#BlogTour – #BookReview of #TheFascination by Essie Fox @essiefox @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #RandomThingsTours #HistoricalFiction

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June 6

To celebrate its paperback release, I'm delighted to reshare my blog tour review of stunning gothic thriller The Fascination by Essie Fox. Thank you to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for giving me the opportunity to be part of the paperback release blog tour for this beautifully written and utterly mesmerising book.

About the book:

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way, except that Tilly hasn't grown a single inch since she was five. Coerced into promoting their father's quack elixir as they tour the country fairgrounds, at the age of fifteen the girls are sold to a mysterious Italian known as 'Captain'.

Theo is an orphan, raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, a man who has a dark interest in anatomical freaks and other curiosities – particularly the human kind. Resenting his grandson for his mother's death in childbirth, when Seabrook remarries and a new heir is produced, Theo is forced to leave home without a penny to his name.

Theo finds employment in Dr Summerwell's Museum of Anatomy in London, and here he meets Captain and his theatrical 'family' of performers, freaks and outcasts.

But it is Theo's fascination with Tilly and Keziah that will lead all of them into a dark web of deceits, exposing unthinkable secrets and threatening everything they know…

About the author:

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing.

After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design.

Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels.

Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4's TV Book Club.

The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London.

My Review:

The Fascination by Essie Fox is a stunning gothic thriller that drew me in from the very first page and didn't let go until the final, thrilling page had been turned.

Twin sisters Keziah and Tilly Lovell are identical in every way but one: Tilly hasn't grown an inch since she was five years old. Forced by their bully of a father into helping him sell his so called 'miracle elixir' they tour the country's fairgrounds until, one night, after a particularly savage beating, their father sells them to a mysterious man known as 'Captain', who takes them to join his theatrical 'family' of performers who are all unique in their own way.

Theo is an orphan who, after the death of his mother during childbirth, has been raised by his grandfather, Lord Seabrook, who has a macabre fascination with those who are anatomically different and other curiosities. Resentful of Theo for his mother's death, Lord Seabrook shows him no love at all, leaving him to be brought up by his governess, Miss Miller. But then Lord Seabrook remarries and a new heir is born, so Theo is forced to leave his home without a penny to his name.

Eventually finding employment in Dr Summerwell's Museum of Anatomy in London, Theo makes the acquaintance of Captain and his theatrical 'family' of performers, freaks and outcasts, including sisters Keziah and Tilly who he'd met briefly several years before, on the same night that they were sold to the Captain. His fascination for the girls, especially Keziah, grows stronger with each passing day – a fascination that will lead them all into a dark web of lies that will threaten everything they've ever known…

A dark, complex, magical and thought provoking story, The Fascination is historical fiction at its very best. A macabre and unsettling read that chills you to the bone, it is a superbly written tale, with characters who soon become like real people to you, with Essie Fox's nuanced writing breathing life into them as their stories begin to unfold.

There is a streak of evil running through some characters, with their despicable actions making you want to recoil and gasp out loud at the sheer horror of what you're reading. But, as much as you know you shouldn't, you can't help but keep your eyes glued to the page as your fascination for these characters, both good and bad, begins to take hold.

Essie Fox's writing is stunning as she bring this darkly gothic tale so vividly to life. The Fascination is a masterful thriller that is filled to the brim with both the magical and the macabre, taking you on a journey that you don't ever want to end.

I don't want to say too much more as this is a story with secrets you'll want to discover for yourself, so all I will say is that this book is an immensely readable and at times uncomfortable read that soon burrows its way under your skin, leaving an impression that is unlikely to disappear any time soon – and is sheer brilliance from beginning to end.

With richly drawn characters who take up residence in your heart and stay there, The Fascination by Essie Fox is a beautifully written and utterly mesmerising gothic thriller that I would highly recommend.

This is the first book by Essie Fox that I have read, but it definitely won't be my last. I can't wait to read whatever this talented author comes up with next!

One of my favourite reads of 2023, The Fascination is a simply unforgettable read that I loved!

The Fascination by Essie Fox is available to purchase in paperback now: