Review of the novel Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin

  I treasure books that offer a fresh twist on classic tales, elevating those characters that were given little voice in the original telling. Often these individuals are the overlooked of society, those so easily forgotten by history. It does not matter if the characters are made of fiction or if they truly lived. These new stories give them, mostly women of ages past, the agency each of our lives deserves.
   This novel offers up the seminal Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story from a unique and intriguing angle - that of the Doctor's housemaid. Mary Reilly is quick-witted and dutiful to a fault, bearing heavy scars from her past. Privy to a quickly deepening pool of secrets, the young woman's bond with her employer only grows more intimate and powerful. Author Valerie Martin seamlessly weaves her tale with that of the original's haunting details and characters. And as the mysterious events and encounters seen from her distinct viewpoint begin to multiply faster, Mary must decide how far she is willing to go for this man. Notably as she increasingly suspects that the Doctor may be a near-deafening echo of the monster from her childhood.