The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown- Blog Tour Review

Title: The Key in the Lock

Author: Beth Underdown

Genre: Historical Mystery

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: 13th January 2022

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

‘I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire…’

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy – one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

From the award-winning author of The Witchfinder’s Sister comes a captivating story of burning secrets and buried shame, and of the loyalty and love that rises from the ashes.

Review:

I love a good gothic historical mystery so I was really excited to read this one – and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest! The story follows Ivy, who in 1919 is mourning the loss of her son in World War One. However, Ivy is also consumed with events that took place thirty years earlier when a lethal fire tore through a grand house near Ivy’s childhood home where a young boy tragically lost his life.

I loved this atmospheric tale, filled with mystery, secrets and lies. The Key in the Lock is beautifully written with a kind of spooky elegance that makes it a joy to read. Ivy is such an intriguing character – I was trying to figure her out all the way through. She is not always 100% likeable but I was fascinated by her motivations throughout. The whole story has an enigmatic quality to it and I really couldn’t see how things were going to resolve themselves and yet they did – and not it the way I was expecting! The Key in the Lock is a quietly unnerving, gorgeously evocative and moving historical novel that I would highly recommend!

★★★★.5

Thank you so much to Ellie Hudson for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.