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hannah_greendale 's review for:

The Maiden by Kate Foster
4.0
dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

Hoo boy, this was juicy.

🐛 BookTube review coming soon on Hello, Bookworm.

"I would rather burn than die unloved."

Is this book romance? Or a murder mystery?
The answer: Yes ...sort of (honestly, it's complicated).
😬

I did not expect this book to be so thrilling! Foster does a masterful job of luring readers with a promise of revealing the truth.

Chapters oscillate between the months leading up to the murder and the days after the trial, and this structure never ceases to fascinate as Foster deftly reveals details in a carefully woven timelines, and often pairs them with revelatory newspaper articles.

The story is a reimagining of true events concerning a woman named Christian Nimmo, who was accused of murdering her lover and uncle in 1679 and faced death at the Maiden, a gruesome guillotine used for public execution.

Foster admits in the Author's Note that she takes many creative liberties with Lady Christian's story, but her take on the story is compelling, scintillating, and satisfying. Definitely recommend this one to fans of historical fiction!