late 1890's London —
everyone in household has secrets — maids / lady / Butlers — deception + lies

London, 1893. Elderly Mrs. Bentley is on her deathbed, and her son Robert has returned from France. But in the Bentleys’ well-appointed home, everyone has their secrets, including Robert’s beautiful and elusive wife, the orphan maid she hires from the country, and the mysterious young woman who arrives, claiming to be the bride of Robert’s drowned brother.

I've never read anything by Gerri Brightwell before. In fact, I don't think she has written anything else. But if The Dark Lantern is any indication I think she will be writing more and I will be reading them.

Jane Wilbred is an orphan whose mother murdered someone and she has been living with that stain on her reputation ever since. She was taken from the orphanage to work for the minister and his wife so that she could be trained as a housemaid. Now she has found a position in London as a second housemaid. In order to get the position she forged her employer's reference letter and this ensnares her in one lie after another. Her new employer has a past that she doesn't want disclosed as well, the other servants also have their secrets and everyone suspects everyone else. A secondary plot line has to do with the conflict between fingerprinting and anthropometry to aid crime solving. As well accepted as fingerprinting is now it is hard to believe that at the end of the 19th century there were many people who felt that anthropometry, the measuring of people's physical dimensions, was a more reliable way to determine criminal identity. The discussion of this dispute and the minute description of the work involved in maintaining a household really added to the depth of the book.

There's a book club discussion guide at the back of the book and I think it would be a good choice for a book club interested in historical novels. ( )

This story takes place in the late nineteenth century and centers around a young servant girl from the English countryside. She has just taken the position of a housemaid in a London household and becomes immersed in a web of secrets, deceptions, and hidden pasts, not the least of which is her own. Brightwell cleverly uses a vivid depiction of 1890s London and the difficulties of a life in service to strengthen the atmosphere without overwhelming the plot. ( )

Another smart Victorian novel that does not disappoint. Brightwell craftily depicts Victorian London from behind the draped curtains of middle-class society. This is a book that holds actual thematic weight and not just a promising plot. Through the weaving and interaction of characters the class line is drawn, but also crossed, which gives the story a classical feel and is probably due to the author’s schooled background in literature studies. Even though class separates the characters, secrets connect them, which places them all on a similar level of sorts. This idea had me thinking long after the story was finished and for that gem, I think it is intelligent and worth the reading time invested. I am a bit surprised this novel does not have higher ratings on other sites.

The story begins with Jane and although she remains a primary focus, Mina emerges to equal attention. This is an interesting topic for discussion, but had me asking for a moment, ‘Is this Jane or Mina’s story?’ There was a slight shift in importance when I believe the character’s story (Mina) could have been told without lessening the emphasis on the heroine Jane. Also as a reader, I found myself a tad cheated when it came to Sarah. I was taken in by the description of her and I kept waiting for this wilily maid to play a bigger role, but she never did. I was baited on the build up and was kicked out in the cold when her fate was so quickly swept a side. ( )

I enjoyed the book, but am confused by the ending...was Mrs. Bently the woman in the end who became the assistant to the doctor?

And the supposed widow of Henry Bently....did she go back to India?

And Jane and Teddy did get together then? ( )