A gripping historical crime debut from an exciting new voice.‘It’s strange, the way fortune deals her hand.’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. … 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…
Praise for Death and the Harlot
‘The hungers, musk, lust, and gorgeous depravity of 1759 London spiral to life in Death and the Harlot, Georgina Clarke’s utterly seductive sleight of hand… An achingly alive historical mystery’ Reader review
‘Fast paced page turner! Lizzie is the type of unique heroine that you can’t help fall in love with. Her wit combined with a touch of sass has you rooting for her with each chapter’ 5* Reader review
‘Excellent book. I stayed up till 3:30 in the morning to finish this. I could not put it down. Lizzie Hardwicke is a prostitute who’s last client ends up dead. She’s smart, observant and sassy. I adored her…I wholeheartedly recommend this book’ 5* Reader review
‘Georgina Clarke has a hit on her hands’ 5* Reader review
‘I absolutely loved this book! Lizzie is not your usual heroine but she’s smart, quick and I thought she was fabulous’ 5* Reader review
‘A gripping page-turner with a sassy and fabulously original heroine in the form of Lizzie Hardwicke – I loved it!’ Annie Lyons
‘From sumptuous depravity to brutal murder, Death and the Harlot is a wild ride through the seedy side of 1750s London, while its heroine, Lizzie Hardwicke, is razor sharp and brilliantly original. I couldn’t put it down’ Joe Heap
‘Atmospheric and full of authentic details about (the oft-neglected but wonderfully complex) eighteenth-century London, Clarke’s debut is told from the perspective of a young woman who looks unflinchingly at her world – with all its depravity and discord – in order to carve out a situation that allows her to retain her humanity, her humour, and her own particular brand of honour. Brava to this new, engaging voice and her strong woman protagonist!’ Karen Odden, author of A Lady in the Smoke
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I’ve recently become a big fan of historical mysteries, and the premise of this one caught my eye. Death and the Harlot is the first book in Georgina Clarke’s Lizzie Hardwicke series. I read the first line in the book and was captivated: “There are few sights more ridiculous than a fat old man naked from the waist down.” After that line, I just knew I was going to love Lizzie!
Lizzie Hardwicke is a prostitute in Georgian London in one of the finer brothels. After being thrown out of her home by her father, she arrived in London and was quickly employed at Ma Farley’s brothel. Unlike a lot of prostitutes, Lizzie was educated. She is dealing with this life as best as she can, and is putting aside money for retirement. She knows that looks eventually fade; the career of a harlot isn’t very long. Found in an alleyway behind a bar not far from the brothel is a dead man. Who was the last person to see this man alive? That would be Lizzie! William Davenport is a constable looking into this man’s death. He sees the intelligence in Lizzie and allows her to assist with the investigation. Then more deaths, seemingly related to the first, begin to occur…
I totally loved Lizzie. She was very intelligent, full of sass and though a bit jaded at such a young age, she knew life could be a lot worse and did not plan to be a prostitute forever. Though hardened, she did have a soft heart for those less fortunate. I also liked Will Davenport very much. He had a bit of a tragic background, too, and became a runner after being a doctor. I loved the relationship and tension between Lizzie and Will; I hope their relationship extends beyond occasionally working together. There were many wonderful supporting characters here, also. Full of heartache, wanting to be something “more” and the strength of the human spirit, I hope Lizzie and this series continues for a long time to come.
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
A well-researched, well-written historical mystery. Lizzie is a brilliant main character. I look forward to learning more about her past and what will happen to her in the future. Hopefully there will be many more in the series.
What a fantastic heroine. I was immediately captivated by this book and just had to devour it until its end page. Fantastic storyline that complimented the characters perfectly.
Set in the Georgian era, this historical mystery has a prostitute as its lead. Lizzie gets embroiled in the murder of a merchant visiting London, and ends up solving the crime with the assistance of one of Fielding’s detectives. It really captures the grit of Georgian London, and I liked the unraveling of the mystery.
Excellent book. I stayed up till 3:30 in the morning to finish this. I could not put it down. Lizzie Hardwicke is a prostitute who’s last client ends up dead. She’s smart, observant and sassy. I adored her. Will Davenport is the constable assigned to the case who is a bit of a jerk at first but ends up being a decent guy. After he tells Lizzie that she’s the most likely suspect she decides to do some investigating. There are a whole group of suspects who Lizzie and Will have to rule out. I really enjoyed this book. It was excellent. I’m hoping this is the beginning of a series because I’m completely on board. I’m also completely on board for a romance between Lizzie and Will. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Death and the Harlot was an interesting, absorbing story with strong, captivating protagonists. It was a nice change-of-pace break from serious life stories, one I thoroughly enjoyed. Georgina Clarke writes a fine tale. I hope this is just the first chapter of Lizzie’s story. Georgina Clarke is an author I will follow.
Lizzie Hardwicke is a working girl in 1759 London. Her ‘house’ is in Soho, run by middle-aged madam Mrs. Sarah Farley and while not at the top of the quality houses of prostitution in London at that time, Mrs. Farley’s place is clean and well-run and the girls are treated well. Fed, housed, protected, and free to wander in the daylight hours, Lizzie knows she could be a lot worse off.
When Mrs. Farley finds a young teen wandering and frightened, in despair after her father threw her out for refusing to marry a man twice her age who would help the family establish themselves in society, the solution as Lizzie sees it is to hide her in the attic until they find an alternative lifestyle solution for Amelia. Amelia, who is in love with Tommy, a blacksmith’s helper, so they must find Tommy a job. Mrs. Farley doesn’t necessarily agree, but she gives Amelia and Lizzie a few days grace before she starts charging ‘rent’ for a room. Lizzie is determined to steer Amelia onto a different life course, as her own tale was so similarly mapped out.
And then the body’s begin to pile up. Lizzie’s the prime suspect in the first death, one of her latest customers, so she does all that she can to find the real culprit for police runner William Davenport before she is charged with murder and hung. Lizzie will encounter more death, blackmail, and the ‘dirty’ side of 1750’s London before the solution falls into place.
I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Georgina Clarke, and Canelo publishers. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this book of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.
I was pleasantly surprised by this debut historical mystery set in 1759 London.
While I did guess “who dun it”, the plot line was more imaginative and complicated than I originally thought. But it was the harlot with the of gold and eye for detail that stole the show and really shone here. I also enjoyed the Bow Street character of Davenport (except for one instance of behavior toward the end that really didn’t seem to fit with his character to that point).
I sincerely hope that I haven’t heard the last of Lizzie, her ensemble cast and their further adventures with the Bow Street Runners.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #Canelo for the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Out 5/13