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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
The Keeper of Secrets by Judith Cutler
4.0
‘Let us go and prepare ourselves.’
In spring 1810, Reverend Tobias Campion, who has turned his back on a life of privilege, takes up his small Warwickshire parish of Moreton Priory. Alas, his first night in the village as the guest of his distant cousin, Lady Elham, is exciting for all of the wrong reasons. Tobias intervenes in the attempted rape of Lizzie Woodman, a housemaid in his cousin’s home. While this makes him a hero to some, it brings him the enmity of others.
Nothing is quite what it seems in at Moreton Priory. Tobias makes friends with Dr Edmund Hansard, uses his social conscience in relation to the lives of the labourers and poor of the village, and consequently offends some of his parishioners. At the same time, while he has deepening feelings of affection for Lizzie, he is aware that others are also attracted to her. Soon, though, a number of deaths and accidents occur and soon Reverend Campion and Dr Hansard join forces to try to uncover some answers.
It is not particularly fast-paced and some may find that the scene-setting takes too long. However, once the scene is set and the characters established, the novel is full of twists and turns and some insights into the social history of the times. It is the historical setting rather than the mystery that makes this novel most enjoyable. This is the first book in a series and I’ll be reading the next book ‘Shadow of the Past’ to see how what the future holds in store for Tobias Campion.
In spring 1810, Reverend Tobias Campion, who has turned his back on a life of privilege, takes up his small Warwickshire parish of Moreton Priory. Alas, his first night in the village as the guest of his distant cousin, Lady Elham, is exciting for all of the wrong reasons. Tobias intervenes in the attempted rape of Lizzie Woodman, a housemaid in his cousin’s home. While this makes him a hero to some, it brings him the enmity of others.
Nothing is quite what it seems in at Moreton Priory. Tobias makes friends with Dr Edmund Hansard, uses his social conscience in relation to the lives of the labourers and poor of the village, and consequently offends some of his parishioners. At the same time, while he has deepening feelings of affection for Lizzie, he is aware that others are also attracted to her. Soon, though, a number of deaths and accidents occur and soon Reverend Campion and Dr Hansard join forces to try to uncover some answers.
It is not particularly fast-paced and some may find that the scene-setting takes too long. However, once the scene is set and the characters established, the novel is full of twists and turns and some insights into the social history of the times. It is the historical setting rather than the mystery that makes this novel most enjoyable. This is the first book in a series and I’ll be reading the next book ‘Shadow of the Past’ to see how what the future holds in store for Tobias Campion.