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The Year After
Old friends assemble at a country house party for New Year 1919. At Hannesford Court, it's almost as if nothing has changed.But beneath the surface, nothing is quite the same as the last time they met there. A few faces are missing, and for Tom Allen, only just out of uniform, the desirable daughter of the house suddenly seems within his reach.Then there is the story of the young woman who was found drowned in the swirling waters of the River Hann while Tom was away. Can one unexplained death be significant when so many millions have died in the trenches?
401 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
7 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
About the author
Martin Davies
47 books92 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Martin Davies is a British author. He has written four novels about Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper and four other novels, including one about Joseph Banks and the Mysterious Bird of Ulieta, entitled The Conjuror's Bird, all of which have been published.
Martin Davies grew up in North West England. All his writing is done in cafes, on buses or on tube trains, and an aversion to laptops means that he always works in longhand. He has travelled widely, including in the Middle East and India, and substantial parts of THE UNICORN ROAD were written while travelling through Sicily. He works as a consultant in the broadcasting industry.
Martin Davies is a British author. He has written four novels about Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper and four other novels, including one about Joseph Banks and the Mysterious Bird of Ulieta, entitled The Conjuror's Bird, all of which have been published.
Martin Davies grew up in North West England. All his writing is done in cafes, on buses or on tube trains, and an aversion to laptops means that he always works in longhand. He has travelled widely, including in the Middle East and India, and substantial parts of THE UNICORN ROAD were written while travelling through Sicily. He works as a consultant in the broadcasting industry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 7, 2013
Took a while to get round to this, one of those picks from the library and wasn't sure if I could be bothered.
However once I started I quickly got into the story, really good grasp of what it must have been like for a survivor. Many of the faces you knew are gone, people have changed and are surprised that you have too. There's also the sense that people want to know what it was like in the trenches, but they don't really want to hear about the horror.
Tom finds himself returning to Devon for christmas, to meet a woman he vowed he would never see again and finds himself trying to solve a mystery from his past.
Read this over several days, but did end up reading in bed til after midnight. Still had to be up for six in the morning.
However once I started I quickly got into the story, really good grasp of what it must have been like for a survivor. Many of the faces you knew are gone, people have changed and are surprised that you have too. There's also the sense that people want to know what it was like in the trenches, but they don't really want to hear about the horror.
Tom finds himself returning to Devon for christmas, to meet a woman he vowed he would never see again and finds himself trying to solve a mystery from his past.
Read this over several days, but did end up reading in bed til after midnight. Still had to be up for six in the morning.
May 26, 2015
It’s not often I write “I couldn’t put the book down!” I definitely couldn’t put The Year After down. I admire writers who effortlessly merge the territories of commercial and literary fiction. Daphne du Maurier did it years ago and now for me Martin Davies has achieved that difficult feat with The Year After by keeping the pages turning but never losing the tenor of the times he is writing about.
The year in question is 1919. “Tom Allen, uncomfortable in London after five years in uniform, receives an invitation to spend Christmas at Hannesford Court. It’s almost as if nothing had changed...But a strange meeting in Germany has raised a question in his mind: in all his visits to Hannesford before the War, all those years observing the glittering life of its owners, how much did he really see?”
It’s something that fascinates me as a writer - perception, so I was immediately drawn to the book. Apart from dealing with the aftermath of the war: “For all the time I’d known her, Lady Stansbury had moved through the world as if gloriously and elegantly unaware of the tedious practicalities supporting her existence; but the woman who greeted me that evening seemed altogether more purposeful. It was as if, instead of reeling beneath the blows of fate, she had found from somewhere the unexpected strength to face them. I’d seen similar things occur in the trenches. New officers arrived all the time. There was never any guessing who would shrink and who would grow.”
Aside from such wonderful, sensitive observations as the one above, we have some deft character studies and a mystery as well - exactly what happened to the professor who died very suddenly on the night of the Rose Ball? Here is the very interesting Freddie Masters (another survivor of the war) talking about an incident involving the professor.
“They were a long way below me, remember. I could just hear raised voices, that was all. No shouting, but you could tell they were angry. Once I’d stepped off the path, I couldn’t see the bridge at all. But I did make out one thing. I heard the professor say quite distinctly, ‘I shall take the whole affair to Sir Robert.’ Perhaps not those exact words but something like that.”
‘And then?’
He hesitated. Beneath his easy manner there seemed to lurk a very real distaste.
‘That’s when it turned rather unpleasant, old man. Something I hadn’t expected. The other fellow hit him. I heard the blow...”
I bet you read that paragraph quickly. I certainly did. The whole book in a flash. An exceptionally easy novel to read with hidden depths. Very highly recommended.
The year in question is 1919. “Tom Allen, uncomfortable in London after five years in uniform, receives an invitation to spend Christmas at Hannesford Court. It’s almost as if nothing had changed...But a strange meeting in Germany has raised a question in his mind: in all his visits to Hannesford before the War, all those years observing the glittering life of its owners, how much did he really see?”
It’s something that fascinates me as a writer - perception, so I was immediately drawn to the book. Apart from dealing with the aftermath of the war: “For all the time I’d known her, Lady Stansbury had moved through the world as if gloriously and elegantly unaware of the tedious practicalities supporting her existence; but the woman who greeted me that evening seemed altogether more purposeful. It was as if, instead of reeling beneath the blows of fate, she had found from somewhere the unexpected strength to face them. I’d seen similar things occur in the trenches. New officers arrived all the time. There was never any guessing who would shrink and who would grow.”
Aside from such wonderful, sensitive observations as the one above, we have some deft character studies and a mystery as well - exactly what happened to the professor who died very suddenly on the night of the Rose Ball? Here is the very interesting Freddie Masters (another survivor of the war) talking about an incident involving the professor.
“They were a long way below me, remember. I could just hear raised voices, that was all. No shouting, but you could tell they were angry. Once I’d stepped off the path, I couldn’t see the bridge at all. But I did make out one thing. I heard the professor say quite distinctly, ‘I shall take the whole affair to Sir Robert.’ Perhaps not those exact words but something like that.”
‘And then?’
He hesitated. Beneath his easy manner there seemed to lurk a very real distaste.
‘That’s when it turned rather unpleasant, old man. Something I hadn’t expected. The other fellow hit him. I heard the blow...”
I bet you read that paragraph quickly. I certainly did. The whole book in a flash. An exceptionally easy novel to read with hidden depths. Very highly recommended.
December 12, 2012
Beautifully written-evocative of the time (the year after world war one),
Great descriptions of frosty winter mornings and of the 'big house'The main character Tom returns after fighting in World War 1,and is invited back to Hannesford Court for Christmas.
It is a return to country house society of his previous life and it causes him to question whether that world and the people he knew were quite as they seemed.
There is a little mystery running through the book which slowly unravels until we find out that actually there was a lot of rot in the house and some of it's people.
There is also a lot to contemplate eg how the dead were more revered than the living. It is the dead who are heroes.dying for king and country sent off with pride and flags waving,those who came back were not heroes and were almost looked on with distaste.
Also the reality of the war could not be talked about as no one wanted the truth.
There was a debate on whether money should be spent on the great monuments or the education of children.
Times were also changing for women and for those people in service.
There is a lot to think about after reading this book.
It was a really good,interesting and lovely read all in one.
Great descriptions of frosty winter mornings and of the 'big house'The main character Tom returns after fighting in World War 1,and is invited back to Hannesford Court for Christmas.
It is a return to country house society of his previous life and it causes him to question whether that world and the people he knew were quite as they seemed.
There is a little mystery running through the book which slowly unravels until we find out that actually there was a lot of rot in the house and some of it's people.
There is also a lot to contemplate eg how the dead were more revered than the living. It is the dead who are heroes.dying for king and country sent off with pride and flags waving,those who came back were not heroes and were almost looked on with distaste.
Also the reality of the war could not be talked about as no one wanted the truth.
There was a debate on whether money should be spent on the great monuments or the education of children.
Times were also changing for women and for those people in service.
There is a lot to think about after reading this book.
It was a really good,interesting and lovely read all in one.
October 6, 2012
This was set in England in 1919. The main character survived the war and doesn't really know how to cope with peace, or what to do with the life he didn't expect to have. He's invited to a grand house for Christmas where the inhabitants are trying to recreate the life they had before the war. So the perfect ingredients for a miserable mess of a book. However, Martin Davies creates a sense of a new start even if some of the characters don't realise they are beginning to make new post-war lives. He doesn't shrink from the realities of WW1 though, this isn't a fairy tale. But although he acknowledges them, this isn't a book about the war, it's more about finding a place in a very changed world.
The "action" in the book is created by a question about events which happened at the house before the war (our main character was there then too). I was impressed by how well the "mystery" integrated with the rest of the book. In other books I've read like this, the "action" part seemed to run alongside the more serious themes the author was exploring, but in this case, the mystery was used to illustrate and demostrate the sense of moving on.
The "action" in the book is created by a question about events which happened at the house before the war (our main character was there then too). I was impressed by how well the "mystery" integrated with the rest of the book. In other books I've read like this, the "action" part seemed to run alongside the more serious themes the author was exploring, but in this case, the mystery was used to illustrate and demostrate the sense of moving on.
March 19, 2013
If you watch Downton Abbey and if you want to read something like it, but more somber, this is for you. A twisting tale taking place in 1919 just after The Great War. The story itself has its main plotline set in the summer of 1914 - and what comes after.
I enjoyed this book a lot. Perfect for anyone interested in WWI - and just everyone who likes a classy read.
I enjoyed this book a lot. Perfect for anyone interested in WWI - and just everyone who likes a classy read.
October 12, 2016
A beautiful literary book about dealing with a mystery, the truth and the aftermath of war. Martin touches on the scenery, senses and emotions of family told through the eyes of Tom and Anne with a charming eloquence. A new favourite author found.
August 12, 2024
A VERY good book! In fact, the best novel (that's new to me) that I've read for a long time.
This is the third of Martin Davies' novels that I've read. I loved The Conjuror's Bird! Then I read The Unicorn Road which, although also very well written, I found distressingly grim, especially towards the end. So it was several years before I dared to try another of his books.
But I'm so glad I did!
I felt that the tone of this one was much closer to The Conjuror's Bird than to The Unicorn Road. And it's about starting to heal from the sadness and grimness of the past, rather than grimness looming up ahead of us.
I found the male central character totally believable as someone who had lived through the First World War – to the point that I sometimes had to remind myself that his story was fictional.
Both the principal characters were likeable and interesting, and had me rooting for them. (Both of them made choices, at times, that I wish they hadn't – but those actions are shown to have consequences that the characters must then deal with.) I liked many of the other characters, too – but saying which ones might be spoilers for the mystery element of the book. Suffice to say that I found almost all the characters complex, and all of them believable.
And – as with The Conjuror's Bird – the mystery elements were woven through the plot masterfully. Davies knows exactly when to drop a breadcrumb, when to give you a little more mystery or a piece of the answer(s), so that the journey feels totally satisfying to the reader.
Throughout, there's always the feeling that you're safe in the hands an expert and excellent storyteller.
I heartily recommend this book! :)
This is the third of Martin Davies' novels that I've read. I loved The Conjuror's Bird! Then I read The Unicorn Road which, although also very well written, I found distressingly grim, especially towards the end. So it was several years before I dared to try another of his books.
But I'm so glad I did!
I felt that the tone of this one was much closer to The Conjuror's Bird than to The Unicorn Road. And it's about starting to heal from the sadness and grimness of the past, rather than grimness looming up ahead of us.
I found the male central character totally believable as someone who had lived through the First World War – to the point that I sometimes had to remind myself that his story was fictional.
Both the principal characters were likeable and interesting, and had me rooting for them. (Both of them made choices, at times, that I wish they hadn't – but those actions are shown to have consequences that the characters must then deal with.) I liked many of the other characters, too – but saying which ones might be spoilers for the mystery element of the book. Suffice to say that I found almost all the characters complex, and all of them believable.
And – as with The Conjuror's Bird – the mystery elements were woven through the plot masterfully. Davies knows exactly when to drop a breadcrumb, when to give you a little more mystery or a piece of the answer(s), so that the journey feels totally satisfying to the reader.
Throughout, there's always the feeling that you're safe in the hands an expert and excellent storyteller.
I heartily recommend this book! :)
October 6, 2012
c2011. FWFTB: summer, tranquility, secrets, fateful, Hannesford. I had a bit of a struggle which shelf to log this book into. It is so much more than just a historical novel, or a romance novel, or a crime novel. I loved the style of writing - no excessive verbiage but so so evocative. I found that romance weaved its way through the entire plot but I am not talking about romance between the characters more like the love of country, family, friends and the way things used to be. But, in exploring that, a light has been thrown on just how sometimes the good times were not all that good at all. There were some sentences or insights that brought tears to my eyes although with a sense of poignancy not sadness. There are 2 POVs and the way these were used was very subtle. I loved this book and would highly recommend it to the normal crew. It is not a sad book but I think the characters will stay with me for a while. The only small thing that I have to reveal is that the family name is Stansbury and I kept reading it as Sainsbury - oh dear. FCN: Captain Tom Allen, Anne Gregory, Julian Trevelyan, Freddie Masters, Margot Stansbury. "Gradually, as the days passed, I ceased to dread the emptiness of crowded rooms.
February 5, 2013
Excellent and well-told story about the aftermath of WWI and the effects on a large rich household in Devon. Great read and recommended. Would have given 4.5*
July 27, 2021
It took me months to finish but it was worthwhile. I love how this novel reminds me that, as much as we are driven by our enormous force to uncover something, there are circumstances that put us into halt— drawing a thin line between the past and its present relevance. Tom Allen is a figure of a grown-up who concluded that he had only seen things in a narrow disposition, in which he had said himself:
“As I tidied the pictures back into the box, I shivered slightly. All those photographs bearing witness to how little I had seen.”
By its title and prologue, one could predict that this novel is about anticipating the changes that occurred after years of dreadful events, but it is only by reading the whole thing that one may recognize we are all a walking-Tom-Allen.
I was also drawn to the little appearances made by this book’s Trojans’ Cassandra, Violet Eccleston. Her frame of reference, as a woman in 19th century, is quite appealing, which I believe making her as an icon of early feminists;
“Indeed, for women who have one of those attributes - either exceptional looks or exceptional wealth - there is every chance that their lives will develop as they have always imagined.”
“Our only option is nothing less than the re-shaping of society’s whole concept of womanhood. And although the circumstances are deeply fortunate, the opportunities for my sex are boundless. I see no reason why in the future there may not be very great numbers of female scientists, female surgeons, even female judges.”
Apart from Violet, Anne Gregory and Reggie Stansbury are the characters you should look forward to if you’re planning to read it!
I recommend this. It is surprisingly an interesting book.
“As I tidied the pictures back into the box, I shivered slightly. All those photographs bearing witness to how little I had seen.”
By its title and prologue, one could predict that this novel is about anticipating the changes that occurred after years of dreadful events, but it is only by reading the whole thing that one may recognize we are all a walking-Tom-Allen.
I was also drawn to the little appearances made by this book’s Trojans’ Cassandra, Violet Eccleston. Her frame of reference, as a woman in 19th century, is quite appealing, which I believe making her as an icon of early feminists;
“Indeed, for women who have one of those attributes - either exceptional looks or exceptional wealth - there is every chance that their lives will develop as they have always imagined.”
“Our only option is nothing less than the re-shaping of society’s whole concept of womanhood. And although the circumstances are deeply fortunate, the opportunities for my sex are boundless. I see no reason why in the future there may not be very great numbers of female scientists, female surgeons, even female judges.”
Apart from Violet, Anne Gregory and Reggie Stansbury are the characters you should look forward to if you’re planning to read it!
I recommend this. It is surprisingly an interesting book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2024
The story centres around Tom Bell in 1919. He returns to Hannesford for a Christmas and New Year stay along with other houseguests who were there before the war. Many of the younger members will not be there. Mystery surrounding the circumstances of Professor Schmidt's death on the patio. Tom talks to many people, including Anne Gregory who was Lady Stansbury's companion and her current charge, Mrs Uttley, the vicar's wife. Life and soul of the party was the heir, Harry, and his friends Julian and Oliver have a light shone on their darker sides. And what about the dead Julia Woodward who only wanted to be with Harry?
A very interesting story. As one of the characters states, 'Those who came back want to forget, those who didn't go won't let them'. Many of our returning heroes may have felt the same. What was it all about?
A very interesting story. As one of the characters states, 'Those who came back want to forget, those who didn't go won't let them'. Many of our returning heroes may have felt the same. What was it all about?
February 6, 2021
Christmas 1919 is the year after, and just demobilised Tom Allen returns to Hanneford, the site of a regular pre-war upper-class social whirl. An ultimately inconsequential mystery of the death of a German professor is central but it’s more a reflection on the impact of the War and the changes wrought by death and battle. Several effective characters such as war-widowed young socialite, Margot Stansbury and her severely wounded brother Reggie, amongst others, people a superbly-written, telling narrative.
December 4, 2017
Four and a half stars from me.
Again, Mr Davies has written a book with characters that live in one of the spare rooms in my head. The "minor" characters are more individually drawn that those in "The conjuror's bird", I think, and to be honest I enjoyed not having to keep too many story lines in my head.
Mr Davies does the flipping back and forward in time thing again, very successfully, and I felt it added to the unfolding of the story. Didn't want it to end.
Again, Mr Davies has written a book with characters that live in one of the spare rooms in my head. The "minor" characters are more individually drawn that those in "The conjuror's bird", I think, and to be honest I enjoyed not having to keep too many story lines in my head.
Mr Davies does the flipping back and forward in time thing again, very successfully, and I felt it added to the unfolding of the story. Didn't want it to end.
October 17, 2017
An interesting story well told. It took hold of me gently, until in the end I couldn't put it down. It contains thoughtful reflections on survival, and made me think about the aftermath of the First World War in a way I haven't previously.
I bought the book at Market Deeping literary festival after hearing a very engaging talk by the author Martin Davies about book covers!
I bought the book at Market Deeping literary festival after hearing a very engaging talk by the author Martin Davies about book covers!
February 13, 2024
Really enjoyed this book, set just after the First World War, centred around a stately home. Great characters, several twists and the two central voices were nuanced and sensitive.
February 26, 2024
This book is slow to start but improves as you read on. Well written but I had little interest in the characters or the mystery. The backdrop of WW1 was poignant. 3.5 from me.
July 3, 2014
I really liked the plot of this novel - a picture of English high society after World War I, including a sensitive portrayal of survivor guilt, a mystery and a touch of romance. It was well-constructed and hung together well. So I'm still not sure why I got impatient with it about halfway through. I read all the way to the end, but I found myself skipping passages - I didn't just want to know the ending, I did want to follow the narrative, but I didn't have patience with some of the writing.
One thing that struck me fairly early was that the writing didn't seem to match the period. The descriptions of place painted an evocative picture, but I didn't feel I was listening to people born before the first world war, either in the first person narration or in the dialogue. Perhaps the author felt it would be more accessible written in modern language, but I'd have liked to see more 1920's slang and sentence structures.
One thing that struck me fairly early was that the writing didn't seem to match the period. The descriptions of place painted an evocative picture, but I didn't feel I was listening to people born before the first world war, either in the first person narration or in the dialogue. Perhaps the author felt it would be more accessible written in modern language, but I'd have liked to see more 1920's slang and sentence structures.
October 21, 2016
This author Martin Davies has an old world tone to his words which eminently suits the post World War 1 era in England. After the jubilation of peace comes the real test for the weary depleted towns and households. This is the story of Hannesford Court, the high society Stansbury clan and their invited friends (including unpretentious outsiders Tom and Anne). It blends both pre and post war expectations into a hotch potch of grief, underhanded dealings, glamour and deception. All is not as it seems on the barely rippled visible surface of Hannesford Court and no one really wants to uncover the sinister reality of what actually happened at home or tarnish the glory of those young heroes who died in the service of their country.
I enjoyed the book very much.
Carinya
I enjoyed the book very much.
Carinya
May 19, 2013
I love the way M Davies has transported me to far away lands and mystical events in his other books so beginning to read this book , with the very different subject matter, gave me a jolt. However this story, so diametrically opposed to the mystical themes, whilst educating the reader about life after World War One had its own gentle charm. I enjoyed learning about how life had changed so much because of the war and in particular how the lives of women were altered irrevocably. This was a very enjoyable book to read.
June 1, 2016
what a wonderful read. shades of Gosford park in this one. Tom Allen returns from the war in 1919 and finds himself alone in London for xmas. when he is invited to Hannesford by the Stansbury's he sets off.Tom spent many happy summers there before the war. in the summer of 1914 a German professor died there. now Tom discovers there may be more to his death than a heart attack. as he sets out to find the truth he discovers a web of lies and secrets from that summer which came to a head at the rose ball. loved this.
June 18, 2014
I actually bought that book because of the beautiful cover but sadly, this book wasn't as good as I hoped. The story wasn't really a story since it was neither intriguing nor very unexpected. The characters were predictable and shallow.
On the whole, reading this book was like reading someone trying to imitate Fitzgerald (writing about superficial rich families) and failing utterly.
On the whole, reading this book was like reading someone trying to imitate Fitzgerald (writing about superficial rich families) and failing utterly.
June 20, 2015
At first I didn't like it, but as I pushed on reading the surroundings and people took form around me and soon I was walking and living in Tom and Anne's world. I became very fond of the characters, I did not want the book to end.
January 5, 2015
good caption of the period, people, habits, fears and hopes plus mystery to disclose. Written in a beautiful language. I recommend it for readers who love the observant way of narrating and don't expect too much action. It is like a portrait of the time after the Great War. Worth reading
February 17, 2015
If you're a fan of Downton Abbey you'll like this. It was interesting to read hour society was readjusting after the war and how those who made it back from the front felt. The only thing I felt let down by was the ending
August 24, 2016
For fans of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey. Believable characters and dialogue and well-paced story. A real sense of what life must have been like immediately after WWI, for those returning from war and for those who stayed at home, trying to adjust to missing people and new traditions.
February 12, 2024
An interesting look at life for the upper classes post 1918. I found in the end I didn’t really care about the mystery as I disliked most of the characters (including many of the dead ones!) and while many of the loose ends were tied up, the end didn’t feel that satisfactory to me.
717
717
August 14, 2012
Highly enjoyable historical novel with an intriguing story containing mystery and romance set in England in the aftermath of World War I.
June 28, 2013
Good. Nice easy read
November 23, 2014
Well written and a good amount of intrigue. A little too bland on the emotional level of the characters and somewhat predictable but otherwise a nice read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews