The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters was published in 2019 and follows straight on from the events in The Last Hours, published in 2017. I received this book from a generous bookish friend in 2019 and it's languished on my TBR until now. Together these two historical fiction titles form the Black Death duology, which is set in 1300s Develish, Dorsetshire.
I read The Last Hours in October 2017 and despite reading The Turn of Midnight six years later, I didn't find myself lost at all. The Last Hours ended on such a memorable cliffhanger that left me out of sorts at the time, yet the author does an excellent job reminding us about the precise state of play when we last caught up with the various characters. My favourite historical fiction authors - Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir and Ken Follett - also manage to strike this balance between boring and repetitive recaps and helpful pointers that enhance the narrative without distracting from it.
To further drive home this point, halfway through The Turn of Midnight, the review copy of The Armour of Light by Ken Follett arrived in my mailbox. I'd requested it from the publisher and it was 730+ pages long so I reluctantly set aside this book in favour of ensuring I met my reviewing commitments. Picking this back up again 2 weeks later, I needn't have worried that a further interruption would diminish my reading enjoyment.
Again Lady Anne is the hero of her demesne, and together with Thaddeus, they have a plan to secure their futures after the black plague has swept through the countryside. The pestilence exposed the worst in some people and the best in others, some cowered in fear while others responded with kindness, unwilling to believe God was punishing them for their sins.
If you've been reading my reviews for any length of time, you'll have noticed that I love a good quote. I take a note as I'm reading and later transcribe all of the quotes when drafting my review. Many of these quotes end up on the cutting room floor (oh geez, that's an old analogy, but I'm sticking with it) but I didn't record any while reading The Turn of Midnight. I checked my review of The Last Hours and I didn't note any quotes while reading that one either. Perhaps it's a relief to read a quote-free review from me for a change, but I can assure you this wasn't due to a lack of great writing.
Lady Anne is a compelling character, a widow navigating a man's world and constantly challenged at every turn, she must be clever to dodge their accusations, negotiate safety and a future for her people. The dialogue was tight and amusing and the ending was immensely satisfying.
The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters is highly recommended for historical fiction readers, but it won't really work as a standalone, so for maximum understanding and enjoyment, I recommended starting with The Last Hours.
For more, check out my review of The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters.
I have both these books on my shelf. I'm glad you loved them, I must get to them soon.
ReplyDeleteIn that case you're in for a treat Veronica and at least you know you don't need to read them in quick succession in order to enjoy this duology.
DeleteI'm in the same boat as Veronica! I got an ARC of this one not realising it was a sequel so I bought the first book and still haven't got around to reading them! So very glad to hear you enjoyed them so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks Krystal, I'm looking at them both on my shelf right now and this is a memorable historical fiction duology for me, and love the covers too!
DeleteI had always been a fan of Minette Walters, and was so pleased she had a new book out in 2017, so devoured "The Last Hours". I loved it more than the murder mysteries she had previously written, and found myself further researching the locations and reactions of the time in history. I was in shock at the end of the book to discover I then had to wait until another book was written. I also enjoyed "The Turn of Midnight" and had no issues remembering or picking up on the story two years later. (Lee W)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lee, how funny that we both had the same reading experience of leaving a few years between the novels yet still ending up loving both books! I can also relate to being inspired to learn more about history; the older I get, the more interested I seem to become.
DeleteI never really think of Minette Walters as a historical fiction author!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge!
Oh really? That's so funny Marg! The first book I read of hers was The Last Hours and then this sequel, so I only know her as an historical fiction writer.
Delete