Mrs Pearcey

by Lottie Moggach

Weaving anonymously through the crowds, Hannah smiled as she felt the weight of her pad in her pocket, a pad that by rights should contain a shopping list of kidneys and turbot and ribbons, but instead held the gruesome details of a first-hand account of a murder . . .

Mrs Pearcey tells the story of Hannah, a young woman engaged to be married, who becomes obsessed with her near-neighbour Mrs Pearcey, accused of a scandalous murder.

Unbeknown to her journalist fiancé, Hannah begins to investigate in secret, discovering details that the investigators have failed to spot, and realising that the woman bound for the gallows may not be as guilty as the press have branded her . . .

Sharp, immersive and utterly transporting, Mrs Pearcey tells the story of a heroine you're rooting for at every turn, who comes to question whether the predetermined path of marriage and motherhood is really the one for her. It's also a brilliant portrait of tabloid journalism in Victorian London, exploring how the Victorian appetite for true crime was just as insatiable as our own today.

397 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 5, 2026

About the author

Lottie Moggach is a journalist who has written for The Times, Financial Times, Time Out, Elle, GQ and The London Paper. She lives in north London. Kiss Me First is her first novel.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictionalised account of a real historical murder is very different to other books I’ve read in the same genre. Despite being set in Victorian London, it feels modern and fresh, with a good pace and energy that pull you through the story.
Fiction based around real criminals is often based on news reports and court documents of the time, which can feel heavy and slow, but here we follow the story alongside Hannah, a young woman about to get married, who becomes interested in the case. The story is told cleverly through Hannah reading news reports, talking to people involved in the case, building relationships with eye witnesses to the court proceedings, and even finding ways to witness some elements herself. The great thing about this approach is that any real documents we have around a historic incident are often unreliable, but because we experience it alongside someone existing at the time, we see it through her eyes and she is able to offer us her own opinions as the story unfolds. It is presented as something reported or discussed, not fact.

There is a wider discussion here too. Hannah lives in a time where women are exploring their independence and autonomy, and there are some really nice interactions with other characters throughout, leading her to question who she wants to become, and what it means for her to be a wife in the next phase of her life. Her husband Cosmo is inoffensive as a character, but he is led by the conventions of the time, as is her brother Will. Hannah begins to manage that situation as the book progresses and it feels appropriate to the late Victorian era. She comes across independent young women of different social classes, reflecting on her own experiences as a woman, and also the experiences of the women around her, including having that moment we all have when we realise our parents are more complex than we thought.
The historical elements are perfect too. This is a well researched book. A lot of the period detail is subtle and in passing, for example a brief story from one character about a friend who worked in a false teeth factory, and how she would come out covered in white dust. Every single detail of the setting has been meticulously mapped.
I’d love a sequel to this book. I’m not sure how that could happen as it’s about a specific crime in a particular point in history, but I would certainly read similar from this author. From what I’ve seen, her other books are less my vibe, but I’ve certainly got my eyes peeled for more historical fiction like this one.

I received an e-ARC in return for an honest review.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possible mild spoilers


3.5 ⭐

This sounded interesting enough for me to bump it up my tbr pile. Even more so when I realised the author also wrote Brixton Hill.
This is a completely different vibe.
I always enjoy a well written female character battling against society norms of the age.
This one throws in a puzzling murder that Hannah tries to make sense of.
She's plucky that's for sure, and gets places she probably shouldn't be.
Running alongside that is the wedding plot, which I was never sure if it would or should go ahead.
Very enjoyable read.

[Shazzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun in some ways but the MC grated on me.
I was given a review copy by the publisher.