The Wicked Cometh: The addictive historical mystery

Description

THE WICKED COMETH will take readers on a heart-racing journey through backstreets swathed with fog to richly curtained, brightly lit country houses; from the libraries and colleges of gentlemen, to sawdust-strewn gin palaces where ne'er-do-wells drink and scheme, all told through the eyes of a heroine with nothing to lose. The year is 1831. Down murky alleyways and in filthy hovels, acts of unspeakable wickedness take place and vulnerable people begin to disappear from the streets. Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a 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 mysterious Rebekah Brock. But both she and Rebekah are lured into the most sinister of investigations as whispers from Hester's old life return to poison the present. Something is lurking in the black heart of their city, and it is more depraved than either of them could ever imagine . . .

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.

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! -- Ruth Hogan, author of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS Contains lovely lyrical writing . . . and a heady romance at its heart * Sunday Express * 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 * Stylist * Satisfying * The Times * Splendidly diverting . . . Spirited and highly readable * Irish Times * The darkest corners of Georgian London are gleefully drawn in this brilliant story * Emerald Street * A delightful romp. I can't wait to see what Carlin writes next -- Lauren James, author of THE NEXT TOGETHER Laura Carlin earns every single comparison to Sarah Waters she's going to get. It's a sterling, historical, dark, twisty novel -- Kaite Welsh * Radio 4 Open Book * A captivating debut that brings the squalid and sinister Georgian London to life . . . will appeal to fans of vintage gothic a la Wilkie Collins and Sarah Waters * BookRiot * 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. * Yorkshire Post * 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 * DIVA Magazine * 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 * Culture Fly * You can almost taste the gin and the soot . . . but we reckon you'll be enjoying it too much to care * Metro *