Publication Date: 6th November 2026
Lady Eleanor Fellwood has never acknowledged Annie as her daughter-in-law or forgiven her son, Robert, for marrying a former servant. However, when the two women are trapped together on a cliffside following a freak accident, home truths are aired, and Lady Eleanor realises she has misjudged the younger woman. Fortunately, both survive the ordeal, but Lady Eleanor is shocked by revelations about her husband’s past behaviour, and tells him their marriage is over.
When a growing friendship develops between the two women, Annie agrees to allow Lady Fellwood to meet her grandchildren. However, Sabina Webber, Annie’s mother, is horrified at this development as she suspects the noble lady has an ulterior motive. Seven years earlier, Lady Eleanor rejected her newborn baby because he was badly disabled and she wanted him adopted, as far away as possible. However, she was unaware that the child had been taken in by Sabina, who lived not a stone’s throw away, and had been raised as her son, Danny. Eventually, having noticed the child playing in the garden, Lady Eleanor recognised her son and is now desperate to have him back – an impossible situation for all concerned.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Chugg, another resident of Hartford, is worried about Nell Patterson, his wife-to-be. Nell has been nursing her Aunt Meg in The Tucker’s Arms, a disreputable brothel in Barnstaple, and it is only Meg’s fragile influence over her husband, Noah, and two sons, Abe and Reggie, that is keeping Nell from a life of prostitution.
Knowing she is dying, Meg is determined to save her niece and gives Nell an envelope that, she says, can be used as leverage against Noah to gain her freedom. She says the envelope contains evidence of a crime so serious that it would see Noah and his sons hanged. Nell gives the letter to Jimmy for safekeeping, telling him she has promised not to open it until after her aunt’s death. When Meg Berryman dies, and Nell and her daughters have not been seen for weeks, Jimmy is distraught and decides to open the letter, but he is unprepared for the enormity of the truth it contains.
There is something rather special about returning to a fictional world where the characters have become so familiar that their lives feel almost like those of old friends. Marcia Clayton has spent eight books, including the prequel, introducing readers to the families of Hartford, and during that time there have been marriages, births, deaths, misunderstandings and more than a few secrets. In 'A Difficult Dilemma', Clayton once again brings these families together in a story that is as much about the consequences of past decisions as it is about the difficult choices facing them now.
Set in North Devon during 1887 and 1888, the novel begins in the aftermath of a frightening accident involving Annie Fellwood and her mother-in-law, Lady Eleanor. Their relationship has never been an easy one, and the circumstances in which they find themselves have forced both women to confront matters that have remained unspoken for far too long. For Annie, who has endured more than her fair share of unhappiness, the possibility of a better understanding with Eleanor is welcome, although forgiveness is not something that can be given simply because another person wishes for it.
Meanwhile, in Barnstaple, Nell Patterson is becoming increasingly desperate. A widow with two young daughters to protect, she finds herself at the mercy of relatives who have little concern for her welfare. Her growing affection for Jimmy Chugg offers some hope, but Nell's circumstances are far from straightforward, and escaping her present situation seems almost impossible. As events unfold, the troubles facing Nell begin to affect the lives of those at Hartford Manor, placing Annie in a position where helping someone in desperate need may come at a considerable cost to her own family.
Annie has been one of the most appealing characters throughout this series, and she continues to impress. Despite the considerable difference between the life she once knew and the comfortable circumstances she now enjoys, she has never forgotten what it means to struggle. She knows what poverty looks like, and is unwilling to ignore another person's suffering simply because it would be easier to do so. What makes Annie particularly admirable is that her kindness is not accompanied by foolishness. She understands that actions have consequences, and there are occasions when she must weigh her desire to help against the harm that might follow.
Lady Eleanor is perhaps one of the most interesting characters in this instalment. Her treatment of Annie in the past has been dreadful, and there have been occasions throughout the series when she has been almost impossible to sympathise with. Yet Clayton does not leave Eleanor unchanged. Instead, she allows her to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and the people closest to her. Their relationship is not suddenly transformed into one of complete affection, and this is particularly convincing. There is too much history between these women for that, and Annie's understandable caution makes their changing relationship much more believable.
Nell's storyline is particularly disturbing, not least because of how little control she has over her circumstances. As a woman with two children and limited means, she cannot simply walk away from an unpleasant situation and begin again elsewhere. The people who hold power over her are well aware of her vulnerability, and their behaviour becomes increasingly threatening. Clayton captures Nell's fear without making her appear helpless or lacking in courage. Everything she does is influenced by her determination to keep her daughters safe, and the uncertainty surrounding her future makes her predicament especially compelling.
Jimmy Chugg is another character who brings considerable warmth to the novel. His affection for Nell is genuine, and there is something rather touching about his determination to offer her and her daughters a better life. Yet good intentions are not always enough, particularly when the people standing in his way have no intention of behaving honourably. The difficulties he encounters add considerable tension to the story, and Clayton handles his predicament with sensitivity.
There is a darker side to this novel than might initially be expected from its familiar domestic setting. Beneath the everyday concerns of the Hartford families lie secrets that have the potential to cause enormous damage. Clayton explores the uncomfortable position of knowing that something is wrong while also understanding that exposing it may hurt innocent people. The moral questions raised by these circumstances are particularly interesting, for the answers are not nearly as straightforward as one might hope, especially when family loyalty becomes entangled with questions of justice.
Alongside these more troubling events, Clayton continues to portray the ordinary routines of life in rural Victorian Devon. There are family gatherings, weddings, births, deaths, and occasions when neighbours come together to support one another. These quieter moments are an important part of the series, and the attention given to the wider Hartford community is one of its enduring pleasures. The contrast between the lives of the wealthy Fellwoods and those who depend upon their own labour for survival remains particularly effective. Money and social position can provide a great deal of security, but Clayton never allows readers to forget how precarious life can be, not only for the impoverished but for the wealthy as well.
One of Clayton's greatest strengths is her affection for her characters, even when they behave badly. She does not expect readers to approve of every decision they make, and some of their actions are extremely difficult to forgive. Yet their mistakes, regrets and attempts to make amends are part of what makes their stories so absorbing. There is happiness to be found in Hartford, certainly, but there is also grief, disappointment and the knowledge that some wrongs cannot simply be put right.
'A Difficult Dilemma' is another excellent addition to The Hartford Manor Series. Marcia Clayton has created a cast of characters whose lives continue to hold the reader's attention, and returning to Hartford feels like revisiting a familiar place where there is always something new to discover. With its family disagreements, moments of tenderness, troubling secrets and difficult moral choices, this novel offers everything that has made Clayton's writing so enjoyable. After eight books, the fortunes of these families remain as fascinating as ever, and there is every reason to hope that their stories are far from finished.
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Publication Date 6th November 2028
Marcia Clayton
