They say she’s a murderess. She claims she’s innocent. But Lucy has been known to tell lies… and a better life to the grisly murders themselves.
In a mysterious household of locked doors and forbidden affections, Lucy slips comfortably into the shadows, where she believes the indiscretions of her past will remain hidden. But when Lucy’s rising status becomes a threat to the mistress’s current companion, the delicate balance of power and loyalty begins to shift, setting into motion a brewing storm of betrayal, suspicion, and rage.
Now, with her execution looming closer, Lucy’s allies fight to have her sentence overturned as the tale she’s spinning nears its conclusion. But how much of her story can we trust? After all, Lucy’s been known to bend the truth…
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Elegant prose and assured pacing made this historical suspense novel a pleasure to read. The storyline and the atmosphere reminded me of Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites, a book I adored, but Blakemore’s take on the doomed narrator is her own. Lovely and haunting!
Reading The Companion, I felt myself pulled authentically into a distant time and tale reminiscent of Charlotte Brontë and Henry James. Blakemore’s mastery of language and character lends credence to her absorbing narrative of guilt or innocence as a young woman of mysterious identity awaits hanging. There is a body count right from the opening of the novel. From there, the reader follows Blakemore through almost effortless shifts of time and circumstance, rendered in magnificent language, to an unexpected finale. This is a haunting tale that will remain in the reader’s consciousness for a long time.
A vivid and sensuous domestic drama, The Companion is also an atmospheric crime story.
Author Kim Taylor Blakemore has written a riveting historical novel with many twists and turns. Lucy Blunt seems to be a victim of circumstance as she was being raised by her father, who is a drunk. As the story unfolds, it seems Lucy was trying to survive any way that she could, from stealing from her employers to possibly prostitution. Being thrown out of her father’s home due to being pregnant by a married man, Lucy is devastated when her baby dies. Using different alias, Lucy goes to work until circumstances cause her to change locations again. The brunt of this story is told from the past and then the present situation, Lucy is set to hang for the murder of her last employer’s wife, Eugenie Burton, who was also Lucy’s lover, and her employer’s cousin, Rebecca. The mystery behind the murder’s is weaved throughout the story. Lucy claims her innocence right up to the end but it is never really clear as to who the murderer was. Lucy declares Rebecca as the killer and in the way it is depicted, it is possible. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and I envisioned each scene as it progressed. Author Kim Taylor Blakemore completely drew me in as each chapter was read! I look forward to seeing what more this talented author will be writing next
In THE COMPANION, Kim Taylor Blakemore brings the mid-eighteenth to life, and it’s not a friendly place for women, especially those with their living to earn. From the beginning, we suspect the narrator, Lucy Blunt, may not be reliable, and that adds to the tension as the story unfolds. She may be a liar, but Ms. Blakemore expertly weaves in Lucy’s background, and we can’t help but wonder if the main characters’ actions are responsible for her circumstances, or if her circumstances left her with no option but to make the choices she does. When she finally discovers love, will it save her? Or will it be her downfall? Ms. Blakemore kept me guessing until the last pages of her excellent novel.
This was an intricate novel about a woman’s life in the 1850’s! Lucy has taken a position working for the wealthy Burton family. She becomes swept up in the whole dynamics of the people who live and work at their mansion. She becomes close to the mistress of the family. In the end she is charged with murder and is serving time in prison. I enjoyed how Lucy told her story.
Historical suspense at its best. Wonderfully written characters.
Lucy Blunt steps right off the page as we try to discern her innocence or guilt.
Nicely done. I strongly recommend for those who love historical novels with a large dose of suspense.
I devoured this book. A must-read for fans of great Gothic stories with twisty endings. Hard to put this one down!
Fantastic gothic mystery with a wonderful cast of characters.
Won this from a Goodreads Giveaway.
I just didn’t care for this book. It flipped back an forth from present to past. Lucy is found guilty of murder, and only she knows the truth. I didn’t really care for any of the characters. It just seemed to me like the author wanted to write a mystery book based in 1850’s and just threw it together. It ended abrutly. I wouldn’t recommend this book.
a surprising love story that broke my heart. Wonderful writing. A different and interesting plot. I found the characters dark and mysterious but well developed. The plot jumps around a bit so its not a light read. I quite enjoyed this book! 4 stars
Moody and atmospheric, The Companion is a compulsively readable treat. Blakemore’s meticulously researched world captured me from the very first page, and her intriguing, unpredictable characters kept me guessing until the end. An utter delight for lovers of classic gothic literature!
The Companion is a totally absorbing read — beautifully written, atmospheric, and intriguing. Kim Taylor Blakemore’s characterization is both convincing and compelling as she evokes the gritty reality of nineteenth-century life to great effect. I loved this book.
With exquisitely vivid and lyrical writing and a subtly layered narrative, The Companion is a fascinating and beautiful novel. If you enjoy Sarah Waters, you’ll love Kim Taylor Blakemore’s latest.
As her date with the gallows approaches, Lucy Blunt is struggling to understand why she is at odds with society. In a literary tradition stretching from Jane Eyre to Alias Grace, her intoxicating account took me to another time and place. A confession with the illicit excitement of a thriller, The Companion offers everything I like about modern historical fiction: a resonant voice that brings women’s lives out of the shadows.
Sarah Waters fans, welcome to your next obsession. The Companion is an elegantly written tale of beautiful lies and ugly secrets, a reminder that love’s transforming power makes not just angels, but monsters. Telling one from the other will keep you guessing until the end.
The Companion is a brilliant study of all that makes us human—our terrors, regrets, and passions, and the lies that shape our worlds. Kim Taylor Blakemore’s novel is both astonishing and captivating, and it will leave readers spellbound.
A vividly rendered and chilling tale of murder, desire, and obsession.
Lucy Blunt’s account of her journey to the gallows is a study in female wildness, perhaps constrained but definitely untamed, in this compelling novel. The writing is honed, fresh, and intensely physical, pulling the reader headlong into the heroine’s tough, sharp-eyed world. Lucy’s wit, courage, and resourcefulness render her sympathetic; at the same time, her watchfulness, her almost obsessive reading of others in order to gain advantage, is masterfully conveyed. Blakemore’s understated psychology — in particular her grasp of the petty yet crucial maneuverings that take place between rivals — held me entranced until the end.
Kim Taylor Blakemore’s novel The Companion is the absorbing tale of Lucy Blunt, a young woman condemned to death and deeply haunted by her past. Blakemore skillfully immerses the reader in the tactile world of antebellum New Hampshire with her exquisite choice of details and gorgeous writing style. The novel has everything — complexity, mystery, murder, betrayal, forbidden love — even a ghostly presence. Treat yourself to a few evenings with this captivating story as you explore the mind and experience of a tortured young woman from another time. You’ll be glad you did.