The Penmaker's Wife

By: Steve Robinson

Narrated by: Clare Corbett

In Victorian England, a mother is on the run from her past - and the truth about what she did.

Birmingham, 1880. Angelica Chastain has fled from London with her young son, William. She promises him a better life, far away from the terrors they left behind.

Securing a job as a governess, Angelica captures the attention of wealthy widower Stanley Hampton. Soon they marry and the successful future Angelica envisaged for William starts to fall into place.

But the past will not let Angelica go. As the people in her husband’s circle, once captivated by her charm, begin to question her motives, it becomes clear that forgetting where she came from - and who she ran from - is impossible.

When tragedy threatens to expose her and destroy everything she’s built for herself and William, how far will she go to keep her secrets safe? And when does the love for one’s child tip over into dangerous obsession?

Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.

©2019 Steve Robinson (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Wow!

What a book! Lots of twists and turns. Could not but this book down until I finished.

Good Story terrible main character

includes spoilers- so the story was good and there were definitely some surprises but once I learned of the main character's dark and murderous nature I didn't enjoy the end. I kept rooting for her to fail but instead she just kept bringing pain and suffering to everyone around her and she ultimately prevailed in the end which sucked.

A page-turner that I did not want to end...

As an avid reader of historical fiction, I was excited to see this new title from author Steve Robinson. I had heard about it on Twitter and downloaded it the day it was released on Audible.

I was not disappointed.

From the start the story was full of twists and turns, with characters you can't help but love or loath! For lovers of historical fiction and mysteries, this is a damned good romp. The narration was fantastic, too. Attention to historic detail, with lots of local observations in London and Birmingham, gave this book a solid and believable base. The balance between historic detail and storytelling was a joy.

I, for one, want to meet Angelica again and see what other dastardly deeds she will get up to - please tell me there will be more to come!

Captivating and disturbing

I had a tough time with this book because I wanted to enjoy it yet the more that was disclosed the more I could not stand the protagonist. In order to further her son's life and herself she did some pretty drastic things to some pretty nasty people. That I could understand, but the more of the story unfolds, the worst it becomes. And although y'all want that right from the start in the beginning, I never thought it would be like it was. It was well written and narrated yet I found it very disturbing.

Surprise at Every Turn

Great book! As the story unfolds you find yourself in for more than you expect.