pickn earlier times, life was a lot more communal than it is today, & the concept of a private life didn't really exist in a balanced way. This is an examination of the concept', those who helped shape it, & how it came into being from its initial start in the Reformation, through the 17th & 18th centuries & Sir Edward Coke (who was responsible for the saying 'An Englishman's home is his castle') through to supporters of women's rights (continued)
pickLondon, 1873 & Madeleine Brewster's marriage to Dr Lucius Everley is hastily arranged to assuage the tide of rejection & ill-feeling from their neighbours. Ever since Maddie's older sister left home under a cloud of suspicion, the Brewsters have been ostracised & Maddie's marriage is their passport back to respectability but it means Maddie moving to London far from her family to where she knows no-one. (continued)
so-soThe third case for criminologist Lincoln Rhyme & partner Amelia Sachs sees them heading to North Carolina for Rhyme's upcoming pioneering surgery. Before the surgery takes place, the two are asked to consult on a case where two young women have been abducted by a 16-year-old local boy, Garrett Hanlon, known as the Insect Boy for his fascination with bugs. (continued)
pickTabbi is a privileged rich girl who is heading, under protest, to an exclusive rehab centre in Switzerland. She meets Ruby on the train there & although they don't look that much alike, there's enough of a similarity for Tabbi to hatch a plan. She decides to befriend Ruby & persuade her to swap lives for 6 weeks - Ruby gets an all expenses paid break & Tabbi gets 6 weeks of freedom, but will Ruby be gullible enough to fall for it? (continued)
so-soFiona & her sister Amy were always close but when Amy moves away for university they drift apart until Amy suddenly goes missing one day & hasn't been seen or heard of since. Several years later, Fiona rents a room in the same house where Amy had been living & pretends to be a new student all so she can find out what happened to Amy.
The house is shabby & in bad repair & her landlady acts oddly at times. (continued)
This was both an interesting & thought-provoking read. I especially enjoyed the historical chapters but found myself a little less engrossed as we neared modern day. The argument that privacy was historically looked on as a way to hide things 2d
My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Pan Macmillan/Picador, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7254294359
Read 14th-17th May 2025 2d