The Unseeing

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.

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

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.

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

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

I have had this on my wish list for several weeks before publication. Mostly because I am a sucker for a Victorian crime mystery!
This novel however is unique in the fact that the crime has already been to court and suspects found guilty, The novel is not in such a standard way a whodunit? At the beginning of the novel we meet Sarah Gale sentenced to hang for her part in a murder. A murder she by no means committed but never the less will face the noose. We also meet her upper society lawyer Edmunds, sent to complete a report on Sarah's sentence and possibly appeal for leniency. The book is hugely atmospheric due to the London setting and has a solid basis of research and depth. There are several key themes such as Victorian class structure, the unfair legal system, women's lack of rights, poverty and inequality. This novel would be perfect for book groups and discussion. The writing at times may appear slow and detailed but ultimately it adds to the build up of the twist at the end. The author is a lawyer by profession and the concept behind the novel is a true crime story, perfectly embellished by the writer.
The two biggest themes within the novel are the process of being guilty by association & women's oppression in the Victorian era. I think they were executed brilliantly. A very clever 4* read!

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.

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.

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.
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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

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.

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.