The Slow Death of Maxwell Carrick

Thank you NetGalley and Matador for the eARC.
What a wonderful read this is, I couldn't put the book down and hated ending it..so very good!
It takes place at Lapston Manor, the Cotswolds and Paris during WWII as well as the Cotswalds in 2015.
The 2 main characters are Maxwell Carrick, severely shell shocked at Lapston, where he meets the woman who will change his life irrevocably; the beautiful French woman who he obsessively falls in love with at first sight.
Martha Nelson, retired journalist, in the Cotswolds in 2015, is adrift and depressed without her career and, when approached by a local group to write a history of their village, grabs at the opportunity with both hands. During her research she meets a neighbor who knows quite a bit about Lapston Manor and the family who lived there. He takes her on a tour of the dilapidated home and grounds and she is spellbound. Through her research she learns more and more about Carrick (as do we) and the people around him. There are chapters of Paris during the German occupation that are harrowing to say the least, but they add to the storyline, making it even more addictive.
This is a wonderful book that deserves a wide audience, highly recommended, one of the best books I've read this year.

I have finally got around to reading this book, which was much better than i had thought. I have previously read Jan Harvey's book 'The Seven Letters' and must say that i enjoyed that book a little more. 'The Slow Death of Maxwell Carrick was well written and whilst i am not fond of reading stories with two different time periods, it did work well with this book. Now looking forward to reading more books by Jan Harvey.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review,

When Journalist Martha Nelson becomes engaged in historical research on the transfer of ownership of a local mansion she becomes more and more intrigued by the missing owner.

I always enjoy stories that split between time periods and this was done seamlessly, with alternating chapters between present day and 1944.

We start with newly retired Martha trying to find her place in the world after leaving a career in publishing behind. With a less than supportive husband she embarks on project to support the local community with a book about the history of her village. In doing so she comes across more questions than answers and these are revealed through the voice of Maxwell Carrick, who lived in the Big House in the 40’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, which moved along at a good pace. I felt that all of the characters were well rounded and felt empathy for the position that they found themselves in. There were elements of intrigue, grand old houses, love stories and spies. All of the separate strands were cleverly interwoven and believable.
I will definitely look out for more from this author.

After reading The Seven Letters which I won on Goodreads in 2017 I’ve been excitedly awaiting Jan Harvey’s second book because her first turned out to be the best book I read that year and I enjoy dramatic books based around World War 2 and the Resistance in France. I know from following Jan Harvey on social media that she does her research for her stories and that was evident in this second book. Whilst I found I wasn’t hooked early on, perhaps due to so many characters being introduced, mixing past and present,I was sure I wouldn’t regret getting on with reading it to the end, and I was right. I thought the storyline was great and realistic too, and I was entrigued to figure out what was going on. I’d recommend this to anyone with similar interests to mine. Looking forward to any more books this author writes. With thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Two compelling stories are cleverly and deftly woven together in this well crafted novel from Jan Harvey .
Newly retired journalist Martha is struggling to cope with her free time, and it almost seems like a godsend when she learns that the local history society is seeking someone to put together a book about the locality. When reviewing the information they have gathered she finds herself repeatedly drawn back to the story of the local grand house, Lapston Manor. Rumors of robberies, mysterious deaths and tragedy surround it , and when she goes to explore the area for herself she meets a local landscape gardener, and finds herself irresistibly drawn to him, despite being a contentedly married woman, Is the shadow of Lapston going to destroy her marriage, and will she be able to uncover the truth about the mysterious French woman who somehow came to own the manor after the war?
This mysterious woman is at the heart of the second story told in the book, the fiance of Henry, deceased heir to Lapston, she visits towards the end of WW2, , while the remaining family are grieving their terrible loss. We are introduced to the titular Maxwell Carrick, family friend and companion since childhood. Desperately drawn to the new arrival he cannot see how he is breaking the heart of Henry's sister Alice, but soon he begins to suspect that something is very very wrong with the mysterious Cecile , and her actions soon prove him to be correct.
What really shines throughout this book is the time, effort and attention to detail that the author has put into creating really believable and interesting characters. Martha really resonates, and her internal struggles with her marriage are powerfully rendered.
Structurally the book alternates chapters from both time lines, and while this was a little jarring at first, particularly in the early chapters narrated from Maxwel'ls perspective, I soon adjusted to the rhythm. It's rare in books like this, that I find myself enjoying both story threads equally, usually I will have a preference for one, but in this case both were equally enthralling,
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own,

This book alternates chapters between current times and WW2 era. Martha is a retired journalist who gets involved in writing a history of an old mansion in her town. The WW2 chapters involve Carrick and those who lived in which is now a sad broken down house, who Martha is doing research on.

For the beginning of the book, it seemed to drag on forever and I was starting to think it would be a DNF. But then the author really stepped it up and I was totally into the story! I enjoyed her description of the town, house and I could picture it in my mind.

If you read this book, don't give up on it to soon. So despite a slow start, I honestly did enjoy the book!

* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.

Martha is facing something that quite a lot of retirees feel. Her mind is agile, she has been used to a very active job which used her capabilities and now she is adrift. Her husband, a very good man is staid, he himself a maths teacher who does not understand Martha at all.

A chance advertisement asking for help to set out a book regarding the history of this particular village seems just up Martha's street and she falls into the project with enthusiasm and a lot of vigor. Enthusiasm which is not shared by all of the committee surrounding this project. It also opens up a past story on the history of a manor in the village, whose history has been lost to the present inhabitants. Abandoned and falling into a derelict state, it must have been a grand home for some family and uncovering it step at a time, takes the reader back to the WW1 era and the tragic saga of the Amherst family.

The story of Martha (who also discovers love in the best way possible) at the age of sixty and is in a quandary as to what she should do, and the story of Henry, George, Alice and Madame Roussel takes across from England to France to espionage, betrayal, love, distrust and lost opportunities. Very poignant, very tragic but very well told this was a beautiful story to read.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

The story is told in alternating chapters, current day Martha a retired journalist and WW2 era Carrick.

This story was a bit of a dry read, I never felt vested in any of the characters in either timeline.

2.75 stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Matador for giving me the opportunity to read The Slow Death of Maxwell Carrick.

This is a beautifully written book with cleverly intertwined stories that has stayed with me ever since I finished reading. One storyline is set in 1944 and the other in the present day, both based in the same village in the Cotswolds.

The author covers various areas including unrequited love, long-standing marriage and feeling lost but the subject that moved me the most was Carrick’s shellshock. It was approached in a sympathetic and moving way and showed the effects of, what we now know as, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on its sufferers and their loved ones.

I was entranced by the characters and what was happening to them and I felt genuine emotions as the story unfolded. I will definitely read more by this author, she is a very talented storyteller indeed.

I was given an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.
This one certainly is a slow burn. I thought it was going to be a tedious “great house” novel, but close to halfway in it does become suspenseful, and I could not put it down for the last 60%. Definitely enjoyable if you have the time to invest in it

This book is a slow burn. A thoughtful, mature read for those who like well-drawn characters, and a story that takes you on a gentle journey not a gallop.

I had to adjust my pace and not give up, but the mystery of Madame Roussell provided enough incentive to continue reading. I was surprised when I read the characters ages as I felt they were drawn older, but they were in the midst of war and their lives had changed and plans disrupted.

I was relieved with the ending, which I won’t give away, but the title (which I found a little off-putting) is a wonderful analogy and wake-up call for the growth of the main character, Martha.

If you are fans of British dramas like Midsomer Murders, Lewis, etc., you’ll like the pace, the engaging and believable characters and visualising Lapston Manor in all its glory.

Martha has recently retired and is struggling with not working so jumps at the chance to become involved with researching the history of her village. She soon becomes obsessed with it especially the story of Lepston Manor and Maxwell Carrick. The story jumps backwards and forwards to the war and the shell shocked Carrick falling in love with Cecile Rousell and Martha determined to find out the truth of the story.

A good story the dual timelines worked well and although it was a bit of a slow burner it picked up well and the various plots kept my interest

I couldn't get into this! Historical fiction is just not my thing! The plot was well thought out, just not my kind of book! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!