The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock -- a Review by Susan Price
The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock I was reading our sister blog, The History Girls , when I saw this book recommended. So I downloaded a free sample. At the time I was reading another book, an e-book anthology of ghost stories by a rather famous Victorian writer who I shall leave nameless. He did write one or two gems but, unfortunately, the anthology made it clear that his gems were outnumbered by long, tedious, rambling tales featuring popular Victorian fads that hold little interest today. I soon tired of endless discussions of the nature of the spirit world and of characters who insisted on introducing each other's souls to one another. So I gave up on Victorian ghosts and thought I'd take a dip into my free sample instead -- and Oh, the relief! From the very first sentences, it was like tasting something light and fresh after days and days of rather stale, cloying stodge. Hermes Gowar's prose dances. Reader, as soon as I reached the end of the sample, I bought the...