The strange countess

About the book

Lois Reddle has worked steadily toward better employment and looks forward to entering the service of a wealthy countess. Her modest shared lodgings, friendship with Lizzy, and uncertain knowledge of her own early life establish a world far removed from the status her new employer represents. Yet the change does not offer uncomplicated security. Disturbing interests converge upon Lois, and apparently helpful or respectable people become difficult to place with confidence. Wallace builds the thriller around her movement between social worlds, using concealed histories and ambiguous protection to make advancement itself feel hazardous. The early warmth of ordinary companionship sharpens the unease surrounding the grander household. Questions about identity and past wrongdoing give the accumulating threats a personal importance beyond a routine employment adventure.

• Hidden identity
• Social advancement
• Trust and danger

Why read it

Lois's practical hopes give the surrounding intrigue an accessible emotional center.

English text