Review: The Last Hours by Minette Walters

Review of The Last Hours by Minette Walters, an historical fiction novel set in 14th century England during the Black Death.

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Synopsis

The Black Death has arrived in the English port of Melcombe and is spreading north through Devonshire. Contrary to the church’s recommendations, Lady Anne takes the people of Develish within the manor’s moat.

Initially, things are good. No one within the compound sickens. The one man from her absent husband’s retinue that everyone likes returns healthy. Then, with food stores running low, the workers grow bored with nothing to do and no news from outside.

Tensions erupt when a teenaged boy, Jacob, is found dead of a stab injury. Having made some discrete inquiries, Lady Anne’s young steward, Thaddeus, takes a group of Jacob’s contemporaries into the outside world. Seeing the destruction around them makes these young men think of their futures and forces them to grow-up quick.

Review

I found The Last Hours completely unputdownable. It enjoyably captured many aspects of the period around the Black Death. These included widespread ignorance, fear, and superstition. I particularly enjoyed looking at how the shift in power and new beginnings caused by the Death affected this community.

The characters are well thought out, realistic, and fascinating people. Some are strong (like Lady Anne and Thaddeus) and take charge of the situation, while others struggle with change. The religious and moral conflicts within the community seemed real, like I was watching real people interact with each other.

I liked Lady Anne. She’s fair, compassionate, clever, and understands her serfs. However, she is a bit too much like a modern woman. She has modern ideas around hygiene and treats the serfs like equals.

‘I’ve never been on a demesne where serfs were educated, milady. The practice is an unusual one. A villein’s role in life is to labour for his master, not steal time in order to learn letters.’ [Said by a clerk hired by Lady Anne’s husband]

Eleanor (Lady Anne’s daughter) was horrible, but I liked the conflict she added; without her, there would be very little story and the book would suck. I also liked how she gained layers and became more understandable as the story progresses.

I hope the next book resolves Eleanor’s storyline (and maybe brings some much-needed change to her character). I would also like a better reason for Thaddeus’s ramble through the countryside (other than obtaining information and supplies. They were away too long just for that).

Other than that (and a slightly ponderous middle), The Last Hours is a fantastic book. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

Conclusion

Have you read The Last Hours? What did you think? Do you agree with what I’ve said about it? Let me know in the comments.

If you haven’t, you can buy it at Book Depository (they have free international shipping!) or Waterstones (free delivery on UK orders over £25, will ship internationally).