The Wicked Cometh: The addictive historical mystery

'We have no need to protect ourselves from the bad sort because we ARE the bad sort . . .' 'This newspaper has taken note that the past month has been remarkable for the prevalence of cases where men, women and children are declared missing. Scarcely a week passes without the occurrence of an incident of this type' - The Morning Herald, Tuesday 13 September 1831 Down the murky alleyways of London, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and the city's vulnerable poor are disappearing from the streets. Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape the slums by any means possible. When Hester is thrust into the world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life under the tutelage of the fiercely intelligent and mysterious Rebekah Brock. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new life and both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations, dragging them into the blackest heart of a city where something more depraved than either of them could ever imagine is lurking. . .

About the Author :
Laura Carlin left school at 16 to work in retail banking and it was only after leaving her job to write full-time that she discovered her passion for storytelling and exploring pockets of history through fiction. She lives in a book-filled house in beautiful rural Derbyshire with her family (and a very naughty cat). When she's not writing she enjoys walking in the surrounding Peak District. The Wicked Cometh is her first novel.

Review :
This deliciously dark confection of a novel has as many twists and turns as the London backstreets of its setting and I devoured it in two sittings! Contains lovely lyrical writing . . . and a heady romance at its heart Carlin's great at conjuring up an image of darkest 1800s London, while her female characters are both of their time, while also being witty and modern Satisfying Splendidly diverting . . . Spirited and highly readable The darkest corners of Georgian London are gleefully drawn in this brilliant story A delightful romp. I can't wait to see what Carlin writes next Laura Carlin earns every single comparison to Sarah Waters she's going to get. It's a sterling, historical, dark, twisty novel A captivating debut that brings the squalid and sinister Georgian London to life . . . will appeal to fans of vintage gothic à la Wilkie Collins and Sarah Waters Charming and a delight to read. An added bonus is that the cover of this book is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Historical fiction with a lesbian slant usually begs comparison with Sarah Waters, but Carlin is more than up to the task as she carefully weaves an eerie, evocative tale where no one can be trusted and everyone - even Hester herself - has secrets Richly detailed with well-drawn characters and evocative language, THE WICKED COMETH is an entertaining piece of Victoriana-style literature that's sure to label Carlin as one to watch You can almost taste the gin and the soot . . . but we reckon you'll be enjoying it too much to care