Following the story of Ivy, the daughter of a village Doctor over two time periods. In 1888 there is a fire up at the big house in which a little boy dies, and in 1919 the war is over and Ivy has lost her son to it. But there is a mystery to be uncovered, who caused the fire that killed this little boy? And what about the second fire, the one with darker and more damaging consequences.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The writing was effortless and skillful, allowing me to feel instantly immersed in both the story and the time period, and making it a very readable book that I finished in only a few days. The plot was strong and easy to follow, it did not become too convoluted but there was enough momentum to keep me engaged throughout the story. The mystery element was fairly obvious and I had guessed every part of it by about a third of the way through the book so there were no really twists for me, but I still enjoyed it

This was an interesting read with characters that have intriguing arcs and a plot that had my head turning with all the twists.

I have tried several times to pick this book up but unfortunately its not for me.

I dont like our protagonist and i can't get to grips with the two timelines.

A shame as i have enjoyed the authors previous book.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

1/5.

The Key in The Lock follows the main character Ivy in 1888 and 1918, uncovering the mysteries behind a child’s death and Ivy’s son’s death in present.

So, let’s talk about why i hated this book so much.

This book took me two months to read despite my excitement after reading the blurb. The writing felt very lazy and inconsistent, even though it is just one character. Another issue with he writing is the exact way chapters set in 1888 and the ones set thirty years later sound. Do people think in the exact same words at 20 and at 50? I don’t think so.

Ivy is so uninteresting. She’s like a cardboard cutout that adds no value to the novel. At times her entire personality seemed to revolve around Edward, whom I also hate.

The only character I did not hate was Richard. I merely felt bad for him. He deserved much better.

Half of the mysteries were not engaging. The only thing that caught me by surprise was whose *the* child turns out to be. But it lasted one second and then I only thought, <i>okay, I guess?</i>

The conflicts were just not it. The entire time i was rolling my eyes at how whiny everyone was with everything. Like chill, y’all. It’s not even that bad.

I need to admit that there were some amazing quotes on consent & women’s struggles in the time. Very much appreciated.

The Key in the Lock is an absolutely engrossing novel. I totally got sucked into the story. The characters, scenes and emotions are vividly portrayed. This is a first-rate historical novel in the gothic tradition.

I love classic 19th century English novels and I love historical fiction. This has many of the hallmarks of the former, in terms of voice, narrative structure and plot, and is a fine example of the latter: a convincing portrayal of a time in history but with underlying themes that are of our times.

It's a compelling novel, beautifully written and psychologically astute. Highly recommended.

Complex,complicated novel with a good basic story but I found it difficult to get into and difficult to empathise with the characters.

This is a historical fiction novel set between 1888 and 1918, centred around Ivy and an event that rocked the community in 1888.

A tragedy occurs one night at Polneath, a big local estate house, and everyone is devastated. Ivy, as the coroner's daughter, is sent to the house to tend to the maid at the centre of the incident. As time passes, Ivy begins to wonder if the young woman is being set up to further an agenda by someone else in the house.

Meanwhile in 1918, Ivy has learned of the death of her son Tim at war and is determined to find out exactly how he died. Her husband Richard isn't well, and the reappearance of a person from her past might bring more trouble than assistance.

This was fine - if you like historical fiction then Beth Underdown writes some of the best around. I enjoyed her previous novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, more than this one, but it was okay. It took me longer than I thought it would to read because I was more interested in the 1888 story than the 1918 one.

CW for death of a child.

Unfortunately, I did not manage to finish this book.

Though the synopsis was engaging, I just could not get into the story. Nor could I empathise very much with the protagonist.

I have opted not to make a review.

Thanks for the opportunity to read.

It’s no secret that gothic historical fiction is my absolute favourite genre, and I always get excited when I see new releases, especially when they’re blurbed by one of my favourite authors (hello Elizabeth MacNeal!)

It’s also no secret that I adore a good dual timeline, and I think it worked particularly well in this story. There were clear parallels between the two time periods and it was intriguing watching the past unfold, and connecting those dots on how it’s affected her present.

This book is dripping with mystery that forces you to keep reading. The pace in which the truth becomes apparent is perfect, and at one point I found myself staring at the wall wondering how the author had managed to impart just enough information to make me aware of the ‘before’ and the ‘after’, but not actually WHAT happened.

If you enjoy an eerie historical fiction filled with twists and turns, or are a fan of Stacey Halls, Laura Purcell or Helen Scarlett, then this is an absolute must-read! I already can’t wait to see what this author puts out in the future.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have to be blunt here: highly recommend if you're into pining for your teenage crush for 30 years, couples not communicating with each other, random trips to the other side of the country without telling anyone, more pining, mysterious deaths that are not so mysterious if you think about it, some more pining.

I really wanted to love this book, as the blurb sounded like something right up my alley, but unfortunately I did not.
The protagonist was an insufferable teenager and she grew up to an insufferable adult which really didn't help that boom at all. The plotline, even though it sounds great, wasn't written particularly clever and the final twist was very obvious.

Not going to lie, it was hard for me to get into this book. The storyline seemed complicated and the jumps between two different timelines seemed a bit confusing at times. However, as I continued, I began to enjoy it a lot more. It's essentially a story about a woman who lived her whole life being deceived by people who she thought to be 'good'. Pained by the loss of her own child, she goes back to a memory from her past, when somebody else also suffered the loss of their own son. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
Thank you to the author and the Viking publishing house for providing me with a free electronic version of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was exactly what I wanted it to be. A beautifully written gothic mystery.

I enjoyed Beth Underdown's previous novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, but I loved this one even more. This is written in dual timelines which really helps to unravel the mystery, and there are plenty of twists and reveals to keep you hooked.

Beautifully paced, perfectly plotted, atmospheric and compelling. I enjoyed this immensely.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Viking for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i truly do not know what i expected from this book and still unsure how i feel about it. Although i enjoyed the characters i did not like the the way it jumps back and forth between time lines.

This is a beautifully written gothic mystery. Ivy Boscawen is haunted not only by the death of her son during the Great War but also the death of another boy several decades earlier. I was hooked from the beginning line to the end. Some have compared Beth Underdown's book to Daphne du Maurier and they are not wrong. It has a big house, ghosts and a secret that has to be uncovered before Ivy Boscawen can move on. Love this book. Thank you to Penguin and Negalley for my advanced copy.

Great read for fans of Laura Purcell. The gothic elements were so well written and made the dual time lines (something I don’t usually enjoy) far more interesting. The characters were well fleshed-out and I felt totally immersed in the story form beginning to end.

In 1918, Ivy Boscawen is mourning the death of her son Tim, in the war. But she’s also thinking about William Tremain, a little boy who was killed in a fire thirty years earlier. Ivy was there, in the days after his death, and the truth of what happened that night has haunted her ever since.

The Key in the Lock is a gothic, atmospheric murder-mystery novel. The story is told in dual timelines, which to be honest seemed kind of unnecessary until right towards the end. However, the dual timeline tactic helps to reveal the events of the fire in a slow and clever way, so that what you think is the truth may not necessarily be so.

The characters are excellent. Ivy is likeable enough, although rather naïve, and the rest are incredibly well developed, with the ability to deceive so it’s impossible to know who is telling the truth and who is keeping secrets. The twists revealed towards the end were genuinely shocking – I didn’t see it coming at all.

I didn’t love this book as much as I loved Beth Underdown’s The Witchfinder’s Sister, but I was still hooked.

"What a tangled web we weave" There was certainly a lot of deception in this story. I found it a bit confusing at times but all became clear by the end.. Very descriptive writing that made me feel part of the story. A large cast of characters that seemed very real. I found the conclusion a bit flat after all that had gone before.. .

A story based in two periods of time about the deaths of two boys. One boy belonged to Ivy, a mother mourning the loss of her son in the Great War. The other, a voice from the past that haunts Ivy. A boy who died 50 years ago in a fire in the house she lives in.
She must find out why he died if she is to ever get closure and be able to mourn and move on in her tortured life.
A very enjoyable and stylish piece of writing.
With its duel setting the author catches the periods and atmosphere perfectly.
I very much enjoyed this second novel from Beth Underdown. I certainly think this is an author I will continue to read. A beautiful book.

The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown is creepy, atmospheric tale of events which unfolded after a tragic fire at Polneath, events which Ivy Boscawen is still haunted by thirty years later. Following the death of her son in the Great War, Ivy begins to unravel the memories of her past becoming convinced that there is more to be revealed than she had realised at the time and she must uncover the secrets hidden for three decades if she is ever to be at peace.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable tale; I was completely hooked within the first few chapters. Beth Underdown creates a brilliant gothic atmosphere, revealing just enough of the story’s secrets throughout to keep me reading. I loved the setting of this book, what could be more unsettling than a grand old mansion and its long-buried secrets? I did find Ivy to be fairly naïve to the circumstances surrounding the events which took place, which enabled her to have missed the bigger picture originally. Although I was able to figure out where the story was heading towards before I reached it, it didn’t take away any of the enjoyment I had reading this book, Beth Underdown brought to life the setting of Polneath, the characters and their motives beautifully. It is a wonderful gothic tale, perfect for the long nights. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for a digital copy for review.

An absolutely wonderful read about love and loss that can last a lifetime
However what one believes and what really happened can be two different things that can have devastating consequences
The intricacies of the storyline will keep the reader engrossed to the very last page