The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst

Warm and witty, with a wonderful cast of quirky characters whose company I found irresistible

JESSICA BULL

A feast of clever wit and lovingly drawn characters, this is an absolute treat for fans of Jane Austen - or anyone looking for top-rate storytelling. I haven't felt such unadulterated pleasure in a book for ages

HESTER MUSSON

Rich with scandal, romance and social mores, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a total delight! Threaded with a biting humour reminiscent of Austen, it proves both poignant and thought-provoking as it exposes the bitter realities hidden within many nineteenth-century classics.

ANITA FRANK

An intriguing delight, with scandal, gossip and romance, and a cast of characters Jane Austen would be proud of.

ESSIE FOX

I loved this exquisitely crafted, sweeping Viennese Waltz of a book by Katie Lumsden. It propels you beautifully into a 19th century world of vivid characters and intricately interwoven storylines, echoing the best of Thomas Hardy, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Anne Brontë and Jane Austen, but singing with modern heart and empathy. By the end of the book, I was deeply enmeshed in the lives of its characters and heartily sorry to see it end. Enter the county of Wickenshire at your peril, because you will never want to leave.

HANNAH DOLBY

Sheer delight! A glittering comedy of manners told with spiky wit, an eye for social critique, and (of course) a terrific sense of irony. It is impossible not to be swept off one’s feet by the elegance and rich music of Katie Lumsden’s prose

TOM MEAD

With its witty writing, memorable characters, and meticulous plot, this is definitely a future classic. I absolutely loved it

EMMA MEDRANO

An absolute dream of a book. The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst has a compelling storyline that kept me gripped to the last page, and beyond. It’s one of those books that plays on your mind, making you wish there was more left to read. It covers what could be familiar ground for historical fiction – wealth or the lack of it, social class, marriage prospects – but in fresh and surprising ways. The prose is flawless, and the author handles her large, diverse cast of characters with a deftness of touch that is evocative of Jane Austen. I think this book will establish her - deservedly - as one of our best historical fiction writers.

ANNE CORLETT

Run don’t walk to get your copy... Katie has created a vivid community and deftly surfaced the undercurrents bubbling beneath classic novels. Pitch-perfect Cranford vibes - I read every page with a smile on my face.

Lianne Dillsworth