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A review by nadiajohnsonbooks
The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ooooh this book was so satisfying!
We have two protagonists: Dorothea, an oddly progressive (by early Victorian standards) with an obsession with phrenology and Ruth, a seamstress and alleged murderess who seems to believe that she can impart curses with her stitches.
The two have had very different upbringings, but both have lost a parent to ugly deaths.
Dorothea becomes obsessed with Ruth's case, determined to prove that the young inmate can be reformed and, in doing so, change the very shape of her anatomy.
As Ruth's horrifying past is revealed, Dorothea comes to doubt some fundamental truths about her life and the nature of human morality.
The crimes are so layered and complex, the characters are deliciously complicated, and the ending felt so, so good.
I loved Purcell already, but I think I need to buy all her damn books now.
We have two protagonists: Dorothea, an oddly progressive (by early Victorian standards) with an obsession with phrenology and Ruth, a seamstress and alleged murderess who seems to believe that she can impart curses with her stitches.
The two have had very different upbringings, but both have lost a parent to ugly deaths.
Dorothea becomes obsessed with Ruth's case, determined to prove that the young inmate can be reformed and, in doing so, change the very shape of her anatomy.
As Ruth's horrifying past is revealed, Dorothea comes to doubt some fundamental truths about her life and the nature of human morality.
The crimes are so layered and complex, the characters are deliciously complicated, and the ending felt so, so good.
I loved Purcell already, but I think I need to buy all her damn books now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Classism