The Darkening Globe
In 1597 Lady Beatrice Radclyffe awaits eagerly the return of her sea captain husband, Sir Hugh, who has been off on another adventure discovering the New World for the ageing Queen Elizabeth. Beatrice’s husband is not one of the Queen’s favourites – unlike Raleigh and Drake – but she lives a comfortable life with her children and servants in a large house on the Thames.
However, when Sir Hugh descends the gangplank, her world is upended. Catalina, a woman with a suspicious swelling to her stomach, is with Sir Hugh, who also brings a large, mysterious globe into their home. Beatrice wonders if she is going mad when the globe starts spinning by itself, sending her messages. Then there is a death.
Beatrice fears the globe is supernaturally evil, but surely someone must be behind it. Could it be envious members of her family, disgruntled servants or even those surrounding the Queen? After all, what really happened on her husband’s voyages?
Kelsey gives the reader a page-turning historical mystery, and ghost story with a gothic feel of dread and haunting. Water is a strong theme – Sir Hugh’s voyages – and the River Thames, which is Beatrice’s main route out of her home. Beatrice’s fear of being sent to Bedlam, introspection about her role as a wife and mother, and her need to establish some form of autonomy are evocatively written, and there’s a stunning last page. This is a brilliant follow-up to Kelsey’s debut novel, The Burnings, and is highly recommended.
