What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ghost of Lily Painter
The first time Annie Sweet sees 43 Stanley Road, the house is so perfect she almost feels as though it has chosen her. She longs to move in, but with her husband seeming more distant, and her daughter wrapped up in her friends and new school, Annie is left alone to mull over the past.
Soon she becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter, a rising star of the music hall whose sparkling performances were the talk of the town.
As Annie delves further into Lily's past she begins to unravel a dark episode from Edwardian London, that of two notorious baby farmers, who lured young unmarried mothers with the promise of a better life for their babies. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest.
Based on a real period from London's rich history, Caitlin Davies skilfully blends fact and fiction to bring to life part of our sinister past. Spanning an entire century, from the journals of an Edwardian police inspector to a doomed wartime love affair, The Ghost of Lily Painter is an engrossing and poignant novel from a hugely talented writer.
Soon she becomes consumed by the house and everyone who has lived there before her, especially a young chorus girl called Lily Painter, a rising star of the music hall whose sparkling performances were the talk of the town.
As Annie delves further into Lily's past she begins to unravel a dark episode from Edwardian London, that of two notorious baby farmers, who lured young unmarried mothers with the promise of a better life for their babies. Until Annie solves the mystery at the heart of the scandal, the ghost of Lily Painter will never be able to rest.
Based on a real period from London's rich history, Caitlin Davies skilfully blends fact and fiction to bring to life part of our sinister past. Spanning an entire century, from the journals of an Edwardian police inspector to a doomed wartime love affair, The Ghost of Lily Painter is an engrossing and poignant novel from a hugely talented writer.
340 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
414 people want to read
About the author
Caitlin Davies
16 books50 followersI'm a writer, teacher and journalist, the author of six novels and seven non-fiction books. Many of my early books were inspired by the 12 years I spent in Botswana, where I worked as a teacher, award winning human rights journalist and newspaper editor. My more recent books draw on the stories and history of London. These include The Ghost of Lily Painter, based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, and Family Likeness, inspired in part by the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle ‘Britain’s first black aristocrat’.
Some of my books have a swimming theme, such as Taking the Waters, about the bathing ponds and lido on Hampstead Heath, Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars.
Other books have a criminal theme, including Bad Girls: A History of Rebels & Renegades, nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks.
I mentor writers at https://www.storyboardwriter.com/
Some of my books have a swimming theme, such as Taking the Waters, about the bathing ponds and lido on Hampstead Heath, Downstream: a history and celebration of swimming the River Thames, and Daisy Belle: Swimming Champion of the World, based on the lives of several Victorian aquatic stars.
Other books have a criminal theme, including Bad Girls: A History of Rebels & Renegades, nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks.
I mentor writers at https://www.storyboardwriter.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 55 reviews
September 11, 2011
Just finished, and thoroughly enjoyed it except - and it's a big "except" - the really ridiculous ending that really strains your credulity and leaves you with a less satisfying feeling than the book deserves. Apart from that, it's a lighter read than I was expecting but a fascinating look at baby farming in the early 1900s, with very deft dual time frame story telling and an engaging cast of characters, both modern and historical.
June 29, 2020
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3413905.html
One of those novels I had picked up years ago on a whim; Annie Sweet, recently separated from her husband in 2008, becomes obsessed with tracking down the story of Lily Painter, a teenage music hall performer who lived in the same house in 1901. I'm afraid that I worked out what the twist ending was going to be about half way through, and I was also annoyed by the policeman character who seems to have very little grasp of police procedure and writes implausible diary entries. But it's told with a certain amount of emotional force, and if I were in a less cynical mood at the moment it might well have worked better for me.
One of those novels I had picked up years ago on a whim; Annie Sweet, recently separated from her husband in 2008, becomes obsessed with tracking down the story of Lily Painter, a teenage music hall performer who lived in the same house in 1901. I'm afraid that I worked out what the twist ending was going to be about half way through, and I was also annoyed by the policeman character who seems to have very little grasp of police procedure and writes implausible diary entries. But it's told with a certain amount of emotional force, and if I were in a less cynical mood at the moment it might well have worked better for me.
September 27, 2017
From the first time Annie Sweet set foot into 43 Stanley Road, she has felt a strange connection to the house. While looking into its history out of curiosity, she develops a special interest in Lily Painter, a teenaged chorus girl who lived there a century ago.
Told in a number of different POVs and spanning decades and generations, the story blends fact and fiction, mixing together historical fiction and ghost story. The "big twist" and ending were both predictable and rather farfetched and I had difficulty warming up to the characters, but I nevertheless rather enjoyed the story.
Told in a number of different POVs and spanning decades and generations, the story blends fact and fiction, mixing together historical fiction and ghost story. The "big twist" and ending were both predictable and rather farfetched and I had difficulty warming up to the characters, but I nevertheless rather enjoyed the story.
November 23, 2012
Reading this book makes me want to look into the history of my own house, which is about 250 years old. Who lived there, what happened to them, who thought putting a wagon wheel in a wall in the front room was a good idea!!.
Plus the ghost drew me in, though that aspect was a little dissappointing, one sighting does not make it a ghost story.
Plus the ghost drew me in, though that aspect was a little dissappointing, one sighting does not make it a ghost story.
July 1, 2017
Caitlin Davies blends fact and fiction in ‘The Ghost of Lily Painter’, an unusual story sparked from the author’s interest in her own house in Holloway, North London. In 2008, Annie Sweet moves into 43 Stanley Road with her husband and daughter. The house is chilly, the dog won’t stop barking, and her husband leaves her. Is there a bad spirit in the house which is bringing bad luck? Annie begins to explore the house’s history and discovers a music hall performer, Lily Painter, lived there briefly at the beginning of the twentieth century. What happened to her? Why does she disappear?
This is a well-researched historical story about turn-of-the-century music hall, the dilemma facing unmarried pregnant women, baby farms and modern-day family history research. It’s a fascinating tangle of three viewpoints across a century: Annie Sweet and her actress daughter Molly, Inspector William George who lived at 43 Stanley Road in 1901; and one of his lodgers, Miss Lily Painter. The baby farms narrative is based on the real lives of Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison in 1902. They were baby farmers, women offering a lying-in service where women could deliver their babies then pay for their children to be adopted by ‘ladies’. Many of the babies never made it to their new homes. A terrible true story.
My only disappointment is that the ends are tied together too neatly, with a coincidence easily-spotted rather early in the story.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
This is a well-researched historical story about turn-of-the-century music hall, the dilemma facing unmarried pregnant women, baby farms and modern-day family history research. It’s a fascinating tangle of three viewpoints across a century: Annie Sweet and her actress daughter Molly, Inspector William George who lived at 43 Stanley Road in 1901; and one of his lodgers, Miss Lily Painter. The baby farms narrative is based on the real lives of Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison in 1902. They were baby farmers, women offering a lying-in service where women could deliver their babies then pay for their children to be adopted by ‘ladies’. Many of the babies never made it to their new homes. A terrible true story.
My only disappointment is that the ends are tied together too neatly, with a coincidence easily-spotted rather early in the story.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
June 6, 2021
Firmly rooted in historical fact Caitlin Davies weaves a tale of unwed mothers and how their babies may have been dealt with in Victorian times. A quick look at the afterword and Acknowledgements shows just how much she has drawn from her own life to create this tale - and very good it is too.
Amelia Sach and Annie Walters were the first women to be hanged in Holloway prison after its conversion to a Women only prison in 1902. Their crime? providing a laying in house for unwed mothers and for disposing of the babies for money. They claimed the babies were adopted by rich ladies but it was claimed they murdered the babies instead.
Caitlin takes this and imagines what would happen if a music hall starlet become embroiled with these two and then extends this to consider what could happen if the baby lived, what it became and if the relationship thread could come full circle.
A really well structured and well told tale with some great twists. The penny seems to drop at the midway point in the novel but it doesn't gallop to the end after that, it takes its time and makes some more reveals on the way to help the reader experience a full and well rounded conclusion which left me quite satisfied with the whole package.
Amelia Sach and Annie Walters were the first women to be hanged in Holloway prison after its conversion to a Women only prison in 1902. Their crime? providing a laying in house for unwed mothers and for disposing of the babies for money. They claimed the babies were adopted by rich ladies but it was claimed they murdered the babies instead.
Caitlin takes this and imagines what would happen if a music hall starlet become embroiled with these two and then extends this to consider what could happen if the baby lived, what it became and if the relationship thread could come full circle.
A really well structured and well told tale with some great twists. The penny seems to drop at the midway point in the novel but it doesn't gallop to the end after that, it takes its time and makes some more reveals on the way to help the reader experience a full and well rounded conclusion which left me quite satisfied with the whole package.
July 26, 2021
I love houses. I think that was why I liked this story, because that's what it was about: A story about the history of an Edwardian era house, including a family saga beginning in 1901, London.
The story is based on true story about two baby farmers in London, in early 1900. This was an interesting peak back to social history of those days: How usual it was for women to have unintended pregnancies and how desperate those women must have also been, trying to figure out working and surviving, without the father of a child. That's why there was a market for this kind of business: give a safe place for these ladies for the confinement, then give them an opportunity to give the child for adoption, except sometimes the children were not adopted, but killed.
The story went forward in layers: in past and in nowadays, from the perspectives of the inhabitants of the house in different eras. In the story, there was also a little romance, which got me even more hooked on the story. Romance was pretty short though, but it was realistic.
Best about this book was, that it taught me a lot of things of social history, which I never could've thought before. And it took me to the streets of London, again.
The story is based on true story about two baby farmers in London, in early 1900. This was an interesting peak back to social history of those days: How usual it was for women to have unintended pregnancies and how desperate those women must have also been, trying to figure out working and surviving, without the father of a child. That's why there was a market for this kind of business: give a safe place for these ladies for the confinement, then give them an opportunity to give the child for adoption, except sometimes the children were not adopted, but killed.
The story went forward in layers: in past and in nowadays, from the perspectives of the inhabitants of the house in different eras. In the story, there was also a little romance, which got me even more hooked on the story. Romance was pretty short though, but it was realistic.
Best about this book was, that it taught me a lot of things of social history, which I never could've thought before. And it took me to the streets of London, again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2019
Quite engaging, bit predictable, and the whole "waiting to see what happened to my daughter" - who she didn't recognize at all? Seriously? Also, once she discovered that her daughter had been found, that should have been the end of her part but suddenly her reason for being there got extended. A bit a decent editing could have sorted that out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2021
Well ...what a fabulous read....couldn't put it down.....so well written....some lovely characters ( and some not so lovely ).....it's such a joy when you discover a book that's so enjoyable,so gripping....can't recommend it enough!
July 14, 2019
What an absolutely fantastic book.
October 8, 2020
When Annie Sweet moves into 43 Stanley Road with her husband and daughter, she is finally content. Briefly. It’s not long before she becomes interested in the house’s past inhabitants and her curiosity leads her to the grim world of Edwardian London’s notorious baby farmers who cared for (or more usually, didn’t) unwanted children at a price.
Davies, daughter of novelist Margaret Forster, blends fact and fiction in this engrossing novel.
Davies, daughter of novelist Margaret Forster, blends fact and fiction in this engrossing novel.
January 23, 2021
A compelling read
A pleasantly intriguing mix of history and mystery spanning a century, which kept me reading well past my bed time for several nights!
A pleasantly intriguing mix of history and mystery spanning a century, which kept me reading well past my bed time for several nights!
December 26, 2011
It begins as a contemporary story.
Annie and Ben are looking for a new home in London. When they visit 43 Stanley Road Annie knows it is "the one." Their offer is accepted and they move in.
But things go wrong. Ben leaves Annie for his secretary. Annie is determined to hang on to her home, for herself and for her daughter Molly. Because the house speaks to her as no other has.
And so she begins to research the history of her home ...
The 1901 census - the first since the house was built - revealed the names of the first residents of 43 Stanley Road. Among them were William George, a police inspector, and Lily Painter, a rising music hall star.
Lily intrigued Annie, and she continued to dig.
She found that Lily had been the victim of baby farmers - two women who had long been forgotten but who were notorious in their day - and that William George had been investigating them.
And she found that strange things, things she really couldn't explain were happening in her home.
The story moves between four narrators - Annie, William, Lily, and another of whom I should not speak.
The shifts in narrator and period were handled very well. Each story was engaging, and I had no trouble keeping track of what was going on.
But I had a problem: the balance was off.
The history was extraordinary.
Baby farmers placed discreet advertisements. They offered care for expectant mothers. Midwives to help with the birth. A place to recover after the birth. Good homes for children whose mothers could not keep them.
Imagine what a godsend they must have seemed to young women who had no means to support themselves and their child. Who had been abandoned by the father. Who had families who could, or would, not accept the social stigma of an illegitimate child.
Some baby farmers were good people who did exactly what they promised. But others were not. They made money from taking in desperate women and then taking away, and killing, their new-born children.
It was disturbing to read.
I just wish that story had been expanded, maybe to take in other women's stories, and the contemporary story cut back.
I didn't need to know quite so much about Annie's and Mollie's lives. It was a distraction.
I didn't need the ghost story, which never quite took off.
And I didn't need the contrived ending that brought all of the strands of the story together.
That there were links between different occupants of the house, that the history of one house was explored was wonderful.
But there was too much going on, and a little more contrivance than I was prepared to accept.
This is still a very readable, very well researched novel.
But I can't help feeling that there was the potential for so much more in the material.
Annie and Ben are looking for a new home in London. When they visit 43 Stanley Road Annie knows it is "the one." Their offer is accepted and they move in.
But things go wrong. Ben leaves Annie for his secretary. Annie is determined to hang on to her home, for herself and for her daughter Molly. Because the house speaks to her as no other has.
And so she begins to research the history of her home ...
The 1901 census - the first since the house was built - revealed the names of the first residents of 43 Stanley Road. Among them were William George, a police inspector, and Lily Painter, a rising music hall star.
Lily intrigued Annie, and she continued to dig.
She found that Lily had been the victim of baby farmers - two women who had long been forgotten but who were notorious in their day - and that William George had been investigating them.
And she found that strange things, things she really couldn't explain were happening in her home.
The story moves between four narrators - Annie, William, Lily, and another of whom I should not speak.
The shifts in narrator and period were handled very well. Each story was engaging, and I had no trouble keeping track of what was going on.
But I had a problem: the balance was off.
The history was extraordinary.
Baby farmers placed discreet advertisements. They offered care for expectant mothers. Midwives to help with the birth. A place to recover after the birth. Good homes for children whose mothers could not keep them.
Imagine what a godsend they must have seemed to young women who had no means to support themselves and their child. Who had been abandoned by the father. Who had families who could, or would, not accept the social stigma of an illegitimate child.
Some baby farmers were good people who did exactly what they promised. But others were not. They made money from taking in desperate women and then taking away, and killing, their new-born children.
It was disturbing to read.
I just wish that story had been expanded, maybe to take in other women's stories, and the contemporary story cut back.
I didn't need to know quite so much about Annie's and Mollie's lives. It was a distraction.
I didn't need the ghost story, which never quite took off.
And I didn't need the contrived ending that brought all of the strands of the story together.
That there were links between different occupants of the house, that the history of one house was explored was wonderful.
But there was too much going on, and a little more contrivance than I was prepared to accept.
This is still a very readable, very well researched novel.
But I can't help feeling that there was the potential for so much more in the material.
June 9, 2015
This was an ultimately unsatisfying book although it dealt with dark themes.
Annie Sweet and her family move into 43 Stanley Road in north London. She soon starts to feel that they aren’t alone. A cold upper room and the strange behaviour or their dog, together with the break-up of her marriage, all combine to make her feel uneasy and melancholy.
She is being watched by the resident ghost of Lily Painter, a past inhabitant of the house, She was a talented and successful music hall artistes who died young and tragically in an accident. Lily is trapped in the house by her search for her illegitimate baby which she gave to a baby Farmer in the hope that it would be adopted and have a better life.
The baby famers, a Victorian invention, preyed on pregnant, unmarried mothers. Often working-class, they would pay the ‘farmers’ to have their babies adopted by well off ladies. Sadly, some of the babies never made it to their new homes as in the case of the notorious Amelia Dyer, they were murdered and disposed of. But in, Lily Painter, the author has based her story in part on Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, who were the first women to be hanged at London's Holloway Prison in 1902. They were running a 'lying-in' home in East Finchley where pregnant young women came to spend their confinement. These young unfortunate girls would spend their days knitting tiny pieces of clothing for the babies they were unable to keep, that were intended to go with them to their new homes. Many of these items were later found on the premises, stuffed into bags and forgotten.
Annie begins to delve into no 43’s past as she is determined to find out who previously lived in the house before her. Annie's research delves a century into the past, finding Lily Painter, a young music hall singer whose dazzling performances became the talk of the town before her untimely death. But even then, she does not realise the connection between herself and Lily.
I found the first half of the novel to be enjoyable and the sinister motives of the baby famers were well portrayed as they presented themselves to their victims as benefactors. Also the defy way in which the narrative switched from the present day to the dairy of an Edwardian police inspector on the trail of the famers. However, as Annie’s search continued I found that the author began to rely heavily on coincidence and a heavy dose of sentimentality began to creep in. It soon began to seem unlikely and unconvincing which was a shame as it had interesting theme but wasn’t really a ghost story after halfway through.
August 11, 2013
The ghost of Lily Painter is not a ghost story as such, it is not scary, but it is so much more!
Annie Sweet lives in number 43 Stanley Road, Holloway, a house which she is instantly drawn to with her husband Ben, and daughter Molly. In 1901 Lily Painter along with her sister, father and step-mother had lived in the same house as lodgers of a Police Inspector and his family. Annie starts to look on the 1901 census, initially for family members but with few details to go on looks to see who lived in her house and becomes interested in Lily Painter, wanting to discover what sort of life she would have led.
The book is divided between the past and the present by devices such as Inspector William George writing a journal starting in 1901 detailing his life as an Inspector, his family life and the crimes of some baby farmers. Lily (the ghost) commentates about life as it was for her then, whilst observing the present day occupants of the house she has haunted for many years. We also have Annie Sweet detailing her present life with her daughter and the mounting interest she has in Lily Painter.
There is a lot of historical fact within this book, the named baby farmers who have their part in this story are based upon real people, well researched and smoothly inserted into the story line.
The story depends on more than a little coincidence but that in no way detracted from the immense pleasure I got from reading this book.
I recommend this book to those interested in this history of the 20th Century although there is enough substance in this book that I believe this book would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good, well written story. I am so pleased I was offered it in return for an honest review by Amazon Vine.
Annie Sweet lives in number 43 Stanley Road, Holloway, a house which she is instantly drawn to with her husband Ben, and daughter Molly. In 1901 Lily Painter along with her sister, father and step-mother had lived in the same house as lodgers of a Police Inspector and his family. Annie starts to look on the 1901 census, initially for family members but with few details to go on looks to see who lived in her house and becomes interested in Lily Painter, wanting to discover what sort of life she would have led.
The book is divided between the past and the present by devices such as Inspector William George writing a journal starting in 1901 detailing his life as an Inspector, his family life and the crimes of some baby farmers. Lily (the ghost) commentates about life as it was for her then, whilst observing the present day occupants of the house she has haunted for many years. We also have Annie Sweet detailing her present life with her daughter and the mounting interest she has in Lily Painter.
There is a lot of historical fact within this book, the named baby farmers who have their part in this story are based upon real people, well researched and smoothly inserted into the story line.
The story depends on more than a little coincidence but that in no way detracted from the immense pleasure I got from reading this book.
I recommend this book to those interested in this history of the 20th Century although there is enough substance in this book that I believe this book would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good, well written story. I am so pleased I was offered it in return for an honest review by Amazon Vine.
April 14, 2012
This book works on many levels: it's the story of a woman working through her own life problems, the story of a young woman in 1901 facing her own issues, and the story built up by researching the history of a house, with a touch of ghost on the side.
Annie is drawn to the house, and as her marriage breaks down she finds herself researching the history of the people who previously lived there.
Lily Painter was once a lodger in the house, a young woman with a promising career in showbusiness ahead of her, until she fell pregnant.
Part of this book is based on historical incidents - I was shocked to learn about baby farms, homes for "lying in" where "baby may remain" for a small fee. Young girls who were already considered outcasts were forced to pay for the privilege of being cared for through pregnancy, with a further fee if they wished their baby to be adopted - with many promises made about titled ladies who were desperate for a baby to love and cherish, while the truth was far darker.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but if you have any interest in the early 1900s, historical research, making your own way in life or personal/social history, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.
Annie is drawn to the house, and as her marriage breaks down she finds herself researching the history of the people who previously lived there.
Lily Painter was once a lodger in the house, a young woman with a promising career in showbusiness ahead of her, until she fell pregnant.
Part of this book is based on historical incidents - I was shocked to learn about baby farms, homes for "lying in" where "baby may remain" for a small fee. Young girls who were already considered outcasts were forced to pay for the privilege of being cared for through pregnancy, with a further fee if they wished their baby to be adopted - with many promises made about titled ladies who were desperate for a baby to love and cherish, while the truth was far darker.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but if you have any interest in the early 1900s, historical research, making your own way in life or personal/social history, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book.
December 13, 2018
This was my second novel by Caitlin Davies, an author who skillfully mixes historical facts with fiction. ‘The Ghost of Lily Painter’, was sparked from the author’s interest in her own house in Holloway, North London and had me wondering throughout the book about former owners of the homes I’ve lived in and their individual stories.
This is the tale of a newly divorced woman Annie Sweet who is of mixed racial descent and her daughter Molly .when she sets about uncovering the history of who previously resided in their home. The house is chilly and the dog won’t stop barking, suggesting a bad omen. This is a well-researched historical story about the dilemma facing unmarried pregnant women, baby farms and the effects of war on relationships. The baby farms chronicles the real lives of Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison in 1902. They were responsible for offering a ‘lying-in’ service where women could deliver their babies then pay for their children to be adopted by well to do ladies.
I enjoyed the book and the writing was good but the ending I felt was a little too convenient.
This is the tale of a newly divorced woman Annie Sweet who is of mixed racial descent and her daughter Molly .when she sets about uncovering the history of who previously resided in their home. The house is chilly and the dog won’t stop barking, suggesting a bad omen. This is a well-researched historical story about the dilemma facing unmarried pregnant women, baby farms and the effects of war on relationships. The baby farms chronicles the real lives of Amelia Sach and Annie Walters, the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison in 1902. They were responsible for offering a ‘lying-in’ service where women could deliver their babies then pay for their children to be adopted by well to do ladies.
I enjoyed the book and the writing was good but the ending I felt was a little too convenient.
December 20, 2012
I cannot remember where I saw this book originally or how it was recommended to me, but I am glad that I found it and will say I really enjoyed it. Caitlin Davies has taken on the true story of two notorious baby farmers - the first women to be hanged in Holloway Prison in 1902 – and made a story surrounding these gripping events. There is a ghost coming and going in the story, but it is not scary at all. I loved the different characters from modern day all the way back to the early 1900’s and was fascinated how Annie went looking (and became obsessed) with the history of her house.
Caitlin Davies has done a lot of research for this book to bring us this enthralling story bringing to us the story of the horror of what these baby farmers did and to put it all together into a great page turner is a great achievement.
Caitlin Davies has done a lot of research for this book to bring us this enthralling story bringing to us the story of the horror of what these baby farmers did and to put it all together into a great page turner is a great achievement.
November 20, 2011
I really liked this book. It took me a long time to pick it up , but I'm glad I did. Based on ( in part ) the crimes, trial and execution of the notorious baby killers Amelia Sachs and Annie Walters ( the first women to be hanged in Holloway Prison in 1902) , this book contains 3 focus points - the baby farmer/killers, and the residents of a house in London.
At one point , I thought I 'd guessed the ending, when at a particular point, the next chapter blew me away - I did not see the change in plot coming.
I was right when I guessed the ending, but this doesn't detract from a great book - not scary as you may expect, but interesting, hard to put down and gives a real insight into life in turn of the century London
At one point , I thought I 'd guessed the ending, when at a particular point, the next chapter blew me away - I did not see the change in plot coming.
I was right when I guessed the ending, but this doesn't detract from a great book - not scary as you may expect, but interesting, hard to put down and gives a real insight into life in turn of the century London
April 29, 2012
Overall I thought this was a good book. It's the story of Annie Sweet, who becomes obsessed with researching the history of a house she has recently bought in London, while going through a marriage breakdown, and the story of an Inspector who lives in the house at the start of the 1900s, and the true story of baby farmers in Edwardian London. It's a mix of fact and fiction, and a combination of ghost story, social history and detective story, and I really appreciated the amount of research that must have gone into this book, and thought it was well written. I enjoyed reading it, I was just disappointed with the ending, which was far too neat and unbelievable for me, which was a bit of a shame as a lot of it was so good. Still worth a read though....
October 31, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good old mystery that comes with a past, and The Ghost of Lily Painter kept me up in the night as I couldn’t put it down. There’s a lot going on in the story – Annie’s personal life, the mystery of the past, the baby farmer twist. It was like reading a history lesson as well as a good book. I learned a lot about a topic I didn’t know much about, but the storyline on all fronts was really strong. Great ending, though I thought it was pretty easy to figure out, but still a great book overall. I quickly recommended this book to several people, and I recommend to you as well!
I love a good old mystery that comes with a past, and The Ghost of Lily Painter kept me up in the night as I couldn’t put it down. There’s a lot going on in the story – Annie’s personal life, the mystery of the past, the baby farmer twist. It was like reading a history lesson as well as a good book. I learned a lot about a topic I didn’t know much about, but the storyline on all fronts was really strong. Great ending, though I thought it was pretty easy to figure out, but still a great book overall. I quickly recommended this book to several people, and I recommend to you as well!
July 4, 2011
This was okay. Straight away this reminds me of 'The Help' because of the chapters being narrated by different characters. The author has obviously done a great deal of research. I was not convinced with the storyline that the author devises; Linking the family line back round to the new owner of the house was a little weak and too obvious and it completely lost my interest in the last quarter of the story. I think more could have been made of Danny as he started off as mysterious and almost too good to be true and I was thinking that he could be a figment of her imagination.
January 29, 2012
I was totally engrossed by this book. I love anything Victorian/Edwardian and this did not disappoint. I loved Annie, Lily and William. I couldn't wait to finish it to find out what happens, but on the other hand didn't want it to end.
The reason I am giving 4 stars is I felt the story became a little rushed regarding Mo and Louis and, as I don't want to spoil the story, desperately wanted to know more, especially about him.
I would highly recommend this book simply because of the wonderful writing and the atmospheric feel to the story.
The reason I am giving 4 stars is I felt the story became a little rushed regarding Mo and Louis and, as I don't want to spoil the story, desperately wanted to know more, especially about him.
I would highly recommend this book simply because of the wonderful writing and the atmospheric feel to the story.
February 16, 2012
The Ghost of Lily Painter kept me engrossed until the end which admittedly tied everything up in a very neat and convenient bundle but nevetheless didn't detract from an enjoyable read. Especially interesting were the chapters narrated by the inhabitants of 43 Stanley Road in the period 1901 - 1902 which gave us a glimpse of life in Edwardian London and the fate of unmarried and pregnant girls and the very limited choices they had and of the unscrupulous baby farmers that profited from their predicaments.
May 1, 2015
If you are looking for a horror ghost story then don't expect it to be because it is a very well written story about "Baby Farming" in early 1900's.
I didn't read anything on this topic before so I really enjoyed reading this one and discovering a lot about baby farming. The Ghost of Lily Painter is based on true facts and if anyone is interested in Historical Fiction then it is a great book.
I really like the main character "Annie Sweet".
Ending was good too but I already have seen that coming.
A very good and interesting book. Highly recommended.
I didn't read anything on this topic before so I really enjoyed reading this one and discovering a lot about baby farming. The Ghost of Lily Painter is based on true facts and if anyone is interested in Historical Fiction then it is a great book.
I really like the main character "Annie Sweet".
Ending was good too but I already have seen that coming.
A very good and interesting book. Highly recommended.
February 5, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book and found it absorbing. It was quite sentimental and the conclusion was rather obvious...but a nice easy read. The historical portions were what made this book, on their own the modern day bits were a little weak. I think the author could have made an interesting story about the turn of the century and the fascinating issues she explored - without resorting to the usual rather tired device. Is it possible to write a historical novel without it being about a modern day woman who uncovers a historical mystery that miraculously changes her own life?
June 18, 2012
As an obsessive amateur genealogist and a lover of historical fiction I really enjoyed this book. It was a good story with a unique plot although a bit predictable. I found the scenes of early 1900s very interesting especially the awful baby farming. However it was a feel good novel by the end. I was hooked towards the end and ended up having a long bath to finish the book. It was an enjoyable easy read but I have given this three because of the predictability.
January 23, 2012
Easy gripping read - really wanted to find out 'what happened' - a neatly (too?) tied up ending. House history from Victorian times to present day (Woolies turning into Icelands) and cupcakes. Part of the story told by the ghost. Police inspector investigates 'baby farmers' - based on true stories. Wish my genealogy was as 'easy'!
March 28, 2012
I enjoyed the book, I liked the mixture of fact and fiction and the story line kept me interested. It all tied up to neatly for me. One thing I did like was that in the 1901 census one of the characters was a 'feather curler' I had previously found one of my own relatives with the same line of work which pleased me. It was a page turner but did not stretch the readers mind.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 55 reviews