The Last Hours by Minette Walters is an impressive piece of historical fiction. It covers the events of the black death and when it first entered England. The story focuses on one specific demesne in Dorset where Lady Anne of Devilish does whatever it takes to protect her serfs. Something that causes problems when her brutal husband Sir Richard comes back from traveling and there is a possibility he or his retinue are infected and she refuses him entry. With the help of the serfs and her trusted steward Thaddeus she works to protect the people. As time goes on things get worse and worse both in the outside world with which they have limited to no contact and within the demesne as Lady Anne’s daughter pushes back and defies boundaries every chance she gets. They all must work on trusting each other and trying to survive with the limited supplies and people they have as they worry about their future.
This book was an incredibly detailed depiction of the black death and its effect on the people of England. Being familiar with this time period I can say that it seems fairly accurate in regards to this though this particular take on it is more gruesome in some aspects than others I have read. Due to the isolation imposed on the characters the actual depiction of the black death is limited so the story focuses more on the impact of the plague on the people than the actual disease. It allows for more focus on character development due to the societal interactions created by the isolation which is interesting. The story also includes some rather more disturbing content, especially towards the end of the story, that I am not sure would have been entirely accurate for the time period but due to the focus on human interactions and character is not entirely out of place. It is still disturbing to read about though considering the lack of warning. The plot, while partially focusing on the black death and partially focusing on the societal developments, builds gradually over the course of the book with just the right pacing to stoke the tension over time. It resolves one part of the plot only to reveal something else that branches off of that to create even more problems later on. Honestly I was enthralled throughout the entire story and found it ever more interesting as things developed and became more complicated. It was really good even if some of the content in the latter half was disturbing at times. I am happy giving this story four out of five stars.
This book was a good piece of historical fiction and one that I would normally recommend wholeheartedly. If you enjoy that genre than I would suggest that you consider trying this one out, especially if you enjoy books based in Medieval England or books about the black death. However, I would also recommend that you be extremely careful about choosing this book due to the disturbing content towards the end of the book. I don’t want to unintentionally provide spoilers but I will say that it made me feel pretty uncomfortable about reading it at times and I am not going to recommend this book to underage readers. The book was well written and if it sounds interesting and you are alright with the idea of potentially disturbing content than feel free to try it. Remember to share your thoughts in the comments if you do.