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1853: When a young nurse dies on her watch, Florence Nightingale must uncover the deep-hidden secrets someone will kill to keep buried.
1853: When a young nurse dies on her watch, Florence Nightingale must uncover the deep-hidden secrets someone will kill to keep buried.
Florence Nightingale has just accepted the position of Superintendent of the Establishment for Gentlewomen During Temporary Illness in London. She’s barely had time to say the name of the hospital out loud when one of the nurses is found dead
Florence is now tested in ways she never expected as the murderer of the nurse has to be brought to justice, but in the meantime, the reputation of the hospital is at stake. As Florence digs deeper, however, her attention turns to one of the hospital investors….
With no one but herself to count on, Florence must now puzzle out what the death of an unknown, nondescript young nurse has to do with conspiracies lurking about at the highest levels of government before she’s silenced too.
Lea Hurst, the Nightingale family name for its first house and later on their summer residence.
FN moved to Hampshire with her family when she was about 6/7 yrs old but Lea Hurst remained the summer home For many years Lea Hurst was a Royal Surgical Aid Society rest home. It has since been sold to a private party.
Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a senior nurse training and managing the team tending to wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. She became known as the persona of “The Lady with the Lamp” since she used a lamp on her nightly rounds. She also had a major impact on the nursing profession.
In 1860, Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment of her nursing school at St Thomas’ Hospital. It was the first secular nursing school in the world, and is now part of King’s College London
In the book, her London life is explained further and Upper Harley Street as a site of medical knowledge is starting to grow in reputation. There is to be a new hospital here with more beds and the situation/crisis nursing is currently experiencing is starting to improve.
Susan: @thebooktrailer
Florence Nightingale is always a figure in history who has fascinated me. I’m no medical student or anything, but her role in history is quite amazing and I’ve read much about her in non- fiction titles, This book however is a fictionalized account of her days but really brings the great lady back to life on the page. There’s something truly fascinating about getting a sneak glimpse into the life of a real person and a lot reads true – the locations certainly are – which adds an added frisson to any historical fiction for me.
I devoured this book and really enjoyed the characterization, plot, overall premise and the voice of Florence. Detailed yet never over done, written with a keen eye and a deft of pen, this reads smooth and evokes the Victorian period well but the lady with the lamp herself in a unique light.
A clever idea to use this lady in a fictionalised murder series – I hope this is the first of many, as I enjoyed spending time with the characters.
Destination: London, Derbyshire Author/Guide: Christine Trent Departure Time: 1853
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