Book Review: Suspended by Carmel McMurdo Audsley

Book Blurb

A young woman’s life hangs in the balance when she is convicted and sentenced to die for the crime of infanticide. In 1700s Scotland, punishment was swift and brutal, but not always final. Based on a true story.

In the early 1700s in south-east Scotland, an attractive young woman lives in a fishing village and longs for excitement. When her husband goes missing, she leaves her two young daughters with a friend and sets out to find him. She enjoys a life free from the responsibilities of raising a family and being a fishwife. She becomes pregnant to a young man and tries to hide her condition for fear of the shame and punishment meted out to women who bore children out of wedlock. When the child dies, she is accused of the heinous crime of infanticide, convicted and sentenced to a public hanging. An intriguing tale about an ordinary woman who experienced a remarkable event after her execution – so remarkable that people are still talking about it 300 years later.

Overall Analysis of Suspended

Suspended by Carmel McMurdo Audsley is a historical fiction about a woman convicted of infanticide and sentenced to hanging. This is the second of Audsley’s books I have read, and just as I had praised her for Conviction, her attention to historical detail is something to be lauded. She provides a preamble to give her audience a brief history of Maggie Dickson and an epilogue which details her own investigation into the fate of Maggie after her “resurrection.”

Similar to the theme of Conviction, Suspended is a tale of the harsh injustices faced by women in the 18th century. Beyond being falsely convicted of a crime and sentenced to death, Audsley details the tedious, busy, and unfulfilling day-to-day life of a fishwife and mother in 1700s Scotland. While her husband, Patrick, was allowed the luxury of kicking his feet up and relaxing after a long day’s work, Maggie was never off the clock, having to tend to her husband, children, and bait the hooks for the next day’s journey to sea.

At the start of the story, Maggie is portrayed as an ostentatious flirt despite her husband’s displeasure. Yet, I believe Audsley did a great job in establishing her as a flawed character you still can't help but root for. In her eyes, her beauty and youth is being spurned by her neglectful husband, and she is practically seen as a maid rather than a wife. One cannot completely fault her for being unfaithful to her husband, especially after he abandons his family with no word after years of dereliction of his duties as a father and spouse (despite some of the circumstances beyond his control).

One of the themes I enjoyed in the book is the influence and importance of familial bonds. While her husband was absent during her most trying times and her father was abusive during her younger years, her brother Jamie stepped in to comfort her. It was a relief knowing there was at least one person in her corner during her trial, sentencing, and execution. 

If I had to nitpick one thing, it is that we know the ending before reading the book, but that’s how it is with historical fiction. At times, it felt more like I was reading a history lesson than a story, but you can tell that Audsley took liberties where she could to weave a unique telling of Maggie Dickinson.

Final Thoughts

I am glad to have discovered Carmel McMurdo Audsley’s works as I am granted a sense of calmness after reading her novels. She weaves a tense story around dire circumstances, and takes her time tying off any loose ends to create a satisfying and even heartwarming conclusion. This read is just short enough to enjoy on a long plane ride and digestible enough to read when you’re trying to find a quick escape. Her words are dripping with passion for Scottish history, and her writing benefits from her enthusiasm. This is a must read for fans of historical fiction.