Loved this. I really enjoyed everything about this. I loved the story completely. It will stay with me for a long time. I appreciate that the author has very strong voice - one I really enjoy.

Thank you Simon Books for my gifted copy!

If you want to read something about a kickass FMC who does not care what level of man she is dealing with, just as long as she finds out what happened to her sister, this book is for you.

Maude’s sister, Constance, snuck aboard a ship disguised as a man. She was unfortunately murdered and her murderer is at large. It’s not a secret who it is. Think of Clayton from Tarzan (animated) and that’s basically who Edison Stowe is. A despicable man who really thinks of no one and then wonders about his sh*t luck. He is constantly looking for a new hustle to pay back money he owes. His latest one, bringing people on excursions to witness hangings (this book takes place in 1800s England), is his latest scheme but plays into Maude’s plan. She is not going to let go of the injustice that was brought upon by him during the Arctic expedition and nor should she. It is indeed a glorious revenge.

The mystery of her sister's death after boarding a ship headed to the Arctic and never coming home inspires Maude Horton to get answers about what actuallly happened. With the help of a clerk, a ship's doctor and her sister's diary, Maude goes on a risky journey to hunt down her sister's murderers. Filled with great characters, suspenseful twists and turns, and quite a bit of macabre discoveries, this book is hard to put down.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I loved the setting in this book. Great historical fiction novel and the time period seemed to be well researched by the author.
The book itself was very interesting and easy to follow along as a sister searches for the truth and the person who is responsible for her sisters death.

Set in the 1800s, Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge is an epic story of a sister who sets out to avenge her sister's wrongful death. Maude's sister Constance mysteirously died aboard the Makepeace, a ship that sailed to the Arctic. Through Constance's journal entries, we get her POV of time on the ship disguised as a cabin boy which leads ultimately to her death.

I enjoyed this time period very much. It was a very interesting period in time and I liked seeing the macabre things that people had a fascination in, such as public executions. The story itself grabbed my attention at the beginning but it slowly lost me and the middle of the book really dragged for me. I found myself not at all excited to pick it up. The "glorious revenge" was also pretty anticlimactic in my opinion. I was just hoping for more. I thought Maude's background in tinctures and time working at the pharmacy would play into it but sadly it did not. The animal cruelty was also a bit of turn-off. I'm not overly sensitive but it was really rough at times. Overall, I really appreciate the author's obvious research but unfortunately the execution was a bit of a miss for me. I did like the writing style though so I will happily try more books by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I enjoyed the historical fiction/mystery blend in this book and the main character (Maude). The plot was interesting and well-paced, it was a bit macabre for me BUT I totally get that was the authors intention considering the subject matter. I really enjoyed the multiple POV and ‘diary’ narrative that provided a dual timeline for the storyline.

I think the ending could’ve been a bit more satisfying but I enjoyed the twists the author included. Overall, I recommend this one if you’re a fan of historical fiction and mysteries!

Format: 🎧
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge on NetGalley.

Published: 01/16/24

Stars: 3

Just okay. I finished this a couple of days ago and already forgot it. Once I read the synopsis the story came back to me.

This is set in Victorian London during the race to the Arctic period. This is not about the arctic -- which is what I hoped for. The diseases and lack of amenities plays a role in one sister's journey.

The revenge portion of the story was overrated. There was too much cloak and dagger with not enough believability. I really didn't buy into the ending setup.

There is profanity. The book in total is just meh

If you enjoy the time period this may be for you.

I really enjoyed Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge.
I appreciated the mix of historical fiction with mystery. I liked the various perspectives and loved the diary element.

Maude Horton is the story of a women in Victorian London who wants to find out what happened to her sister and as the title states, get her revenge. Maude's sister Constance joined a ship expedition to find Franklin's missing ship in the arctic by pretending to be a boy from the neighborhood who was selected to join the trip. When the ship returns to London, Constance is not there. Maude wants to know how she died but the Navy is giving her nothing. She finally gets some help from a sympathetic person who has access to her sister's diary.

The story is told from three perspectives, Maude's, Constance's Diary, and the killer. You know who the killer is fairly early on but you do not know how Constance died or what Maude's revenge will look like. The story was interested and well crafted until the end, it felt like the author realized that the book needed to end and then the climax and end are just dumped on you in the last few minutes. You really only know what happens from the epilogue. This feels like a debut novel that just needs some help with pace.

I love historical fiction, but I simply don't get around to reading as much of it as I'd like. I'm so glad I picked up this one though. This book was told from different POVs, but mainly Maude and the journal entries of, Jack Aldridge aka Maude's sister (Constance), who was posing as a boy abroad the Makepeace ship. When Maude learns of her sister's death, but not given a clear reason for it, she begins looking into it herself. The story that unfolds is a mystery, a thriller, and history all in one. And honestly, the historical takeaways were my favorite part. Being able to learn about pieces of the past such as the sensationalism of public hangings, the conditions of artic expeditions, the types of medicine used, and even the treatment of animals/mammals then. I appreciate the depth of research Lizzie Pook put into writing this book.

Thank you @SimonBooks @netgalley @lizziepook for my advanced copy!

A thoroughly engrossing book with a wonderful cast of characters. I found myself wanting to return to this story as soon as I put it down to find out what would happen next and the author kept me interested right up to the end. Along the way there were well researched events and authentic situations that put the reader right in the middle of the action. Will be looking for more from Lizzie Pook.

Wow - this book was truly fascinating! The dual timelines of Victorian London and the Arctic were so compelling and atmospheric. I loved our main character, Maude, and her bravery and cleverness. You can really tell that the author did their research about the time period and the different things women went through. The cover-up was really chilling and some of the things Maude had to learn were even more so.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Simon and Schuster for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A tale of a sister’s quest for revenge after the unjustified death of her sister, this book has a lot going for it to make any mystery lover intrigued. We follow Maude Horton (of the title) as she investigates the truth of how her sister died - and its coverup. Maude’s sister disguised as a cabin boy to go on an Arctic exploration and rescue - but she never comes home and no one will tell Maude exactly what happened. Told through dual timelines and 3 POVs - Maude, her killer, and the journal of her sister on this fateful journey - we slowly piece together the truth of what really happened out there on the ice.

I kind of feel this story might have been more interesting from Maude’s sister’s main POV, and I felt a bit too much of the narrative was in the mind of her killer (and to be honest, Maude’s “revenge” is only near the end) but otherwise this was a fun book to read. I think anyone who likes Victorian era historical fiction, mysteries, and doomed Arctic exploration tales would enjoy this book. Despite knowing who the “villain” of this tale is right at the start - Maude still needs to figure out a way to prove his guilt and exonerate her sister after death. We follow her investigation as Maude gets close to her sister’s killer - who, ironically, is out of luck himself and is trying to shill anything he can to pay his debts.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and had fun with it, despite (especially near the end) it feeling like Maude herself didn’t really have much to do with this “revenge” and it just kind of falling into her lap at the conclusion.

This book may not be for everyone; for example, a reader of cozies will find this too dark. But, for its audience, this title will be welcomed as an original and immersive read.

Lizzie Pook’s sister disguised herself as a boy to go to sea (the Arctic). She never returned. What happened to her? Will her journals provide an answer? What will Lizzie do to find out? Well, for one thing, she will get to know Edison Stowe better.

There is a lot of Victorian life in these pages. This includes public hangings so be warned.

This book has been highly praised:

Brilliant . . . Pook’s masterful pacing and meticulous attention to historical detail make this sing. Fans of Stuart Tarton’s high seas whodunits will be rapt.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A spellbinding novel set in the frozen Arctic and in London during the height of murder mania…. Pook paints a macabre image of a time when death was often more valuable than life itself.”—Kirkus

“In a stellar follow-up to her debut, Moonlight and the Pearler’s Daughter (2022), Pook once again weaves a rousing tale around the escapades of a bold, spirited, and cunning woman.”—Booklist

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was such a captivating reading experience. It was set in Victorian London and the Arctic. Maude is a young woman living in London, and she has just learned that her sister has died under mysterious circumstances. Her sister disguised herself and took passage on a ship headed for the Arctic only to die on her voyage. All they are told is that it was an accident. But Maude vows to find more answers. After Maude finds out there has been a cover-up, she starts plotting her revenge.

Maude is a smart and capable heroine. I was drawn into her story from the very beginning. I loved her courage and determination to find justice for her sister, and every step of the way had me cheering her on.

The book is also told from the POV of the sister in the form of journal entries detailing the Arctic adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed these journal entries. They were very immerisive and made you feel like you were experiencing the journey.

We are also given the perspective of the villain. These parts were equally unsettling and fascinating.

Lizzie Pook's writing is chilling and atmospheric. There were many parts of the book that were deeply disturbing to read, but ultimately, it was a powerful story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a story set in Victorian London. It’s a tale of sisterhood and vengeance.
Me meet Maude the responsible and sensible sister, and Constance the adventurous one. We follow the story through Maude and Constance’s journal
When Maude learns that Constance set sail dressed as a boy is murder she sets out to find out what happened which leads her into a murderous underbelly world.
This is an interesting story full of adventure.

Propulsive and atmospheric. An engaging exploration of obsession and paranoia. Perfect for a cold, stormy weekend.

Full review published on Open Letters Review.

"Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge" by Lizzie Pook is a murder mystery/thriller that takes place in 1851, alternating between the numbing chill of an Arctic expedition and the "Murder Mania" that's taken hold of England. Pook does a phenomenal job of describing the landscape and tenor of the times, making readers feel as if they're there: the frozen tundra that makes men go insane; the gruesome gallows with massive crowds of people from all walks of life, lured by the spectacle of a murderer being hanged, replete with the sounds and smells of unwashed masses; the docks with the rats, the criminals, and the smell of rot; and the eerie Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Pook has chosen both a narrative style that reads as if it was written at the time and a diary written by the protagonist's late sister who pretended to be a male cabin boy on a recovery voyage through the Northwest Passage. The identity of her sister's murderer is never in doubt, but the way Maude goes about avenging her death and exacting her revenge is chillingly ingenious. This isn't my normal go-to genre, but I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone. Highly recommended!

Maude Horton received a terse letter stating that her sister, Constance, had died. Constance left home, dressed as a boy, to join an expedition to find the lost ships of Franklin in the Arctic. There have been similar books using an Arctic expedition as a backdrop. The sections of the book based on Jack Aldridge’s aka Constance’s diary of life on the ship were very rich in describing day-to-day life, her fear of being uncovered and her fear of Edison Stowe, a psychopath who believed himself superior to everyone.

A major part of the story is narrated by Maude who wants to learn the truth about how, why and who was responsible for her sister’s death. At times, Maude seemed like a child throwing a temper tantrum rather than what she was described as, someone deliberate and analytical. This made her character appear off. Armed with her sister’s diary, she goes traipsing around London by herself, at night, following her prime suspect, Edison Stowe.

The third narrator is Edison who is deeply in debt to a moneylender. He is desperate to avoid brutal consequences of not paying his debt. Edison tries to sell rare animal bones and parts to get money, but that route is very slow. One of his schemes is to create a train tour to witness notorious hangings around England. Maude, to get close to him, joins the tour.

Throughout the book, Maude wants revenge but has no idea how to achieve it. This seems a little ingenuous given the result. I think the author needed to give more dimension to Maude and Constance’s story. This is the third book I read this month where one sibling believes she knows everything about the other but really doesn’t. I guess I want something new.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

This was a good read, a quick historical fiction murder mystery. The pacing was good and the plot kept me engaged. I didn’t think it was easy to guess.