The Secret of Matterdale Hall - Marianne Ratcliffe

AUTHOR: Marianne Ratcliffe

GENRE: Gothic Mystery, LGBTQ+

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: An entertaining Gothic mystery. As an OwnVoices work, it takes care of the common problems associated with this genre by making it inclusive. I had fun reading this story.

Story Synopsis:

Susan Mottram has lived a life full of love with her parents and sister. However, after her dad passes away soon after her eighteenth birthday, the Mottram ladies struggle to meet their financial needs. To save her family from penury, Susan accepts the offer of a teaching job from a Mrs. Claybourn of Matterdale Hall in Yorkshire. Soon after her arrival, Susan realises that there are plenty of issues within Matterdale Hall, compounded by the stingy Mrs. Claybourn, her odd but affable husband Dr. Claybourn who runs a secretive infirmary next to the school, and their daughters, the stern Marion and the sickly Helena. Add to this the problems faced by some of the students, especially little Mary who seems to respond to nothing and no one. How will inexperienced Susan handle her complicated new situation at Matterdale without losing her nerve?

Where the book worked for me:

🌹 The book offers a simple storytelling style at a steady pace and a few surprises along the way. No rambles or flourishes, just good old straightforward writing that keeps the reader engrossed.

🌹 The story pays a direct ode to the classic Gothic narrative (young heroine, forced to seek a job at a mysterious mansion, mysterious vibes therein,…) while still adding some of its own flourishes by incorporating LGBTQ rep (lesbian characters)and disability rep (deaf characters) into the mix. It was a novel experience to see a historical fiction with these inclusive elements. It also manages to touch upon racial discrimination (mixed-race character) and mental health in its agenda. That’s quite a marvellous range of representation, all the more appreciable as the ‘minority’ characters are the main players of the plot rather than being stuck in supporting roles.

🌹 While the nature of the characters is more or less guessable, it is still interesting to see their behaviour and their motivations. Susan loves Gothic romances, so her thinking was clearly dominated by the books she read, adding to the fun of her personality. She begins off as naïve but her character grows as the story progresses and she reveals herself to be a courageous woman who stands up for what’s right.

🌹 While the book has many strong women characters, the scene stealers are Susan and Cassandra. I loved the strong connection between them and the way it was written without going over the top. Little Mary won my heart.

🌹 Even within such a serious story, the author manages to incorporate some funny scenes.

🌹 While there are shades of romance, it is handled quite subtly and sweetly, and doesn’t overpower the main narrative. I always appreciate it when authors don’t force romance into the spotlight for a non-romance genre.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

🌵 Most of the book lived up to my expectations. My grievances are mostly minor. For instance, what year/time period is the story set in? While we know it is historical, having an approximation of the era is always helpful. Susan’s tiny stature is mentioned too many times. Also, I didn’t like the chapter titles as they revealed in advance the key scene of the upcoming chapter. Some of them were akin to spoilers. The same goes for the title, as even the existence of the secret isn’t known for most of the book. The title is very restrictive, as the book goes far beyond just the ‘secret of Matterdale Hall.’ None of these points would hamper most readers.

Overall, I enjoyed this indie novel. Despite sticking to the format of the genre with only minor deviations, it kept me invested from start to end. Definitely recommended to Gothic fiction lovers who wish to see their favourite genre become more embracing in terms of representation. It is an entertaining read without a doubt.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and these are my honest thoughts about it.