In 1830s London, Sarah Gale is sentenced to hang for her part in the murder of Hannah Brown. After she petitions for mercy, Edmund Fleetwood is assigned to investigate the case. Yet Sarah refuses to help him, and it is obvious that she is holding something back. As the date of her execution draws near, both Sarah and Edmund begin to wonder whether she will tell the truth in time to save herself.

Based on the scant facts available about a true Victorian murder case, this is Mazzola’s first novel. This fact sometimes shows, but overall The Unseeing is an enjoyable, entertaining historical murder mystery.

The atmosphere of Victorian London is conjured beautifully on the page, particularly in the dark and disquieting confines of Newgate Prison. Both of the main characters, Sarah and Edmund, exemplify in different ways the injustices done against women in this restrictive historical period.

Probably my favourite thing about the novel was the doubt cast across the whole series of events. Sarah won’t speak up to defend herself, refusing to say any more other than the fact that she had no part in the murder. Edmund is desperate for her to confess, and the tension as the date of her execution approaches is kept up admirably.

I enjoyed the conversations between Sarah and Edmund and the gradual trust that develops between them. He can never be quite sure that she isn’t just manipulating him in order to secure her own freedom and, as her only contact with the outside world, Sarah must tread carefully and decide how much to reveal about herself.

The greatest problem for me was the structure and pacing of the novel. At times, the tension is remarkable and the story utterly gripping. But towards the end this starts to slow down. I understand Mazzola didn’t have much to go on as details about this case are sparse, but it seemed as the story went on that it was becoming more and more fantastic and felt much less real. I’m sure this is just because The Unseeing is a debut novel, and it won’t discourage me from picking up books Mazzola writes in the future.

It is a bleak novel, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for your summer holiday. But if, on a cold winter’s night, you’re looking for a book to snuggle up with, The Unseeing would be an excellent choice.

The Unseeing is published by Tinder Press on 14th July, 2016.