The Fascination by Essie Fox

This isn't a book I was likely to pick up, although it is beautiful - just look at the cover - but it comes from the ever dependable Orenda stable so it was worth taking a chance on. And, boy, an I glad I did! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Fascination by Essie Fox. Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

 

The Blurb

Exploring universal themes of love and loss, the power of redemption and what it means to be unique, The Fascination is an evocative, glittering and bewitching gothic novel that brings alive Victorian London and darkness and deception that lies beneath…

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn't grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father's quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as ‘Captain’.

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities … particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother’s death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.

Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell’s Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical ‘family’ of performers, freaks and outcasts.

But it is Theo’s fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a dark web of deceits, exposing unthinkable secrets and threatening everything they know…

The Fascination will be published on 22nd June 2023 by Orenda Books. 

My Review

I mentioned in my intro that this isn't a book I'd naturally gravitate to. Regular visitors to this blog will know that I favour crime thrillers but have been reading more historical crime recently. The Fascination, set in and around Victorian London, was not billed as a crime thriller but I think I could argue that it is. It's certainly as dark in places as many crime novels I've read. What we have here, ladies and gents, is a gorgeous slice of gothic noir. 

Keziah and Matilda, or Tilly for short, are twins. Identical in every way except Tilly is the same height as she was when she was five. And we meet the twins when they are 15 years old, on the cusp of womanhood. The sisters are very close but living a miserable life with their awful father, touring fairs as he tried to sell his elixir. It is at such a fair that Theo first encounters the twins and is bewitched by them. Shortly afterwards, all their lives are changed: the girls are sold to the 'Captain' and Theo is disowned, disinherited and thrown out of the house with nothing by his evil grandfather. It is another five years until the three cross paths again. And here their lives change once again. 

Keziah and Tilly are gorgeous. Innocent, lovely, and devoted to each other. I was worried when they were sold to the Captain, fearful that they would become exhibits in some freak show, but he shows them kindness and care. He's such an interesting character - handsome, mysterious, caring but carrying much sadness. Theo too carries sadness, but also anger towards his grandfather when he and the housekeeper, Miss Miller, are cast out. But Miss Miller looks after Theo and finds him work in London with Dr Summerwell with his museum and shop. The museum is a tad macabre but Theo shows a talent for maintaining and improving the exhibits. But his thoughts often wander somewhere darker, recalling a traumatic childhood moment. All our main characters are troubled in some way and are written so beautifully that you will care what happens as you journey with them. I must also mention Martha and Alexski, both so wonderfully described I could easily picture them. And finally, Lord Seabrook. If this was a panto, he'd be the one we'd all be hissing and booing at. I was as invested in what happened to him as I was Keziah, Tilly and Theo, but for very different reasons!

This is a really immersive novel, rich in detail and the author's passion for this era shines through. Reading her notes at the end of the book, it's clear she has done detailed research and uses examples of real people, places and situations . It also focuses on the Victorian's love for a freak show. And here is where the book gets very dark, sometimes a little uncomfortable to read. But well worth persevering. 

The Fascination is a sumptuously written, descriptive and atmospheric, beautiful even in the horror. There are twists throughout and and a few surprises. It tells of the depravity of some people and the compassion of others. It tells of loss, grief, friendship, love and acceptance. It says it's OK to be different. And, most of all, that family is not always the one you're born into. Loved this book and now I'm off to find a copy of the Memoirs of Fanny Hill! 

The Author

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London.