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Dirty Butter for Servants
It is 1833. William IV and the country stand upon the edge of the greatest changes ever known, at the end of old rural England.
Mr Hobshaw, a retired diplomat and squire of Underscar in the Yorkshire dales, has suddenly remarried; his new wife has a strong head for business but is also a miser. Mrs Hobshaw has four ageing captive daughters, and her servants are slaves.
The atmosphere is soon too much for her husband, who leaves the house to reside across the stable yard with his groom, Sheffield. And it is from there that this gothic drama unfolds . . .
'You will read on compulsively'Sunday Times
Mr Hobshaw, a retired diplomat and squire of Underscar in the Yorkshire dales, has suddenly remarried; his new wife has a strong head for business but is also a miser. Mrs Hobshaw has four ageing captive daughters, and her servants are slaves.
The atmosphere is soon too much for her husband, who leaves the house to reside across the stable yard with his groom, Sheffield. And it is from there that this gothic drama unfolds . . .
'You will read on compulsively'Sunday Times
250 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
2 people want to read
About the author
Joan Fleming
90 books4 followersJoan Margaret Fleming was a British writer of crime and thriller novels. She was educated at Lausanne University.
She married Norman Bell Beattie Fleming in 1932. The Turkish detective Nuri Bey Izkirlak features in two of her books, 'When I Grow Rich and 'Nothing is the Number When You Die'.
Her novel 'The Deeds of Dr Deadcert' was made into a film 'RX Murder'. She won the Gold Dagger award twice, for 'When I Grow Rich' in 1962 and for 'Young Man I Think You're Dying' in 1970.
She wrote 33 novels beginning with 'Two Lovers Too Many' in 1949 and ending with 'The Day of the Donkey Derby' in 1978.
She married Norman Bell Beattie Fleming in 1932. The Turkish detective Nuri Bey Izkirlak features in two of her books, 'When I Grow Rich and 'Nothing is the Number When You Die'.
Her novel 'The Deeds of Dr Deadcert' was made into a film 'RX Murder'. She won the Gold Dagger award twice, for 'When I Grow Rich' in 1962 and for 'Young Man I Think You're Dying' in 1970.
She wrote 33 novels beginning with 'Two Lovers Too Many' in 1949 and ending with 'The Day of the Donkey Derby' in 1978.
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August 10, 2025
Started brilliantly, but changed voice about 1/3 in, which lost me. A couple of weeks away from it and I decided to try again. Fair rattled along and I finished it in a few hours. Overall a great writer and can’t wait to try and get hold of some of her crime novels, which seem to be difficult to buy (and my local library service seems to have none of her titles).
Displaying 1 of 1 review