Mystery in the England of Jane Austen
- Book: Memory’s Hostage
- Location: England, Scotland
- Author: Margaret Pinard
Jane Austen’s England captured in this delightful mystery. A young lady is found naked in the bath of Henry McFarlane at Atwell (“near the East Coast of England”), Yorkshire. How has she come to be there, what is her history? But she cannot help as she has no memory, yet Alice as a name feels somewhat familiar…. Horace, dashing brother to Henry is tasked with researching the background, is it sinister, what could her story possibly be? One intervention might be the new treatment of hypnotherapy, but it causes great distress in the victim…. thereafter Alice has glimmerings of actually being Agnes.
She begins her own explorations, heading to Leeds, to earn herself an income. She takes up a post working for Lady Helen at Clatteringshaws. But there are policemen in the wings, quietly observing the comings and goings…. where will this all end?
An engaging story set in the later years of the 19th century. The flavour of the language is Victorian but for full authenticity the inevitable ‘sidewalks’ and “gottens” would need to be weeded out. This book would be fabulous to read in tandem with Thornfield Hall by Jane Stubbs, which is also set in Yorkshire.
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