Blackmail, Sex and Lies

Bitlibro, 200 paĝoj

Lingvo: English

Eldonita de Drama Llama Press.

(1 recenzo)

Blackmail, Sex and Lies is a story of deception, scandal, and fractured traditional Victorian social values. It is the tale of a naïve, young woman caught up in a whirlwind romance with a much older man. However, both have personality flaws that result in poor choices, and ultimately lead to a tragic end.

For 160 years, people have believed Madeleine Smith to have been guilty of murder. But was she? Could she have been innocent after all?

This Victorian murder mystery, based on a true story, takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, 1857. It explores the disastrous romance between the vivacious socialite, Madeleine Hamilton Smith, and her working class lover, Pierre Emile L’Angelier. After a two-year torrid, and forbidden relationship with L’Angelier, that takes place against her parents' wishes, the situation changes dramatically when William Minnoch enters the scene. This new man in Madeleine’s life is handsome, rich, and of her …

Blackmail, Sex and Lies is a story of deception, scandal, and fractured traditional Victorian social values. It is the tale of a naïve, young woman caught up in a whirlwind romance with a much older man. However, both have personality flaws that result in poor choices, and ultimately lead to a tragic end.

For 160 years, people have believed Madeleine Smith to have been guilty of murder. But was she? Could she have been innocent after all?

This Victorian murder mystery, based on a true story, takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, 1857. It explores the disastrous romance between the vivacious socialite, Madeleine Hamilton Smith, and her working class lover, Pierre Emile L’Angelier. After a two-year torrid, and forbidden relationship with L’Angelier, that takes place against her parents' wishes, the situation changes dramatically when William Minnoch enters the scene. This new man in Madeleine’s life is handsome, rich, and of her social class. He is also a man of whom her family approve.

Sadly, insane jealous rages, and threats of blackmail, are suddenly silenced by an untimely death.

1 eldono

Stephanie Jane recenzis Blackmail, Sex and Lies de Kathryn McMaster

A fascinating affair

3 steloj

I don't remember having been aware of the Madeleine Smith / Pierre Emile d'Angelier poisoning case prior to reading Blackmail, Sex And Lies despite, like Kathryn McMaster, being a keen reader of true crime books as a teenager. It's a fascinating affair of young love set against strict Victorian rules and I couldn't help but wonder if there would have been such a murderous outcome if the situation arose in our less class-defined society these days - excepting that it is now far more difficult to buy sufficient arsenic of course!

I liked how McMaster combines fiction and nonfiction elements within her novel. The writing style is very much nonfiction rather than historical fiction. The inclusion of lots of Madeleine's genuine letters to Emile adds great authenticity and fictional scenes are cleverly woven around them so we can experience events as McMaster imagines them before reading Madeleine's own words written …

I don't remember having been aware of the Madeleine Smith / Pierre Emile d'Angelier poisoning case prior to reading Blackmail, Sex And Lies despite, like Kathryn McMaster, being a keen reader of true crime books as a teenager. It's a fascinating affair of young love set against strict Victorian rules and I couldn't help but wonder if there would have been such a murderous outcome if the situation arose in our less class-defined society these days - excepting that it is now far more difficult to buy sufficient arsenic of course!

I liked how McMaster combines fiction and nonfiction elements within her novel. The writing style is very much nonfiction rather than historical fiction. The inclusion of lots of Madeleine's genuine letters to Emile adds great authenticity and fictional scenes are cleverly woven around them so we can experience events as McMaster imagines them before reading Madeleine's own words written at the time. Dialogue is occasionally a tad clunky, but I felt I got a good idea of Madeleine and Emile's characters - she the naive socialite, he the obsessive and controlling older man. At times I wondered what on earth attracted Madeleine to such a bullying and (by modern standards) obviously disturbed potential partner, but considering the other men she was allowed to meet and the example of her dictatorial father helped to understand her motivations.

Blackmail, Sex And Lies details every aspect of Madeleine and Emile's relationship, but refrains from 'taking sides' until the very end. We as readers are given the facts and allowed to make our own minds up about guilt and innocence before McMaster weighs in with her thoughts on the legal outcome. It's an interesting device, quite different to most historical fiction I read so refreshing in that sense, although as a result I did sometimes feel more detached from the story than I would have liked.

Temoj

Historical fiction
Murder mystery
Crime Fiction
Glasgow