The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael by Paulette Kennedy

 

Lillian is falsely accused of her sisters murder and is due to be hanged. This is done but she is not dead, and in a horrific state crawls out of her tomb. She knows who is responsible for her sisters death but due to family loyalty keeps quiet. Fast forward to several murders of young women in the town, and the discovery that Lillian is alive, puts the entire focus on her as the murderer.

Lillian has found a life with Kate, an actress who dons several personalities as the demand for her capabilities as an actress grows. Kate and Lillian form a very deep attachment but as the number of victims increase, the need for the town to find Lillian reaches fever pitch. 

This was a story with several narratives. One was the misguided family loyalty of Lillian who protected her mother’s name to the end. Her mother threw her to the wolves at the first hurdle. Kate who first appeared in Lillian’s life as a male who nurtured and looked after her, nursing her back to health, before her real identity as Kate was revealed. The abolitionist movement of whom Lillian’s father was a supporter was an important part of the story. It caused the family to be social outcasts, but it also provided the focus for Lillian’s work at a later stage of her life to join the underground free slavery movement.

The story gothic in parts with the vampire theme of death amongst the women heightened both the atmosphere and tension in the story. The combo was irresistible.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for sending this to me for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.