The Key in the Lock opens in 1918 as we meet Ivy Boscawen who is mourning the loss of her son Tim in the Great War and contemplating a different sort of Christmas without him. Tangled with the devastating grief of a mother for her lost son is the story of Ivy's involvement in another tragedy which took place some thirty years before. Moving effortlessly between two time frames we gradually discover the secret which Ivy has kept for so long and understand that her grief is more than just a passing shadow. There's a haunting gothic melancholy to the story which evolves ever so slowly but is no less captivating as we get to piece together the mystery at the heart of the novel and the part that so many fascinating characters have played in covering up just what happened at Polneath on that fateful night in 1888.

Beautifully written as I knew it would be from this talented author, the quiet introspection of The Key in the Lock had me turning the pages almost without realising as so immersed in the story I didn't notice the passage of time until I looked up and realised I wasn't with Ivy at Polneath. Every emotion is expressed with exquisite gentleness and yet there is an underlying strength to the novel which is so beautifully expressed that we get understand the depth of Ivy's grief, her devastating loss of a beloved son, her guilt for secrets unexpressed and her love for a man unworthy of her affections.

The Key in the Lock is an accomplished and beautifully described family drama which has been well worth the wait.

I got The Key in The Lock by Beth Underdown, for free from NetGalley for free, for a fair and honest review.

The Key in the lock tells the story of Ivy Boscawen, women who is morning the loss of her only son during World War I, while having dreams about a young boy who died in a fire decades ago.
Because Ivy feels that the truth has ever come out about the fire and the events that surround that tragedy.
There are times when you start to read a novel, it takes longer to get into a story that as a reader you like. While there may not anything wrong with the story or writing style the book some how does not hit the sweat spot straight away.
This was the case with This novel The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown, while the writing style caused no difficulty in reading and the characters were all interesting enough including the main character Ivy, whose point of view the story is told.
Even the two timelines of the story really were well defined so as a reader I always knew in which one I was in.
The problem was though I felt that this story had been done before maybe not as well written but with the same basic plot line as this.
But where The Lock in the Key really played out was in the mystery of the two deaths as Ivy tries both to find out the true events of what happened in the fire and how her son died during the war.
What I mean by this is that normally when you read these types of novels the main part of the story is the growth of the leading character in this case Ivy, who finds the truth about a particular event, and it solves a great family mystery.
While in this case Ivy does change throughout the novel because of what she finds out, but to me both mysteries would work as stand-alone stories if being investigated by a detective with very little change.
So while The Key in The Lock by Beth Underdown, may seem to fit in to the woman’s fiction section it will stand squarely in the Cozy Mystery Section.

“I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the lawn.”

My thanks to Penguin Group U.K. Viking for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Key in the Lock’ by Beth Underdown in exchange for an honest review.

This work of historical fiction set in Cornwall begins with the above ‘Rebecca’-like statement by its narrator. The story then unfolds over two timelines

In 1918 Ivy Boscawen continues to mourn the death of her son Tim in the Great War. Yet she is also haunted by another death that had happened thirty years previously. In some chapters we return to 1888 as Ivy, the daughter of the local doctor, describes the events associated with the fire and its aftermath at the Great House. No further details to avoid spoilers.

I found this an atmospheric Gothic tale that utilises its Cornish setting to great effect. There were plenty of revelations; though these are revealed at a measured pace, very much in keeping with the literature of the Victorian and early twentieth century.

As readers we learn the secrets of Polneath alongside Ivy, who with her burden of grief and regret, emerges as a tragic figure. Yet she is also a woman of courage, determined to uncover the truth.

Overall, a well written and engaging work of historical literary fiction.

Ivy Boscawen is in mourning for the loss of her son Tim in the muddy, bloody trenches of the Great War. She can't reconcile herself to his death, take solace in his bravery or the serving of king and country, as confusion surrounds the event. At the same time, she's haunted by another tragic death which occurred years ago, before her marriage, when the grandson of local wealthy powder mill- and land- owner - Tremain - was killed in a house fire. At the time, Ivy and the boy's father, Edward, acted together to bring about justice as they saw it, but as Ivy winds her way through memories of those awful long ago events, she comes to realise she may have been manipulated herself.

This haunting, atmospheric novel revolves, as you might expect, around 'the Key in the Lock' and, more importantly, who turned it and why. Time may have moved on from the night of the dreadful fire, but, particularly since her own son's death, Ivy is drawn back, going over events time and again, trying to order and rationalise the events of that time. She isn't quite an unreliable narrator but her personal view, her attraction and sympathy for some characters, and dislike of others, inevitably twist her perception of events. As the story unfolds on two timelines, the reader sees Ivy as a young, hopeful, romantic nineteen year old and the contrasting disillusioned middle-aged woman she's grown into. How she ended up so unhappily married is another mystery to unveil.

With its brooding air of mystery and secrets, the story really pulled me in, but overall I thought it was rather sad. There are so many wasted, unfulfilled lives - not just that of young William Tremain dying in the house fire, or Tim and so many others on the battlefield, but also of everyone affected by the lies and deceit spreading out from Tremain's residence.

The Key In The Lock is a wonderful book, well researched and beautifully written. In 1918 Ivy Boscawen mourns the death in the war of her only son, Tim. This leads her to reminisce about another death that of a young boy in a fire when Ivy herself was a young girl in the 1880s.

The story is told in two time frames: that of Ivy in the present, nursing her sick husband while trying to determine the truth about her son's death, and the events both before and after the fire. It is an intriguing plot that combines unrequited love, murder, and deception.

This is a historical novel that fans of dark mysteries will enjoy while having all the emotions for the main character. Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Viking for the opportunity to read and review The Key In the Lock.

I feel bereft that this book is over. It’s one of those rare combinations of beautiful prose and deft plotting, and there are no wasted characters or moments in what is a wholly immersive read. This story of Ivy, told mainly by her at middle age at the end of the the First World War, reflecting back on an important period of her life is full of unexpected twists and turns, but all very subtly done and all 100% plausible. I just loved it!

After having thoroughly enjoyed The Witchfinder's Sister which I actually listened to (great narration, really got the atmosphere down pat by the way) I was excited to get my hands on this book.
This time, the author sets the action in 1918, just after the end of WW1, where Ivy Boscawen is mourning the death of her only son Tim, a casualty of war. This leads her to reminiscing, thinking back about another death, another young man, who perished in a fire many years back. A fire set on purpose rather than an accident, Ivy, as a child, attending with her doctor father. But was his death just bad luck or was there more to it than that?
The story then splits into a dual timeline with the past interspersed into the present where Ivy is also nursing her husband, he having pretty much given up.
This was a very well researched and executed book starring the most wonderful and rich characters. It is evident that the author has really put the yards in with the settings - both time and place - and, although I am no expert on either of these, the whole thing felt wholly believable. As Ivy continues her dual investigations of the deaths of the young men.
The story itself is quite emotionally harrowing. This is exacerbated by the grief felt by the main character, as well as the, often cloying, atmosphere that the author weaves around the characters. The tension nearly oozes off the page as the two threads start to come to their conclusions, the action also ramps up and the sedate pace of what has come before is upped a notch. And by the time we had come to the end of the book I was starting to feel a little sad that I would have to say goodbye to Ivy. I think we bonded over our time together.
All in all, a worthy follow up to a solid debut. Looking forward to seeing what the author serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Beth Underdown's debut novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, so I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to review the follow-up novel, The Key in the Lock.

The Key in the Lock follows the story of a woman called Ivy during two important periods of her life: the 1880's when she is a teenager involved in a tragic fire at the local stately home and in 1918 when she is the grieving mother of a soldier killed in the trenches of World War 1. I thoroughly enjoyed both time periods and was eager to learn about the decisions Ivy made as a young woman which led to her position in the twentieth century.

A recommended read for lovers of historical fiction.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

The absolutely gorgeous cover for this book first caught my eye, and then I realised it was written by Beth Underdown, who also wrote The Witchfinder's Sister, which I had previously enjoyed.

The Key in the Lock is a dual timeline mystery, set in Cornwall in 1888 and 1918. Ivy is the daughter of the village doctor, who is slowly becoming too old and frail to practise medicine. There is an understanding that she will marry the local coroner, who is a lot older than her, but Ivy has a crush on Edward who lives at the Great House - although he is engaged to another woman. Thirty years later and Ivy is overcome with grief at losing her son during the war, in mysterious (perhaps dishonourable) circumstances. As she becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about his death, she remembers her part in the events of the past, when the Great House caught fire and a young child died.

The Key in the Lock is an enjoyable historical mystery with a touch of the gothic and a tiny hint of supernatural. Right from the start there is an atmosphere of menace with the sinister house and the thoroughly unpleasant man who owns it - and keeps the key to every room. The lines between class are very strongly drawn and I did feel for Ivy when she inadvertently ended up acting as a maid at the house (because they were short staffed), waiting on Edward's fiancée, when in reality she would have been almost the other woman's equal.

Recommended to fans of Sarah Waters (The Little Stranger) and Jane Healey (The Animals at Lockwood Manor).


Thank you to Beth Underdown and Viking (Penguin) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The atmosphere of this book stays with you, even when you're not reading it. Underdown masterfully invokes tension and gothic unease while the narrative twists and turns, and you're never quite sure where it will end up. I guessed one of reveals quite early on but never had an inkling of the other! If you enjoyed Sarah Water's The Little Stranger, you'll like this.

It took a while for me to become invested in the story. I was initially confused by the dual timeline of 1888 and 1918. The way the narrative would move between the two, especially in the 1918 sections including flashbacks, made it difficult to follow the story. However, around the 40-50%, I began to enjoy it more. Ivy wasn't the most compelling of protagonists. I preferred her in the 1888 storyline, as that was the one with more mystery and intrigue for me. The reveal at the end was frustrating and the plot at times predictable. I had a mixed experience reading this. It had elements I liked, such as the historical backdrop and the mystery from the past, and other's I didn't like, such as how the story bounced all over the place and how the characters acted. I would recommend this as it did grow on me, but my experience at the beginning is what made it a 3 star read. I will be writing a full review on my blog.

The Key in the Lock is the second novel I have read by Beth Underdown, the first being The Witchfinders' Sister. This particular novel is told from the perspective of our main protagonist Ivy and also from two time periods, the late 1800's and then just after the end of World War 1. We follow Ivy, a doctors daughter, living in a small village in Cornwall. When she was 19 there was a tragedy, a fire and a little boy dies. Over the course of the narrative, written as if Ivy is writing out her story, we discover the truth behind the fire, secrets are revealed and were kept by everyone and things are brought into sharp perspective. I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction who also enjoy murder mysteries.

I liked the setting and mystery of this book but felt that in all honesty it was simply too long and drawn out. I didn’t really care that much for any of the characters and consequently wasn’t overly bothered whether I finished the book.

Really enjoyed this beautifully written, slow paced unfolding story. In my opinion not a ghost story nor a gothic novel but told through the voice of Ivy, both as a young girl caught up in a tragic death keen to redress a wronged victim and twenty years later as a middle aged woman full of regret, bound by duty and a desire to finally get to the truth both about her own son's death and the tragedy of the past. I felt a real sense of both the 1880s and of life after the first world war.

An enchantingly expressive story, The Key in The Lock, explores the subject matter of grief, marriage, betrayal and scandal. Cleverly constructed and mature, it has an abundance of page turning drama coupled with slow paced emotional instalments.

Ivy shone as a protagonist. I loved her resilience and I found the themes of the story were portrayed convincingly through her. By the final page I was so fond of her that, even though we are separated by more than a hundred years, there was lots of myself I recognised in her.

I really enjoy a fractured timeline in a book and here the author uses it perfectly giving great depth to her protagonist, providing insight into the dynamics between her secondary characters and weaving a mystery so deep into their lives that I was still guessing up until the final few pages.

Dark, gothic and filled with equal amounts of grief and tenderness, The Key In The Lock was pure pleasure for a fan of historical fiction like myself.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Penguin UK for approving me for an ARC of this book.

I buddy read this with one of my book club friends. As historical fiction lovers we were both excited to read this one. From the synopsis I had expected something quite dark and gothic. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story flicks between two time periods, 1888 and 1918. In the earlier time Ivy and her father (a doctor) are summoned to a house fire at Polneath house where young William, aged seven, has sadly died in the fire. From there Ivy attends the house to look after Agnes, the housemaid, who has been accused of starting the fire and therefore murdering William. From the start it is clear that not all is as it seems. Old Tremain is a cantankerous grump who is hell bent on revenge for his grandson where as his son Edward is distraught at the death of William. Ivy makes it her mission to discover what happened as she does not believe that Agnes is guilty.

In 1918 we once again meet Ivy who is now dealing with her own grief, after her son Tim was killed in action. Her desperation to know how her son was killed leads her to look up her first love, Edward Tremain. As they start to correspond via letters it is clear that they have unfinished business and a lot of regret.

As a reader I desperately wanted to know what happened the night of the fire. I too did not believe Agnes had started it and had my suspicions. From very early on it was clear that everyone, including Ivy, had something to hide. I wasn’t entirely sure who to trust and a lot of my first impressions of the characters changed by then end. The story slowly built in tension and drama, finally revealing the true events of the night of the fire and I for one was pleased with the outcome. This is the perfect read for any historical fiction fan, it’s dark, twisty and full or surprises!

To me, this is more a historical read rather than a gothic tale. I do enjoy both genres but I think I was expecting it to be gothic so although I enjoyed it I didn’t love it.

I was intrigued from the start but did find it went on a little longer than it could have done.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TheKeyInTheLock

A gréât gothic read as many have Sadi reminiscinate of Rebecca. Slow going at the beginning but will pull you in

An atmospheric, gothic read set around Cornwall over a dual timeline 1888 and 1918.

The story is told from the point of view of Ivy Cardew who in 1888 is the daughter of the local doctor. He is struggling with his own health but carries on looking after his patients. We are introduced to many interesting characters including the family living in Polneath House and their few servants.

Ivy and her father are summoned one night when a fire breaks out in the house and 7 year old William, the son of Edward Tremain, dies after he has been locked in a bedroom. There is an inquest and Ivy is determined to get to the bottom of what happened. Old Mr Tremain seems to have an obsession with locking doors and keeping the keys to himself. Could he have locked the door? Why was he hiding in Anges, the maid’s room and why wasn’t she in her room? Why were her bags packed ready to leave?

In the 1918 section, Ivy has married Richard Boscawen who is the coroner. She has always regretted not marrying the love of her life, Edward Tremain. She has recently found out her son has been killed in the war, and is determined to find out exactly how he died. When she reads in the deaths section of the newspaper that Edward’s son had died in the war she begins writing to Edward in the hopes of rekindling their friendship and perhaps take it further, now that her husband does not have long to live.

I was engrossed in this chilling story of loss, mystery, and the search for answers, which is so vividly written. It seems no-one in this story is as they appear. There are many secrets and lies to uncover. It is quite a slow burn with revelations happening along the way which eventually reveal the truth of the events on that fateful night in 1888.

A fabulous historical fiction mystery. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed Beth Underwood's first novel, The Witchfinder's Sister, and so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this new book. The Key in the Lock is a wonderfully immersive story about love and loss with a delicious Gothic atmosphere about it. Another fantastic read from this author. I am already looking forward to the her next book.