The Wicked Cometh: The addictive historical mystery

Description

'We have no need to protect ourselves from the bad sort because WE are the bad sort . . .' 'Beguiling' Stylist The year is 1831. Down murky alleyways, acts of unspeakable wickedness are taking place and London's vulnerable poor are disappearing from the streets. Out of these shadows comes Hester White, a bright young woman who is desperate to escape these slums by any means possible. When a chance encounter thrusts Hester into the beguiling world of the aristocratic Brock family, she leaps at the chance to improve her station in life. But whispers from her past slowly begin to poison her new existence, and lure her into the most sinister of investigations. As she finds herself dragged into the blackest heart of the city, little does she know that something more depraved than she could ever imagine is lurking. . . 'Carlin can tell a good story' Observer 'Contains lovely, lyrical writing . . . and a heady romance at its heart' Sunday Express 'A deliciously dark confection of a novel' Ruth Hogan

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 rural Derbyshire with her family (and a very naughty cat). 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! 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 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 Laura Carlin earns every single comparison to Sarah Waters she's going to get. It's a sterling, historical, dark, twisty novel - Radio 4 Open Book 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. - Yorskshire Post