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WORK TITLE: The Unseeing
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://annamazzola.com/
CITY: Camberwell, South London, Englandher
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two.
EDUCATION:Attended Pembroke College, Oxford, and City University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and criminal justice solicitor.
WRITINGS
Contributor of short stories to publications.
SIDELIGHTS
Anna Mazzola is a British writer and criminal justice solicitor. She attended Pembroke College, Oxford University, and City University.
In 2016 Mazzola released her first book, The Unseeing: A Novel. She described the book in an interview with a contributor to the Chillers, Killers, and Thrillers Web site, stating: “The Unseeing is a historical crime novel based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted in 1837 of aiding and abetting her lover, James Greenacre, in the murder of another woman. Sarah was sentenced to death and petitioned the King for mercy. The Unseeing begins with the appointment of the lawyer who is to investigate her petition, and he–and the reader–must determine whether Sarah Gale is indeed innocent or whether she is far more involved than she would have us believe.” Explaining how she came to know about the historical case, Mazzola told a writer on the This Crime Book Web site: “The murder is mentioned briefly in the Suspicions of Mr. Whicher and it seized my attention as it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live. When I read the Old Bailey transcript, I became fascinated by the fact that Sarah Gale says virtually nothing throughout the entire trial.” In an interview with Amanda Saint, contributor to the Retreat West Web site, Mazzola remarked: “I did a large amount of research into the real case and became rather fixated with getting to ‘the truth’ of what happened. However, given the inconsistencies in the reporting and the scant information about Sarah herself, that just wasn’t possible. Moreover, I realized that I myself had to diverge from the facts in order to write a story that anyone would want to read. The Unseeing therefore became an exploration of truth and deception–how we interpret other people’s stories, and how we narrate our own.”
In the book, Edmund Fleetwood is a young lawyer assigned to investigate Sarah Gale’s request for mercy from the British justice system. He must determine whether or not she was involved in the murder of Hannah Brown. Sarah has insisted that she had nothing to do with the killing. However, when Edmund meets personally with Sarah, it becomes clear that she is keeping a secret. Edmund pores over the transcripts of Sarah’s trial and is frustrated by the fact that she did not expound more on her claims of innocence. He determines to figure out what she is hiding. He interviews her in Newgate Prison and asks her questions about her life. Sarah reveals details about her childhood and explains how they affected her as an adult. Meanwhile, Edmund deals with problems from his own past.
Reviewing The Unseeing on the History Girls Web site, Katherine Clements suggested: “Mazzola, a criminal justice lawyer, has clearly relished both the research and the possibilities. Real testimony and newspaper clippings are weaved throughout. Sometimes such embellishments can detract from a story but here they add depth to it. Mazzola’s legal background shines through too.” Clements concluded: “It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Mazzola’s prose is wonderful and the characters are complex and convincing. The cleverly woven plot is revealed gradually with tension maintained right up to the closing lines. Sarah is particularly well drawn; fascinating, frustrating and sympathetic by turns, echoing Fleetwood’s experience of her as she refuses to help him prove her innocence.” A Kirkus Reviews critic remarked: “A number of plot points which seemed like loose threads are cleverly woven into a satisfying resolution. Haunting characters propel this well-paced story of true crime and imperfect punishment.” “This is a cleverly written and intricate mystery that doesn’t try to outsmart the reader or become convoluted,” asserted a writer in Publishers Weekly. Susan Santa, a contributor to Xpress Reviews, described the book as “a worthy … crime drama and a vivid portrait of life and criminal justice in Victorian London.” A reviewer on the Historical Novel Society Web site stated: “Well-researched, with believable characters, this is a harrowing story.” A critic on the Herald Scotland Web site observed: “At times, the tension is remarkable and the story utterly gripping.” The same critic added: “If, on a cold winter’s night, you’re looking for a book to snuggle up with, The Unseeing would be an excellent choice.” “This story is actually based on a real case and brought to us in a form that’s carefully researched and brilliantly paced,” wrote Ani Johnson on the Bookbag Web site. John Cleal, a contributor to the Crime Review Web site, commented: “This is a carefully woven tale of trust, self-trust and deceit.” Cleal continued: “What this beautifully written and cleverly plotted story does do is present a genuine mystery in the grittily realistic setting of Victorian London, with its filth and horrors, high society and low life, hypocrisy and brutality. The scenes inside Newgate Prison are quite horrendous. This is a stunning and intriguing debut.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, November 1, 2016, review of The Unseeing: A Novel.
Publishers Weekly, August 22, 2016, review of The Unseeing, p. 82.
Xpress Reviews, January 13, 2017, Susan Santa, review of The Unseeing.
ONLINE
Anna Mazzola Home Page, http://annamazzola.com (June 16, 2017).
Bookbag, http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/ (June 16, 2017), Ani Johnson, review of The Unseeing.
Chillers, Killers, and Thrillers, https://chillerskillersandthrillers.wordpress.com/ (June 28, 2016), author interview.
Crime Review, http://crimereview.co.uk/ (August 6, 2016), John Cleal, review of The Unseeing.
Herald Scotland Online (Glasgow, Scotland), http://www.heraldscotland.com/ (June 21, 2016), review of The Unseeing.
Historia, http://www.historiamag.com/ (July 7, 2016), Katherine Clements, review of The Unseeing.
Historical Novel Society, https://historicalnovelsociety.org/ (June 16, 2017), review of The Unseeing.
History Girls, http://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/ (July 29, 2016), Katherine Clements, author interview and review of The Unseeing.
Retreat West, http://www.retreatwest.co.uk/ (June 16, 2017), Amanda Saint, author interview.
This Crime Book, http://www.thiscrimebook.com/ (June 26, 2016), author interview.*
ABOUT ANNA
Anna Mazzola is a writer of historical crime fiction. Her acclaimed debut novel, The Unseeing is based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted of aiding a murder in London in 1837. The Unseeing, was published in July 2016 in the UK, and will be published in February 2017 in the US.
Anna has also written and published several short stories. She is currently working on a second historical crime novel about a collector of folklore and fairy tales on the Isle of Skye in 1857.
Anna studied English at Pembroke College, Oxford, before becoming a criminal justice solicitor. She began writing after taking a creative writing course with Literary Kitchen and later attended the Novel Studio at City University. She is represented by Juliet Mushens at the United Talent Agency.
She lives in Camberwell, South London, with two small children, two cats, one husband and a lot of books.
THE INTERVIEW
What drew you to this period and to this person in particular?
I first read about the Edgware Road Murder in The The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, where it is mentioned only briefly. As the crime took place in Camberwell, where I live, I wanted to find out more about it. I read the Old Bailey transcript and was intrigued to find that Sarah Gale’s barrister says very little throughout the whole proceedings to counter the fairly outlandish allegations made against his client. Sarah gives only the short statement quoted in The Unseeing. That got me thinking: what would keep a woman silent despite the risk of a death sentence: guilt? Fear? Love?
How did you approach the borderline between known fact (whatever that is) and your fiction?
I spent a long time researching the facts and even longer trying to prise myself away from them in order to write a story that anyone would want to read. That meant, at some points, diverging from the known facts of the case. I agonized over this for many months, and it is part of the reason that one of the key themes of the novel is truth/deception. I have also made clear in my historical note that The Unseeing is a work of fiction. No doubt some people will criticize me for playing with the truth, but, ultimately, I’m a storyteller, not a historian.
Did you find the fictional characters easier to work with than the ‘factual’ ones?
Not easier, necessarily – just different. Both Edmund and Rosina are entirely works of imagination and that gave me more freedom to create. However, having some clues as to what Sarah Gale and James Greenacre might have been like as people gave me the basis of a structure which with to work. I think, to be honest, that we always draw on real people, or facets of real people, when creating fictional characters: we just don’t admit which ones.
How did you endeavour to anchor your characters in your era, to make them truly historical and not simply twenty-first century people in period costume (which you did very well)
I tried to think about how they would have interacted with the world around them, rather than just reeling off descriptions of their clothing and their surroundings. It’s always tempting to shoehorn your research into your writing, but a reader can spot that from a mile away. I also tried not to project too many of our modern sensibilities unto my characters. While I would, for example, have liked Sarah to be a true feminist, that just wasn’t realistic for the era in which she was living and her position in society. She had to do what she could in order to survive.
Tell us about your research? Have you got any particular tips for someone else venturing into the very early Victorian era?
I conducted most of my research online. Harvard University is an amazing resource and it was there that I found many of the original pamphlets relating to Greenacre and Gale: http://pds.lib.harvard.edu/pds/view/5792279. The newspaper articles came mainly from The British Newspaper Archives (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk ) which was also a useful way of finding out what else was going on in London in 1837.
Lee Jasper runs the wonderful Victorian London site (http://www.victorianlondon.org), and Forgotten Books (http://www.forgottenbooks.com) do a great line in out of print nineteenth century texts. I also used Google books search, restricting my search to nineteenth century, to check particular facts.
Judith Flanders’ books on the Victorian era are great, as is Jerry White’s London In The Nineteenth Century: A Human Awful Wonder of God.
Are there any recognisable places or landmarks that feature in the novel?
Almost all of the locations named in The Unseeing were real places, although many of them no longer exist. Windmill Lane in Camberwell (where James Greenacre lived) is no more, but was near to what is now Wyndham Road. St Giles’ Church, where Greenacre and Hannah Brown were to have married, was rebuilt after a fire in 1841. The Angel Public House on Coldharbour Lane, where they were supposed to have their wedding breakfast, has been developed into housing.
Newgate prison, where both Gale and Greenacre were imprisoned, was demolished in 1904. The Old Bailey of course still exists, but in a very different form to how it appeared in 1837. People are no longer led through Dead Man’s Walk to be hanged, although the passage itself is still there.
How did you fit writing around your day job? Now that you’ve given up the day job, is book two proving easier?
Like most writers, I snatched bits of time here and there: in the evenings, on the train, during the weekend while my baby napped. I took a few months out to finish The Unseeing and I am again having some time off law to write my second novel. That of course gives me more time to read, research and write, but I need to ensure I stay focused. I am finding Scrivener helpful in setting targets and I now have a proper desk to make me feel like a real writer.
What’s coming next?
I’m currently writing my second novel (working title, The Vanishings), which is set in 1857. It’s about a young woman who goes to work for a collector of folklore on the Isle of Skye and discovers that several girls have gone missing, supposedly taken by spirits of the unforgiven dead. Although the idea was sparked by a real story (in fact, a story from London), I haven’t tried to base it on fact in the same way that I did with The Unseeing. I may, however, return to that format for book three, when I hope to venture into the twentieth century.
QUOTED: "I did a large amount of research into the real case, and became rather fixated with getting to ‘the truth’ of what happened. However, given the inconsistencies in the reporting and the scant information about Sarah herself, that just wasn’t possible. Moreover, I realized that I myself had to diverge from the facts in order to write a story that anyone would want to read. The Unseeing therefore became an exploration of truth and deception–how we interpret other people’s stories, and how we narrate our own."
Author interview: Anna Mazzola on writing Victorian crime
By Amanda Saint 8 months agoNo Comments
Home / Uncategorized / Author interview: Anna Mazzola on writing Victorian crime
Delighted to have previous Retreat West short story comp winner, Anna Mazzola, here today talking about her brilliant debut novel, The Unseeing, which was published by Tinder Press in July. It’s a fictionalised account of a true life crime and tells the story of Sarah Gale, who was sentenced to hang for her role in a horrific murder. I loved it and got completely swept away in the world Anna has built around this piece of history.
Anna, how did you find out about Sarah Gale and what prompted you to tell her story?
I first heard about the murder at the heart of The Unseeing in The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. The crime is mentioned only briefly, but grabbed my attention as it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live, and was both peculiar and horrific. James Greenacre, the man accused the crime, had distributed the body parts about London, the torso beneath a paving slab off the Edgware Road, the head in Stepney Canal, the legs in a ditch off the Coldharbour Lane. However, when I read the Old Bailey transcript, it was Sarah Gale’s story that gripped me. She was accused of helping Greenacre to conceal the horrific murder of another woman and yet she said virtually nothing throughout the entire trial. Given she was facing the death sentence, I thought that was very strange. What was really going on?
Themes of lies – the ones we tell others and ourselves – and truths, and how they are subjective, run all through the book – what made you want to explore this?
That was partly to do with the case itself (it was clear that the key characters were lying), and partly to do with the way I wrote the book. I did a large amount of research into the real case, and became rather fixated with getting to ‘the truth’ of what happened. However, given the inconsistencies in the reporting and the scant information about Sarah herself, that just wasn’t possible. Moreover, I realized that I myself had to diverge from the facts in order to write a story that anyone would want to read. The Unseeing therefore became an exploration of truth and deception – how we interpret other people’s stories, and how we narrate our own.
The lack of women’s rights and how they are financially and legally dependent on men is also a theme you explore yet to me the women in the story also came across as being as strong and as independent as they could be. Do you think this is a true reflection of how women really were in Victorian England?
I’m glad you think they come across as strong, as they can all be viewed as victims in some regards, but I wanted to make sure they had agency. This was an era in which married women had no legal personality of their own, and when wives who had committed crimes under the influence of their husband were judged to have a defence due to apparently having no mind of their own. In one way, I would have liked my characters to fight more against that, and for Sarah to have been a true feminist, but that just wasn’t realistic for the era in which she was living and her position in society. She had to do what she could in order to survive.
What made you want to fictionalise a true life story for your debut novel?
God knows. I suppose I’ve always been drawn to novels based on real people (Alias Grace, Fred & Edie, Arthur & George), so when I came across Sarah Gale’s case, I thought she would be a good jumping off point for a novel. Little did I know how difficult I was making things for myself. There were many times during the course of writing the novel that I looked back and cursed myself for not just making the whole darn thing up.
How do you think historical fiction like this is relevant to the world we live in today?
I suppose it puts our own lives in perspective. While researching and writing The Unseeing, I was continually struck by the contrast between now and then – the fact that women couldn’t travel unaccompanied without causing a scandal, the fact that they could own no property nor have any rights over their own children. The terrible poverty and hardship so many people faced, the injustice and ignorance that pervaded society. And history is always relevant. We need to know what has gone before in order to make sense of our place in the world.
What’s next from you?
I’m currently writing my second historical crime novel, set on the Isle of Skye in 1857, a few years after the Highland Clearances. It’s about a young woman called Audrey who goes to work for a collector of folklore and discovers that a young girl has gone missing, supposedly taken by spirits. Of course that’s not what she believes is going on. Again, the idea was sparked by a real case, but I haven’t tried to base it on the case in the same way that I did with The Unseeing.
I also want to write some more short stories. I miss them.
***
Thanks for coming, Anna. Look forward to finding out more about Audrey’s story.
You can get a copy of The Unseeing in all good bookstores and online; and keep up to date with Anna’s writing news on her website and by connecting with her on Twitter.
QUOTED: "The murder is mentioned briefly in the Suspicions of Mr Whicher and it seized my attention as it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live. When I read the Old Bailey transcript, I became fascinated by the fact that Sarah Gale says virtually nothing throughout the entire trial."
IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNA MAZZOLA
INTERVIEW 26/06/2016
Anna Mazzola author of The Unseeing
Photograph by Lou Abercrombie.
I recently caught up with Anna Mazzola, a criminal justice solicitor by day and an awesome debut historical crime author by night, and I’m delighted to share her words with you. But before I do, here’s what you need to know about The Unseeing, it’s ‘a vividly written novel of human frailty, fear and manipulation, and of the terrible consequences of jealousy and misunderstanding.’ Sounds good, right? Read more about it below.
TCB: Your debut crime novel – The Unseeing – is out in July. Can you tell us about it?
AM: The Unseeing is a historical crime novel based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted in 1837 of aiding and abetting her lover, James Greenacre, in the murder of Hannah Brown. Sarah was sentenced to death and petitioned the King for mercy. The Unseeing begins with the appointment of the lawyer who is to investigate her petition, and he – and the reader – has to determine whether Sarah Gale is indeed innocent or whether she is far more involved than she would have us believe.
TCB: Where did you get the idea for The Unseeing from?
AM: The murder is mentioned briefly in the Suspicions of Mr Whicher and it seized my attention as it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live. When I read the Old Bailey transcript, I became fascinated by the fact that Sarah Gale says virtually nothing throughout the entire trial. Her barrister gives a short statement on he behalf saying that she was not in Camberwell at the time of the murder and knew nothing of it afterwards, but she says nothing to combat the various claims that are made against her or to deal with the different pieces of evidence that are offered up against her. Given she was facing the death sentence, I thought that was very strange. What was preventing this woman from speaking out to defend herself?
Published by Tinder Press - available 14 July 2016
Published by Headline – available to buy 14 July 2016
TCB: Are you a plotter, a planner or do just write and see where it takes you?
AM: I’ve plotted my second novel out carefully, precisely because the structure of The Unseeing took a long time to sort out. Everyone’s different, but I think I need quite a clear route-map before I set out, if only to give me the confidence to plough on with it.
TCB: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
AM: Fairly late on. I’ve always loved books, and I studied English Literature at University, but I was only really seized with the urge to write in my thirties, after I had my son. I would write in cafes while he was asleep and realized it was a whole new way of seeing the world.
TCB: What can we expect from you in the near future?
AM: As I mentioned, I’m currently writing my second novel, which is set in 1857. It’s about a young woman who goes to work for a collector of folklore on the Isle of Skye and discovers that a girl has gone missing, supposedly taken by spirits, although of course that’s not what she believes. I’m hoping to have time to write and rewrite some short stories as well, and I’m working on some feature pieces. It’s good to have a few things on the boil.
Thanks for you time, Anna. Also thanks to Millie Seaward for sending me my copy of The Unseeing.
Don’t miss your chance to hear more from Anna and get a signed copy of The Unseeing at the First Monday Crime event on Monday 4 July at City University London.
QUOTED: "The Unseeing is a historical crime novel based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted in 1837 of aiding and abetting her lover, James Greenacre, in the murder of another woman. Sarah was sentenced to death and petitioned the King for mercy. The Unseeing begins with the appointment of the lawyer who is to investigate her petition, and he – and the reader – has to determine whether Sarah Gale is indeed innocent or whether she is far more involved than she would have us believe."
Author Interview: Anna Mazzola
Posted on 28/06/2016 by rhemms
Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Anna Mazzola join me for a Q&A about her new novel The Unseeing.
Welcome to the CKT blog Anna.
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Anna Mazzola (photo credit Lou Abercrombie)
To start off with, can you tell us a little bit about your debut novel The Unseeing?
Happy to. The Unseeing is a historical crime novel based on the life of a real woman called Sarah Gale who was convicted in 1837 of aiding and abetting her lover, James Greenacre, in the murder of another woman. Sarah was sentenced to death and petitioned the King for mercy. The Unseeing begins with the appointment of the lawyer who is to investigate her petition, and he – and the reader – has to determine whether Sarah Gale is indeed innocent or whether she is far more involved than she would have us believe.
You have mentioned before that your novel is based on the real-life case of Sarah Gale who was sentenced to hang for the murder of Hannah Brown in the Victorian era. How did you find out about her case and what sparked your interest as a writer to write about this?
I first read about James Greenacre in the Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale. I was originally interested in the crime because it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live. However, when I read through the Old Bailey transcript of the trial, it was Sarah who most interested me. Very little was said in her defence – she gave only a short statement denying being in Camberwell at the time of the murder. As she was facing the death sentence for her part in the horrific murder of another woman, I thought that was very strange. What was preventing Sarah from speaking out to defend herself? Was she guilty? Afraid of James Greenacre? Or something else?
Your novel is set in Victorian London, how did you research about this period and did you find anything new and fascinating which you had to include in your novel?
The research part was great fun. I loved visiting the British Library but, as I was mainly researching in the evening after work, I did a lot of my research online, for example on the Harvard University website (which has many of the original pamphlets relating to Greenacre and Gale), in the British Newspaper Archives, and through a variety of other brilliant sites, including Lee Jasper’s Victorian London. Lots of nineteenth century texts are available via Gutenburg, Forgotten Books and Google books.
I discovered many astonishing and terrible things, particularly about child labour in Victorian London, the lives of the poor, the injustices of the justice system. A tiny fraction of my research became part of the story, but most of it is just stored way in the recesses of my mind and on my computer hard-drive. People go to fiction – even historical fiction – for the story. The facts can’t stand out or you’ll lose the reader.
Did you find it difficult to write about real people and weave them into a fictional story?
In short, yes. Although it was initially useful to have a ‘template’ – an idea of who the characters were, I then felt hampered by what they might have been and what they might have done. In a way, it was fortunate that I didn’t know more about Sarah. She remained an enigma.
Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process, do you plot the story out first or dive right in and see where it takes you? Or a mixture of the two?
For The Unseeing, I created a synopsis and worked from that, but I now know that I should have plotted it out in a far more detailed way. Every writer is different, but I think I work best when I know where I’m headed (even if the plot later changes). For my next novel, I’m working from a far more detailed plot structure. I’ll have to see how that works out!
Who was your favourite character to write about in the Unseeing and why?
It was Sarah. It took me a long time to get to know her, but – probably because of that – she’s stayed with me. I want to know what happens to her next.
Are you working on anything at the moment? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it without giving too much away?
I’m currently writing my second historical crime novel, which is set on the Isle of Skye in 1857. It’s about a young woman who goes to work for a collector of folklore and discovers that a young girl has gone missing, supposedly taken by spirits of the unforgiven dead, although of course that’s not what she believes. Again, the idea was sparked by a real case, but I haven’t tried to base it on the facts in the same way that I did with The Unseeing.
Who would you say is the biggest influence on your writing?
Margaret Atwood. She’s been a huge inspiration since I was quite young. I made the mistake of telling her this when I met her a signing. She didn’t seem impressed: presumably I was the ninth person in the queue to have told her the very same thing.
And finally, just for fun, if you could have a dinner party for three select guests, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
Nina Simone, Aung San Suu Kyi and Madonna. All terrifyingly powerful and talented women with fascinating stories. They would almost certainly have a fight.
A big thank you to Anna for taking the time to answer my questions!
Don’t forget you can catch Anna Mazzola at the next First Monday Crime in July to grab a signed copy of The Unseeing.
To find out more about Anna Mazzola follow her on Twitter @Anna_Mazz. You can preorder your copy of The Unseeing from Amazon here.
Follow First Monday Crime at @1stMondayCrime for updates on their upcoming events.
QUOTED: "Mazzola, a criminal justice lawyer, has clearly relished both the research and the possibilities. Real testimony and newspaper clippings are weaved throughout. Sometimes such embellishments can detract from a story but here they add depth to it. Mazzola’s legal background shines through too."
"It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Mazzola’s prose is wonderful and the characters are complex and convincing. The cleverly woven plot is revealed gradually with tension maintained right up to the closing lines. Sarah is particularly well drawn; fascinating, frustrating and sympathetic by turns, echoing Fleetwood’s experience of her as she refuses to help him prove her innocence."
Monday, 11 July 2016
Anna Mazzola, Interview and Review by Katherine Clements
Every now and then a debut novel comes along that stands out from the crowd. The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola is one.
Sarah Gale is a seamstress, prostitute and single mother, incarcerated in Newgate Prison, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown. Young, ambitious lawyer, Edmund Fleetwood, is appointed to investigate Sarah’s petition for mercy, yet she refuses to help him. Convinced that Sarah is hiding something, and unable to understand why she won’t act to save her own life, Edmund must discover what really happened on the night of the murder. In the process, he discovers some unsetting truths.
The exact details of the Edgeware Road Murder – a real murder case that became a press sensation in 1837 – remain shady to this day. Sarah, convicted of aiding and abetting James Greenacre in the gristly crime, refused to defend herself, stating only that she knew nothing of it.
Sarah Gale’s silence during her trial and incarceration is fertile ground for a novelist and Mazzola, a criminal justice lawyer, has clearly relished both the research and the possibilities. Real testimony and newspaper clippings are weaved throughout. Sometimes such embellishments can detract from a story but here they add depth to it. Mazzola’s legal background shines through too, especially in the character of Fleetwood, whose pragmatic approach to finding the facts is soon challenged.
It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Mazzola’s prose is wonderful and the characters are complex and convincing. The cleverly woven plot is revealed gradually with tension maintained right up to the closing lines. Sarah is particularly well drawn; fascinating, frustrating and sympathetic by turns, echoing Fleetwood’s experience of her as she refuses to help him prove her innocence.
I particularly enjoyed the gritty depictions of poverty stricken 19th century London and its injustices (reminding me a little of, among others, Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White or Sarah Waters’ Affinity). The depiction of Newgate prison, with its harsh conditions and reprehensible inmates, is particularly visceral. But for me, the book's message about the position of women at the time stood out as one of the strongest themes. Without legal or financial rights, many women’s lives were determined by men. As such, Sarah could come across as a victim, but Mazzola avoids this, ensuring that Sarah finds a way to choose her own fate, even if it’s a shocking one, as she offers up a plausible and satisfying solution to the mystery.
This is a novel that raises questions about the nature of truth, secrets and manipulation, the lies we tell ourselves and what we choose to believe. And it’s a gripping read. If you like your historical crime beautifully written, intelligent and genuinely moving, this is one for you.
Anna kindly agreed to answer a few questions about the book:
Where and when did you first come across the story of Sarah Gale and what was it that fascinated you about her story?
I first heard about James Greenacre and the murder of Hannah Brown in the Suspicions of Mr Whicher. The crime is mentioned only briefly, but seized my attention as it took place in Camberwell, not far from where I live. However, when I read the Old Bailey transcript, I realized this was Sarah Gale’s story. She was accused of helping Greenacre to conceal the horrific murder of another woman and yet she said virtually nothing throughout the entire trial. Her barrister gave a short statement on her behalf saying that she was not in Camberwell at the time of the murder and knew nothing of it afterwards. Very little is said to combat the various claims that are made against Sarah or to deal with the different pieces of evidence that are offered up. Given she was facing the death sentence, I thought that was very strange. What was really going on?
You must have done quite a bit of research into the case. Did you make any surprising discoveries or have any 'aha!' moments?
I did a huge amount of research – that’s always the most fun part, isn’t it? – and had quite a few ‘AHA’ and ‘OMG’ moments, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you about most of them without spoiling the plot. I was unnerved to learn that James Greenacre had left Sarah his spectacles. I suppose glasses at that time were valuable, and it was perhaps an act of kindness, but he doesn’t seem to have been a kind man. Far from it. I wondered if it could have been a message: a warning that he was still watching.
Sarah could be considered a victim – due to her treatment by men, the courts and the press – but she doesn't come across like that at all. Was the issue of women's rights or legal position at the time in your mind when creating her?
Yes, because I think it’s an important part of Sarah’s story and what ultimately happened to her. This was an era in which married women had no legal personality of their own, and when wives who had committed crimes under the influence of their husband were judged to have a defence due to apparently having no mind of their own. At the same time, women who committed crimes were judged to be particularly abhorrent as they were subverting the feminine norm. They were angels or demons – there doesn’t seem to have been much in between – and the other characters in The Unseeing have pronounced views on which they think Sarah is. Sarah of course knows that, and works with what she has.
Without giving away any spoilers, do you think your background as a lawyer helped or hindered you in creating a fictional solution to the crime?
It was definitely a hindrance. It took me a long time, and several beatings from my agent, before I was able to move away from the ‘facts’ and produce a narrative that anyone would actually want to read. I’m of course used to working with real cases where facts are all-important, so it was difficult for me to accept that I had to let go of factual accuracy in order to achieve a different kind of narrative truth. It’s part of the reason that one of the key themes of The Unseeing is truth and deception.
What's next? Can you tell us what you're working on now?
I’m currently writing my second historical crime novel, which is set on the Isle of Skye in 1857. It’s about a young woman who goes to work for a collector of folklore and discovers that a young girl has gone missing, supposedly taken by spirits, although of course that’s not what she believes. Again, the idea was sparked by a real case, but given my difficulty with leaving ‘the facts’ I haven’t tried to base it on the case in the same way that I did with The Unseeing. I may, however, return to that format for book three. Just to make things difficult for myself.
The Unseeing is out on 14th July and Anna will be our History Girls guest this month. Look out for her post on 29th July!
QUOTED: "A number of plot points which seemed like loose threads are cleverly woven into a satisfying resolution. Haunting characters propel this well-paced story of true crime and imperfect punishment."
Mazzola, Anna: THE UNSEEING
Kirkus Reviews. (Nov. 1, 2016):
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Mazzola, Anna THE UNSEEING Sourcebooks Landmark (Adult Fiction) $15.99 2, 1 ISBN: 978-1-4926-3547-5
A grisly murder in an England on the cusp of the Victorian era sets the scene for this thriller.In 1837, a series of discoveries of scattered body parts led to a sensational trial known as the "Edgeware Road Murder." The novel follows the true case of Sarah Gale, convicted of "aiding and abetting" that murder by helping her lover try to cover it up. Debut author Mazzola displays her research chops with epigraphs at the heads of several chapters quoting genuine newspaper accounts from the time or actual excerpts from the trial. Mazzola has invented a sympathetic investigator to explore what might have happened: the fictitious Edmund Fleetwood, a young solicitor, is hired by the Home Office to reinvestigate the case in order to determine whether there are circumstances which would convince a judge to spare Sarah from the gallows. Both the convicted murderer, James Greenacre, and Sarah herself denied at trial that she had any part in the whole affair. Though she professes innocence, Sarah has failed to offer any further explanation or defense. Sarah is maddeningly passive but truly suffering from her secrets, which Edmund is determined to expose. He coaxes out the story of her genteel upbringing, which ended with the sudden plunge into poverty which led her on the road to misadventure. Edmund also struggles with finances and the weight of his more successful, overbearing father, who is unforgiving of any woman gone astray, including Edmund's own mother. No merrie olde England this, but a dirty, hardscrabble London in which even the clergy offer no mercy. Sarah's misery in Newgate Prison is particularly cruel and harrowing. As Edmund's doggedness eventually prevails, a number of plot points which seemed like loose threads are cleverly woven into a satisfying resolution. Haunting characters propel this well-paced story of true crime and imperfect punishment.
QUOTED: "This is a cleverly written and intricate mystery that doesn't try to outsmart the reader or become convoluted."
The Unseeing
Publishers Weekly. 263.34 (Aug. 22, 2016): p82.
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The Unseeing
Anna Mazzola. Sourcebooks Landmark, $15.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-49263547-5
Love, corruption, and retribution define Mazzola's absorbing and unpredictable debut novel. At the opening in London in 1837, Sarah Gale is arrested and charged with assisting James Greenacre in the "horrific murder of a blameless woman," Hannah Brown, who has been mutilated. However, Sarah repeatedly pleads that she had no part in the crime and that she also had no knowledge of it occurring afterward. Edmund Fleetwood, criminal investigator, is tasked with determining whether Sarah should be hanged through the evidence provided to the jury during her trial, upon her request of a petition for mercy. Murderess or not, it becomes clear Sarah is hiding something and as she and Edmund deal with their own personal demons along the way, the truth comes to light in a very satisfying conclusion. This is a cleverly written and intricate mystery
that doesn't try to outsmart the reader or become convoluted, and that includes great characters and subplots that eventually intersect to make for a multidimensional read. The authentic setting of Victorian London enhances the reading experience. Agent: Sasha Raskin, the Agency Group. (Feb.)
QUOTED: "a worthy ... crime drama and a vivid portrait of life and criminal justice in Victorian London."
Mazzola, Anna. The Unseeing
Susan Santa
Xpress Reviews. (Jan. 13, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC
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Mazzola, Anna. The Unseeing. Sourcebooks Landmark. Feb. 2017. 400p. ISBN 9781492635475. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9781492635482. F
[DEBUT] Christmas Eve 1836, Hannah Brown has been murdered and her body parts scattered throughout London. Her fiance, James Greenacre, has been found guilty of her murder and his lover Sarah Gale guilty of assisting. Both have been sentenced to hang, but a petition for clemency has been submitted to save Sarah, who claims to be innocent. Young solicitor Edmund Fleetwood has been assigned by the Home Secretary to investigate. Unfortunately, except for her short statement that she was not at the house and had no knowledge of the crime, Sarah remains unwilling to elaborate, leaving Edmund with little to go on and a quickly ticking clock.
Verdict Drawing on the notorious 1837 Edgware Road murder, debut author Mazzola has written a worthy "did she/didn't she" historical crime drama and a vivid portrait of life and criminal justice in Victorian London. For fans of Sarah Waters.
Susan Santa, Shelter Rock P.L., Albertson, NY
QUOTED: "Well-researched, with believable characters, this is a harrowing story."
The Unseeing
BY ANNA MAZZOLA
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This is the fictionalised biography of Sarah Gale, accused of being an accomplice to a murder in 1837 London. She is sentenced to hang, and the lawyer Edmund Fleetwood – a fictional character – is appointed to investigate to see if there is a legal reason for clemency. Well-researched, with believable characters, this is a harrowing story. It is set mainly in Newgate, and the awful conditions of the gaol and the injustices perpetrated both inside and outside the prison are described in detail. There is a repetition of themes – abused children, men’s power over women’s lives – which adds to the feeling of despair, as does the harassment of Sarah by another prisoner, for which no motive is given.
Mazzola provides a possible solution to the mystery of how much Sarah knew about the murder – still unknown to this day – but I think it would have been more intriguing to leave it ambiguous and let readers decide for themselves. A more open ending would not have left the reader wondering about motives, both Sarah’s and those of other characters. This novel kept me interested until the end, where there is a hint of the possibility of another novel with Edmund as the detective. If so, I will happily buy it.
QUOTED: "At times, the tension is remarkable and the story utterly gripping."
"If, on a cold winter’s night, you’re looking for a book to snuggle up with, The Unseeing would be an excellent choice."
Book Review: The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
Book Review: The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
Book Review: The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
21 Jun 2016
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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.
QUOTED: "This story is actually based on a real case and brought to us in a form that's carefully researched and brilliantly paced."
The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
Category: Crime (Historical)
Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Ani Johnson
Reviewed by Ani Johnson
Summary: Fact beautifully melded with fiction in a tale of dark deception and violence based on a true 1837 court case.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 368 Date: July 2016
Publisher: Tinder Press
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1472234735
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1837: Sarah Gale is found guilty of aiding and abetting James Greenwood in the murder of Hannah, his fiancée. It's particularly gruesome as the body was brutally dismembered and left in various locations around London. Bound for the gallows and fearing for the future of her young son George, Sarah petitions for mercy from the Home Office and, as a result, the Home Secretary appoints barrister Edmund Fleetwood to re-investigate the case. Edmund approaches it with an open mind but nothing prepares him for what he'll discover and not just in the professional realm.
People with legal qualifications are often considered to have no imagination. Yet there are those, like John Mortimer who prove themselves to be not only imaginative but entertaining. The Unseeing may not be mirthful like a Rumpole story, but that doesn't matter. Its author, criminal justice solicitor Anna Mazzola, can definitely be added to these ranks of riveting expertise. This story is actually based on a real case and brought to us in a form that's carefully researched and brilliantly paced.
Sarah has been written off by 19th century opinion and left to rot, awaiting hanging at Newgate. Yet the more Fleetwood looks into it, the more he realises this is a woman worth fighting authority for. She has hidden depths though. The question is what are these depths hiding?
Whereas Sarah is real, Edmund is fictionalised to great purpose and effect and not just for his great line in background and sub-plot. He's our eyes, aid to understanding the crime and process plus the vehicle for some great shocks towards the end. Edmund is also totally believable, being led more by his heart and a burning urge for justice than by the business acumen his wife would wish upon him to aid their circumstances. A bright mind living in a lower middle class setting, the pressure he's under from his wife and disdain of his father draws us to him even more.
I promise there'll be no spoilers so let's just say that the process of law in a nation about to topple into Queen Victoria's reign isn't totally law-led. Anna shows how justice was indeed blind at that time – blind to the truth and evidence rather than impartiality. (Just one of the meanings behind the cleverly chosen title.) Opinion, prejudice and consideration of what would best suit society, along with some iffy psychology holds more weight for the influential. As for Newgate prison's place in the justice system, it makes Cell Block H look like Butlins.
This is a novel that would entice, engage and heartily please fellow fans of authors like Antonia Hodgson. Meanwhile, talking of pleasing heartily (she says, unsplitting the infinitive) if I've read it correctly there may just be a little crack left in the door for Edmund to return. I sincerely hope (for his benefit as well as ours) he does and it's soon. An Anna Mazzola novel is definitely something to look forward to.
(Thank you so much to the people of Tinder Press for providing us with a copy for review.)
QUOTED: "This is a carefully woven tale of trust, self-trust and deceit."
"What this beautifully written and cleverly plotted story does do is present a genuine mystery in the grittily realistic setting of Victorian London, with its filth and horrors, high society and low life, hypocrisy and brutality. The scenes inside Newgate Prison are quite horrendous. This is a stunning and intriguing debut."
Publisher Tinder Press
Date Published 14 July 2016
ISBN-10 1472234731
ISBN-13 978-1472234735
Format hardcover
Pages 368
Price £ 14.99
The Unseeing
by Anna Mazzola
In 1837 Sarah Gale was sentenced to hang for her part in her murder of another woman. An idealistic young barrister is appointed to determine if the sentence is appropriate.
Review
Criminal solicitor Anna Mazzola has plucked a case from history for her debut as a novelist and this intricately woven and cleverly plotted piece of ‘faction’ is as good an explanation as you’re ever likely to get of one of the 19th century’s most infamous crimes.
In 1837, Sarah Gale, a seamstress and single mother of a four-year-old son, was sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown on the eve of her wedding at the house in Kenningon Gale had previously shared with her former lover James Greenacre. Brown’s body was crudely dismembered with a wood saw and bits were distributed at a building site on the Edgware Road, the Regent’s Canal in Stepney and Camberwell’s Coldharbour Lane.
The so-called Edgware Road Murder was the sensation of the time. From the start the London newspapers speculated wildly without regard to the facts – and continued to do so throughout the couple’s trial and while awaiting sentence to be carried out. Police traced a sack used to wrap Brown’s legs to Greenacre. When he was arrested, Gale was with him at the house where he had installed Brown. When she was arrested Gale had items said to belong to Brown in her possession. Greenacre was charged with murder, convicted and hung, but throughout insisted that Gale had not been involved in any way.
Gale continued to deny any knowledge of the killing and dismemberment, but offered no other defence, was found guilty of aiding and abetting and sentenced to death. Home Secretary, and twice Prime Minister, Lord John Russell, a civil liberties champion, rejected her petition for mercy, but under pressure from influential society members, including the formidable Mrs Elizabeth Fry’s Society of Quaker Women, did commute her sentence to transportation for life. She died in Australia in 1888.
So much for the facts, brilliantly researched and presented by Mazzola with few additions or alterations. The questions of the thoroughness of the police investigation, and the disappearance of evidence and statements in such a high profile case are as familiar today as in Victorian times. But Gale’s insistence on silence allows Mazzola to re-examine the case through the eyes of idealistic young barrister Edmund Fleetwood, appointed by Russell to give an opinion on whether the original judgement was sound and should stand.
Edmund has his own problems, having struggled all his life against a controlling and often brutal father and has more than a share of self-doubt. Yet he is determined to find the truth and the answer to the question of how can it be someone would go willingly to their own death?
Sarah refuses to help him, neither lying nor explaining the evidence, but continuing to protest her innocence. Edmund knows she is hiding something, and must discover why she’s maintaining her silence.
This is a carefully woven tale of trust, self-trust and deceit against a background of abuse, domination and brutality. Mazzola offers an intriguing heroine, but no conclusions as to her guilt or otherwise. She says she has no answer other than Sarah knew far more than she ever revealed – and leaves her readers to make up their own minds if they can!
What this beautifully written and cleverly plotted story does do is present a genuine mystery in the grittily realistic setting of Victorian London, with its filth and horrors, high society and low life, hypocrisy and brutality. The scenes inside Newgate Prison are quite horrendous. This is a stunning and intriguing debut.
Reviewed 06 August 2016 by John Cleal
The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola
7 July 2016 By Katherine Clements
TheUnseeing CoverEvery now and then a debut novel comes along that stands out from the crowd. The Unseeing by Anna Mazzola is one.
Sarah Gale is a seamstress, prostitute and single mother, incarcerated in Newgate Prison, sentenced to hang for her role in the murder of Hannah Brown. Young, ambitious lawyer, Edmund Fleetwood, is appointed to investigate Sarah’s petition for mercy, yet she refuses to help him. Convinced that Sarah is hiding something, and unable to understand why she won’t act to save her own life, Edmund must discover what really happened on the night of the murder. In the process, he discovers some unsetting truths.
The exact details of the Edgeware Road Murder – a real murder case that became a press sensation in 1837 – remain shady to this day. Sarah, convicted of aiding and abetting James Greenacre in the gristly crime, refused to defend herself, stating only that she knew nothing of it.
Sarah Gale’s silence during her trial and incarceration is fertile ground for a novelist and Mazzola, a criminal justice lawyer, has clearly relished both the research and the possibilities. Real testimony and newspaper clippings are weaved throughout. Sometimes such embellishments can detract from a story but here they add depth to it. Mazzola’s legal background shines through too, especially in the character of Fleetwood, whose pragmatic approach to finding the facts is soon challenged.
It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. Mazzola’s prose is wonderful and the characters are complex and convincing. The cleverly woven plot is revealed gradually with tension maintained right up to the closing lines. Sarah is particularly well drawn; fascinating, frustrating and sympathetic by turns, echoing Fleetwood’s experience of her as she refuses to help him prove her innocence.
I particularly enjoyed the gritty depictions of poverty stricken 19th century London and its injustices (reminding me a little of, among others, Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White or Sarah Waters’ Affinity). The depiction of Newgate prison, with its harsh conditions and reprehensible inmates, is particularly visceral. But for me, the book’s message about the position of women at the time stood out as one of the strongest themes. Without legal or financial rights, many women’s lives were determined by men. As such, Sarah could come across as a victim, but Mazzola avoids this, ensuring that Sarah finds a way to choose her own fate, even if it’s a shocking one, as she offers up a plausible and satisfying solution to the mystery.
This is a novel that raises questions about the nature of truth, secrets and manipulation, the lies we tell ourselves and what we choose to believe. And it’s a gripping read. If you like your historical crime beautifully written, intelligent and genuinely moving, this is one for you.
Katherine Clements is the author of The Crimson Ribbon and The Silvered Heart. She is editor of Historia Magazine and blogs for The History Girls on the 11th of each month.