I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. Do I feel like my time could have been better spent, sort of? I didn't realise this was the first in a trilogy but I don't think I'll come back for the next two installments.

The premise of this book was great. It was based on the lives and treatment of those affected by the poor law in nineteenth century England whereby those living in poverty were forced to live in workhouses. Food supplies and standards there were beyond deplorable, human rights were non-existent, murder and suicide were rampant, people's lives were unbearable. Two men, Hudson & Lawes are intent on uncovering the truth of the inmate's substandard living conditions. Hudson, a journalist, becomes an inmate and keeps a secret journal of all he witnesses. Lawes is a young justice of the peace and has heard rumours of the poor administration of the workhouse. Through these two men we learn so much about the mistreatment of the inmates of the workhouses. Maskew has done extensive research and as well as a great tale provided us with comprehensive insight into their miserable plight. This was a good read, very informative and well worthwhile.

It was a very interesting read. I enjoyed it, I will be willing to read more from this author in the future. Thanks for the opportunity.

I think that this was a big miss for me, I think that Maybe this genre might not be my favorite.
I initially requested this because I wanted to read it and enjoy it. But I couldn’t finish it.

It lagged and it was so boring to me, it wasn’t so much of a thriller to me but just information vomit. Which I think it’s great, I did enjoy that it showed that the author really did research the topic and i loved that.

I really wanted to like this but it wasn’t for me. I hate to admit this but I forgot everything I read within hours and that typically never really happens.

I requested this as I love historical fiction, this was a very interesting story but I found the characters didn't connect with me and I wasn't invested in their story. However, the story was interesting.

I am a big fan of historical fiction and couldn't wait to read a new author to me , and while I found the plot very interesting and the historical element was also very informative and and taught me a bit about how the poor were treated . I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction

This is the first out of a trilogy called the Hudson & Lawes trilofy. It is a Victorian murder mystery book.

I absolutely adore the cover of the book.

*Thank you to the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I requested this book as I enjoy historical fiction and I liked the cover. The subject was interesting and the characters have promise but I found them all to be a bit sterile. I persuaded myself that this was because it was written in the Victorian style but it just couldn’t grab means considering the high number of highly emotive subjects in the book it felt utterly devoid of emotion or depth.

In trying to understand my criticisms I kept coming back to the last book I had read. I started reading this after being wholly engrossed in a very different story although poverty, education and suicide were still major themes. In the book, The Last Samurai, there is a discussion about music and how a piano concerto might sound completely different depending on whether before it you heard another piano concerto or tribal drums. This thought stayed with me for at least 3/4 of “On The House” and I kept thinking it might be a different book if I had not read The Last Samurai. I suppose what I am saying is that despite the low rating I am curious to read subsequent books in the series.
I like Edgar Lawes and the people around him but I think the books places and charities lack soul.
I would like to thank Publishers and Unbound for providing me with a copy in exchange for this review.

A beautifully written novel by a talented author. Maskew writes from the perspective of a young Whig who becomes involved in the running of a workhouse in Seddon. As he learns more about the mistreatment of the ooor and the consequences of the poor laws at the time, he is embroiled in a murder mystery and finds himself at the centre of the scandal. It’s a very entertaining and thought-provoking story - well researched and entertaining.

I loved this book! Packed full of meticulously researched, intelligent background the reader is soon immersed in the life of a 19th century Workhouse and the vibrant characters which inhabit it. There is a mystery to be solved, rights to be fought for and we are given a real insight into a wide range of lives of the time and the challenges that face them. After a sedate beginning, necessary to set the ethos of the background clearly, the pace picks up and the book becomes unputdownable! I downloaded the second in the series immediately on finishing the first and read them back to back - I cant wait to read more. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good historical read and this one did not let me down. I highly recommend this book.

The first book in the Hudson and Lawes series. Set in the Victorian era in a workhouse that isn’t being run correctly.

Lawes wants to improve the conditions but is finding it hard to gather admissible evidence. Could Hudson be the answer he’s been looking for?

With a suicide of an inmate in the workhouse then a murder of one of the staff, changes need to made ASAP and fingers pointed.

It was very much a page turner though it was a little repetitive with Hudson’s account and I felt it could have maybe been weaved in chronologically but it still worked.

Personally I preferred book 2 in the series, Innocents to the Slaughter.

Well researched, and fascinating. This book is both a mystery and social history. I loved this, and there were some real heart stopping moments. I loved it and would recommend to anyone who enjoys either category

*Many thanks to Helen Maskew, Unbound Digital and Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
I requested this title as I am interested in the Poor Law and the management of workhouses in the Victorian times. After watching a BBC documentary, I thought I might find this book interesting, and I was right. On The House gives solid insight into the ways workhouses worked, how they were financed and managed, or rather mismanaged, in many cases, and how they changed people who were forced by circumstances to stay in them. A murder on the premises is an integral part of the story, but I enjoyed the characters of Ambroce Hudeson, a pioneer investigative journalist, and of a landowner, Edgar Lowes, who understands that times they are a changing,

I found On The House to be informative even though the story is fiction. The lives of the poor in rural England are not addressed enough. It's also an engaging read with witty characters. It's a wonderful piece of historical fiction.

This was so interesting - I think the characters came off as so realistic, I couldn't not like it! I also think the cover is going to draw people in like hot cakes, it's brilliant! Anyway, great plot and writing, it's sure to be a hit!

Really enjoyable read, you can tell the author went to great lengths to research and ensure a well rounded book was written. A beautifully written and enjoyable story.

Brilliantly crafted and superbly researched, the care that has gone into ‘On the House’ is palpable. Lawes in particular is a likeable protagonist- it’s easy to spend time in his company even if his voice feels a little twee at times. The setting is beautifully rendered, the historical details captured well. One to cosy up with in the winter months.

This was fantastic, great story that kept me gripped throughout and the plot I really enjoyed.
The way this book was written too kept me really interested so I would highly recommend.

An interesting well researched read about the plight of the poor in rural England. I found the characters well developed and the plights described were common to the time. However, there are unscrupulous people everywhere and it becomes the job of the magistrate, Lawes and the reporter, Hudson, to uncover the men behind the poor conditions and lack of food, when a brutal murder takes place. The story begins slowly and builds moving to a much faster pace after the murder occurs. There is not much of a mystery here, more of an exposition of the whys and how the murder came to be. I got a little tired of the back in forth of the book, between the gatekeeper going to the JP's to tell him what he knows and the JP trotting over to the workhouse to investigate. Overall, a pleasant read. As this is part of s trilogy, hopefully Ms Maskew will take the review comments to heart as she continues the series. I received this ARC in return for an unbiased review from NetGalley