The Devil in the Marshalsea
The unmissable, atmospheric first historical mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Raven Scholar
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4.4 • 140 Ratings
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
**Buy The Raven Scholar now - a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue from Sunday Times bestselling Antonia Hodgson**
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN CREASEY CWA DAGGER FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME NOVEL
'A splendid debut. . .this is a truly spellbinding tale' Guardian
'Hodgson's utterly compelling debut is fiendishly plotted and dripping with atmosphere' Mark Billingham
'A brilliant first novel. . .a blood-drenched investigation that twists and turns in the vortex of Georgian society' The Times
'Historical fiction just doesn't get any better than this. Magnificent!' Jeffery Deaver
London, 1727.
Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors' prison.
The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules:
Those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort.
Those with none will starve in squalor and disease.
And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol's rutheless governor and his cronies.
The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol.
While the Captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet.
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH THIS MAGNIFICENT HISTORICAL MYSTERY
'I read a lot of detective fiction. Hodsgon's debut is one of the best ever' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A devil of a good story' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A rollicking good read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I haven't enjoyed a novel so much in a long, long time' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Absolutely breathtaking' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Superb from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Dickens might have dreamt up The Devil in the Marshalsea, a thrilling murder mystery set in 1720s London. Hero Tom Hawkins is a loveable rogue who’s doing time in an infamous debtors’ jail when he gets caught up in a murder investigation. Debut novelist Antonia Hodgson paints gorgeously filmic scenes, from the derelict streets around St Giles to the clatter of Covent Garden’s coffeehouses. Historical fiction doesn’t get more gripping than this—we can't wait to read book 2.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hodgson, the editor-in-chief of Little, Brown U.K., conjures up scenes of Dickensian squalor and marries them to a crackerjack plot, in her impressive first novel, set in 1727. Tom Hawkins, the 25-year-old wastrel son of an English minister, has the misfortune to land in London's hellish debtors' prison, the Marshalsea Gaol. With his life and sanity at stake, Hawkins seizes a possibility for a reprieve. Shortly before his entry to the Marshalsea, the hanging death of another prisoner, Capt. John Roberts, was ruled a suicide. Roberts's widow believes otherwise, and with reports of the captain's ghost haunting the jail, the authorities hope that Hawkins will conduct an independent investigation that they can use to calm the inmates. Hodgson makes the stench, as well as the despair, almost palpable, besides expertly dropping fair clues. Fans of Iain Pears and Charles Palliser will hope for a sequel.
Customer Reviews
4.5*. Really 😎
Excellent read, excellent twists and turns and simply love reading about places I know in today’s London and planning to drop into several on my next visit.
Already got next 3 books and fully expect to award a 5 at some point.
Attention to detail was such that I think I may have gagged a bit at some of the smells in the gaol… and as for the stench from the “Common Side”… I was ready to heave.
Recommend to anyone who likes to become immersed in a story. 😎🍸🍸
Excellent book
Thoroughly enjoyed- usual avoid historical novels but this is a page turner.
Excellent
This novel is firmly planted in its historical setting and that lends credence to the plight of its main character. A thrilling series of events buffet the hero of the tale as he struggles to find the answers that he needs to survive. Enjoy!