Language : English
Hardcover : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 1916788157
ISBN-13 : 978-1916788152
Book Blurb
The only sin is betrayal…
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
My Review
I do love my historical fiction, and non-fiction, and pride myself on having a broad knowledge, but with The Betrayal of Thomas True I have found a subject I knew nothing about. A.J. West’s new novel is set in the world of eighteenth century mollies, their life and loves and the danger they put themselves in on a daily basis. This fast paced read is a heady mix of romance, thriller and history, and for me a learning experience.
The eponymous Thomas True is the son of a reverend who has run away from home to the bright lights London, hoping to find acceptance for who he is, a homosexual. He is an innocent and has no idea of the molllie houses, with their colourful clothes, sense of abandonment and debauchery. Like Thomas, I loved this world I knew nothing about, it was full of amazing and over the top characters who by day led normal lives, but at night really came alive. However, there is also the darker side, where sodomy was a crime punished by death, and is seen as a disease.
A.J. West’s writing is sublime. Not only does his descriptive prose evoke eighteenth century London, capturing the sights and sounds of this bustling city, but his writing style and use of language is reminiscent of novels from that era. His characters, and their names have a Dickensian feel. Mr Nelson Frump (Nelly Frump), Mr Frank Vivian (Vivian Guzzle), of the mollies, Thomas’ aunt and uncle Squink and two justices, Spiritus Grimp, and Praisegod Myre. I was completely immersed in the lives of these wonderful characters, and of eighteenth century London, and became invested in their lives.
The story itself is multi layered, there is Thomas’s story of coming to London and his romance with Gabriel, and his induction into the world of the mollies. There is a thriller layer, just who is the Rat giving the names of the mollies to the Society for the Reformation of Manners who are murdering these men in horrific ways. Gabriel’s investigation into the Rat, that puts him and Thomas in danger, with suspicion falling on everyone in their world. This makes for an emotional rollercoaster of a read that left me wrung out and bereft by the end of the book.
The Betrayal of Thomas True is a stunning novel that works on so many levels; historical fiction, thriller, romance and the world of the mollies. I was completely swept away in the story of Thomas, Gabriel and their friends, their colourful lives and the horrors that faced them if caught and prosecuted. A.J. West’s writing is simply sublime, his historical knowledge shines through making this such a comelling and immersive read. This book was everything I hoped for and a little bit of more and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Id like to thank Orenda Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for my invite to be part of this blog tour.
