Review of 'The Wicked Lady' by Elena Collins
Release date: July 31st, 2024
Publisher: Boldwood Books
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REVIEW
The Wicked Lady is quite an intriguing tale! Inspired by a rich heiress/highway robber in history named Katherine Ferrers who led a sad and conflicting life. There is mixed information available about her but the author wonderfully marries the two accounts drawing upon the factual and hypothetical to create a mesmerising story.
I have loved all of Elena Collins/Judy Leigh’s books and this one is no exception. I was drawn in from the first page and stayed up very late reading this riveting tale. Everything about this dual timeline historical paranormal was appealing: the lead and supporting characters, the setting, the eerie atmosphere and the twisty plot. Although I favoured the historical thread a little more than the modern one, I still found it essential in how it provides a great mystery for Charlie and Edie to solve (while revealing a connection to their unfolding romance). Plus, their research offers a lot of background on Katherine and the area. Things ramp up when musician Charlie sees the ghost of this woman on horseback while helping his uncle renovate one of the cottages that overlooks Nomansland Common.
Why is this teary-eyed woman wandering the plains for centuries? Between the two timelines we get to experience and hear about her dilemma, trauma, heartbreak, love and loss. It is a moving tale filled with lessons, interesting figures and long ago traditions. During the past segments, I truly felt transported to the 1600s and could understand the emotions and predicaments of Katherine, her frustrations and imprisonment within a male dominated culture. And how it compelled her to go in directions she may never have gone in a more favourable environment.
The Wicked Lady is a delicious riveting read of high adventure, forbidden romance, where our heiress heroine becomes a female Robin Hood of sorts stealing from the rich to pay the poor. It starts with her purpose to save The Cell from being sold off. Her passionate, determined heart leads her to gamble with the odds. As the plot thickens and her safety is in question, she keeps thinking ‘just one more robbery’ and she will stop. But the lure continues as her need increases but how long before disaster strikes or her good luck runs out?
I could not help but feel sad for this woman who was forced by her cruel stepfather to marry at age thirteen his sixteen year old nephew that she does not like (for good reason). It is an arranged marriage and a bad one at that for her husband takes the money, lands and buildings she inherited from her good-hearted father and disposes of them to fund the King’s war and ambitions. Thomas Fanshawe is not a likeable or very present man in the story but when he does appear— a coldness sweeps through the scenes. Although Kate resorts to less than moral activities to compensate for his actions, she garners our sympathies due to what has driven her to protect her family’s legacy. But what will it cost her? We may admire her generosity for she truly cares for the less fortunate. This tips the scales in her favour. But, does her desire to amass more funds lead her down a slippery slope?
At the beginning, I forgot how young Katherine was as she responds much like an older person. But when the story fast forwards to her twenties and we see that her determination and stubborn fortitude have only increased with time, we realise these self-preservation mechanisms end up carrying her through horrific circumstances. Although she is alone in her marriage, she is not alone in other relationships. She has the undying support of her house servants which says a lot about their thoughts of her circumstance. And she finds friendship and love in a man who joins her escapades.
I don’t want to say any more so as not to spoil the experience for others, but I encourage those who love historical fiction with ghosts or paranormal activity, to read this novel. It will keep you spellbound and pinned to the pages as you move between time lines and worlds! Each thread carries similar emotional traumas and a need for healing. But it all comes together in a beautiful blended whole. Many elements reminded me of D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover and William Langland’s Robin Hood. There are also wonderful references and appearances of literary greats Samuel Pepys, John Milton, Andrew Marvell and John Donne. There is a lot to admire in The Wicked Lady and much to whet the appetite with its literary references. This is one rollicking adventure I won’t soon forget! An easy 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for my review copy.
