Fingersmith - Sarah Waters

Another one of those books I've seen loads of hype about and never got round to reading - until now! I picked up Sarah Waters' Fingersmith as I'd heard that it's a spooky and autumnal read, full of crime and suspense, and perfect for the Halloween season. The book is set in Victorian London and begins with our first protagonist Sue Trinder, an orphan living in a house of fingersmiths (or thieves). She has been raised by baby farmer Mrs Sucksby (yep, this woman actually trades infants), and believes that her mother was hanged for murder soon after her birth. Sue has been raised with love, but she is tough and fearless. When she is around 15, a beloved friend and fellow thief - Gentleman - visits the house with a proposition. He wants Sue to travel to a remote grand estate and work as the maid for naive lady Maud Lilly, in order to help Gentleman seduce Maud and gain access to her enormous fortune. In exchange for her help, Sue is promised a cut of the winnings.

Sue is keen to pay back the kindness of her guardians with this vast sum of money, and agrees - travelling to the countryside and perfecting her less-than-ladylike command of the English language before beginning her position as Maud's maid. Once she gets to know her new mistress, however, she begins to regret her part in the foul trick that they have plotted. The book is split into three parts (Sue narrates parts one and three and Maud part two), and I won't detail any more of the plot as I spent pretty much the entirety of parts two and three in a sense of disbelief - with my jaw suspended somewhere near my ankles. My goodness, does Sarah Waters know how to write a story! There were so many surprise twists in this novel that the whole experience was completely exhilarating (and somewhat exhausting!).

For anyone who thinks they're in for a bog-standard Dickensian-style historical novel, think again. Described by one reviewer as 'Dickens, but with lesbians!', in reality it is so much more than that (although I did find that synopsis rather amusing). Waters' language is gruff, brash, abrasive - proper Dickens-style in tone, but with modern updates and a focus on gutsy women. The smog-filled, atmospheric streets of gloomy London in comparison with the eerie and remote landscape of the traditional country estate make for the perfect setting and really nod to Great Expectations, and the plot has obvious allusions to Oliver Twist. I enjoyed the addition of the female relationship as it brought something fresh to what was in many aspects fairly traditional, and also some moments of tenderness within a fairly violent novel. 

My only criticism of this book is the ending, which I felt was perhaps slightly rushed - although I did enjoy the finality of the story and all loose ends were tied up by Waters. I felt like the pacing was at times not as solid as it could have been, as some parts were really drawn out whilst others skipped over, so I did think the ending could have been given a little more detail. However, in a book of 550 pages, perhaps this was not such a bad thing - best to be left wanting more than becoming bored. In all, this is a massive recommendation from me if you want a great yarn to curl up with at this time of year - be aware of scenes of abuse and violence as it can get pretty upsetting!