Maiden-Mother-MurdererHow dangerous is a woman with nothing left to lose?The year is 1905. London is a playground for the rich and a death trap for the poor. When Sofia Logan’s husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her penniless with two young children, she knows she will do anything to keep them from the workhouse. But can she bring herself to murder? Even if she has done it before… before…
Emmet Vinsant, wealthy industrialist, offers Sofia a job in one of his gaming houses. He knows more about Sofia’s past than he has revealed. Brought up as part of a travelling fair, she’s an expert at counting cards and spotting cheats, and Vinsant puts her talents to good use. His demands on her grow until she finds herself with blood on her hands.
Set against the backdrop of the Suffragette protests, with industry changing the face of the city but disease still rampant, and poverty the greatest threat of all, every decision you make is life or death. Either yours or someone else’s. Read best-selling crime writer Helen Fields’ first explosive historical thriller.
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These Lost & Broken Things . Historical fiction at its absolute best !
The book has so much atmosphere, you feel like you are there in 1905 and it is not a world for the poor. The Suffragettte’s are marching in the background for women’s rights.
I am so tempted to give the plot away with spoilers but I wont. Sofia has a past that leads to her being easily manipulated into the evil ways of Emmett Vinsant, a man to avoid ! How far will Sofia go to raise and protect her children.
There are characters to hiss at , to yell at and those to love.
I found myself cheering Sofia on (not sure what that says about me)
Don’t miss this book ! Its a great story with twists and turns.
I am a great fan of Helen Fields, this was quite the departure for her but she carried it off so well. Cant wait to get my copy.
Thanks to Net Galley, Wailing Banshee Limited for allowing me to escape into Sofia’s world. So glad I did.
These Lost & Broken Things by Helen Fields
Compelling, complicated and rather creepy this book grabbed me and kept me reading without pause. Well, perhaps pauses were made to contemplate just how what happened could come about and how it could, though gruesome and gritty still make almost complete sense when the story was finally told. It made me consider whether a murderer is born or made and what might compel someone to commit murder. I wonder if I, faced with the life that Sofia lived, would have done what she did or if I would have chosen a different course.
What I liked:
• Sofia: strong, intelligent, willing to do what it took to keep her family together – definitely not perfect and with some serious problems to overcome.
• Nora: Sofia’s neighbor who was there for her and her children – had a heart of gold.
• Charlie: the constable neighbor that might have been too good for Sofia – or just what she needed.
• The real feel to the story…I felt I was there making decisions, feeling the grime, smelling the odors, experiencing it all…
• The telling of Sofia’s past in snippets throughout the book. I don’t usually like flashbacks in stories, but they worked well in this book.
• That some of the bad guys were not totally bad even though they did bad things
• The plot, writing and pace of the story.
• Being left with that niggling question that left me wondering what the future might or might not hold for the people I came to care about.
What I did not like:
• Watching one evil man manipulate those around him
• Being reminded of the sorry lot of women before they had rights
• Feeling unsettled – but also kind of liked it
• Kind of wanting an epilogue though I know it is better to leave the reader unsure of what will happen.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Wailing Banshee for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars