at no point felt like the plot was lagging. It won't set the world alight with huge events in every single chapter, but it's very much a slow-burning, skilfully woven tale that's perfect for this time of year. 

Who would I recommend it to? Anyone who enjoyed 'Jane Eyre', 'Rebecca' or anything by Laura Purcell.

Mrs England

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