Blackpool, 1938. Miss Margaret Finch – a rather demure young woman – has just begun work in a position that relies on her discretion and powers of observation. Then, her path is crossed by the disgraced Rector of Stiffkey (aka Harold Davidson), who is the subject of a national scandal.

Margaret is determined to discover the truth behind the headlines: is Davidson a maligned hero or an exploiter of the vulnerable? But her own troubles are never far away, and Margaret’s fear that history is about to repeat itself means she needs to uncover that truth urgently.

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This deeply evocative novel ripples with the tension of a country not yet able to countenance the devastation of another war. Margaret walks us along the promenade, peeks into the baths and even dares a trip on the love boat in this, her first seaside summer season, on a path more dangerous than she could ever have imagined.

My Review

I’d only just started reading when one of my buddy readers mentioned to me that the Rector of Stiffkey (aka Harold Davidson) was a real person. I then had to look him up on Wikipedia (I know I shouldn’t have), but it didn’t spoil anything for me. Because his story entwines with that of fictional Margaret Finch, who is working as a researcher in Blackpool in 1938. In fact it enhanced it for me.

Margaret’s job is to watch the ‘working classes’ on holiday and make notes of everything she sees. She enjoys her job and is good at it – her reports are second to none. Her immediate boss is James, to whom she reports at ‘HQ’. He’s a bit of a strange one, but then so is she. ‘I’m not like other women,’ she says.

But while out one night doing her research in a pub (rather silly of her to be out alone at night), she is rescued by a small, white-haired, old man, who turns out to be Harold Davidson himself. Known as the Prostitute’s Priest, he was accused of exploiting young women for his own gratification, but Margaret is determined to find out the truth.

She becomes embroiled in his scandal, following him as he tries to prove his innocence by setting himself up on the pier in a number of dangerous stunts. But can Margaret trust him or is he manipulating her as well?

Margaret also has her own demons to fight, from her upbringing by her stepmother to her relationship with alcohol.

I adored this book. Margaret is an unusual main character, with her quirky ways and inability to form trusting, personal relationships. It’s all set during a time when the country was still recovering from The Great War and afraid of entering another war, even when Chamberlain declares ‘Peace for our time’ following a meeting with Hitler.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours and also to The Pigeonhole, the author and my fellow Pigeons for making this such an enjoyable read.

About the Author

Claire McGlasson is a journalist who works for ITV News and enjoys the variety of life on the road with a TV camera. She lives in Cambridgeshire.