If any book ever deserves the title of "page turning" this is defiantly is it!
On top of that there is a victorian period setting and a story based on a true murder case.
Or in other words this book hit most of my sweet spots i am looking for in books and in most points did not disappoint me!
great read!

I really thought this would be something I would love, sadly it was not. I ended up not finishing this title. I tried several times to let this gain my interest, but sadly it never happened.

The Unseeing by Anne Mazzola is a historical crime drama that pits a son against his father and a young mother against the world. This book goes under the category of books I have read this year that far exceed my expectations. If you have not heard of this book in the past, don't feel bad, I didn't either but now I have to wonder how I missed it. Intricately plotted, Mazzola tells the tale of injustice and struggle amid the turbulent 1800s in London, England.

Sarah Gale is a seamstress and mother, a woman whose life has fallen over the years. Born into wealth and privilege, her life changed drastically when her family was abandoned by her father and Sarah and her sister found themselves abandoned and living on the streets. But her life takes a turn for the worse when she is tried and convicted for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown. Hannah was marrying the man Sarah had been living with for years and now Sarah was to be homeless with her young son once again.

Edmund Fleetwood, the son of a powerful and influential man, is appointed by the Home Secretary to look into Sarah's petition for mercy. Sarah is sentenced to be hanged and with the brutality of the crime, the city itself wants her dead. Hannah was not only murdered, but her body was cut into pieces and distributed around the city. Sarah is not accused of committing the actual murder but of helping her lover cover it up afterwards. For that, she is sentenced to death. Edmund sees this as a possible opportunity to further his career and remove him from the shadow of his father.

As Edmund digs into the facts of the case, he finds lies and corruption throughout. He is not convinced that Sarah is innocent, but does she deserve to die for her part in covering up the murder. But the going is tough as Sarah refuses to be of any help. What Edmund finds are secrets upon secrets and a life full of pain and hurt. Yet Sarah keeps her secrets to herself and Edmund must battle the system and Sarah to unearth what truly happened to Hannah Brown. But why, Edmund must ask himself, is someone willing to go to the gallows rather than speak what she knows. But those secrets, could very well end up at Edmund's own door.

I had not heard of Anna Mazzola and The Unseeing prior to picking this one up and though I had read the blurbs, the novel itself did not truly strike a cord with me. But after the first few pages of this book, I was emotionally and intensely involved with the story. Based on an actual murder case, The Unseeing is a powerful tale of the state of justice and the rights of the accused in Victorian England.

Sarah is an intriguing character and her time in prison is both real and depressing. She holds onto what little hope she has, while struggling with the truths that bind her even more than the cell she is locked into. You are never convinced that she is innocent but there is always the thought that she is at the least, innocent of what she is accused of.

But it is Edmund who drives this story. He is relentless of his pursuit of the truth. Even when the truth may cost him his future and his marriage. The world he lives in is as much a prison as where Sarah is kept. The behavior and obligations that are expected of him. The sense that what people think of him is above all else.

Mazzola has written a terrific novel here, infusing it with enough truth and the setting to make the characters come alive. This is a book for lovers of historical fiction. Mazzola has researched her case well. I missed it early on but am so happy to have found it.

This is one not to be missed!

A gripping historical novel based on a real crime story that occurred in London 1837. It took some time to get attached to the characters because they were so shrouded in mystery, but then it was all the more exciting to wait for the big reveal. The narration itself, the details of the crime and investigation proceedings required undivided attention. The characters were realistically portrayed, and that is a big plus for a novel based on real events. I'll highly recommend it to all those who like realistic historical and/or crime fiction.

It’s Christmas 1836 and Hannah Brown is looking forward to her wedding to James Greenacre. However, the marriage will never take place; instead, Hannah is brutally murdered and in the weeks that follow, the parts of her dismembered body are discovered in various locations around London. Her fiancé, Greenacre, is arrested and found guilty – but although he admits to disposing of the body, he claims that Hannah was already dead when he found her. This makes no difference to the judge and jury and Greenacre is sentenced to hang, along with his mistress, Sarah Gale, who is accused of concealing the murder.

Sarah had been living with Greenacre as his housekeeper before being asked to leave so he could marry Hannah. She insists that she knew nothing about the murder and Greenacre also denies that she had any involvement, but this is not enough to save her. As she sits in a cell in Newgate Prison, Sarah’s only hope is the petition she has submitted asking for clemency. The lawyer appointed by the Home Secretary to look again at Sarah’s case is Edmund Fleetwood, young, idealistic and principled. After speaking to Sarah and hearing her talk about her life, Edmund is convinced that she should be freed, but how can he prove it? And is it possible that he is becoming too emotionally involved in the case to be able to see the facts clearly?

Anna Mazzola’s debut novel, The Unseeing, is based on a true crime; the Edgware Road Murder, as it became known, really did take place and James Greenacre really was found guilty and was sentenced to death. Sarah Gale was also arrested, but I won’t tell you what her eventual fate would be. I didn’t know and that meant I was kept in suspense wondering what would happen to her. It’s important to remember, though, that this is fiction and not everything in the book is taken from historical fact – which could explain why some of the developments towards the end of the novel didn’t completely convince me.

Edmund Fleetwood, who plays such a major role in the novel, is a fictional character and the author has created a fictional story for him running alongside Sarah’s. I thought the two stories worked well together – I did like Edmund and I shared his frustration as Sarah repeatedly refused to provide any information which could have helped her defence – but there were times when I felt I was being distracted from the central plot and I just wanted to get back to Sarah in the Newgate. The portrayal of prison life is one of the novel’s strong points and reminded me of other prison-based historical novels such as Antonia Hodgson’s The Devil in the Marshalsea and Sarah Waters’ Affinity.

The most interesting aspect of the book, though, is the exploration of what it meant to be a woman accused of a crime in the 19th century: the unfairness of the law, the way in which evidence against a woman was considered, the possible bias that could arise from a verdict being reached by an all-male jury, and whether the punishments handed out were in proportion to the crime. The fact that many of these women had children – like Sarah’s little boy, George – added another complication. Sarah is lucky enough to have a sister, Rosina, who takes care of George while she is in prison, but what will happen to him if the worst happens and she can never come home?

The Unseeing is an interesting blend of fact and fiction; I did enjoy it, but I felt that there wasn’t enough to make this book stand out from others of its type. I couldn’t quite love it, but I liked it and will be looking out for more from Anna Mazzola.

Unfortunately, The Unseeing didn't really work for me. I never felt the thrills the blurb promised--the narrative felt very slow and quiet to me. Slow and quiet can work in a mystery if there's a rising dread that pushes me forward through the pages, but I never felt that here. I read to the end because a satisfying twist could have redeemed it, but the reveal that it was Sarah's sister who committed the murder fell flat for me, and I felt none of the shock or surprise I could tell I was supposed to feel. I wish I had liked this more, since it's clear the author has done lots of research and is herself interested in the historical case her story is based on. I just couldn't muster the same level of interest myself.

Per my positive-only policy, I won't be reviewing The Unseeing on my site. However, I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read it.

1837, during the course of this book, the Victorian age will be ushered in, and a young woman and mother would be sentenced to hang. When body parts of a murders woman are found in various areas, a Christmas Eve murder would be uncovered. The body traced back to James Greenacre, his live in mistress, Sarah deemed culpable and sentenced to Newgate to await her execution date. But was she guilty. She refuses to say much of anything, claiming not to know what happened. Edmund, a young barrister is charged with uncovering her story, a charge which will uncover many secrets and have a profound effect on his own life.

Darkly atmospheric, richly described, this story based on a real life case, quickly drew me in and kept me turning the pages wanting to uncover the heart of this mystery. Using actual newspaper headlines from the time, court transcripts, the author add a few characters of her own invention to enrich and define this addictive story. The descriptions of the treatment and conditions of Bedlam were appalling. Justice back then was not exactly fitting to the crime, much, much, harsher than today. Our legal system has come a long way, thank goodness.

Reminds me a little of the atmosphere in Burial rites, another book about a convicted murderess.
An debut novel by a very capable author.

ARC from Netgalley.
Release date, February 7th by Sourcebooks Landmark.

This story has potential. However, I did not like the main character. Some of the parts were slow.

4.5 stars

The Unseeing is a finely crafted neo-Victorian mystery based on real life events. It drew me in and left me wanting more!

The gruesome nature of Hannah Brown’s murder created a public uproar. Condemned to death for aiding and abetting, Sarah Gale is brought to Newgate prison to spend her final days before hanging. When a petition of mercy is filed, Edmund Fleetwood is hired to investigate whether or not the court made the correct recommendation in ordering Sarah to death.

While Edmund approaches the case objectively, he finds himself being drawn in more and more by Sarah, to the point where one wonders how much she is telling the truth and how much she is simply manipulating Edmund. It is clear that Sarah is hiding a secret and as the events that led to Hannah’s death are gradually revealed, Sarah’s fate is left in Edmund’s hands.

The Unseeing is a well-written debut novel packed with tension and some surprising twists and turns. I highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Edmund Fleetwood has an unfortunate handicap for a man who wants to make his name as a criminal lawyer. He has principles. When the Home Secretary asks him to review the Edgeware Road murder case, in which a woman is liable to hang for concealing a murder, Edmund finds himself becoming deeply emotionally involved in what he believes to be a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Based on a real murder committed in 1836, Anna Mazzola’s debut novel sets the facts of the case within a tantalising web of secrets.

Mazzola is herself a criminal justice solicitor and so she’s well-placed to convey the thrill of examining evidence and the care needed to check and double-check. Edmund’s world in the chambers of the Temple is thoroughly convincing and, although Newgate itself has long since vanished, Mazzola makes its bleakness, brutality and misery all too believable. The characterisation is strong, thanks to a good ear for the speech of the day: Sarah, with her educated upbringing, is immediately distinguishable from an earthier character like Rook, even if we’re not told who is speaking. And, through quotes at the head of each chapter, taken from contemporary papers, the story is anchored to the historical facts.

However, I felt that the book was slightly less successful in the events that Mazzola has invented. I must tread carefully here, because I don’t want to give away spoilers. What I mean is that I wasn’t entirely convinced by the solution we were offered, nor by the characters’ reactions to it (this is a novel, after all, not a history and several of the characters – including Edmund himself – are the author’s own invention). There are also certain coincidences which struck me as slightly implausible: perhaps a case of over-egging the pudding just a little too much, or perhaps my own fault for reading this as a fictionalised review of the historical case, rather than a family saga which uses historical fact as its scaffolding. This doesn’t prevent the story being a perfect engaging thriller, but it does mean that the tension sags a little towards the end.

Still, this is a well-crafted debut and an absorbing account of a rather grisly murder. Victorian court cases have become a popular subgenre of history and historical fiction in recent years and, if you’ve enjoyed The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or The Wicked Boy – or even Victorian prison dramas like Affinity – you should keep an eye out for this. I’d love to know what others have thought of the denouement. Am I being unjustly harsh in finding it a bit flabby?

For the full review, please visit my blog at the link given below:
https://theidlewoman.net/2017/01/18/the-unseeing-anna-mazzola

A true-crime fiction novel debut, “The Unseeing” is the story of Sarah Gale’s role in a vicious crime that fascinated London at the time. The Edgeware Road Murder shocked the public in the visceral and graphic manner the body was disposed of. Instead of leaving it to a footnote in the dark times of London, Author Anna Mazzola has brought it back into the light with her debut novel. Already published for over 6 months in the UK, it has been brought to the States by Sourcebooks Landmark. Clearly Mazzola has a real gift for this and hopefully will grace us with another book in a similar style as time goes on.

Typically not a fan of the true-crime fiction genre, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself readily enjoying “The Unseeing.” I did have a bit of trouble in the middle, when I thought everything had been wrapped up neatly, only to find that there was about 45% more book left. With a physical book, you have visual cue to let you know that there is more to come. I would compare it to a procedural crime show that seems to be solved at the 30 minute mark. You know something is going to happen, because it all seems too easy. One of the reasons I try to avoid true-crime fiction is that if the book is too slow or badly written, I have been known to simply google the crime in order to not leave anything hanging and move on. I can honestly say that I wasn’t heading for Google any time soon with this book. From character descriptions to plausible motivations and backstories, whether Mazzola chooses to stick to true-crime or makes the move to another section of historical fiction, I look forward to seeing her next move.

*This eBook was provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for honest feedback*

4.5 stars!

This is a historical crime page turner set in the Victorian time period. It is a work of fiction but based on a true murder case called The Edgeware Road Murder of 1837. It is set in London.

Sarah Gale is sentenced to hang as she was convicted of aiding and a betting, James Greenacre in the murder of Hannah Brown. Sarah was his mistress and lover.

During the trial Sarah has done nothing to protest her innocence and even changes her statement. Hannah Brown's body was found dismembered. Edmund Fleetwood is her attorney who is assigned to review Sarah's conviction and decide if the death penalty should apply. Sarah has a four year old son and he finds her life at stake. He feels she is very uncooperative and reluctant to open up to him. Edmund is sure Sarah is hiding something but what could she be hiding. He becomes very emotionally involved.

Anna Mazzola's debut novel sets the facts of the case within a web of secrets.

The book is suspenseful with a few twists. I loved the book straight from the beginning to the end. I do feel though that the author could of done a little bit better with the character development but other than that I felt the book was done outstandingly well.

I want to thank Netgalley, Anna Mazzola and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(less)

Sarah Gale is being held for aiding and abetting to murder in 1837 of Hannah Brown. She says she is innocent, however, she didn't speak during the trial. Her companion who she was living with at the time said she knew nothing about the murder of Hannah Brown and was innocent. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

Edmund Fleetwood is called upon to investigate further and determine whether or not Ms. Gale did know about the murder and should she be hung or not.

Fleetwood investigates. Interviewing Ms. Gale and trying to get answers out of her is like pulling teeth. It takes her weeks to finally tell him what he needs to know. This comes out on the eve of his deadline. He finalizes his answers and sends them in. Meanwhile, Ms. Gale is not getting quite the proper treatment she should in jail. The main guard knows she is guilty and is caught whipping her and trying to get the truth out of her. She is also starving Ms. Gale and doing other inhumane things to her.

Then there are the twists and turns that come out after the final answer is handed down determining Ms. Gale's future.

I found this book extremely entertaining with a jaw dropping ending that definitely came out of left field. A read that I will remember for a long time.

Huge thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I like to shake things up occasionally but I think I have a pattern of picking really out there novels with quirky timeframes and rolling with it. I also like to think I’m a sucker for a good mystery or thriller. This one had a lot of originality in portraying a factual event - Edgeware Road Murder - and adding in the elements to make it connect with fiction. I was impressed at the level of insight and research the author put into the novel regarding the actual crime.

An enjoyable tale. While the reader can easily tell that Sarah is withholding information, the truth, when reveled, is not what is expected.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author!

Believing is unseeing. This is a semi fictional story based on a very real crime that apparently shook up the Victorian England, the delicate bunch that they were. Actually this takes place right around the time of Victoria's ascension to the throne. England is filthy, violent and brutal for anyone who hasn't got the funds to raise above the poverty levels. A young woman stands convicted of aiding and abetting in murder when an ambitious lawyer (or barrister, really) with much to prove to his domineering father takes up her case to try to prove her innocence and spare her life. Slowly, ever so slowly secrets rise up from the murky waters, emotions enter the scene, muddling the case, obscuring and obfuscating the truth. And whatever's found out is nothing comparing to what is left unseen. Willingly or otherwise. The reader is along for the ride, much like the lawyer, Edmund Fleetwood, relying much too much on trust, empathy, compassion (all those non legal things)...willfully blinding himself to reality. Of course, the readers have the benefit of perspective and distance, so it's easier to figure out the plot, yet this is still a very enjoyable read. Mazzola did a great job fictionizing this story, staying true to the facts, but infusing the bare knucleness of them with details, colors, sounds. She invents characters and motivations, it's really a very impressive dramatization. This is historical fiction at its finest and I was indeed very impressed. Not to mention this is a debut. Very auspicious one at that. Would have loved for it to be more mysterious, but it is what it is. For what a story like that can be, for an absolutely awesome spin on this prisoner/defender/guilty/not guilty Victorian mystery drama, check out Sarah Waters' Affinity. Something about Victorians and their repressions and secrets. Thanks Netgalley.

In 1837, seamstress and mother Sarah Gale was sentenced to hang for aiding and abetting a man murder his fiancée. Sarah confronts attorney Edmund Fleetwood, telling him he must help free her, even as she refuses to testify about the mountain of evidence against her. Fleetwood, a man with his own dark past, begins to look into Gale’s life and how she managed to survive the dark and gritty streets of London. The most fascinating aspect of this book is the terrible conditions poor women were forced to live under at the time, with no voice and no money, they were swept aside like so much trash and left to sink or swim. Meticulously researched, this is a sobering look at a real life crime story

Wisdom Eyes are said to see in all directions at the same time.

And someone saw what happened to Hannah Brown on that fateful night. A gruesome crime was committed on Christmas Eve in 1836 in the small home of Hannah's betrothed, James Greenacre. Hannah and James were to be married the following day. Hannah would never be able to slip on the fancy red wedding dress laid out for her to wear.

But a trail of uncertainty leads to both James and Sarah Gale who had lived with him prior to his involvement with Hannah. Both James and Sarah are arrested and taken to Newgate Prison in London. Although James swears that Sarah knew nothing about the murder of Hannah, the court sees otherwise.

Sarah anxiously writes a letter to the court for a Petition for Clemency even though the court has found her guilty. She has a four year old son and fears for him. Edmund Fleetwood, a criminal barrister, is assigned to her appeal. Edmund visits Sarah daily in prison hearing small segments of her story. He begs her to state the explicit truth in order to save herself from hanging in the gallows. Sarah guards her story and for some reason continually hesitates. What actually happened on that ill-fated night?

Anna Mazzola lays out a story that will make your toes curl. Please know that the crime is indeed gruesome and based on an actual murder of that time period. But she adds a superb fictional twist to the well-thought-out details presented. Mazzola has a crafty way of keeping all the cards in play. It is a wondrous debut novel told in three parts with clever insets from the actual London Standard, excerpts from Demonstrations of Anatomy, nursery rhymes, and the like that tease at the beginning of all the chapters.

The Unseeing is filled with the driving energy of plundering towards the truth. And that truth lies behind whose eyes, indeed?

I received a copy of The Unseeing through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sourcebooks and to Anna Mazzola for the opportunity.