Mary tries to make the best of her marriage to Thomas Deerfield, and is as good a wife as she can possibly be considering that he treats her poorly when he is sober and violently when he is not. An act of increasing brutality is the final straw, and she attempts to escape this marriage.

In a time where a man's word is law and a woman's word carries very little weight in her own defense but is thought highly of should she accuse another of witchcraft or even adultery, Mary tries to navigate her way to freedom. Divorce is rare in these days, not for lack of wanting one but for the difficulty in obtaining one when a husband chooses not to allow it.

The author seems to have put in a lot of research hours to make the language of the day and the pervasive superstition and bigotry that blanketed that time period feel authentic.

I'm not sure I would consider this a thriller, but it is a compelling work of historical fiction with realistic characters and a thought provoking plot.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.