This novel made me digress onto reproductive rights…keep reading to see how exactly.

Excellent period details and history—I wonder that it didn’t take 10 yrs to write this book! Even though it’s set in the Victorian era, I don’t think modern sensibilities will be offended. But it also doesn’t white wash the past. Odden includes an important plot point about how a woman was essentially the “property” of her husband or father (even after marriage, if her husband wasn’t available), which came as such a shock to me. In the book, the detective can speak to a female victim because her father won’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow it! Like she was 10 years old again, not a a grown woman with a family and home of her own. It seems only men and widows had agency in Victorian England. This reminded me of the whole surrogate-personhood debate, not to mention reproductive rights. I don’t think people realize that when we limit or restrict birth control and medical procedures, we are treating women like children, like they can’t make decisions about their own body. Five Supreme Court judges with the best education available and resources at their disposal made this decision! Like their personal opinions and religious feelings have bearing on another person’s free will. It’s positively SICK. And how very very Victorian. In fact, recent changes in American laws have made it so we value the opinions of men (and heartless women who should know better, imo) in political office (totally removed from the situation) more than a woman and her doctor. Needless to say, that scene reminded me of this, so I found the book extremely relevant to modern times. Are things that different from 1880? Really? Really? You think so?

Anyhow, I’m not much of a serial killer novel reader, but I still found this accessible with beautiful prose. Odden is a writer who cares deeply for her fans and her craft.