Death and the Harlot by Georgina Clarke

 

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 950 KB
• Print Length: 296 pages
• Publisher: Canelo (13 May 2019)
• Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07NBJKVZM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

The year is 1759 and London is shrouded in a cloak of fear. With the constables at the mercy of highwaymen, it’s a perilous time to work the already dangerous streets of Soho. Lizzie Hardwicke makes her living as a prostitute, somewhat protected from the fray as one of Mrs Farley’s girls. But then one of her wealthy customers is found brutally murdered… and Lizzie was the last person to see him alive.

Constable William Davenport has no hard evidence against Lizzie but his presence and questions make life increasingly difficult. Desperate to be rid of him and prove her innocence Lizzie turns amateur detective, determined to find the true killer, whatever the cost.

Yet as the body count rises Lizzie realises that, just like her, everyone has a secret they will do almost anything to keep buried…

 

Review

Death and the Harlot is a murder mystery set in London in 1759.  Lizzie Hardwicke works as a prostitute at Mrs Farley’s and after one of their parties a client is found murdered  in the yard of the local ale house, and with Lizzie being the last to see him she finds herself top of the suspect list.  In order to prove her innocence Lizzie decides to go and find the murderer herself.  With the help Constable William Davenport, Lizzie finds herself probing into the detail of Reed’s life, and following a path of blackmail to find the real killer.

I loved reading this book, the characters and story hooks from the first page and reeled me in through out the book until the final shocking conclusion.  Lizzie Hardwicke is a wonderful  character and the phrase ‘a tart with a heart’ was made for her. Like many women of that period Lizzie comes from a middle class family, she has been educated but unfortunately found herself homeless until one of Mrs Farley’s girls spots her and they take her in.  Being in an establishment like Mrs Farley’s mean that she is warm, fed and protected from clients rather than be living on the street and being in danger. It is a higher class establishment, but as the murder investigation proves, their clients may have many secrets and are not all they seem.  Her humanity and caring side comes out when she helps two very different young girls who find themselves in trouble; Sallie is a prostitute on the street, who is down on her luck and Amelia who finds herself at Mrs Farley’s without knowledge of what they do there.  Lizzie uses her own money to help both girls outing try to keep them safe.

Georgina Clarke really captures the sights, sounds and smells of London as well as the social and political scene. London was a busy and bustling city, with many different people from many different walks of life.  Unfortunately, being the eighteenth century the sanitary conditions were not always that great in some parts so the streets flowed with human waste, rotting food and rats and this is all brought to life from the page.  The murder mystery has as many twists and turns as the alleyways of London, moving from the gaming houses, to the banks of the Thames, the ale houses and to the countryside of Norfolk.  The tension builds throughout with several red herrings, and a showdown at the end that sees Lizzie put her life in danger.

Death and the Harlot is a dark and thrilling murder mystery with secrets, lies, blackmail and duplicity.   What really makes this book and excellent read is the character of Lizzie Hardwicke; she is intelligent, quick witted, compassionate and likeable to all she meets.  Full of wonderful character sand brilliant descriptions that give this book an authenticity this is real page turner and I can’t wait for the next book in the series and catch up with the dynamic and delightful Lizzie Hardwicke.

 

As always thank you for taking the time to read my review, and I hope that you can share it across social media. I also need to thank Canelo for my copy of Death and the Harlot in return for my honest review.