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The Devil's Menagerie: A dark and gripping historical thriller set in a monstrous 1820s London. Inspired by true characters and events.
London, 1822. A killer stalks the streets. Panic spreads. And in a city of beasts, it will take a monster to catch one…
A mysterious beast is loose in Georgian London, leaving a trail of bodies and terror in its wake. As hysteria rises, Charles Wheeler — a disgraced thief-taker and former circus “freak” — is offered one last chance at redemption.
His Richard Martin, eccentric MP and architect of Britain’s first law against cruelty to animals.
His hunt down a killer before the city tears itself apart.
But as Wheeler descends into London’s underbelly — its menageries, fighting pits, and exotic animal dealers — the truth proves darker and more complex than he imagined.
Inspired by true events and real characters, The Devil’s Menagerie is a dark historical thriller set in a forgotten age when London was a cruel and colourful “city of beasts.”
Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, C.J. Sansom, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, and anyone who loves gothic suspense, historical mysteries, and gaslight-era crime fiction.
A mysterious beast is loose in Georgian London, leaving a trail of bodies and terror in its wake. As hysteria rises, Charles Wheeler — a disgraced thief-taker and former circus “freak” — is offered one last chance at redemption.
His Richard Martin, eccentric MP and architect of Britain’s first law against cruelty to animals.
His hunt down a killer before the city tears itself apart.
But as Wheeler descends into London’s underbelly — its menageries, fighting pits, and exotic animal dealers — the truth proves darker and more complex than he imagined.
Inspired by true events and real characters, The Devil’s Menagerie is a dark historical thriller set in a forgotten age when London was a cruel and colourful “city of beasts.”
Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, C.J. Sansom, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, and anyone who loves gothic suspense, historical mysteries, and gaslight-era crime fiction.
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 18, 2024
29 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 27, 2025
An intrigue and well researched historical mystery thriller novel based on real people from the dawn of the animal rights movement in London in the 1820's.
October 14, 2025
a great story giving some genuine historical details about London and the first Act against animal cruelty. Some of the animal scenes were a bit hard to read because thankfully we have moved on from finding entertainment in bear baiting and dog fighting. I would love to read more about the protagonist as he was an interesting character.
December 7, 2025
Nearly gave up on this, but other reviews suggested that I may then miss out, but unfortunately not. It's an ok read but nothing exciting
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews