What do you think?
Rate this book
Emily Noble's Disgrace
The case is unexceptional, that is what I know. A house full of stuff left behind by a dead woman, abandoned at the last . . .
When trauma cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in the derelict Edinburgh boarding house she is sent to clean, it brings her into contact with a young policewoman, Emily Noble, who has her own reasons to solve the case.
As the two women embark on a journey into the heart of a forgotten family, the investigation prompts fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis, the bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, a Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year.
When trauma cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in the derelict Edinburgh boarding house she is sent to clean, it brings her into contact with a young policewoman, Emily Noble, who has her own reasons to solve the case.
As the two women embark on a journey into the heart of a forgotten family, the investigation prompts fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis, the bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, a Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2021
10 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
June 14, 2023
I really struggled to finish this book. After getting about three-quarters the way through it, I left it for a week to see if that made a difference to my experience of it, and finally tackled the last part this weekend, but it felt like a duty.
I applaud the author for writing about the dark underbelly of Edinburgh and the difficult subject matter, and so on. However, I found the writing uneven. Some chapters were a pleasure to read, while others made little sense to me whatsoever. There is also a slightly irritating repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book that seems fine at first, but as the book progresses begins, for me, to seem like writing that isn't very tight or disciplined, or trying too hard to be literary. For example, in my mind, there is no need to state a fact and follow it with 'this is what she knew', 'this much she knew', as if the factual statement is momentous, when it's not actually that important in terms of the plot or themes. Speaking of which...actually no. I think it's best that I don't go into the plot structure and how it was laid out.
There is a very decent story, hidden somewhere in the occasionally impenetrable prose. There is a sense that the author has a lot of interesting things to say about trauma and its effects, but it doesn't really get said in any profound way. Between the multiple generations of Miss Havisham figures in the book, the bizarre ongoing mentions of chicken carcasses for no real reason that I could detect, and so forth, I think the story itself gets very lost for me. I really wanted to like this book. I know the writer is regarded well from looking at reviews. But unfortunately, this is not even close to being my cup of tea (or coffee, for that matter).
I applaud the author for writing about the dark underbelly of Edinburgh and the difficult subject matter, and so on. However, I found the writing uneven. Some chapters were a pleasure to read, while others made little sense to me whatsoever. There is also a slightly irritating repetition of certain words and phrases throughout the book that seems fine at first, but as the book progresses begins, for me, to seem like writing that isn't very tight or disciplined, or trying too hard to be literary. For example, in my mind, there is no need to state a fact and follow it with 'this is what she knew', 'this much she knew', as if the factual statement is momentous, when it's not actually that important in terms of the plot or themes. Speaking of which...actually no. I think it's best that I don't go into the plot structure and how it was laid out.
There is a very decent story, hidden somewhere in the occasionally impenetrable prose. There is a sense that the author has a lot of interesting things to say about trauma and its effects, but it doesn't really get said in any profound way. Between the multiple generations of Miss Havisham figures in the book, the bizarre ongoing mentions of chicken carcasses for no real reason that I could detect, and so forth, I think the story itself gets very lost for me. I really wanted to like this book. I know the writer is regarded well from looking at reviews. But unfortunately, this is not even close to being my cup of tea (or coffee, for that matter).
October 4, 2021
I bought this after Sarah Hilary recommended it on Twitter and it really was an excellent read.
Addictive and dripping with atmosphere this is a melancholy tale of the lost, those who slip through the cracks, about those who come behind them and how history is ever present.
It is a mystery, a very human one and the characters are incredibly engaging in a darkly obsessive way.
Very good. Recommended
Addictive and dripping with atmosphere this is a melancholy tale of the lost, those who slip through the cracks, about those who come behind them and how history is ever present.
It is a mystery, a very human one and the characters are incredibly engaging in a darkly obsessive way.
Very good. Recommended
August 27, 2023
I was really hoping to like this one and unfortunately it just didn’t work out that way
September 13, 2021
When you read a lot of books you are clearly not always going to like all of them and unfortunately this was one I just didn’t get on with at all.
On paper, the summary sounds great. A specialist cleaner (cleaning after bereavement), a police officer and an heir hunter as well as the life of the deceased all dovetail. Sadly, although we were supposedly given 3 different viewpoints, the voices were identical, as was the oft repeated “this is what x knew”. If this had been a drinking game for each time that phrase came up then I would have worked my way through a full bottle of spirits (& needed it).
The story was related without any real dramatic tension and by the time that the full reveal took place at the end I simply didn’t care.
I awarded the 2nd star in the hope that I’d missed some crucial point of enjoyment as this is apparently part of a series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
On paper, the summary sounds great. A specialist cleaner (cleaning after bereavement), a police officer and an heir hunter as well as the life of the deceased all dovetail. Sadly, although we were supposedly given 3 different viewpoints, the voices were identical, as was the oft repeated “this is what x knew”. If this had been a drinking game for each time that phrase came up then I would have worked my way through a full bottle of spirits (& needed it).
The story was related without any real dramatic tension and by the time that the full reveal took place at the end I simply didn’t care.
I awarded the 2nd star in the hope that I’d missed some crucial point of enjoyment as this is apparently part of a series.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2024
This book was very disappointing for the first 122 pages, I found it hard to follow and it didn’t really make sense. However from Part 2 onwards, this book was intriguing and had so many twists and turns and I ended up loving it. I just can’t forgive Part 1, which could have had so much potential. It definitely would be 4 stars if not for the start.
December 19, 2021
This is a slow-building book, with a bit of a twist. I really enjoyed it, but it did take one-third of the book to get going. The story switches points of view between Essie and Emily and it moves back in time, as well to reveal the whole story in slowly, layer by layer. It is beautifully written.
August 26, 2021
The book cover got my attention, what a gorgeous dressing gown. Then the intriguing title. What could the issue (disgrace) be? Reading the synopsis cinched the deal: good location, mystery, suspense and probably a twist or two along the way.
This book is set in Edinburgh and has the intertwining stories of those that come in contact with an old lady who dies at home. We focus on two - one a crime scene cleaner and the other a policewoman. I really can't say anymore as I don't think that I can say anything else without slight spoilers, which means there might be a longer review on the blog.
The book starts with Essie, one of those special type of cleaners, whose expertise runs the gamut from extreme hoarding to all modes of death. As Essie, makes her way through cleaning this home, we find out more about her past and present. It is apparent from the beginning that she is troubled from childhood trauma, and this has had a detrimental effect on her health and wellbeing. One theme that is belaboured is that Essie is overweight and this point I believe is referenced too much in relation to everything she does.
Our second lead is Emily herself. She is a policewoman who is being ostracised at work, which is a problem in itself and because Emily has a fairly limited personal life due to a murky past. She desperately needs a win and maybe a new case will provide that or maybe it will open up a can of worms.
And let's not forget the deceased. To die in your home and have no one notice your absence is particularily sad.
Emily Noble's Disgrace was a good read, engaging even, the central storyline evolved and took us back in time so that the house became the star and we find out, how you can live in the same home for decades and not have any friends or loved ones in your life.
The choices we make or the choices we allow others to make on our behalf.
So much happened that when I found out the reference to Emily's disgrace I was nonplussed, because in comparison it wasn't as shocking. And that brings me to my main take away from this novel is context. When events and actions were put in context, it was thoroughly understandable why things happened the way they did. If you read a story that is sensationalised or facts only, it's difficult to get an accurate or rather true picture, as there's generally a bias.
This book carefully discussed gender roles, domestic violence, death and many other hard-hitting subjects in a delft way. I wasn't a fan of either leads, but that didn't adversely impact on my enjoyment of the story, a solid mystery that you will be satisfied to find out the answers to.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
Read more reviews on the blog
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
This book is set in Edinburgh and has the intertwining stories of those that come in contact with an old lady who dies at home. We focus on two - one a crime scene cleaner and the other a policewoman. I really can't say anymore as I don't think that I can say anything else without slight spoilers, which means there might be a longer review on the blog.
The book starts with Essie, one of those special type of cleaners, whose expertise runs the gamut from extreme hoarding to all modes of death. As Essie, makes her way through cleaning this home, we find out more about her past and present. It is apparent from the beginning that she is troubled from childhood trauma, and this has had a detrimental effect on her health and wellbeing. One theme that is belaboured is that Essie is overweight and this point I believe is referenced too much in relation to everything she does.
Our second lead is Emily herself. She is a policewoman who is being ostracised at work, which is a problem in itself and because Emily has a fairly limited personal life due to a murky past. She desperately needs a win and maybe a new case will provide that or maybe it will open up a can of worms.
And let's not forget the deceased. To die in your home and have no one notice your absence is particularily sad.
Emily Noble's Disgrace was a good read, engaging even, the central storyline evolved and took us back in time so that the house became the star and we find out, how you can live in the same home for decades and not have any friends or loved ones in your life.
The choices we make or the choices we allow others to make on our behalf.
So much happened that when I found out the reference to Emily's disgrace I was nonplussed, because in comparison it wasn't as shocking. And that brings me to my main take away from this novel is context. When events and actions were put in context, it was thoroughly understandable why things happened the way they did. If you read a story that is sensationalised or facts only, it's difficult to get an accurate or rather true picture, as there's generally a bias.
This book carefully discussed gender roles, domestic violence, death and many other hard-hitting subjects in a delft way. I wasn't a fan of either leads, but that didn't adversely impact on my enjoyment of the story, a solid mystery that you will be satisfied to find out the answers to.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.
Read more reviews on the blog
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
October 13, 2021
This was a good story that goes back and forth in time and follows the lives of several women between the 1920’s to current day.
In current day we follow Essie who is a trauma cleaner hired to clean the house of poor dead Isabella, dead 2 years before anyone missed her. Also investigator Emily who is having a bad time at work and digging around a cold case with a missing girl that may or may not be linked to Isabella’s house.
In flashback we also slowly learn about Isabella, her mother before her who left her the ex boarding house she’s been found dead in and long time customer Muriel. Life in the 20’s wasn’t easy for these women and I found the flashbacks fascinating.
I rated 4 stars rather than 5 as there were a few little bits i either didn’t get or weren’t explained. The style of writing is a little vague in places and doesn’t spell it all out. In some cases I would have liked it to be spelled out, but still a very interesting read.
In current day we follow Essie who is a trauma cleaner hired to clean the house of poor dead Isabella, dead 2 years before anyone missed her. Also investigator Emily who is having a bad time at work and digging around a cold case with a missing girl that may or may not be linked to Isabella’s house.
In flashback we also slowly learn about Isabella, her mother before her who left her the ex boarding house she’s been found dead in and long time customer Muriel. Life in the 20’s wasn’t easy for these women and I found the flashbacks fascinating.
I rated 4 stars rather than 5 as there were a few little bits i either didn’t get or weren’t explained. The style of writing is a little vague in places and doesn’t spell it all out. In some cases I would have liked it to be spelled out, but still a very interesting read.
August 19, 2021
This is the third in a Mary Paulson Ellis’ series of books about people who die without leaving any heirs to deal with the estate. You can absolutely read this as a stand-alone.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is a beautifully written, deep dive into the history of a house and the objects that mattered to the people who have lived in it. It is an oft times sad story about families and relationships and the secrets they hide as well as the lies they tell.
It is also the story of Essie, a trauma cleaner and Emily, a Police Constable. Told in an almost leisurely fashion, this time shifting book takes its own time to reveal what has really gone on in this now decrepit house in Portobello where the owner, Isabella Dawson has just died. Well, I say just – in fact she has been dead for a while, but her body has only recently been discovered.
Isabella was a hoarder and it is up to Essie and her colleagues from the trauma scene cleaning team to clear and clean the house to make it ready for whatever is to happen to it next.
Emily is a lonely creature, not liked by her colleagues. She is hiding from her past – keeping it locked away in a box in her mind, never once turning the key. Essie is very different. She is desperate to find out more about her own past but all she is given is a big, fat, heavily redacted file which tells her next to nothing.
For both them, visiting this house in the course of their respective duties, they will find things to trouble them and things to awaken those long buried memories – or at least fragments of them.
Shifting back and forwards in history, Mary Paulson Ellis has crafted an intense and pulsing set of mysteries which touch on moments of real trauma and heartbreak. Through it all, the house in Portobello slowly gives up its secrets as we find the stories from the booming days of Portobello as a much loved seaside town to the grimmer times when folk wanted to go further afield and poor old Porty just fell out of fashion.
If you have read the other books in this group, you will find some familiar characters referred to, but it’s not necessary, as no prior knowledge of them is required. I did, though, giggle at the names of the owners of the cleaning company.
At times quite a discomfiting read, there is an uncomfortable series of truths to be found in these pages and Paulson Ellis draws them out as if they were silk stockings coming out the packet for the first time. Some characters stand out as bright and electric; others are more shaded as their secrets have yet to be divulged, but together they present a compelling and interesting story with a heart of darkness that touches the core.
Verdict: This is a house where strange and frightening events have taken place and Mary Paulson Ellis makes her gothic story pulsate with life as she leads us into the dark and dusty interiors of the fly encrusted dwelling. Sometimes a difficult read because of the emotional impact, the prose is beguiling and I really liked it.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is a beautifully written, deep dive into the history of a house and the objects that mattered to the people who have lived in it. It is an oft times sad story about families and relationships and the secrets they hide as well as the lies they tell.
It is also the story of Essie, a trauma cleaner and Emily, a Police Constable. Told in an almost leisurely fashion, this time shifting book takes its own time to reveal what has really gone on in this now decrepit house in Portobello where the owner, Isabella Dawson has just died. Well, I say just – in fact she has been dead for a while, but her body has only recently been discovered.
Isabella was a hoarder and it is up to Essie and her colleagues from the trauma scene cleaning team to clear and clean the house to make it ready for whatever is to happen to it next.
Emily is a lonely creature, not liked by her colleagues. She is hiding from her past – keeping it locked away in a box in her mind, never once turning the key. Essie is very different. She is desperate to find out more about her own past but all she is given is a big, fat, heavily redacted file which tells her next to nothing.
For both them, visiting this house in the course of their respective duties, they will find things to trouble them and things to awaken those long buried memories – or at least fragments of them.
Shifting back and forwards in history, Mary Paulson Ellis has crafted an intense and pulsing set of mysteries which touch on moments of real trauma and heartbreak. Through it all, the house in Portobello slowly gives up its secrets as we find the stories from the booming days of Portobello as a much loved seaside town to the grimmer times when folk wanted to go further afield and poor old Porty just fell out of fashion.
If you have read the other books in this group, you will find some familiar characters referred to, but it’s not necessary, as no prior knowledge of them is required. I did, though, giggle at the names of the owners of the cleaning company.
At times quite a discomfiting read, there is an uncomfortable series of truths to be found in these pages and Paulson Ellis draws them out as if they were silk stockings coming out the packet for the first time. Some characters stand out as bright and electric; others are more shaded as their secrets have yet to be divulged, but together they present a compelling and interesting story with a heart of darkness that touches the core.
Verdict: This is a house where strange and frightening events have taken place and Mary Paulson Ellis makes her gothic story pulsate with life as she leads us into the dark and dusty interiors of the fly encrusted dwelling. Sometimes a difficult read because of the emotional impact, the prose is beguiling and I really liked it.
December 22, 2021
This had some good moments but god what a slog to get there. It was so vague and meandering and repetitive. The only reason I didn't DNF is because there were no reviews that spoiled the ending and I perversely wanted to know despite how annoying the writing was. It wasn't worth it at all.
August 21, 2021
For me this is a very difficult novel to review.
I requested this as I am originally from Edinburgh, and familiar with the big Victorian mansions that are now boarding houses, or even split into flats. I am also aware of the Edinburgh underbelly that is dark and nothing like the Edinburgh the tourist visits. And the book cover is gorgeous
For me this was a fantastic dip into my home city and a mysterious crime scene where secrets are bound to unravel. This seemed like up my street.
My difficulty with the novel started with the version I downloaded had formatting issues. Words ran into each other that made it difficult to read. Not impossible but sometimes I had to go back and reread paragraphs to get the gist of what was going on.
I have had this before and whilst it might affect my enjoyment of the book it wont affect my star rating.
The novel just seems to plod along. Emily Noble doesn’t really appear (apart from a couple of cameo appearances) until about a third of the way through. She is a character that that almost the novel could have gone on without her. Along with some of the other characters that appear and bring a lot to the novel but make it confusing what is going on.
When I got the end I felt relief that I had finished the novel, and a niggling feeling that I missed a bit through the last third. There is a lot going on there and I was not completely sure I followed it.
There are a lot of triggers in this novel but they didn’t put me off, it was the jumping time lines and different narrators that got me.
I requested this as I am originally from Edinburgh, and familiar with the big Victorian mansions that are now boarding houses, or even split into flats. I am also aware of the Edinburgh underbelly that is dark and nothing like the Edinburgh the tourist visits. And the book cover is gorgeous
For me this was a fantastic dip into my home city and a mysterious crime scene where secrets are bound to unravel. This seemed like up my street.
My difficulty with the novel started with the version I downloaded had formatting issues. Words ran into each other that made it difficult to read. Not impossible but sometimes I had to go back and reread paragraphs to get the gist of what was going on.
I have had this before and whilst it might affect my enjoyment of the book it wont affect my star rating.
The novel just seems to plod along. Emily Noble doesn’t really appear (apart from a couple of cameo appearances) until about a third of the way through. She is a character that that almost the novel could have gone on without her. Along with some of the other characters that appear and bring a lot to the novel but make it confusing what is going on.
When I got the end I felt relief that I had finished the novel, and a niggling feeling that I missed a bit through the last third. There is a lot going on there and I was not completely sure I followed it.
There are a lot of triggers in this novel but they didn’t put me off, it was the jumping time lines and different narrators that got me.
March 26, 2023
Emily Noble's Disgrace by Mary Paulson-Ellis - Good
The third story about the characters surrounding the Office for Lost People and the ladies from Edinburgh's Indigent Funeral Rota. Margaret Penny, Solomon Farthing and DCI Franklin all make a reappearance but the leading characters this time are PC Emily Noble (who made a brief appearance in the second book) and Essie Pound who works for The Company - Edinburgh's premier cleaning service ie the people you call when you need all trace of an incident clearing away or, in this case, a house clearance when an old lady is found dead in bed after two years and surrounded by decades of hoarding and memories.
Of course, there's more to it than that. Essie has issues from childhood traumas, Emily has issues at work. They each have their sections where they take the lead in the story and you see things from both viewpoints. The third section goes backwards through the story of the house and its occupants starting with Isabella Dawson, her mother and then grandmother until everything becomes clear.
Cleverly done. Not sure if any more are in the pipeline, but will definitely read more from this author.
#review
The third story about the characters surrounding the Office for Lost People and the ladies from Edinburgh's Indigent Funeral Rota. Margaret Penny, Solomon Farthing and DCI Franklin all make a reappearance but the leading characters this time are PC Emily Noble (who made a brief appearance in the second book) and Essie Pound who works for The Company - Edinburgh's premier cleaning service ie the people you call when you need all trace of an incident clearing away or, in this case, a house clearance when an old lady is found dead in bed after two years and surrounded by decades of hoarding and memories.
Of course, there's more to it than that. Essie has issues from childhood traumas, Emily has issues at work. They each have their sections where they take the lead in the story and you see things from both viewpoints. The third section goes backwards through the story of the house and its occupants starting with Isabella Dawson, her mother and then grandmother until everything becomes clear.
Cleverly done. Not sure if any more are in the pipeline, but will definitely read more from this author.
#review
August 4, 2022
I read this straight after The Other Mrs Walker, which was both a good and bad thing to do. It was positive as one of the characters is in both stories and it was good to remember how her character developed previously, but the format was way too similar. An elderly lady dies alone, and the backstory of her life is slowly revealed with an unexpected twist at the end. Despite this, the story was gripping and interesting. I did get confused with the jumping between Emily and Essie and their similar names, as well as the jumping in timeframes. I glossed over what I didn't comprehend and just enjoyed the book as a fairly easy read.
June 2, 2022
4.5⭐️
December 19, 2025
Couldn’t finish it the first time, couldn’t finish it the second time. Made me procrastinate on reading and this is coming from a fast reader. 😡
July 28, 2021
I felt really bereft after finishing this book. This book made me fall in love with Edinburgh or more accurately Portobello. The book feels like a homage to this part of Edinburgh and how it used to be and it made me sad that I’ll never see it in all its glory but at least I can imagine it now. The location is definitely a big part of this story and plays its role so well. The author is a master storyteller, the way she weaves the story together, and brings characters to life is perfect. Her characters all feel so alive and real it makes it so easy to see them and believe in them. I’ve read all her books now and although they are all standalone novels you’ll always meet some familiar characters along the way.
August 18, 2021
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third of Mary Paulson-Ellis’ Edinburgh set series which looks at what happens when people die with no next of kin. The two previous novels are The Other Mrs Walker and The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing but all are completely standalone. Emily Noble’s Disgrace takes place mainly in Portobello so you can imagine that I really enjoyed the setting.
Although PC Emily Noble is the eponymous main character, she doesn’t appear until quite a way into the book, Before that, we meet Essie Pound, a cleaner with The Company. This is a company which deep cleans houses when other cleaning companies don’t want to, houses where there may have been accidents, murders or where people having lain dead for some time before being discovered. Often they are cleaning in premises where the former resident appears to have no relatives and has left no will. The Company, while carrying out their deep cleaning, are also looking for personal items which may provide evidence of relatives, however distant. Essie is cleaning an old boarding house on Portobello Prom after the death of its elderly owner and she becomes embroiled in a missing person mystery stretching back 25 years. Emily is investigating this case and so their paths cross. It was good to see Margaret Penny from the Office of Lost People make an appearance, as well as heir hunter Solomon Farthing. Both are more minor characters here but featured in Mary Paulson-Ellis’ first two books.
I so enjoy this author’s meticulous writing style. Her vivid descriptions bring each scene into focus with her sharply detailed observations. She slowly builds up a sense of mystery around her characters and draws you into the story until you can’t put it down and absolutely have to know what has happened. It struck me that both Essie and Emily had much in common with the people they respectively clean up behind or investigate. Both have aspects of their pasts which have been hidden from them or that they would prefer to keep hidden.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is an excellent book, cleverly written and so atmospheric. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a wonderful storyteller and this latest novel really showcases her skills at weaving together intriguing, compelling and moving plotlines
Although PC Emily Noble is the eponymous main character, she doesn’t appear until quite a way into the book, Before that, we meet Essie Pound, a cleaner with The Company. This is a company which deep cleans houses when other cleaning companies don’t want to, houses where there may have been accidents, murders or where people having lain dead for some time before being discovered. Often they are cleaning in premises where the former resident appears to have no relatives and has left no will. The Company, while carrying out their deep cleaning, are also looking for personal items which may provide evidence of relatives, however distant. Essie is cleaning an old boarding house on Portobello Prom after the death of its elderly owner and she becomes embroiled in a missing person mystery stretching back 25 years. Emily is investigating this case and so their paths cross. It was good to see Margaret Penny from the Office of Lost People make an appearance, as well as heir hunter Solomon Farthing. Both are more minor characters here but featured in Mary Paulson-Ellis’ first two books.
I so enjoy this author’s meticulous writing style. Her vivid descriptions bring each scene into focus with her sharply detailed observations. She slowly builds up a sense of mystery around her characters and draws you into the story until you can’t put it down and absolutely have to know what has happened. It struck me that both Essie and Emily had much in common with the people they respectively clean up behind or investigate. Both have aspects of their pasts which have been hidden from them or that they would prefer to keep hidden.
Emily Noble’s Disgrace is an excellent book, cleverly written and so atmospheric. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a wonderful storyteller and this latest novel really showcases her skills at weaving together intriguing, compelling and moving plotlines
December 14, 2021
I hovered between 2 stars and 3 stars and decided on 3 because some of the writing is truly beautiful , but I stress the word "some". When I began the book I enjoyed it and wanted more after the first few chapters and then my enjoyment was eroded away entirely which was unexpected and dissapointing. I will explain why. Paulson-Elis is too sparce with details precisely when they are needed and far to liberal with details when they are not. She all too often meanders vaguely in one direction leaving you entirely bewildered as to what is going on and then abruptly and forcefully pulls you into another direction leaving me entirely confused as to wether I was even reading the same book. Some of her descriptions are so poetically vague I wasn't sure what was happening . To make things more challenging she jumps back and forth on various time lines with an abrupt change of tone and various different narrators losing several stories in the process.
In fact it feels to me as if Mary Paulso-Ellis couldn't quite decide which book to write and tried to merge several quite good ideas into a tangled narrative that never quite comes together. Although some parts of the book are powerfully and beautifully written some story lines are simply cut off or fade away unfinished .Even some promising characters are dropped without explanation leaving me wondering what happened . Several times during my reading of "Emily Nobles Disgrace" I decided to set the book aside unread ,but I continued on in the hope the story would come together in a satisfactory way . It didn't ad the last two contrived paragraphs were so trite and twee and quite frankly ludicrous that they destroyed any remnants of pleasure I had managed to find in the book .I finished the last page with a such a loud snort of derision I startled both my husband and the dog ! I wish I hadn't persisted reading it ,but I only have myself to blame.
In fact it feels to me as if Mary Paulso-Ellis couldn't quite decide which book to write and tried to merge several quite good ideas into a tangled narrative that never quite comes together. Although some parts of the book are powerfully and beautifully written some story lines are simply cut off or fade away unfinished .Even some promising characters are dropped without explanation leaving me wondering what happened . Several times during my reading of "Emily Nobles Disgrace" I decided to set the book aside unread ,but I continued on in the hope the story would come together in a satisfactory way . It didn't ad the last two contrived paragraphs were so trite and twee and quite frankly ludicrous that they destroyed any remnants of pleasure I had managed to find in the book .I finished the last page with a such a loud snort of derision I startled both my husband and the dog ! I wish I hadn't persisted reading it ,but I only have myself to blame.
April 12, 2021
Content warning for book: fatphobia, murder of child, gore, violence, domestic abuse, suicide, implications of past self harm
Actual rating - 1.5
This book is very repetitive. Phrases are used over and over within the space of a few pages, Instead of adding to the story it just became annoying.
The title character does not come into the novel until part 2, the first part centres around Essie, who is bland as a character. Emily is better written.
There are multiple time jumps, memories mostly, but seem to be random.
Characters seem to gain information out of nowhere, possibly remembering events from the past but the reader is given no indication of this.
Mostly I just found it slow and boring
Actual rating - 1.5
This book is very repetitive. Phrases are used over and over within the space of a few pages, Instead of adding to the story it just became annoying.
The title character does not come into the novel until part 2, the first part centres around Essie, who is bland as a character. Emily is better written.
There are multiple time jumps, memories mostly, but seem to be random.
Characters seem to gain information out of nowhere, possibly remembering events from the past but the reader is given no indication of this.
Mostly I just found it slow and boring
May 5, 2023
I enjoyed the story, the setting and the author’s writing style very much. Could have been worth 5 stars if it wasn’t for the anti-climax of an ending. No spoilers here but it felt like the author spent a disproportionate amount of time and energy on the first two thirds of the novel, setting up several very intricate plot lines and characters and creating a lot of suspension.
But when it came to wrapping them all up, it almost felt rushed and one of the main story motifs was left unresolved and just dropped off. This felt pretty disappointing given the amount of investment I had in it as a reader. Really enjoyed the majority of the book, just wish Paulson-Ellis had kept the momentum up for the full read.
But when it came to wrapping them all up, it almost felt rushed and one of the main story motifs was left unresolved and just dropped off. This felt pretty disappointing given the amount of investment I had in it as a reader. Really enjoyed the majority of the book, just wish Paulson-Ellis had kept the momentum up for the full read.
October 4, 2021
A continuation of sorts to the last 2 books. I found this to be the weakest. Still a good read, but I got tired of the insinuations very quickly. It was also hard to keep track of what was happening and too many things were fitting (or not fitting) together over multiple confusing scenes. Author's clearly talented, but I found this installment to be hard. If this was the first book I'd started with I'd have never read anything else by the author. Not sure if that tells you something...
July 29, 2022
A book of two halves -- both interesting, but blended awkwardly to pad them out into a disappointing novel.
Many, many mysteries here -- not all of them fully articulated, and not all of them fully explained. Paulson-Ellis seems to be spreading her net wide to gather in enough plot points to make a full-length novel. It gets off to a start with the title -- the "disgrace" of sidelined police constable Emily Noble, which seems to stretch back further than her recent accusations against a senior colleague. There's the identity of crime scene cleaner and kleptomaniac Essie Pound. There's the sad, lonely death of Isabella Dawson, the last in a long line of the landladies of a down-at-heel Portobello boarding house (Portobello being a seaside suburb, also down-at-heel, of Edinburgh.) There is the 1996 disappearance, never solved, of a Portobello child. And the much hinted at suggestion that said down-at-heel Portobello boarding house hides a terrible secret.
There is, in fact, much too much, not all of which (spoiler?) is solved in any meaningful way, and not all of which really hangs together in a pleasing whole. (Disappearing children, ok. But the hows and whys are very different, unless you force them into a neat little narrative box, labelled "Disappearing Children Theme." Disgrace, and how it reverberates though lives and down generations? Hmmm, but some of the "disgrace," and how one connects with another, seems like a stretch.
Paulson-Ellis has thrown a lot of plot at the wall in this one, and by the end, it's not clear that it all sticks. I don't mind that some questions are unanswered, becuase that's life, and other questions are answered all too neatly, because that's how fiction can be different from life, if the author so decrees.
But it's got to seem right, and some of the interconnections, and some of the solutions, just don't seem fleshed out and explained well enough to click together convincingly.
Many, many mysteries here -- not all of them fully articulated, and not all of them fully explained. Paulson-Ellis seems to be spreading her net wide to gather in enough plot points to make a full-length novel. It gets off to a start with the title -- the "disgrace" of sidelined police constable Emily Noble, which seems to stretch back further than her recent accusations against a senior colleague. There's the identity of crime scene cleaner and kleptomaniac Essie Pound. There's the sad, lonely death of Isabella Dawson, the last in a long line of the landladies of a down-at-heel Portobello boarding house (Portobello being a seaside suburb, also down-at-heel, of Edinburgh.) There is the 1996 disappearance, never solved, of a Portobello child. And the much hinted at suggestion that said down-at-heel Portobello boarding house hides a terrible secret.
There is, in fact, much too much, not all of which (spoiler?) is solved in any meaningful way, and not all of which really hangs together in a pleasing whole. (Disappearing children, ok. But the hows and whys are very different, unless you force them into a neat little narrative box, labelled "Disappearing Children Theme." Disgrace, and how it reverberates though lives and down generations? Hmmm, but some of the "disgrace," and how one connects with another, seems like a stretch.
Paulson-Ellis has thrown a lot of plot at the wall in this one, and by the end, it's not clear that it all sticks. I don't mind that some questions are unanswered, becuase that's life, and other questions are answered all too neatly, because that's how fiction can be different from life, if the author so decrees.
But it's got to seem right, and some of the interconnections, and some of the solutions, just don't seem fleshed out and explained well enough to click together convincingly.
August 30, 2021
Thank you to Pan Macmillan/Mantle for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Emily Noble’s Disgrace’ by Mary Paulson-Ellis in exchange for an honest review.
This is Mary Paulson-Ellis’ third novel, all set in Edinburgh. Each of them explores the lives of people who have died alone without family. While the novels are thematically linked and some characters crossover, they work fine as stand-alones.
In 2019 I read her second novel, ‘The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing’, and found it an unusual mystery. Indeed, Farthing, the Heir Hunter, has a small role in this novel.
The actual plot is difficult to summarise, still will give it a go. Emily Noble, a police constable, doesn’t actually appear for some time. We are first introduced to Essie Pound, a trauma cleaner. While clearing a derelict boarding house after its elderly owner, Isabella Dawson, is found dead (and mummified), Essie makes a gruesome discovery. This brings in the police including Emily.
In the course of the investigation the two women embark upon a journey into their own traumatic histories. These and the secrets of the boarding house are revealed in flashbacks. No further details to avoid spoilers.
Having read her previously, I expected that it likely required a closer reading than many mysteries.
Also, in the course of the narrative Mary Paulson-Ellis addresses quite disturbing subjects; though I felt that she did so with sensitivity. In addition, the boarding house and Edinburgh itself were vividly realised. Her writing flowed elegantly and combined well with her attention to detail.
Overall, I found this an engaging mystery-drama with a melancholy ambience.
A special note of appreciation for the distinctive cover art on this and the other two novels. Each depicts an article of clothing that is featured in the novel. Here it is a beautifully embroidered, silk dressing gown.
This is Mary Paulson-Ellis’ third novel, all set in Edinburgh. Each of them explores the lives of people who have died alone without family. While the novels are thematically linked and some characters crossover, they work fine as stand-alones.
In 2019 I read her second novel, ‘The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing’, and found it an unusual mystery. Indeed, Farthing, the Heir Hunter, has a small role in this novel.
The actual plot is difficult to summarise, still will give it a go. Emily Noble, a police constable, doesn’t actually appear for some time. We are first introduced to Essie Pound, a trauma cleaner. While clearing a derelict boarding house after its elderly owner, Isabella Dawson, is found dead (and mummified), Essie makes a gruesome discovery. This brings in the police including Emily.
In the course of the investigation the two women embark upon a journey into their own traumatic histories. These and the secrets of the boarding house are revealed in flashbacks. No further details to avoid spoilers.
Having read her previously, I expected that it likely required a closer reading than many mysteries.
Also, in the course of the narrative Mary Paulson-Ellis addresses quite disturbing subjects; though I felt that she did so with sensitivity. In addition, the boarding house and Edinburgh itself were vividly realised. Her writing flowed elegantly and combined well with her attention to detail.
Overall, I found this an engaging mystery-drama with a melancholy ambience.
A special note of appreciation for the distinctive cover art on this and the other two novels. Each depicts an article of clothing that is featured in the novel. Here it is a beautifully embroidered, silk dressing gown.
August 22, 2021
I was a big fan of The Other Mrs Walker and The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing, the first two books by Mary Paulson-Ellis. Emily Noble's Disgrace is the third in this series of books about people who die without any obvious heirs but each can be read as a standalone story.
This is the story of two young women, Essie Pound and Emily Noble, and a boarding house in Portobello, Edinburgh's seaside. Essie is a cleaner with a specialist company that cleans up after traumatic and messy deaths. The boarding house contains the body of Isabella Dawson, the owner and a major hoarder. Emily is a PC who comes across Essie and the boarding house in the course of her investigations. The first section is from Essie's point of view, the second is about Emily and the third section, and my favourite, is the story of the boarding house and all its secrets, going back in time through the generations.
This is an intricately plotted read, one which I found really quite complex and cryptic. At times it took a bit of getting my head around but ultimately I loved the way the threads of the past filtered down into the present and the way the author took me way back through the years to make sense of them all. I also particularly enjoyed characters from the previous books popping up here and there.
Paulson-Ellis writes books that are right up my street with unusual and intriguing characters. Family history plays a major part and I loved being able to delve into the past in so much detail. I also really enjoyed the social history in the boarding house section and the conclusion to that part of the story was particularly shocking.
This story of the dead and their remains, both physical and emotional, is, for me, quite unique and the author has, once again, crafted a fascinating story.
This is the story of two young women, Essie Pound and Emily Noble, and a boarding house in Portobello, Edinburgh's seaside. Essie is a cleaner with a specialist company that cleans up after traumatic and messy deaths. The boarding house contains the body of Isabella Dawson, the owner and a major hoarder. Emily is a PC who comes across Essie and the boarding house in the course of her investigations. The first section is from Essie's point of view, the second is about Emily and the third section, and my favourite, is the story of the boarding house and all its secrets, going back in time through the generations.
This is an intricately plotted read, one which I found really quite complex and cryptic. At times it took a bit of getting my head around but ultimately I loved the way the threads of the past filtered down into the present and the way the author took me way back through the years to make sense of them all. I also particularly enjoyed characters from the previous books popping up here and there.
Paulson-Ellis writes books that are right up my street with unusual and intriguing characters. Family history plays a major part and I loved being able to delve into the past in so much detail. I also really enjoyed the social history in the boarding house section and the conclusion to that part of the story was particularly shocking.
This story of the dead and their remains, both physical and emotional, is, for me, quite unique and the author has, once again, crafted a fascinating story.
August 11, 2021
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Mary Paulson-Ellis is a brand new author for me so I had no expectations going into the book, other than the excitement the blurb and other reviews alluded to.
This is quite a hard book to read with a number of triggers such as child death, fat phobia, decomposition, mental health, and hoarding. It is upsetting and unsettling and uneasy. It’s exciting and electric, raw and truthful and unashamed,
This book is full of short chapters which I prefer. I think they make for a more pleasant read. There is a lot of description which I don’t always like but it feels necessary in this as it is painting us this unsettling picture.
For me, not much actually happened as far as plot points go, it’s more a story about the main character and her inner feelings. It’s very much a character-driven story rather than plot-driven, in my opinion.
A couple of slightly negative points: I did find the first part a little repetitive and slow, but this did soon pick up. It’s also quite metaphor heavy. At first I didn’t mind this but I felt there were so many it lifted me out of the story on occasion.
It’s important to know, I think, that the Emily Noble in question doesn’t actually appear until chapter 38, so be prepared to have your focus on a number of other characters. It does flit between time zones and the timers are entwined which took me a little while to get my head round, but once you accept that, you can keep track of it.
I did get slightly lost at points, but I found the last few chapters really rounded everything up neatly, and definitely unexpectedly.
Read
August 17, 2021Emily Noble’s Disgrace is a book not just about Emily, but a trauma cleaner called Essie, and the owners of the boarding house it’s Essie’s job to clean. The first part of the story focuses on Essie, her job at the boarding house in Portobello, her traumatised but mysterious past and its impact on her present self. The second on Emily, a police officer whose past is entwined with Essie’s. It’s a long time until we learn more about the history of the boarding house in the third section, and this section is a particularly hard read (without wanting to give too much away, I would advise not reading this book while you’re pregnant) - although this is the section where the glory days of Portobello shine through, bringing a slither of faded glamour to a story which primarily focuses on decay and tragedy. The final section sees Emily and Essie coming to terms with their shared trauma and is similarly tough, although there’s a sense of relief in having the curtain lifted on the story that is hinted at throughout the rest of the book.
There’s a lot of description in this book, which is to its credit - the sense of the once thriving, now decaying seaside resort comes through so strongly you can almost taste the salt on your lips - but it did feel a little repetitive at times, and with so much of the “reveal” saved for the final chapters of the book, and such a heavy emphasis on the suffocating secrecy for so much of the story, I felt it lost momentum in places. However, I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s no light read, but if you’re looking for something dark, evocative and a little morbid, this might be right up your promenade.
There’s a lot of description in this book, which is to its credit - the sense of the once thriving, now decaying seaside resort comes through so strongly you can almost taste the salt on your lips - but it did feel a little repetitive at times, and with so much of the “reveal” saved for the final chapters of the book, and such a heavy emphasis on the suffocating secrecy for so much of the story, I felt it lost momentum in places. However, I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s no light read, but if you’re looking for something dark, evocative and a little morbid, this might be right up your promenade.
August 27, 2021
I really enjoyed this, a fractured family saga of lives lost, found and intertwining, all set in a boarding house in Portobello, Edinburgh's seaside, across the years. The angle of Essie being a trauma cleaner is novel and certainly a fresh take in story with detectives and murders to be solved. Some elements were quite brutal but brought about in an almost mild manner, such was the writers skill in weaving the story. The setting was so vivid, a real character itself in the narrative. I could feel what it was like to be in Portobello both at the height of its post-war family seaside gaiety and also during it's shabby downturn. It was quite a slow burn kind of book, more and more was revealved as we skipped back and forth in time finding out about the characters histories, all coming together in the final part. I felt the plotting was skilful and the stories of these women's lives was as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking in places. A new to me authour, I will definitely be checking out more of her work and would really recommend this book.
October 8, 2021
Thanks to the author, publishers and Net Galley for my free e-copy.
This is a story based in a seaside town near Edinburgh. It follows 3 different main characters, all women, who seem at the beginning to be unconnected. One works in a cleaning company who clear up amongst other things dead people, another is a police officer with a past and the last is the owner of a boarding house with a history.
We are drip fed information as the book progresses and you begin to find out how people may be linked.
I found this quite a different and interesting book as it goes back in time, from the present to the 1920's. I did find the writing style quite different with an interesting flow.
I did sometimes struggle to connect the characters and past events as it does jump in time and some of the narrators are quite unreliable so I found in parts hard to tell what was real and what wasn't.
Overall I did enjoy this book and liked the different eras and setting so would give a 3.5 rather than a 3 if I could.
This is a story based in a seaside town near Edinburgh. It follows 3 different main characters, all women, who seem at the beginning to be unconnected. One works in a cleaning company who clear up amongst other things dead people, another is a police officer with a past and the last is the owner of a boarding house with a history.
We are drip fed information as the book progresses and you begin to find out how people may be linked.
I found this quite a different and interesting book as it goes back in time, from the present to the 1920's. I did find the writing style quite different with an interesting flow.
I did sometimes struggle to connect the characters and past events as it does jump in time and some of the narrators are quite unreliable so I found in parts hard to tell what was real and what wasn't.
Overall I did enjoy this book and liked the different eras and setting so would give a 3.5 rather than a 3 if I could.
October 7, 2021
Essie is a trauma cleaner, along with her colleagues they clean up where others would avoid like the plague- like scenes of violence or long dead people. The story begins at a boarding house in Portobello, just outside Edinburgh. The house is full of rubbish & the owner is found dead in bed, having died a number of years ago.
Emily is a young police officer. The house holds a fascination for her. Along with the mystery of a child's disappearance in the mid 90's she can't seem to leave it alone. The story jumps from the dead woman, Essie & Emily in varying timelines. It makes for a pretty confusing read. Somewhere in there is a great story- trauma cleaning must be a rich vein to mine! Sadly I felt that the story got lost down there somewhere. The last few chapters did capture my interest- although in a rather ghoulish way so that I did get to the end but must admit that it was a relief to finish. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
Emily is a young police officer. The house holds a fascination for her. Along with the mystery of a child's disappearance in the mid 90's she can't seem to leave it alone. The story jumps from the dead woman, Essie & Emily in varying timelines. It makes for a pretty confusing read. Somewhere in there is a great story- trauma cleaning must be a rich vein to mine! Sadly I felt that the story got lost down there somewhere. The last few chapters did capture my interest- although in a rather ghoulish way so that I did get to the end but must admit that it was a relief to finish. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
July 3, 2024
Having enjoyed The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing, I was looking forward to this, but it just doesn't come off.
Although it started well, I don't think that she handles the two main characters at all well. As a result, the narrative is very disjointed - the result being that I lost interest in the outcome about halfway through. It is a pity that this novel is so poorly executed, as there was more than enough in it to make a compelling book. For example, misogyny in Police Scotland (surely not!), domestic violence, the murder of unwanted babies, etc. I also found the naming of characters after coinage irritating.
I was also surprised at the continual references to Portobello sunsets, as it faces east. Also, some of the dialogue in the earlier historical parts of the novel used language that would not have been used at that time.
All told, nothing here to motivate me to read any more from this author.
Although it started well, I don't think that she handles the two main characters at all well. As a result, the narrative is very disjointed - the result being that I lost interest in the outcome about halfway through. It is a pity that this novel is so poorly executed, as there was more than enough in it to make a compelling book. For example, misogyny in Police Scotland (surely not!), domestic violence, the murder of unwanted babies, etc. I also found the naming of characters after coinage irritating.
I was also surprised at the continual references to Portobello sunsets, as it faces east. Also, some of the dialogue in the earlier historical parts of the novel used language that would not have been used at that time.
All told, nothing here to motivate me to read any more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews