The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley ~ a Review

by MK French

Gillian visits her friend Violet Claybourne at the family estate. The entire trip goes sideways once she's implicated in a tragic accident. Unfortunately, keeping herself free will mean framing her best friend for murder.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2025;  Sourcebooks Landmark; 978-1728287195
audio, ebook, print (400 pages); historical fiction

Violet Claybourne is the youngest of three girls and is considered too odd because of her rituals, her fears, and her repetitive intrusive thoughts. Gillian is essentially an only child, and had been jealous of the family and togetherness she assumed the Claybourne family had. The two are roommates at school and de facto become best friends, so Violet brings Gillian home with her for the holidays so she won't be alone or treated as an afterthought by her own family. Gillian is desperate for belonging, and Violet's older sisters make that very easy, saying she could be like a cousin to them. Gillian does what they ask of her, hoping to belong, even going along with Emmeline's directions when the unthinkable happens halfway through the novel.

There's such sadness and casual cruelty within the Claybourne family. For all of their titled history and wealth, it's greatly diminished as time goes on, and Gillian sees how far they go to maintain appearances. Poor Violet becomes the scapegoat, her oddities framed as insanity so no one would believe her if she ever reveals the truth about what happened. The fallout of those choices carries through the years, as well as into the next generation. This is when we find out more about the Claybournes, and how even the girls' parents had sacrificed their happiness for the sake of appearances. By the very end, Gillian is once again caught up in the family drama, this time to try to set things right. Nothing can undo what had been done, but she hopes to undo her mistakes much like Violet once wanted to undo her troubled thoughts.

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever. 

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