My reading of The Maiden probably suffers due to its proximity to my recent reading of Fingersmith, as its another suspenseful tale of women wronged, and doing wrong.

I’ve also read some really excellent historical stories of women tried for murder – Alias Grace, Slammerkin, and Burial Rites come to mind — and the The Maiden, for me, wasn’t as compelling, the main character not as fleshed out as these others. The Maiden (a bit of a double entendre, since it refers to the guillotine-type instrument used at the time in Scotland for the execution of nobility but could also refer to the lead character) is the highly fictionalized story of Lady Christian Nimmo, who in 1679 was found guilty of the murder of her uncle (by marriage) and lover, Lord James Forrester.

Foster relates the tale through the voices of Christian, who is groomed by her uncle from the time of puberty, and another woman, Violet, who is hired by Lord James as a paid whore, to be housed in a turret in his castle that is decorated with scenes of debauchery. All he’s missing to be a caricature villain is a twirling of his moustache.

An author’s note at the end of the book tells us that Christian is a reputed “White Lady” haunting the grounds of the estate where she murdered Lord Forrester. How deliciously creepy.