The Maiden by Kate Foster
Genre: Historical mystery
Read: 23rd June 2023
Published: 26th April 2023
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Inspired by a real-life case and winner of the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect Award, Kate Foster's The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history.
"In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me."
Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess.
Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? She wasn't the only woman in Forrester's life, and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead . . .
'Threat hangs over every page like the awaiting guillotine, but the women in this book gleam sharper. Witty, gritty and full of heart, their voices rise through the brutality and hardship of 17th century Edinburgh, battling to be heard' – Cari Thomas, bestselling author of Threadneedle
MY THOUGHTS:
"In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me."
I was excited to read this. I love historical fiction and set in 17th century Scotland intrigued me. Based on the real life case of a woman name Lady Christian Nimmo who was convicted of the murder of her lover, THE MAIDEN thus delves into the life of the adulterer turned murderess told in various perspectives of the women in her lover's life.
The year is 1679. Edinburgh, Scotland. And Lady Christian Nimmo stands accused of the murder of her lover James Forrester. The news is shocking; the trial scandalous. The lives and loves of the murderous whore splashed all over the new broadsheets leave little room for doubt. But how could this have happened? Just a a year ago Lady Christian was a respectable woman of society. Why would she just throw it all away and risk everything for such an act?
But alas, as it turns out, Lady Christian is not the only woman in Forrester's bedchamber to wish him animosity. So then who?
There was another lover who believed all his tales of love and that she was truly special. That she was the one he truly loved. Violet is an orphan who was taken into a brothel at a young age and she vows she will not go back to that life of depravity after a glimpse of the luxuries offered by Forrester, who was at first a client. But to Violet he became her ticket out of depravity.
But both women are the victims of exploitation by Forrester, used only for his needs, as he used many other women. He grooms them, exploits them, lies to them and uses them as he sees fit.
THE MAIDEN is an interesting tale, if a little drawn out in parts. I like the concept and idea but as with many based-on-fact tales can get a little bogged down in historical fact. But I do especially like the line "In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me." Because in the end, it didn't matter. Women didn't have a voice in those times no matter how loudly they shouted. Men were the ones who held all the power. I am not a feminist by any means but I do believe the scales should be balanced a little more so - not one way or the other. To me, everyone is equal. And at the end of the day, our graves will be the same size as the next person. No one is above another.
An intriguing mystery that did hold my interest for the most part.
I would like to thank #KateFoster, #Netgalley, #MantleBooks and #PanMacmillan for an ARC of #TheMaiden in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Her debut novel, The Maiden, (Mantle Books, 2023) is a feminist retelling of a 17th century Edinburgh murder. It won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect award 2020 and went on to become a Times and Waterstones bestseller. Kate was inspired to write the novel based on the local folklore of her childhood.
Kate has also been a journalist for around 25 years writing for national newspapers, specilaising in investigating and writing news and features mainly as a Health Editor.
Kate has extensive experience in pitching, writing and editing both in fiction and journalism and she loves working with other writers and readers. She has appeared at events and panels and enjoy taking part in talks, Q&As, book groups, workshops and mentoring. Kate became a debut author at the age of 48 and is happy to talk about her experience of the writing and publication process as an older debut. She enjoys exploring themes of historical retellings and women in history.
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