I'm not sure if I should include a spoiler alert or not. I don't want to give away too much because I believe a book should be a journey of discovery, at least on the first reading.

I didn't realize until the very end of the novel that this story was based on a court case from 1763. While the author definitely takes some liberty with exploring the motivations behind the crime, I felt she did an excellent job of exploring the reasons why someone could be driven to such an act.

If you enjoy historical fiction and don't necessarily require a HEA ending, pick this one up. It's worth the read.