Sunday, July 14, 2019

Blog Tour: The Nanny at Number 43 by Nicola Cassidy

ARC clearly defined in accordance with review  policy here

Hi!

Last year, I reviewed (and loved) Nicola Cassidy's debut novel December Girl on this blog. When Nicola asked me if I'd be interested in taking part in the blog tour for book baby #2, I was delighted.


The Nanny at Number 43 is set in Ireland (Drogheda to be specific) in the late 1800s. A young woman answers an ad: Wanted, a respectable woman to care for a motherless child.

Anna Winchester died soon after childbirth. Her husband and his housekeeper are struggling to cope, so they place an ad for a Nanny. The young woman who takes up the post, Ms. Murphy, is seemingly perfect - but not for long. The housekeeper, Mrs. McHugh, is suspicious of her, and believes that she has some kind of hidden agenda in coming to No. 43 Laurence Street. It's up to Mrs McHugh and her invalid neighbour Betty to find out what's really going on - but will they be able to figure the mystery out before the Nanny does some real harm?

Interwoven with the main story is the tale of a man who has just been released from prison. What crime did he commit? And how is he linked to our mysterious Ms. Murphy? 

Once again, Nicola Cassidy has managed to transport the reader straight back to Ireland in the late 1800s. The atmosphere is heavy and the tension builds slowly - it only took a couple of chapters to completely hook me in. Short chapters combined with an addictive writing style meant that I fell prey to the "just one more" habit that so often purloins my sleep, but it was entirely worth it in this case. This is no Mary Poppins. 


This is a wonderful example of good historical fiction, but it also has an engaging cast of characters that wouldn't be out of place in Rebecca. Start it at your peril - because you won't want to put it down. 

The Nanny at Number 43 is available at all good bookshops, and for request at your local library.

Thanks so much to Nicola and to Poolbeg for allowing me to read an early copy!

If you'd like to hear some more about the book, please check out the other stops on the blog tour below:








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