House of Shades

Dillsworth (Theatre of Marvels) delivers a crisp Victorian gothic about a former slave owner and the Black doctoress who treats him on his deathbed. In 1833 London, Hester Reeves worries about her younger sister, Willa, after she catches the eye of wealthy rogue Rowland Cherville. Hester begrudgingly agrees to treat Rowland’s father, Gervaise, for the enormous salary of £10, enough to move her and Willa somewhere safe from Rowland. Because Hester regularly treats sex workers, she recognizes that Gervaise has syphilis. Sensing he’s near death, he confesses to Hester that he made his fortune from plantations in Honduras and that he wishes to atone for his sins. He then charges Hester with finding two women, Aphrodite and Nyx, who were enslaved on one of his plantations many years earlier and later worked as servants in his London house until they ran away, so he can make amends. When Hester learns there was a third woman who left the house with Aphrodite and Nyx, she begins to question Gervaise’s motives. Much of the plot is predictable, but Hester is a heroine worth rooting for, and her search leads to the discovery of some surprising connections between her family and the women who escaped. Historical fiction fans will be pleased. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (July)