A love letter to Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a witty novel of manners and gossip, class and family, scandal and romance.

'Romance and scandal abound in this compelling period drama . . . Recommended for all lovers of Regency historical fiction' LAURA SHEPPERSON, author of The Heroines

'Warm and witty, with a wonderful cast of quirky characters whose company I found irresistible' JESSICA BULL, author of Miss Austen Investigates

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1841

The trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is not Mrs Montgomery Hurst – as young Miss Amelia Ashpoint well knows.

The real trouble is the polite society of Wickenshire, with its inescapable gossip about the arrival of the new Mrs Hurst and – whisper it – her three children from a previous marriage.

In Wickenshire, nobody’s business is their own. And in this strange match, the local families sense scandal – and they will do anything to expose it.

Meanwhile, Amelia Ashpoint, though handsome, clever and rich, is avoiding talk of marriage at all costs.

For while society expects Amelia to marry well, her heart is drawing her in a very different direction . . .

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‘A glittering comedy with spiky wit, an eye for social critique, and (of course) a terrific sense of irony’ TOM MEAD, author of Death and the Conjuror

'Rich with scandal, romance and social mores . . . a total delight!' ANITA FRANK, author of The Good Liars

'A feast of clever wit and lovingly drawn characters, this is an absolute treat for fans of Jane Austen - or anyone looking for top-rate storytelling' HESTER MUSSON

'An absolute dream of a book. A compelling storyline that kept me gripped to the last page, and beyond. I think this book will establish her – deservedly – as one of our best historical fiction writers' ANNE CORLETT

An insightful and compassionate tale of a Victorian county town and the people who live there. Romance and scandal abound in this compelling period drama, and Lumsden is not afraid to explore the issues Jane Austen could only hint at -- LAURA SHEPPERSON
Warm and witty, with a wonderful cast of quirky characters whose company I found irresistible -- JESSICA BULL
A feast of clever wit and lovingly drawn characters, this is an absolute treat for fans of Jane Austen - or anyone looking for top-rate storytelling. I haven't felt such unadulterated pleasure in a book for ages -- HESTER MUSSON
Rich with scandal, romance and social mores, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a total delight! Threaded with a biting humour reminiscent of Austen, it proves both poignant and thought-provoking as it exposes the bitter realities hidden within many nineteenth-century classics. -- ANITA FRANK
An intriguing delight, with scandal, gossip and romance, and a cast of characters Jane Austen would be proud of. -- ESSIE FOX
I loved this exquisitely crafted, sweeping Viennese Waltz of a book by Katie Lumsden. It propels you beautifully into a 19th century world of vivid characters and intricately interwoven storylines, echoing the best of Thomas Hardy, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Anne Brontë and Jane Austen, but singing with modern heart and empathy. By the end of the book, I was deeply enmeshed in the lives of its characters and heartily sorry to see it end. Enter the county of Wickenshire at your peril, because you will never want to leave. -- HANNAH DOLBY
Sheer delight! A glittering comedy of manners told with spiky wit, an eye for social critique, and (of course) a terrific sense of irony. It is impossible not to be swept off one’s feet by the elegance and rich music of Katie Lumsden’s prose -- TOM MEAD
With its witty writing, memorable characters, and meticulous plot, this is definitely a future classic. I absolutely loved it -- EMMA MEDRANO
An absolute dream of a book. The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst has a compelling storyline that kept me gripped to the last page, and beyond. It’s one of those books that plays on your mind, making you wish there was more left to read. It covers what could be familiar ground for historical fiction – wealth or the lack of it, social class, marriage prospects – but in fresh and surprising ways. The prose is flawless, and the author handles her large, diverse cast of characters with a deftness of touch that is evocative of Jane Austen. I think this book will establish her - deservedly - as one of our best historical fiction writers. -- ANNE CORLETT
Run don’t walk to get your copy... Katie has created a vivid community and deftly surfaced the undercurrents bubbling beneath classic novels. Pitch-perfect Cranford vibes - I read every page with a smile on my face. -- Lianne Dillsworth

Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Brontë, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find. She has a degree in English literature and history from the University of Durham and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines. Katie's YouTube channel, Books and Things, has more than 28,000 subscribers. She lives in London and works as an editor. Katie's debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award.