Category: Victorian Britain

My Top 10 Books of 2024 – Part Two

Here are my favourite 10 books of 2024 Part Two, not counting audiobooks. Quite a disparate selection for a change. Away Weekend by Lesley Fernández-Armesto Geraldine is divorced. Her military ex-husband Jonty has run off with Sally, leaving Geraldine with only her apricot poodle Bolly. She now lives in a tiny mews house in St John’s Wood. Then she meets Ellis, smooth, handsome, American, … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2024 – Part Two

Whitechapel Autumn of Error by Ian Porter

Whitechapel 1888; a killer is on the loose and the newspapers are ensuring the nation knows all about not just the crimes but the terrible living conditions in which they are being perpetrated. Nashey, a tough, scary yet charismatic man of the night, whose mother had to prostitute herself when he was a boy, knows the identity of the killer but keeps it a secret. … Read More Whitechapel Autumn of Error by Ian Porter

The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell

From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a gripping tale of obsession, superstition and ambition, set against the atmospheric backdrop of Victorian London. Be careful what you wish for it may just come true. At The Mercury Theatre in London’s West End, rumours are circulating of a curse. It is said that the lead actress Lilith has made a pact with Melpomene, the tragic … Read More The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell

The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat. Still recovering from a serious illness herself, making enough money to support her elderly mother and her orphaned nephew Cedric has never been easy, but then one of her clients is murdered shortly after sitting for Agnes, and then another, and another… Why is … Read More The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell

Diary of Murders by Sarah Cook

Love dominates us all. London. 1895. Two doctors – Miriam Clayton and John Bennett – fall in love with one another when they realise they have the same wicked sexual desires. 1896. A series of gruesome murders have gripped Soho. Their details are confessed in a damning diary. But who of the pair is committing these crimes? And what has turned their love into … Read More Diary of Murders by Sarah Cook

The Other Side of Mrs. Wood by Lucy Barker

For fans of The Lost Apothecary or the Mermaid and Mrs Hancock, a deliciously atmospheric historical novel about the rivalry between two female mediums during Victorian London’s obsession with Spiritualism. Mrs. Violet Wood is London’s premier medium. Her ambition and work ethic are relentless, and her unique abilities have earned her quite the reputation among London’s elite. Mrs. Wood knows just how to read … Read More The Other Side of Mrs. Wood by Lucy Barker

Vulcana by Rebecca F John

An inspirational fictional telling of Welsh Victorian Strongwoman Kate Williams Vulcana is a fictional telling of the real story of Victorian ‘strongwoman’ Kate Williams (born 1874), starting when she runs away from home at 16 to travel with the love of her life, William Roberts. They perform in music halls as Atlas and Vulcana – the climax of their act is that Kate can … Read More Vulcana by Rebecca F John