Reviews

Out of Human Sight: A Historical Mystery by Sophie Parkes

whatyoutolkienabout's review

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5.0

As always my reviews are always 100% honest and my own opinions. I will try to never fully spoil a plot. I was given access to a copy to review by Northodox Press. #NorthodoxPress #ARCReview #OutOfHumanSight #SophieParkes #BookReview

Out of Human Sight is a gritty and heartfelt story that deals with grief, family and longing for home. Parkes heroine Millie Bradbury discovers the bloody, battered and uncrecognisable bodies of an innkeeper and his son in their remote village. Soon gore-seekers begin to travel to witness the sight and Millie, her family and her grisly discovery become notorious and focus of unwanted national attention.

Johnny Barkwell, the popular local man and apple of Millie’s eye comes to the rescue offering her a life beyond the borders of her girlhood. The promise of marriage, stability, security and the chance for a new start in the shadow of tragedy. An offer she could hardly refuse but the new beginning is not what Millie would’ve chosen. As a young wife she must comply and soon finds herself heading to the Canadas to begin a new life.

Parkes writing is superb. It is dark, gritty and above all human. I found myself instantly transferred back in time to the 1800s right along side the characters. There is no romanticised idea of the past here. We are witness to the suffering and hardships of the mill-workers and others along the way and while at times it may have appeared bleak I loved the realness of the setting.

The plot itself is perfectly paced keeps you engaged through out. As I already said the characters are believable and incredibly human. You cannot help but feel for Millie who seems to be sent from one situation to another but manages to deal with these in the best way she can under the societal constraints of her time. I found her the sort of heroine that the Brontes may have created and her tale echoes that of the popular Bildungsroman of their time seeing our heroine face the struggles of growing from adolescence to adulthood and navigating the world around her.

If you enjoy those type of historical novels then you will adore Out of Human Sight. I will definitely be recommending it to friends and family as well as fellow historical fiction fans.

oceanwriter's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Wonderfully atmospheric and written with both strong and delicate writing, Out of Human Sight is a dark and terrific historical read.

The story centers on Mille Bradbury who begins the book with the shock of her life — the discovery of two dead bodies. News travels fast in a small town and soon enough, travels across the country making Millie and her family accidental celebrities. Here to take Millie away from this unwanted fame is Johnny Barkwell. What she didn’t anticipate was being taken across the ocean to a new country.

The historical voice of the narration feels authentic to the 1800s give or take a bit of the content. The characters also felt true to the time, especially once Millie enters marriage. And while the plot has a strong and mysterious start, I’d say this quickly becomes a character-driven book (which I always love). It’s both charming and full of grit. And though I didn't get as much into the mystery as I anticipated, it's always nice to find a strong protagonist.

A huge thanks to the publisher, Northodox Press, for sending me a free digital ARC to read and review!

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