On Good Authority by Briana Una McGuckin

Compelling twisted dark gothic suspense that I could not put down.

What I liked
* Marian Osley: eight years in a workhouse, loving daughter, lady’s maid hopeful about her new job in service but fearful soon, seamstress, good friends with Valentine in the workhouse
* Valentine Hobbs: workhouse for several years, orphaned young, works way up in service to footman status, good friend of Marian’s in the workhouse
* The way the childhood games Marian and Valentine played in the workhouse games were presented and the part they played in grounding them
* The strong enduring friendship between Marian and Valentine
* The dark oppressive dangerous feel of Valor Rise estate
* The ability to so dislike Wythe Bornholdt
* Feeling more than one thing about Diana Bornholdt
* Wishing Karma would eventually be dealt out as I hoped it would be
* Being drawn into the story and feeling part of it
* The plot, pacing, atmosphere, character development and overall writing
* The conclusion…and thinking about what happened after the last page
* Reading a new-to-me author that I truly enjoyed
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how unfair the class system of the times was and how little recourse was available to many with such a divide and discrepancy between the various levels

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )