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Book Guild Publishing Ltd Dolly Butlers Eight-Day Week.
Historical mystery. June 1908 and cross-dressing Dolly Butler is starting her own detective agency in Soho. Her first case takes her into the brutal world of an East End plumage factory while at home her girlfriend hides from her violent husband.
323 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2023
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20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 8, 2024
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. It’s very well written and researched. Each character has a unique voice, easy to distinguish from the others. Set in June 1908, the story is told in a diary-like narrative from three different points of view: Dolly Butler, a cross-dressing brand new detective; Jessie Spink, her apprentice; and her maid, Maggie Fisher.
At first, it reminded me of Gentleman Jack with a more comedic tone. None of the characters felt lovable but I thought it would be okay since their clashing personalities made me chuckle a few times. Then, as the investigation Dolly and her crew have been hired to conduct at a local feather factory gets serious, the comedy aspect leaves way to terrible men doing terrible things to women and girls. I felt extremely uncomfortable but not in a way that would lead to reflection or interest.
My issue isn’t with the story, which is clever and complex, it’s with the tone. Alternating between humorous scenes and much darker ones felt like a cold shower ruining a cosy moment. However, judging from other reviews, all of which are very positive, I’m an outlier. Therefore, if the story sounds like one you’d enjoy, I recommend checking it out and making your own mind up.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
August 6, 2023
Delightful period piece, mystery and women‘s history
This delightful period piece set in the early years of the 20th century in London had nearly slipped under may radar if not for netgalley alerting me. From the outset Kane weaves a wonderful tapestry with rich and colorful details of London middle and lower classes‘ lifes at the start of the new century. I truly enjoyed e.g. the musings of the maid - something we rarely encounter when the focus is on the adventures of the main character or just plain on the coming and goings of the upper class.
The main character Dolly Butler, queer, women-loving and at times cross-dressing, tries her hand at being a detective. Her work leads her to the squalid workshops and the hard life of women - there is more than a pinch of feminism here which I relished. There is more detective work going on than the obvious and the story surprised me with some unexpected turns. I loved the vivid descriptions of characters - cheerio to Australian Queenie who makes quite the entrance: hope to see you again. Because not everything seems to be solved at the end - so there is room for another adventure with Dolly Butler and her unlikely assistants. Something I look forward to reading - hopefully soon.
Thanks for the ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.
This delightful period piece set in the early years of the 20th century in London had nearly slipped under may radar if not for netgalley alerting me. From the outset Kane weaves a wonderful tapestry with rich and colorful details of London middle and lower classes‘ lifes at the start of the new century. I truly enjoyed e.g. the musings of the maid - something we rarely encounter when the focus is on the adventures of the main character or just plain on the coming and goings of the upper class.
The main character Dolly Butler, queer, women-loving and at times cross-dressing, tries her hand at being a detective. Her work leads her to the squalid workshops and the hard life of women - there is more than a pinch of feminism here which I relished. There is more detective work going on than the obvious and the story surprised me with some unexpected turns. I loved the vivid descriptions of characters - cheerio to Australian Queenie who makes quite the entrance: hope to see you again. Because not everything seems to be solved at the end - so there is room for another adventure with Dolly Butler and her unlikely assistants. Something I look forward to reading - hopefully soon.
Thanks for the ARC via netgalley. The review is left voluntarily.
December 4, 2023
This is a fantastic debut novel that is a joy to read! The prose is lucid, the setting well-researched, and the plot plays out at a great pace, building to a thrilling finish. Dolly is an intriguing character, complex in many ways, and the supporting characters are varied and provide different insights.
A must read for anyone interested in the period and/or crime thrillers.
Who knew feathers could cause so much bother!
A must read for anyone interested in the period and/or crime thrillers.
Who knew feathers could cause so much bother!
October 4, 2023
A rollicking, engaging adventure, shot through with serious issues (as serious in 2023 as they were in 1908; plus ca change….).
I particularly appreciated the different voices telling different parts of the story in varying ways: very cleverly done.
It’s rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this one does. The humour abounds, as do hidden references (you probably have to be a certain age), not to say innuendo (in addition to the obvious)
Highly, highly, highly recommended. I’ll be reflecting on it with both the reading groups to which I belong.
I further recommend it (second reading, for the second reading group) to lift your mood if for any reason you’re feeling down. It made me smile and laugh again. I really enjoyed it.
On first reading my favourite characters were Jessie and Queenie, but on second reading Maggie has risen in my estimation….
I particularly appreciated the different voices telling different parts of the story in varying ways: very cleverly done.
It’s rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this one does. The humour abounds, as do hidden references (you probably have to be a certain age), not to say innuendo (in addition to the obvious)
Highly, highly, highly recommended. I’ll be reflecting on it with both the reading groups to which I belong.
I further recommend it (second reading, for the second reading group) to lift your mood if for any reason you’re feeling down. It made me smile and laugh again. I really enjoyed it.
On first reading my favourite characters were Jessie and Queenie, but on second reading Maggie has risen in my estimation….
August 8, 2023
I loved this book! Quirky and funny with plenty of suspense and intrigue, I couldn't put it down - but didn't want it to end..... I hope Dolly Butler returns with further adventures soon.
March 10, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Dolly Butler's Eight-Day Week is an interesting historical British mystery set in London and environs by debut author Annette Kane. Released 28th July 2023 on indie press Book Guild, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an Edwardian mystery drama full of suffragist history, animal exploitation, sexism, and other less-salubrious facts of the middle and lower class existence in very early 20th century life in London. It features a rough and ready private inquiry agent who is gay, cross dressing, and disinclined to live inside the lines imposed on her by society. In fact, the book's opening sequence sees a ladies "convenience" in a department store emptied post haste because she has the audacity to actually urinate in the toilet where others could -hear- her biological function hitting the porcelain.
The ensemble cast is full of oddballs, square pegs, and misfits. It's written compassionately however, and the author does a good job of pointing out their idiosyncrasies without making them freakish or poking fun. The prose is well crafted and descriptive. There are some pacing issues throughout and it does move quite slowly in places; but overall a very good read, and full of verisimilitude and real history interwoven into the text.
Three and a half stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition as well as for fans of historical British mysteries. It's not a cozy, and there are some mentions of stark realities of life during that time period, especially for women in non-traditional roles. It's fairly clearly foreshadowed that this is the first book in a series and that new adventures await. No publishing timeline given for a sequel.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Dolly Butler's Eight-Day Week is an interesting historical British mystery set in London and environs by debut author Annette Kane. Released 28th July 2023 on indie press Book Guild, it's 336 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an Edwardian mystery drama full of suffragist history, animal exploitation, sexism, and other less-salubrious facts of the middle and lower class existence in very early 20th century life in London. It features a rough and ready private inquiry agent who is gay, cross dressing, and disinclined to live inside the lines imposed on her by society. In fact, the book's opening sequence sees a ladies "convenience" in a department store emptied post haste because she has the audacity to actually urinate in the toilet where others could -hear- her biological function hitting the porcelain.
The ensemble cast is full of oddballs, square pegs, and misfits. It's written compassionately however, and the author does a good job of pointing out their idiosyncrasies without making them freakish or poking fun. The prose is well crafted and descriptive. There are some pacing issues throughout and it does move quite slowly in places; but overall a very good read, and full of verisimilitude and real history interwoven into the text.
Three and a half stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition as well as for fans of historical British mysteries. It's not a cozy, and there are some mentions of stark realities of life during that time period, especially for women in non-traditional roles. It's fairly clearly foreshadowed that this is the first book in a series and that new adventures await. No publishing timeline given for a sequel.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
September 13, 2023
This feels like a cozy debut mystery novel with a good premise and a lot of promise for improvement but a few too many characters and plotlines. I received this from Netgalley.
This story follows Dolly Butler, an unconventional woman living in the early 1900s. Dolly is a lesbian and, at times, cross-dresses. Maybe because she wants to and maybe because it suits her in her work as a burgeoning private detective. Dolly is full of oddities and foibles which come across full force in the course of the investigation this book follows. This felt like a funny cozy mystery but with a few too many story lines. There were just a few too many characters with a few too many interests for this book to really be enjoyable for me. I found myself feeling muddled and lost in the middle chapters. To be fair, that might be because my Kindle reads are my nighttime reads and so my brain is often not performing at its best right before bed. However, toward the end when I felt like we were really following the two main storylines and there was propulsion toward a conclusion I found myself invested and the story clear so that gave me a lot of hope that the next installment in the series could improve. I didn't anticipate the book ending on such a clear indication that another book would be forthcoming and we already know a bit about what mystery we would be in for.
This story follows Dolly Butler, an unconventional woman living in the early 1900s. Dolly is a lesbian and, at times, cross-dresses. Maybe because she wants to and maybe because it suits her in her work as a burgeoning private detective. Dolly is full of oddities and foibles which come across full force in the course of the investigation this book follows. This felt like a funny cozy mystery but with a few too many story lines. There were just a few too many characters with a few too many interests for this book to really be enjoyable for me. I found myself feeling muddled and lost in the middle chapters. To be fair, that might be because my Kindle reads are my nighttime reads and so my brain is often not performing at its best right before bed. However, toward the end when I felt like we were really following the two main storylines and there was propulsion toward a conclusion I found myself invested and the story clear so that gave me a lot of hope that the next installment in the series could improve. I didn't anticipate the book ending on such a clear indication that another book would be forthcoming and we already know a bit about what mystery we would be in for.
August 21, 2025
Well, with a one-star rating it's clear I didn't enjoy this book. I did finish it, since it was a book-club title, but couldn't quite believe how awful it was...
There was no beauty in the writing (and there were a number of typos); the characters were shallow; the story was - well I've forgotten the story if there was one. The different narrators helped a little, but it seemed unnecessary to hear about one character through the writings of another since they all had their own voice anyway. Perhaps we learned how different characters reacted to each other?
The brutal scenes in the feather factory were horrible, if realistic, but didn't sit well with the whimsical 'investigation' the main character (Dolly) undertook.
It seemed as though the author couldn't quite decide whether she wanted to write seriously about life in the period covered, including the attitude to lesbians, or whether to write a silly but unpleasant detective story.
There was no beauty in the writing (and there were a number of typos); the characters were shallow; the story was - well I've forgotten the story if there was one. The different narrators helped a little, but it seemed unnecessary to hear about one character through the writings of another since they all had their own voice anyway. Perhaps we learned how different characters reacted to each other?
The brutal scenes in the feather factory were horrible, if realistic, but didn't sit well with the whimsical 'investigation' the main character (Dolly) undertook.
It seemed as though the author couldn't quite decide whether she wanted to write seriously about life in the period covered, including the attitude to lesbians, or whether to write a silly but unpleasant detective story.
September 7, 2023
I don't know where to start. This book is just totally amazing in so many different ways. Dolly Butler is an extraordinary creation. She's brave, willing to take on the establishment which frowns on her dressing as a man, and thinks her a freak for her same sex relationship. She's also funny, and kind, and resourceful.
Great characters are everywhere: Blanche Bolton, the pipe smoking store detective; Maggie Fisher, the downtrodden but determined maid-of-all-works; and wheelchair bound Cyril Hare (perhaps a bow to the great crime writer of the same name?).
I love the author's ability to change tone with such versatility: Edwardian farce; cozy crime mystery; and then the deprivations of women working in a sweatshop factory, and knife wielding thugs.
A fabulously entertaining novel.
Great characters are everywhere: Blanche Bolton, the pipe smoking store detective; Maggie Fisher, the downtrodden but determined maid-of-all-works; and wheelchair bound Cyril Hare (perhaps a bow to the great crime writer of the same name?).
I love the author's ability to change tone with such versatility: Edwardian farce; cozy crime mystery; and then the deprivations of women working in a sweatshop factory, and knife wielding thugs.
A fabulously entertaining novel.
August 25, 2023
A great debut for a brilliant character, Dolly Butler is intelligent, witty and with a touch of the essential arrogance and fallibility that makes her human. The story is a real roller coaster of plot and intrigue with lots of brilliant historical detail and great characters brought to life by the author with panache and a great sense of fun. Towards the end, I was reading so fast I will need to go back and reread some to get the detail!
Bring on the next volume!!
Bring on the next volume!!
May 29, 2024
There's plenty of interesting period detail in this novel, and Dolly Butler is a character with a lot of potential. I enjoyed some of the other voices in the book too, which are humorous without being silly. Overall, it was easy and enjoyable to read. But it's not entirely satisfying: we never really learn how Dolly became the person she is now, and neither the official detective story nor Dolly's personal drama are properly concluded.
August 18, 2023
This was a very happy surprise as it's a very entertaining and poignant books. There's serious issues like intolerance and women abuse and there a lot of humour.
I read it as fast as I could and thoroughly enjoyed it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I read it as fast as I could and thoroughly enjoyed it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 23, 2023
You might suspect from my surname that I'm slightly biased, but please take my word for it that this is a fantastic book. Beautifully written, very funny, and with a cast of brilliantly drawn characters who feel real, flawed, and whole. If you're a fan of Sarah Waters, you will like this book!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews