Will I love The Corset?

I do love a novel with history and objects at the core and The Corset adds an extra layer of spine tingling to the mix as well.

Ruth is a poorly paid seamstress, awaiting trial for murder. She is visited by the well-to-do Dorothea who wants to hear her story. The object, the corset, lies at the heart of Ruth’s tale and every stitch that she made in the creation of high-end pieces for her mistress begins to carry a greater significance.

In a world of fast fashion I have become increasingly fascinated by the handmade, the art of the… show more.

Laura Purcell is a master of the modern gothic horror novel. By that, I mean she clearly has a passion for both history and gothic literature but does not allow them to control her work. 

But what I love most about Purcell’s work, and The Corset in particular, is how Purcell balances our belief as to whether the supernatural is real or not. Can Ruth really kill people through her needlework, or is it all a terrible coincidence? Is she a victim of her circumstances or a murderer who deserves her terrible fate? Or both?