The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown - [Book Tour]

 The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown
Book Tour

Published: January 13th 2022
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Horror Thriller, Gothic Romance.

Format: Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown. This book was mesmerising from start to finish and I owe my greatest thanks to Ellie at Viking for the chance to be a part of this book tour and to Beth Underdown for producing such a fantastic novel in the first place.

Synopsis

I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unravelling from an upper window, and the terrace bathed in a hectic orange light . . . Now I see that the decision I made at Polneath was the only decision of my life. Everything marred in that one dark minute.

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

But once you open a door to the past, can you ever truly close it again?

From the award-winning author of The Witchfinder's Sister comes a captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.

Review

 

The best historical fiction in modern-day times! 

Firstly, I just have to say how beautiful the cover is for this book, I love how it's the floor plan of Polneath house!

This story is set in two time-spaces 1880's and 1918 but there are two boys dead far before their time and is their story inextricably linked?

This book is definitely one of my favourite historical fictions purely for the way Beth beautifully weaves loss, love and betrayal into a story that you will never forget.

Ivy is mourning the death of her son Tim who died at war but in her grief, she cannot understand how or why he died or why it wasn't classified as honourable. Ivy is certain that the events that took place in Polneath in 1888 will hold the key to the answers and therefore she finds herself grieving not just for her son but also for a young boy Matthew who tragically died on that fateful night in 1888.

Ivy is a marvellous character, as you witness her entering into womanhood and learning how to be the sophisticated lady that her father and the village expect her to be, you also get a good glimpse of her fiery and determined side that is only more pronounced as she grows older and wiser. I couldn't get enough of Ivy, I truly thought she was admirable but knew that there was something not quite right and was intrigued to find out what that was exactly. 

Edward is a widower who is rearing his young son Matthew but on that dark night where everything was set alight, it all changed. Right through the book I was charmed by Edward and was hoping that he would be the happy ending Ivy craved but Edward wrapped up in his grief feels almost untouchable. A person to be admired but nothing more. 

I took an instant dislike to Boscawen who is the local coroner, he felt cold and distant, whilst perhaps that was due to his job and needing to remain detached, he honestly gave me the creeps but he becomes a vital part of the story.

Beth is extremely talented in creating these complex individuals and giving you a real sense and taste of how these characters really are. I applaud her talent and cannot wait to read what else she has in store for us in the future.

The Mystery 

The real mystery here is what actually happened on the night of Matthew's death and how did the actions of Ivy somehow correlate with the death of her own son Tim. This was such a compelling read and every single time I thought I had it all figured out, I was shoved in a completely different direction. It appears that there were ill intentions on the night of the fire and Ivy is sure that there was something more to Matthew's death and so she goes digging. Some parts of this mystery raises the hair on the back of your neck or has you sobbing into your pillow at 3am, its just so spectacularly written that it feels as if you are right there with Ivy. 

The question of importance is who caused the fire that night, the main suspect is the maid Agnes who completely shuts down due to the shock and a dark secret that she is hiding but Ivy believes there is more to the story and that she just needs to figure it out. 

Ivy later realises she has the literal key to unlock this whole mystery or so she thinks, but once again I was wrong. That key does hold all the secrets but it soon becomes clear that Ivy may have made a big mistake.

The ending threw me off guard, I cannot lie. I absolutely loved it but my already battered heart was broken by the true love that is shown at the end. The ending was perfect to be put simply.

Conclusion

If you want an atmospheric gothic slow burner that will have you second guessing yourself the entire time, then this is it! It's perfect for anyone that loves great historical fiction stories that will play on your heartstring. This book is nothing short of a masterpiece!

Buy the book

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About The Author

Beth Underdown was born in Rochdale in 1987. She studied at the University of York and then the University of Manchester, where she is now a Lecturer in Creative Writing.

The Witchfinder’s Sister, her debut novel, was published by Viking in the UK and Ballantine in the US in 2017, was a Richard and Judy bestseller and won the HWA Goldsboro Crown Debut Award. The Key in the Lock, her second novel, is out now with Viking.

                                                                                           

Follow Beth Underdown on Twitter: @bethunderdown

For more info on Beth Underdown visit: About — Beth Underdown