It's 1873 in England, and Clara Blackstone has only just been set back out into the world again after spending a year locked away in a private asylum. Determined to never return to the asylum again, Clara reunites with her husband Henry and tries in vain to return to the life she had before. However, she quickly becomes obsessed with the actions of Mary Ann Cotton, a woman accused of murdering almost twenty people, including her husbands and their children. With her husband perhaps not being the man he claimed to be and Mary becoming an unlikely ally, Clara is stuck in a struggle to protect everything she holds dear.

I love historical fiction novels to pieces. If there's some mystery and thriller bits sprinkled in, it makes it all the better. This was a great novel to get lost in, for sure!

Clara was a wonderful character to be in the mind of, even if it was stressful at times. She's under constant threat at all times, either from her husband's intent to have her sent back to an asylum or society's dislike of Clara's actions towards those they deem beneath them. She feels painfully realistic as she deals with grief and the anger of being put in a position of helplessness by those who are supposed to aide her in her time of need. The relationship she has with Mary Ann Cotton is intriguing and unsettling simultaneously; I was never quite sure if Mary was being 100% honest to Clara, but that was a great part of the mystery.

Henry, Clara's husband, was also a well-written antagonist. His motives and actions were not too far from the realm of possibility, and the fact that such things could (and perhaps did) happen to women during this time made his threats and actions very real and terrifying. I always appreciate when a villain isn't outlandish or over the top, it makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience.

The author's writing was also wonderfully descriptive. I could very easily picture Clara's surroundings and the people around her. It also made seeing through the lens of Clara's senses that much more interesting since I could see myself in her shoes regarding her emotions and reactions.

The only issue I really had with the novel was that some things were left more open-ended than I usually prefer. I'm one of those people that like to have everything wrapped up in a neat bow by the end. It's not always realistic, and it doesn't always work with the ending of the story, but we can't help what we like. That being said, I felt the ending fit the characters and the setting very well.

Pub Date: May 18, 2021 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
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I feel so, so, SO grateful when I’m approved for an ARC on @netgalley and I was really hoping to be approved for this historical fiction novel! Huge thank you to @inkshares & @netgalley for the early copy. ☺️ 
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The Savage Instinct (I love the title so much) is set in the early 1870’s and we follow Clara Blackstone as she leaves a mental asylum. If you’re wondering, no she wasn’t insane. She just had a very disruptive outburst due to her giving birth to a stillborn baby (because who wouldn’t be extremely upset/traumatized?!). Upon her release, Clara returns to her husband, Henry, who wants nothing more than to have Clara permanently drugged or locked up. Basically he’s the worst. As Clara starts to re-acclimate to her normal life, she becomes enamored by an accused serial murderer, Mary Ann Cotton, who becomes an intricate part of the story. Clara visits Mary Ann Cotton and forms a bond and ally ship with this woman. Clara’s story starts to unravel, and she realizes she is stuck in her own kind of prison and she needs to get out.  
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The beginning of this book was painfully slow, so I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it, but I held on. The story also jumps a year or so ahead here and there, sharing Clara’s travels to India to meet her grandmother. As the story progressed, I was more sucked in and as I got to about halfway through the book, I was hooked! The storyline was fabulous and the detail and intricacies within the plot was spot on. I enjoyed that Mary Ann Cotton, who was England’s first serial killer IRL, was woven in and how she played a part in Clara’s revelations and understanding that her husband was a crook and only wanted her money. The ending of this book was 💯, with a beyond ironic end result to Clara’s hope of freedom.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley & Inkshares for this ARC in return for an honest review

After spending a year in a mental asylum, Clara Blackstone heads home with her husband to Durham. Upon her arrival, she witnesses a mob outside the prison outraged over their newest prisoner: infamous murderer Mary Ann Cotton. Cotton is accused of murder of at least 20 people; including her own children and past husbands. In order to escape a restrictive home life and her own terrible husband, Clara becomes a lady visitor at the prison where she meets Mary Ann Cotton. Clara befriends Cotton, who denies the murder accusations and gives Clara advice on how to handle her oppressive marriage.
This historical time piece captures the horrors and harsh realities of a woman’s life in Victorian England by exploring the confinements of marriage, the law, and society. For readers who enjoy Alias Grace, gothic elements, and a slow burn.

notable quote 1: “I think of Mr. Mill’s assertion that oppression of women is one of the few remaining relics from ancient time and we, as humans, will never progress until we erase it.” (167)

2: “The instinct to survive can drive any person to violence, as can the hunger for revenge.” (322)

Trigger warnings: abuse, medical mistreatment, a very graphic miscarriage scene, PTSD, assault.

I enjoyed this! The writing was very accessible which I was worried wouldn't be the case given the heavy topic. The first 30 pages grabbed my attention and I was hooked until the end. The story itself was very fast-paced, which I always appreciate. If you enjoy historical fiction with decently written female characters, pick this up!

Thank you to Netgalley, Inkshares and Marjorie DeLuca for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Savage Instinct is set in Durham, England in 1873. The story follows Clara Blackstone's return home after her release from a private asylum where she spent a year following a breakdown after her first child was stillborn. Through happenstance she meets and becomes "friends" with Mary Ann Cotton, a real historical figure of the time. Meanwhile, Clara is trying to figure out the secrets her husband is keeping from her.

The book started a little slow for me, but picked up the further into the story I got and I suddenly couldn't read fast enough. It's a dark, chilling look at society's shocking treatment of women in Victorian times and how their freedoms could be taken away simply with a diagnosis of hysteria, an alleged mental health condition that explained away anything a man was uncomfortable with.

The author wove the true story of Britain's first female serial killer in brilliantly. At times I felt like I could see Mary Ann's face as she was speaking to Clara. I couldn't quite figure out what Mary Ann wanted though. Was it money, a lawyer, help escaping, to play with Clara's mind (like Hannibal Lecter), or was she simply looking for friendship? Their interactions are my favorite part of the book and I wish there were more of them.

This book can be hard to read at times, and some people might find the detailed treatment of women described to be a trigger. Gothic thrillers are right in my wheelhouse so I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend The Savage Instinct to fans of thrillers, psychological suspense, mysteries, historical fiction, women's fiction, and general fiction.

We meet Clara following a traumatizing loss and subsequent confinement in an asylum under the direction of her controlling husband. I struggled with this book, I think largely because of how disturbing it was that Clara's treatment at the hands of husband was not altogether unheard of or uncommon during the time period. The lack of mental health awareness and treatment available to women was appalling and I found it so difficult to reconcile that.

Then, Clara meets Mary Ann Cotton, an infamous poisoner facing a death sentence, who becomes inextricably tied to Clara's life. And there are some pretty clear parallels between Clara and Mary Ann, and you can see that for Clara's privilege (i.e. money) she might find herself facing the same fate as the imprisoned. I only felt that, while I think you can certainly argue that Mary Ann is a sympathetic character, and she helps Clara come into her own, the relationship still feels altogether manipulative. I never got the sense that Mary Ann's intentions were strictly honorable and her motivations in befriending Clara don't seem all that different from Clara's husband.

Overall I think a well done story, compelling and I like the tie in of the true life story of Mary Ann Cotton.

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkshares for providing me with an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Find more of my reviews at www.mymomsbookshelf.com.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me. I think I've learned that I'm not at all into the gothic setting, and that is no fault of the author. For me, both the writing and story felt slow and I found myself frequently putting the book down and simply not engaging. I can absolutely understand why people LOVE this book and I think I'm in the minority. For that reason, I give this book 4/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From what I can figure out, it looks like The Savage Instinct was originally self-published by DeLuca in 2015 and is being re-released by Inkshares. Now, I read this when the expected publishing date was March 16th but it looks like it's been pushed to May. This just means you have time to let the anticipation build because this is a damn good book.

By no means an easy read, I was at times disgusted, terrified, uncomfortable, or anxious throughout the story. Sometimes these feelings came together in new and interesting ways for even more heightened emotions. No part of this book makes you happy to take a stroll down memory lane to revisit the expectations of women in the 1800s and the horrors brought down upon them when they did not meet these expectations.

As Clara joins her husband in Durham after stints in two asylums, both horrific in their own ways, she undergoes an awakening, thanks in part to her interactions with accused serial killer Mary Ann Cotton. Even before becoming aware of Clara's experiences and more of her background, her husband Henry is an infuriating character. Weak and disagreeable, he seems a poor match for Clara, unable and unwilling to give her the support she needs to find her role in a new town, a new home, and her old marriage. It soon becomes clear that what appears to be clumsy, awkward attempts to help are actually hiding much darker motives.

The dynamic between Clara and Mary Ann is so incredibly interesting. The push and pull between them as they try to befriend each other - revealing and withholding secrets and personal information, not sure how much to trust each other - has left me still questioning truth vs fact. Even though they at first seem so different, they are both haunted women who have lived through terrible life events.

As the story continues, it evolves into a dark race against imprisonment. The memories of the asylum become more prominent, the news stories about Mary Ann's accused crimes become more explicit, and the stakes start skyrocketing. The emotions are so palpable, Clara's growing terror as her future starts to close in on her made me feel physically ill.

If nothing else, The Savage Instinct made me glad I'm alive now and not trying to survive as a woman in the 1800s. There's still a lot that needs to change but at least I don't need to worry about being committed to an asylum if I upset my husband. I would highly recommend this book if suspense and high stakes are your thing but prepare yourself for some graphic atrocities against women and explicit reports of the autopsies performed on Mary Ann's victims (primarily her husbands and children).

I absolutely LOVED this book! It had everything I look for in a great historical fiction novel and I will be buying a physical copy of it as soon as humanly possible!

It tells the story of traumatised Clara, recently released from an asylum back into the arms of husband Henry. But Clara quickly realises that she has left one prison cell for another as the reality of home life lands its cruel blow.

She befriends an unlikely ally; a true figure from history and a murderess local to my area, Mary Anne Cotton. Cotton was accused of poisoning 3 husbands and 11 of her children and was consequently labelled as The Black Widow by history.

This unlikely friendship poses some interesting questions regarding freedom and what constitutes as freedom. Technically, Clara is a free woman but, due to the time she lives, she is very much her husband's property. So whilst she is not locked in a physical prison cell like Mary Anne, she is still very much a prisoner of circumstance and societal expectations.

I absolutely loved reading this book - it was so well crafted and so well told, I felt genuine torment and distress at Clara's situation and the book forces you to consider the line between perpetrator and victim. A line that is not always so black and white.

The book also sensitively explores society's mistreatment of women in Victorian England and the subject of insanity and madness (and what constituted it in the 19th century) was a prominent theme that cut through the whole story.

And the title - can we just take a minute to coo over the cleverness of this title?

All in all, if you are fan of historical fiction that poses some troubling social and ethical dilemmas, please pick this book up! Not only is this an interesting take on Britain's first serial killer, but it is also a moving exploration on the oppression faced by so many women in Victorian England.

Thank you to @netgalley @inkshares and @mmdelucaauthor for the ARC - I've loved every word of it.

I got sucked into this historical fiction from its very first line: I became acquainted with madness at the age of twenty-six.

Clara Blackstone has just been released to her gaslighting loser of a husband, after a hellish stint at a Victorian English madhouse hospital. Still mourning the loss of her stillborn child and several prior miscarriages, stuck in a soul-sucking prison of a marriage, and living amidst an even more abusive culture and world at large; Clara finds solace in a doomed friendship she forms with Mary Ann Cotton, a fascinating real-life historical figure who was accused of serial murders in 1873.

Professor Henry Blackstone and his wife Clara are a proper couple living in Durham, England. He a university math professor with aspirations of further social climbing, she the granddaughter of a wealthy ex-pat grandmother sunning herself in the British colony of India. Author DeLuca's rendering of the local area, times and criminal level of sexism is captivating. I loved all the voices in Clara's head, warning her to act submissively but at the same to also survive. I loved the dialog and attention to historical detail that so rarely disappointed (one casually contemporary "Forget I said it" notwithstanding). This psychological thriller-mystery had my attention to the very end, I hope to read more by this author, and thank NetGalley and Inkshares for the ARC!

“I believe it to be true. We humans are possessed of savage instincts -- to protect, to survive, to avenge, but the evil ones amongst us are ferocious predators, deriving pleasure not only from preying on the weak, but from destroying them slowly, deliberately, and cruelly.”

What is this book about?

“England, 1873. Clara Blackstone has just been released after one year in a private asylum for the insane. Clara has two goals: to reunite with her husband, Henry, and to never—ever—return to the asylum. As she enters Durham, Clara finds her carriage surrounded by a mob gathered to witness the imprisonment of Mary Ann Cotton—England’s first female serial killer—accused of poisoning nearly twenty people, including her husbands and children.

Clara soon finds the oppressive confinement of her marriage no less terrifying than the white-tiled walls of Hoxton. And as she grows increasingly suspicious of Henry’s intentions, her fascination with Cotton grows. Soon, Cotton is not just a notorious figure from the headlines, but an unlikely confidante, mentor—and perhaps accomplice—in Clara’s struggle to protect her money, her freedom, and her life.”

My opinions

*minor spoilers ahead*

Characters

Clara: Oh my God, I loved her so much. I normally don't like the main characters but I quickly became attached to Clara, the struggles that she went through were very difficult to read about and I rooted for her throughout the entire time. I just wanted the best for her. Her morality can kind of be considered questionable as well as her relationship with Mary Ann Cotton, but I think this makes her even better to read about.

“After almost a year in the asylum, I was an expert at fading into the shadows. At becoming a ghost of a woman.”

Mary Ann Cotton: Now, this is a real person so I would rather not talk about her as much even though she was very important to the story. I don't think she was the villain of the story. Overall she was a creepy character and I wanted her to appear more often.

“Never show your weakness or it'll be the end of you, pet.”

Henry: I hated him so much. He's disgusting, cruel, annoying. Oh, the hate that I have for this man.

“Never trust a man--most particularly your own husband.”

Adeline: Not much better than her Henry, hated her guts. She was just so frustrating to read about.

“For we humans cannot resist the lure of the abyss.”

Plot

The first half of the book:

Really enjoyable, felt like the pacing was just a bit slow at times, but I ignored it because I was just so mad and disgusted about what was happening.

The second half of the book:

Not very different from the first, but I enjoyed this half more because it had so much action! It was heartbreaking.

If you like :

-(possible) serial killers
-strong female characters
-late 1800s
-heartbreaking stories
-books about mental health in earlier times
-characters that you're going to loathe
-quick-paced books

THEN READ THIS BOOK!!

Rating: 4/5💫


*many thanks to net galley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book!!*

The Savage Instinct by Marjorie DeLuca is a book set in England, 1873. The story starts with Clara Blackstone. Clara has just been released from a private asylum for the insane. After she suffered a breakdown following a stillbirth, her husband locked her up in an asylum. Once released, Clara's goal is to reunite with her husband and to never return to the asylum. Clara soon finds the oppressive confinement of her marriage no less terrifying than the white-tiled walls of Hoxton. And as she grows increasingly suspicious of Henry’s intentions, her fascination with Mary Ann Cotton, England’s first female serial killer, grows. Soon, Cotton becomes an unlikely confidante and mentor in Clara’s struggle to protect her freedom and her life.

This is a haunting and realistic story that focuses on the boundaries of acceptable Victorian womanhood.

{DNF}
There are too many books on my Netgalley shelf and I did not have time to write a proper review

The year is 1873, and Clara Blackstone has just been released from an asylum. Only to find herself in a prison of an entirely different making. The pressures of society and the abusive expectations of her husband make the experience an arduous one.

However, Clara soon finds solace in the understanding of another woman. One Mary Ann Cotton – yes, that one. She feels that this is the one person who could possibly ever understand her, however, the secrets told through friendship may very well drown any bond that has formed.

Yikes! The Savage Instinct is one of those novels that simply knocks your socks off. But that’s probably not a surprise, given the time period and promise of all the talk in the world about poisoning and serial killers.

I don’t normally read novels surrounding real-life killers (I prefer to keep them fictional, thank you very much!), but I have to admit that this was wonderfully done. I especially appreciated how Marjorie DeLuca was able to keep things pretty open-ended, all things considered.

She also does a horrifying good job at portraying the suffocating feeling that Clara experiences. The struggles of that time period feel real – almost too real. If you’re looking for a novel that’ll get you thinking – and feeling – then this is the book for you!

This book didnt turn out the way i thought it would. I was not too fond of it. I finished it hoping that it would get better but it did not (for my liking). It was ok but it was a tad hard to get into.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

The Savage Instinct by Marjorie DeLuca follows Clara Blackstone as she is recovering from a year-long stay in an insane asylum. When arriving at her new home in Durham and back to her husband and life, she is confronted by a mob looking for justice and an alleged female killer. While dealing with the betrayal that led her to the asylum, she is also intrigued by Mary Ann Cotton’s story. She becomes close with Cotton and her domestic bliss begins to unravel, Clara begins to understand what her freedom and life is worth. Read the rest of my review - https://bythecoverreview.com/2021/03/16/review-the-savage-instinct-by-marjorie-deluca/

This was a very good book. It covers a number of themes, two women in trying circumstances being the main one. At the start of the book, Clara Blackstone and her husband are moving to Durham after she had spent time recovering in two asylums, one of which was the notorious Bedlam Asylum the other a 'private' one after she miscarried her baby and experienced (probably) depression. She was subjected to a number of 'cures' which probably contributed to her mental state rather than help it. She is deemed cured and her husband decides a move would be a benefit to her and him (mostly him). In Durham Clara is invited to visit the prison where Mary Ann Cotton is being held prior to her trial, Mary is thought to be England's most prolific female serial killer. Clara meets Mary and they become friends of a sort. Clara's husband meanwhile, is more interested in Clara's inheritance from an elderly relative than the continued recovery of his wife. Flashes forward describe Clara on a trip to Bombay where her relative lives as she seeks to join her. I really enjoyed this book, I knew very little about Mary Cotton and in the afterward the author provides a list of references and a bit of history about her. I highly recommend. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Savage Instinct by M.M. DeLuca follows Clara Blackstone after her release from a mental institution. She was forcibly committed after a stillbirth and received no actual care. Instead, she suffered a variety of traumatic and dehumanizing “treatments.” At home, Clara struggles to be calm and “normal” enough to avoid her husband Henry’s wrath, but he finds fault everywhere. He never says anything kindly, or even neutrally—every line drips with condescension and loathing. His behavior is so extreme that “caricature” is the only word that comes to mind. It also means that for the first half of the novel, he and Clara repeatedly have the same interaction: She offends him by existing, and he responds with cruelty.

I think Henry is meant to embody every problem a married woman might face in the 1800s, but even women who weren’t hated by their husbands didn’t receive good psychiatric treatment. The real villain is a system that viewed women as fundamentally inferior and permitted them a narrow band of acceptable behavior. Even if Henry were a smidge less evil, he might have approved some of Clara’s treatments, persuaded by doctors that they were medically necessary. Yikes. It’s worth noting that these treatments are described in visceral detail and are extremely disturbing.

The story opens up a bit when Clara begins visiting the prison and spending time with Mary Ann Cotton, a woman suspected of poisoning 20+ people, including several of her husbands and a dozen children. The Savage Instinct has earned comparisons to Alias Grace for how it attempts to show Cotton’s charges in an ambiguous light—is she guilty, or innocent? Either way, her scenes with Clara are interesting because she’s the only person not trying to force Clara into a specific type of behavior. With her encouragement and occasional advice, Clara attempts to escape her husband’s control and unravel the lies he has told her.

There’s a lot of potential here, and the historical elements are well handled, but Henry’s one-dimensional nature and that of his cruel associate made some moments repetitive. Sometimes, this repetition is caused by inflexible characters having too-similar conversations in multiple scenes, and sometimes it’s caused by major plot points happening more than once (can’t say more on that without spoilers).

Overall: 3.0 (out of 5.0) Suspenseful and disquieting, but a tighter plot and richer characters would have made for a more engaging read.

NB: This book was provided for review by the publisher, Inkshares (via NetGalley).

Greed, murder and the appalling treatment of women in Victorian England. I was instantly drawn into the parallels of the two women from different backgrounds and their experiences living in an era where psychiatry was often used to mistreat and silence women.

As the book progressed, the life experiences and the fight for survival and freedom of both women took me through a whirlpool of emotions. The Savage Instinct is painful to read, it tears at your gut, as it explores some of the ugliest, selfish behaviour mankind can conceive.

A dark, intense, fast paced historical read with a riveting plot. A must read.

I've noticed a trend towards women speaking their truth in the last dozens of books I've consumed. Or at least more honesty regarding women's lives. This book certainly adds to this theme.
It is a well known fact women were placed in asylums as a way for the men in their life putting them aside- daughters, wives, sisters difficult to control, men lusting after their inheritances, or simply because they felt inferior. Not to overlook the women with mental health issues who genuinely needed help. But let's be real. The health care system has been failing women for generations.
Clara is finally released from an nightmare asylum when a new doctor takes over patient care. She had given birth to a still born baby after a hard labor and several miscarriages. In 1870s England, a woman's duty was marriage and children. Clara was failing - and being punished accordingly.
Upon her return to her husband, who moved them to a new town while in care, Clara struggles to speak, form relationships, to exist while recovering not only from the loss of her child but also months of abuse at the asylum.
Henry is enthralled with his boss, the Dean of Mathematics at his university in Durham. His wife, Emma, is of course the perfect embodiment of womanhood.
Taken under wing, Clara begins the charity work of the Bible to female prisoners, including the notorious poisoner awaiting trial. Mary Ann poisoned husbands and children- allegedly, without discrimination. And her current pregnancy grants her clemency.
Clara's obsession continues to grow as Henry's intention to have her committed yet again becomes clear.
Excellent portrait of women struggling to have just a moment of freedom at any cost.