Thanks to Chronos Publishing for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review, with no obligation to post.

Historical fiction with a dark edge is one of my favourite genres, and The Night Counsellor is a fine example of it. Set in the 1950s – in an asylum – across multiple timelines and POVs, Pang perfects the pacing on this story, unveiling the plot bit by bit as we the reader try to untangle what is happening in the current day. The entire first half is a near-perfect slow burn with gorgeous characters: a single working mother, a new wife, a kind neighbour, an absent husband.

Pang doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of life in an institution either. In fact, she delves deep into the unsettling way that women were demonised and institutionalised for things like, grieving baby loss and a marriage. The author seems to have conducted a great deal of research into this, which I appreciate, and it is a thoughtfully written thread throughout. Aside from the setting, this is also an engaging page-turner. The multiple POVs are well-plotted and, while I thought it was fairly predictable, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I love that Pang isn't afraid to spend plenty of time setting the scene too. There's really beautiful, evocative descriptions of the asylum, Georgina's new home and deep inside all the characters' minds.

An enjoyable historical fiction laced with themes of love, betrayal, mental health, parenthood, trust and the treatment of women.

CW: child loss, abuse, homophobia.