Lady In Black

by Anna Clarke

Novelist and publisher's reader George Meredith and the other personnel at London publishers Chapman and Hall are perturbed by a manuscript which seems to be a confession to an actual murder

Genres: Mystery

165 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Anna Clarke was born in Cape Town and educated in Montreal and Oxford. She holds degrees in economics and English literature and has held a wide variety of jobs, mostly in publishing and university administration.

Reviews

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glint of recognition came into her eyes and then a harsh sound came from her lips that might have been laughter; but there was no gaiety in it; it was a laugh that chilled the blood.

The Lady in Black by Anna Clarke (1977) is a lovely historical suspense/mystery set in 1882. Clarke has shown in previous novels that she has a knack for literary world suspense and this time she takes us to the Victorian era and gives us an inside peek at the publishing world of Chapman and Hall. She brings a bit of verisimilitude to the novel with real-life novelist George Meredith who actually served as a reader-adviser for the firm. A mysterious lady author, dressed all in black, carefully veiled, and giving an obviously false name has submitted a marvelous little novel that could be the next "Jane Eyre." It looks to be, with a bit of editing, the next run-away best seller. Except for one little detail--it's a story of murder and intrigue that rings just a little too true and Meredith suspects that "Faith Freeman" has used an actual tale of an undetected murder as her guide. Could it be possible that the lady in black is more than just the author of the tale--that she is a participant in the actual events?

That is one of the questions before the reader. Is there somewhere in London a gentleman who had a slightly mad, invalid wife who has recently died from apparent natural causes, but who was in all actuality scared to death by her husband? Did he really do it out of love for his young daughter's governess and a wish to be free to marry her? And is "Faith Freeman" that governess? And what will happen if the truth of the story is known?

Clarke alternates her tale between the clumsy workings of Chapman and Hall (and their efforts to decide what to do about this peculiar manuscript) and the conflict facing the budding novelist--her drive to be a writer versus her love and loyalties. The story is kept in near-perfect balance with plenty of action and a tense atmosphere that brings us to an unexpected grand finale. Is there murder? Yes, there is--but you'll be surprised at who really kills and gets killed.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[Brandi Kutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical suspense, written by Anna Clarke, is a classic traditional cozy mystery. Set in 1882, Clarke begins an engrossing tale with a carefully-veiled, female author, dressed in all black, who delivers to real life advisor George Meredith a terribly gruesome novel that it arguably a confession for murder. Clarke uses her research to recreate the advisor George Meredith so that her novel will be more believable. Purposeful tension is kept throughout the entirety of the novel, not giving a hint as to its ending until the last few pages. Clarke’s personal life was filled with phobias and conditions, which she used to eloquently model the Lady in Black. With skillful writing techniques and a true-to-period vocabulary, Clarke could convince any reader that they are in the Victorian era, or at least reading a piece from that time period. Clarke balances the tale between real life publishers, Chapman and Hall, who are confused as to how to pursue the manuscript, the Victorian novelist, who is battling her passion for writing, her loves, and her hidden truths, and Meredith, who turns detective to discover who the lady in black is, and if the murder mystery is as true as it seems. This multi-layered and suspenseful novel, which borders real life events and fiction, will have mystery lovers craving The Lady in Black’s bittersweet ending.

[Karisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun to read historical mystery/suspense. I enjoyed the glimpses into the publishing world in the late 1800s; the story got a bit tedious toward the end. It also took me a while to understand what was going on with the POV (which I guess would be third person omniscient?), as we get glimpses into what every character is thinking, and how they are perceived by each other... this was probably an issue only because it is very different from what I've been reading lately and it took me a while to adjust.

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange and wonderful little book! Anna Clarke channels Charlotte Bronte in constructing this mystery of a Victorian woman struggling with her passions for writing, honesty and love. So true is she to the era that at times I felt as though I were reading a novel by one of the fine Victorian women writers. I really didn't have an inkling how this stand-alone mystery would end until perhaps the last ten pages, and it never lost my interest. After reading a brief description of Anna Clarke's life on Fantastic Fiction, I see how she used her own phobias and fears to characterize the seeming "victim" in this book. I'm surprised this book didn't rate higher with most readers. I have collected at least 15 titles by Anna Clarke and had never read one until now. I thought it would tell me whether I would keep the other 14 and my conclusion is, I will. I look forward to reading much more of Anna Clarke's work!

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very engaging historical suspense set during the Victorian era. The writing was very sharp and kept the tension rate high throughout the narrative. I also liked the details of a large publishing house during that time period.

[Shelly Irvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry toast. I saw the trailer for the movie. I like to read the book first. Oh well, ill just watch the movie.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw the movie first and liked it better, usually the book expands on the movie, this time the movie was more powerful and scarier.

[Rebecka Sare · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time.

[Emily]

I requested this by accident from the library when I meant ask for Woman in Black! I read it anyway but can remember nothing about it. I guess it was not that great.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually found this book "quaint". Enjoyed the inside look into victorian publishing, as well as some comedic moments. It had a great premise. Would I read it again? Probably not.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: when a lady presented her manuscript to the publishing house, reader George Meredith thought it might be a murder confession.