Sara Collins' debut novel, "The Confessions of Frannie Langton," is a haunting and atmospheric tale that transports readers to the dark underbelly of 19th-century London. Set against the backdrop of slavery, colonialism, and the scientific fervor of the era, the novel follows the journey of Frannie Langton, a Jamaican slave accused of murdering her employers.

One of the novel's standout features is Collins' lyrical prose, which vividly captures the sights, sounds, and smells of both Georgian London and colonial Jamaica. Through Frannie's introspective narration, Collins explores themes of identity, power, and agency, inviting readers to delve into the complexities of race, gender, and class during this turbulent period in history.

Frannie herself is a complex and compelling protagonist, whose sharp intellect and fierce independence challenge the societal norms of her time. As she grapples with her own memories and desires, Frannie's journey towards self-discovery unfolds in a series of gripping revelations and unexpected twists.

Collins' meticulous research is evident throughout the novel, as she seamlessly weaves historical events and figures into Frannie's narrative. From the infamous Zong massacre to the burgeoning field of forensic science, each detail adds depth and authenticity to the story, immersing readers in a richly textured world.

However, while "The Confessions of Frannie Langton" excels in its atmospheric storytelling and thought-provoking themes, it occasionally falters in pacing and structure. The novel's nonlinear narrative and frequent shifts in perspective can be disorienting at times, detracting from the overall flow of the story.

Additionally, some readers may find certain plot twists to be predictable or melodramatic, diminishing the impact of the novel's climax. Despite these minor flaws, "The Confessions of Frannie Langton" remains a captivating and thought-provoking read that offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of race, power, and freedom in the 19th century.

In conclusion, Sara Collins' "The Confessions of Frannie Langton" is a compelling debut novel that skillfully combines historical fiction with elements of mystery and romance. While it may not be without its flaws, its richly drawn characters, evocative prose, and thought-provoking themes make it a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of any reader interested in exploring the intersections of race, class, and gender in the Victorian era.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read and review this ARC. Full review to be found on Goodreads and on my website.

I really liked this author and this book did not disappoint, it was an appropriately paced, page turner that will have me hooked throughout the story.

Well-written. That narrative was slow at times, but still compelling and the setting jumped off the page.

A former slave stands accused of murdering her employer and his wife, whom is her lover.
This is not going to be pretty.

This is, above all, the story of darkness, told by an unreliable narrator. The facts and realities are mixed skillfully into the tale of abuse of power, mostly done by white people, or better: white men. What really slavery is and where the freedom and its possibilities are - these are the questions the reader is led to ask. I say "led" intentionally, because the story is manipulative in how it is narrated (with some crucial parts strategically omissed) and how the people are grouped into the collectives with given characteristics with these group characteristics often simplistic and clichey - like all white masters/employers are cruel and/or superficial or all men are bad pigs. Combine it with the story of lust, madness and mental illness we call a love story here - and we have very potent, readable narrative of "sure, this is not a pretty story, but if you have circumstances like this, how ELSE could it go?".
And this is a narrative I have issues with. Yes, it is author's prerogative to tell her story her way and yes, the people of colour (or simply people) were and are the subjects of horrible abuse, and women and children suffer the most. But it is also never that simple like abuse, abuse, abuse - yeah, a person to lust for! - and abuse in different cloth continues. Frannie is also the only person with a freedom to have both light and dark characteristics and to be a complicate, layered person in the sea of one-dimensional inhabitants of this novel. She is allowed to be angry, but she is never allowed the healing - and this would be the novel I would like to read instead of this dark, sad sob story. How about being taken with the boxer guy instead? At least there IS something about him! But then it would be the different story, a story not of a victim, but of a winner.

3 stars go for the storytelling skills. While I have issues with the plotting, the prose is very enjoyable here, the language is rich and some of the comparisons and word plays are among the wittiest I have read this year.

I just couldn’t get into this one. I got about half way and still had trouble keeping characters straight. If you are the most loyal historical fiction fan, you might still find pleasure in reading this. It just wasn’t the book for me.

A historical fiction novel that explores the absurdity of "scientific" racism in the 19th century. Armed with "rational thinking" and new scientific methods, two men aim to decide once a for all if a black person can be educated to the same extent as a white person. Frannie Langton, an intelligent and curious slave, gets caught in the middle.

This book was great. Frannie as a character was fully fleshed out and she made interesting and complex decisions in response to the circumstances she found herself in. At times heartbreaking, we Frannie's trial for the murder of her owner and his wife provide a great framework for the rest of the story told through flashbacks.

Recommended.

This book is so much more, and so much darker, than I ever expected it to be. It's a work in the same strain as The Crimson Petal and the White, or Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet, more a bildingsroman than a murder mystery or legal drama. Here, Frannie Langton tells her story, from birth to death, or near enough to it as she can remember, and her life is one filled with the horrors of slavery, incest, and medical experimentation. It's a truly harrowing tale, made more so by the way the narrative dances around these horrors, never fully admitting to any of them, but giving you just enough clues to allow you to come to your own conclusions about what might have happened.

It's a sad, sad story, but beautiful in its own way; Frannie gives herself a voice. She is an unusual woman in many ways. Though a slave, she is educated, and she is ambitious, stubborn, determined, even a little arrogant. One can imagine what she might have made of herself had she been born to better circumstances. Instead, her entire life has been a struggle, a horror show of depravities, one after another.

Victorian England comes to life in an unsettling way; it is the dark underbelly put on view here, not the glittering echelons. Collins shines a light on so many of the things that were wrong with Victorian society: the maltreatment of women, the reliance on opium, the influence of scientific racism, the insidiousness of benevolent racism, the harsh lives of the oppressed, whether free or enslaved. She paints a bleak picture, but in that bleakness comes realism; this is clearly a very well-researched novel.

My one gripe, and what stops me from giving this five stars, is the writing. I'm sure it will click with some readers, but I just found it exhausting, and often confusing. I don't even know how to describe it. It's not purple prose, as such. It's...decorative? Littered with strange metaphors and similes? It seems like it's trying too hard to be pretty but ends up ostentatious and bombastic instead. Some aspects of it were lovely, heady, lush, but it was too much; reading this book for extended lengths of time gave me a headache. It's an admirable writing style to be sure, unique and immersive, but for me, it simply hindered my reading experience.

But the writing is my one small gripe, and takes only a little away from the accomplishment of this book. This has been an affecting, tragic novel that will stay with me for a long time. I can't wait to see what Sara Collins does next.

Such a unique book! This book has a little bit of everything. Mystery. History. Well written characters. A truly fascinating look at the history of slavery with a little courtroom drama thrown in. Thank you the Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Somany great reviews I could not wait to read this book.I was drawn right in to the story the darkness.The characters come alive a haunting read that I could not put down.#harpercollins #netgalley

This is an amazing account of a very talented slave placed in a number of incredibly difficult situations. The perseverance she shows in telling her story shows her strength of mind, character, and resilience. It also shows the sad barrier between the privileged and the enslaved.

This book is unlike any other I have read. Even though when I picked it up I thought it might be a bit like Atwood’s Alias Grace, I was pleasantly surprised to find it is quite different, The protagonist is a Jamaican woman who starts life as a slave, knowing that she is different from the others. She discovers she is mixed race and is brought from her plantation to London with her master, who is a scientist developing theories on the differences between negroes and whites. We know that she is in jail, charged with double-murder, and is writing her account for her defence attorney. We also know she can’t remember what happened. What follows is a heart-breaking account of the life of a woman, shunned because of her skin colour and yet fiercely intelligent, trying to understand the love and hatred around her. It’s gripping and well-written, partly in first person and partly in the form of testimony at the trial. Wonderful and individual - well worth a read.

I was pitched this book and by the synopsis I was very excited to read it. Way back in history in a time where the color of your skin and place in society mattered very much and a mulatta girl is accused of killing the husband and wife that she lived with and worked for. The book starts at the beginning of her trial and Frannie takes you back in time before she was even living in London to a time where she is living in Jamaica and she describes the adventure she went on to get to London and then her time in London.

The concept was right up my alley, but the execution just didn't work for me. I found the book to be so hard to read and it kept me from getting into the flow of the book and stunted my ability to read.

There was also a major plot point that just didn't feel authentic for me. I don't want to spoil, but it just didn't work for me for the timing and the concept of the book.

I wanted more from this one.

I read all the Goodreads reviews. I read all the Netgalley reviews. I was so excited to read this historical thriller. From the description it had so much potential, so much for thought and 'meat' to a story. Bored. I was bored. I needed more action. I couldn't stand ANY of the characters. I skimmed the last 40% just so I could be right about who did what. Ugh. I'm sorry. Skip this one unless you like being bored.

Beautiful, riveting, dark, and haunting. This is the story of Frannie Langton.... 1820s London Frannie has relocated to London from the sugar plantations of Jamaica. No longer a slave she’s now working for a British couple of privilege. Soon Franny finds out there are some similarities between slavery and being an English wife in the 1820s. She also soon finds her self in a forbidden and intimate relationship with Marguerite the lady of the house. When Marguerite and her husband George are found murdered and Franny is in bed laying next to marguerite’s bloody body. Franny is the number one suspect, but Franny cannot remember what happened. Did she kill her boss? Her lover?

This was a stunning well-crafted story Steve’s in history with a Gothic feel. Franny is a character you can’t help but get behind. Much of her life has been tragic, she seems to constantly be used by people that don’t seem to value her as a person. I was so invested in the story I just really wanted to know what part Frannie played in this murder. I couldn’t believe she did it, but I could see that she had been driven to it. This is a story that will stick with you long after you read the last page.

This book in emojis 🗝 📚 ✒️

*** Big thanks to Harper Collins or a copy of this book ***

This title was too formulaic for me. I tried reading the ebook ARC and could not finish it. I tried reading the audio book from my local library when it came out and nope, still a no go for me. It sounds like a great book based on the jacket copy and I am happy to see others have enjoyed it.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton was a page turner. I enjoyed the historic aspect combined with the mystery. A few parts were a bit graphic for my taste but that's just me. Overall a good read!

We first meet Frannie Langton in prison, where she's being charged with the murders of her employer and his wife. But as her story unfurls, we learn that there's a lot more to Frannie than meets the eye. Frannie is a former slave from Jamaica, where she was owned by a scientist who used her in some troubling experiments. And once she moved to London, she may have no longer been a slave, but she found that her troubles were far from over.

This is definitely a dark and disturbing tale in many ways, but it's an important look at slavery, "objective" science, racism, and how some of today's racist microaggressions have a long history rooted in violence and abuse. Frannie has quite the story to tell, and it's revealed masterfully. Sara Collins is a very talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I was looking forward to reading this. Writing is great but the story and whodunnit is such a damp-squib, I just don't see what the point is of having written it.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this title because of the subject. The institution of slavery outside of the United States is not a subject that I knew much about. The storytelling was engaging, going back and forth in time as we learned about the title character. I will recommend this title to my historical fiction readers as well as those who enjoy literary mysteries.