This is a revelation! Jane has done an amazing job to bring 1830s Scotland to vivid life, and she has woven all sorts of detail through the story of farmer John Lovie and the death of housemaid Meggy McKessar. The story unfolds through the perspectives of John’s widowed mother and the farmboy Alex Rannie, so even though we are at a distance from the main protagonists, both the widow and Alex are fully involved in events.

The book is divided into three parts; events leading up to Meggy’s death, the aftermath, and the trial. They are equally as absorbing, and devastating. It might be tricky for the very squeamish, as we learn so much (soooooo much) about post mortems (without refrigeration), graves and gravedigging, but also superstition, loyalty and grief. The trial is a wonder, as it re-lives everything that happened before and after Meggy’s death - was there an objective truth?

Jane’s attention to detail is painstaking and we are immersed in Scots rural life – the filth, the diet of porridge and potatoes, the grind of never-ending work. Jane weaves in the language of the time and shows the meanings, without having anything explained or translated. Skaffie, houk, brose, yirning, quine, black hummel stirk – language that makes us live the harsh life of a 19th century Scots farmer. There’s a glossary at the back, but you really don’t need it.

Through the widow’s and Alex’s eyes, we see Meggy – lazy, cheeky, funny and good hearted – and also ‘brash, brazen and unpredictable’, she’s both cruel and kind. We also feel (sometimes viscerally) the widow’s love for her son. Put simply, she adores him. And while apparently there is little doubt about John’s involvement in Meggy’s death, he's a good man – loyal to his mother, hardworking, kind to his animals, fair to his workers – but….

As Jane tells it, John is in a difficult position. He can’t marry because he’s been exiled from the church. He has a pretty servant girl under his roof. As we’d say in a romance, the man has needs…. What to do?

There’s so much more to this wonderful novel. It’s dark, beautifully written, but also thoughtful and it stayed with me for days. That it’s based on real life and so expertly researched, makes it even more impressive. Recommended!

Thank you so much Jane for the ARC. Opinions are my own.arc-read australian-author favorites1 Abby RiceAuthor 8 books7

What an amazing book! True crime and history, told by a master story-teller. An immersive experience that'll take you back to the Scotland of two centuries ago, and a murder (it was almost certainly murder) of a young servant girl. Jane Smith weaves details of daily life and local folklore with actual testimony in the trial of the man accused of poisoning his young, pregnant servant in a way that brings the people to life. I literally stayed up late reading because I couldn't put the book down. A tour-de-force of a book, whether you love history, true crime, or just a darn good story. RjS397 1 follower

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