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Anna Kronberg Thriller #1
The Lion's Courtship
London, 1885. Anna Kronberg hides in the city’s most notorious slum, offering medical treatment to prostitutes, beggars, and criminals of all kinds. None of her neighbours knows her true identity, and she makes sure it stays that way. When the Irish thief Garret O’Hare breaks into her home in the dead of the night, bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound and collapsing on her bed, her life begins to take a deadly turn.
Prequel to the bestselling Anna Kronberg Thriller series.
This book is not for the faint-hearted. Explicit language, explicit medical scenes, violence, poverty, and prostitution are depicted without prettifying.
Prequel to the bestselling Anna Kronberg Thriller series.
This book is not for the faint-hearted. Explicit language, explicit medical scenes, violence, poverty, and prostitution are depicted without prettifying.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 16, 2014
1058 people are currently reading
1377 people want to read
About the author
Annelie Wendeberg
22 books340 followersAnnelie Wendeberg likes to throw morally grey heroines into impossible situations just to watch disaster unfold. Her books have sold nearly a million copies worldwide in multiple languages through both independent and traditional publishing. When she's not writing, you can find her herding goats, making cheese, and saving owls and kangaroos from peril.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
August 18, 2018
This is a Victorian era mystery/romance, heavier on the mystery. I loved the atmosphere. I really liked how the author set the scenery so vividly. Anna reminded me somewhat of Claire Fraser from the Outlander series. So why a 3? I never could get a good grasp on Garret. Other than being described as "large", I'm not able to see him as a fleshed out character. I also felt like the relationship between them needed more time, and more time together, to develop to the point I was sold on it.
Good but not great.
Good but not great.
July 17, 2014
I'll start by saying that I'm a huge fan of the Anna Kronberg novels.
This book is the prequel to The Devil's Grin and delves more into he relationship between Anna and Garret. While this is romance, there is a lot more going on than that. This story takes you through the slums of Victorian London for a closer look at desperate poverty, prostitution, and the plight of children born and raised in this environment without attempting to pretty it up. The relationships that develop between the characters in this setting are fascinating.
There is a lot to like about Garret and Anna. I enjoyed getting to see more of their motivations and interactions.
This book is the prequel to The Devil's Grin and delves more into he relationship between Anna and Garret. While this is romance, there is a lot more going on than that. This story takes you through the slums of Victorian London for a closer look at desperate poverty, prostitution, and the plight of children born and raised in this environment without attempting to pretty it up. The relationships that develop between the characters in this setting are fascinating.
There is a lot to like about Garret and Anna. I enjoyed getting to see more of their motivations and interactions.
July 8, 2018
an interesting prequel to the anna kronberg series - well written, descriptions of the victorian london doesn't leave nothing to the imagination, and i"m sure it was even worse - quite a twist in the end
it's time now to move on to the other books
it's time now to move on to the other books
September 27, 2016
The Lion's Courtship is a prequel to The Devil's Grin. It covers the meeting of Garret O'Hare and Anna Kronberg. Part romance (Annelie Wendeberg style), part thriller, this book explores the St. Giles area of Victorian London in all its filth and horror while maintaining a ray of hope throughout the story. I really enjoyed this book, and hope to see more of Garret and Anna!
April 1, 2015
I love this series and this prequel explained a lot; not in an obvious way, but like it was a chapter that had been torn out of the original book. Full of suspense and character development, it was intriguing and reminded me of why I loved the original book.
August 22, 2019
I love this author. I read all the 1/2986 series:
1) Cut
2) Fog
3) Ice
4) Vow
5) War (coming soon.
It was so real, so intense, Micka is a very emotional character who tastes words. She is young, living in a society after a mysterious disease kills 10 billion people. It takes place in the future in a dystopian community.
After I read all the four books in this series I kept putting off The Lion's Courtship, thinking it was such a different genre than I am used to reading.
Finally I began The Lion's Courtship, book 1 in the series, and could not put it down. I then proceeded to read the second and third books. It was the second book that introduced us to Sherlock Holmes, who is not the main character. Anna Kronberg is, and she lives in 1890's when women were not accepted into medical schools. She lives in London in a slum, helping the ravaged poor in her area by night, serving as a medical doctor by day at a London hospital, dressed as a man, going under the name Dr. Anton Kronberg.
This woman is a strong, smart, capable woman who is trying to make her life count helping those in crushing poverty when she can and being London's leading Bacteriologist as Dr. Anton Kronberg by day.
I love Anna and I am now more than halfway into the third book.
Books in this series:
1)The Lion's Courtship
2) The Devil's Grin
3) The Fall
4) The Journey
5) Silent Witness
6) River of Bones
If you haven't read this author before, choose to be surprised. Start with either of the series I have outlined here. Totally different kinds of stories, genres and characters. Both have one thing in common: Strong Smart women!
1) Cut
2) Fog
3) Ice
4) Vow
5) War (coming soon.
It was so real, so intense, Micka is a very emotional character who tastes words. She is young, living in a society after a mysterious disease kills 10 billion people. It takes place in the future in a dystopian community.
After I read all the four books in this series I kept putting off The Lion's Courtship, thinking it was such a different genre than I am used to reading.
Finally I began The Lion's Courtship, book 1 in the series, and could not put it down. I then proceeded to read the second and third books. It was the second book that introduced us to Sherlock Holmes, who is not the main character. Anna Kronberg is, and she lives in 1890's when women were not accepted into medical schools. She lives in London in a slum, helping the ravaged poor in her area by night, serving as a medical doctor by day at a London hospital, dressed as a man, going under the name Dr. Anton Kronberg.
This woman is a strong, smart, capable woman who is trying to make her life count helping those in crushing poverty when she can and being London's leading Bacteriologist as Dr. Anton Kronberg by day.
I love Anna and I am now more than halfway into the third book.
Books in this series:
1)The Lion's Courtship
2) The Devil's Grin
3) The Fall
4) The Journey
5) Silent Witness
6) River of Bones
If you haven't read this author before, choose to be surprised. Start with either of the series I have outlined here. Totally different kinds of stories, genres and characters. Both have one thing in common: Strong Smart women!
January 1, 2023
Full of great characters, each having the potential for their own spin-off stories. Was really happy to learn some of them were actually real people from late 19th Century London. Such beautifully flawed humans. That warning in the book description saying "medical procedures, poverty, and prostitution are depicted without apology" is not to be taken lightly. 10/10 Would recommend especially since its a light read in terms of pages if you can handle the darkness.
October 6, 2021
3.5 stars. I don't remember when I've finished it and I haven't got any strong feeling about this one. Might have read it during a "down time". But intrigued to read more books in the series and Annelie Wenderberg
October 22, 2022
Much preferred The Devil's Grin, sadly.
August 23, 2018
"Excellent"
This made such a refreshing change from the modern novels I usually read. It's well-written, carefully researched and utterly believable. Victorian London was a dark, forbidding place and the author has recreated it in this story. This has the makings of a terrific series.
This made such a refreshing change from the modern novels I usually read. It's well-written, carefully researched and utterly believable. Victorian London was a dark, forbidding place and the author has recreated it in this story. This has the makings of a terrific series.
February 14, 2017
Anna Kronberg and Garret match well together at the heighten of Victorian living. Author Annelie Wendeberg competently conveys the period and locale as a backdrop to an London impoverished neighborhood of subpar sanitary conditions. The trepidation of Anna to keep her distance from Garret because of a secret she is keeping, while at the same time finding herself drawn to him works well through the novel. The subplot of the novel is the main characters' investigation into the murder of a prostitute, in the vein of Jack the Ripper.
For a contemporary written novel, Wendeberg's tone matches nicely with the proper Victorian classics, but updated with a pacing more in line with expectations of readers that enjoy murder mysteries.
I did not know that this was a prelude book to a series of Anna/Anton Kronberg stories. Hence when I read the excerpt at the end of the book, I found it jarring to read Anna/Anton have a dueling dialogue with Sherlock Holmes. While during the novel proper I believed Anna's intellectual prowess, I found it suspect to pit her against Holmes. That is only my initial thoughts from reading a few pages though, so don't hold that much weight to my observations on that point. The novel proper was quite good in comparison.
For a contemporary written novel, Wendeberg's tone matches nicely with the proper Victorian classics, but updated with a pacing more in line with expectations of readers that enjoy murder mysteries.
I did not know that this was a prelude book to a series of Anna/Anton Kronberg stories. Hence when I read the excerpt at the end of the book, I found it jarring to read Anna/Anton have a dueling dialogue with Sherlock Holmes. While during the novel proper I believed Anna's intellectual prowess, I found it suspect to pit her against Holmes. That is only my initial thoughts from reading a few pages though, so don't hold that much weight to my observations on that point. The novel proper was quite good in comparison.
January 4, 2017
3.75 stars. I liked the no nonsense writing in this book. I actually liked the whole writing style overall. It wasn't perfect but I liked the way the author tells the story. It was hard to really love this book because it's actually a little depressing because of the setting and real life circumstances and portrayal of poverty in past London. The author did a good job at portraying what it was really like without sugar coating, so that was a good thing, but hard to read none the less. I'm pretty sensitive so this isn't anything against the book really. I know it's a good thing to be reminded of the hardships people have faced and still do to this day. But it's still a little hard to read about. But the best thing about the story was Anna and Garrett. I love them both a lot. Garrett is so incredibly sweet and loving. I love his insecurities and his love for Anna. He is just an excellent character. Anna is pretty awesome too. She isn't some uptight prissy annoying female. She is tough and gritty. She doesn't dance around issues or situations she faces, no matter how horrible and the story benefits from her no nonsense personality and keeps the story flowing at a good pace. I love awesome female leads. She is tough but also caring. She is able to suppress emotion when a job needs to be done, but she's also kind and giving. And she does have emotions, but she doesn't let them limit her or control her most of the time. And I love their love story. It's sweet and real and slow building. They are two flawed characters that come to genuinely enjoy the other and care for each other. The other thing I like about this book is that it reminds you that there is rarely only right and wrong. Or black and white. There is so much gray area surrounding morals. It's important to remember that even though we like to think there is right or wrong, we have to make sure we are also aware that there are so many circumstances and effects of every decision made that it is so hard to make snap judgements. Anyways, i really liked the story and it's originality!
did-not-finish
October 21, 2018DNF at 47%
She performs simple surgeries, sometimes amputations. She helps reluctant children out of their mothers' wombs, cleans and stitches up cuts. When, in a few months, the summer arrives and heats up people's heads and makes them go wild about trifles, her supply of bandages, disinfectant, and opium will melt away in but a few days.
Normally I wouldn't write a review for a book I didn't finish but this one is different. Even though I decided not to go on, I still think this is a pretty decent story - at least as far as I read.
Annelie Wendeberg isn't only able to capture Victorian London atmospherically but also seems to have done her research when it comes to the medical procedures the protagonist Anna Kronberg performs , which were also the parts that intrigued me the most. She is an independent woman who is working as a doctor by day and is helping the poorest of the poor at night.
Working in the slums, she has seen it all, but the brutal assault on a young prostitute deeply horrifies her and with the help of Garret O'Hare a thief from Ireland whos leg she stitched up nights before, she takes matters of finding the perpetrator into her own hands, because the police couldn't care less.
Undoubtably that sounds interesting enough, but after Anna almost got herself killed and Garret was thrown into prison, I realized that I unfortunately just didn't care about what happend to them.
When I am completely indifferent towards the main character who carries a series of books, I think it's not worth continuing, which in this case is a shame, really, but c'est la vie. Nonetheless I would recommend this book to anyone who fancies a story set in Victorian London and doesn't mind detailed depictions of medical procedures.
September 4, 2018
The only problem I have with this one is how it feels flat for me. The writing is fine. However, it didn't excite me as much as I thought it would, except for . Nor did it make me want to how the character's are going to catch the culprit .
The saving grace would have been the preview for the book 1 of the series which is no saving grace at all because it's not really part of the book itself. Yeah, it's disappointing. And unlike Garett. I'm annoyed, instead of curious, about the mysteriousness of Dr. Kronberg. I understood that it's simply laying the groundwork for the rest of the series but I felt like I knew more about St. Giles than I did about the characters.
I'm intrigued about The Devil's Grin though, so I might *cross fingers* enjoy that better than this one.
Read this if you like books about: prequels, Sherlock Holmes, a mixture of real and fiction characters, gender-bending doctors and nurses, Victorian London, slums, prostitution
The saving grace would have been the preview for the book 1 of the series which is no saving grace at all because it's not really part of the book itself. Yeah, it's disappointing. And unlike Garett. I'm annoyed, instead of curious, about the mysteriousness of Dr. Kronberg. I understood that it's simply laying the groundwork for the rest of the series but I felt like I knew more about St. Giles than I did about the characters.
I'm intrigued about The Devil's Grin though, so I might *cross fingers* enjoy that better than this one.
Read this if you like books about: prequels, Sherlock Holmes, a mixture of real and fiction characters, gender-bending doctors and nurses, Victorian London, slums, prostitution
May 17, 2015
The characters are pretty well developed, though the author relies on the fact that this "prequel" came along well into the series. Thus the protagonist's motives are a bit foggy. There is no doubt that the only editor here was "spell check" as all the words are spelled correctly. The problem is that the sentences are grammatically incorrect due to word substitutions the author apparently didn't catch. The characters do not speak in the vernacular of their time and place. They use modern idioms that jerk the reader out of the story. Finally, the writing just doesn't flow well. One must stop and re-read several passages to see how they relate to the scene. Still...it's a good story and that gets the two stars.
July 29, 2016
Finde es super. Ist aber eher der Auftakt zu einem Krimi daher sollten eingefleischte Krimileser evtl gleich mehrere Bände mitnehmen, sonst sitzen sie zu schnell auf dem Trockenen. Für mich, als nicht Krimifan macht die Kürze des Textes garnichts.
Es handelt sich hauptsächlich um die Beschreibung der Beziehung der Hauptfigur zu dem Dieb Garret und wird gemischt aus beiden Perspektiven erzählt.
Nebenher läuft der Erzählstrang der Hauptstory a la Jack the Ripper, die mich dann wieder persönlich historisch interessiert. Daher passt das Buch dann doch zu meinem Geschmack.
Habe eine Krimi-Allergie.
Es handelt sich hauptsächlich um die Beschreibung der Beziehung der Hauptfigur zu dem Dieb Garret und wird gemischt aus beiden Perspektiven erzählt.
Nebenher läuft der Erzählstrang der Hauptstory a la Jack the Ripper, die mich dann wieder persönlich historisch interessiert. Daher passt das Buch dann doch zu meinem Geschmack.
Habe eine Krimi-Allergie.
February 2, 2017
I actually really enjoyed this. Set in late 1800s. While some of it was hard to read (confronting), it was an interesting and enjoyable read with a sweet bit of romance.
The photos of the time included at the end (of people she based characters on) are also interesting.
As this is a prequel to the series I have now got the first book and was interested to read the preface where the author explains that she found journals written by a woman, when restoring a house dating back to 1500s, and has based her stories/characters on these. Love the photos of old London.
will be keeping this series on my read list.
The photos of the time included at the end (of people she based characters on) are also interesting.
As this is a prequel to the series I have now got the first book and was interested to read the preface where the author explains that she found journals written by a woman, when restoring a house dating back to 1500s, and has based her stories/characters on these. Love the photos of old London.
will be keeping this series on my read list.
September 18, 2015
Although this is a prequel, I would recommend reading the trilogy that follows it first (and really, why haven't you read those yet?); I got more out of the story knowing Anna's backstory and motives. It also added a poignancy to the book that wouldn't have been there if I hadn't read the trilogy. I love Anna! I could read about Anna all day every day. The atmosphere of the Victorian London slums is visceral; actually, if you are squeamish, you should probably steer clear. Some parts were hard to read. But so good! Loved it.
February 14, 2015
Makes you want to read more
Really enjoyed the story and loved the characters. You want to know more about them. The book pulls you in from the onset.
Really enjoyed the story and loved the characters. You want to know more about them. The book pulls you in from the onset.
October 24, 2015
Kronberg not Russell
OK, but neither as interesting nor as well written as the Mary Russell series. Will continue reading them when awaiting another Russell.
OK, but neither as interesting nor as well written as the Mary Russell series. Will continue reading them when awaiting another Russell.
December 30, 2018
It was my hankering to read something different that had me taking a look at The Lion’s Courtship by Annelie Wendeberg. This is the first book in the Anna Kronberg Thriller series, and is written in the first person. This was an intriguing and eye opening look into what the rest of the series entails.
Anna Kronberg lives in the worst of the worst that Victorian London has to offer. Anna is a doctor, who is viewed by most as a “nurse”, (because why on Earth would a woman be a doctor?), treating those who would never have access to proper medical care if otherwise. She treats the prostitutes, the criminals, and the children who grow up in the miserable and abject poverty that is brought to life so vividly in this story. And then there is her secret identity where she moonlights as Dr. Anton Kronberg at Guy’s Hospital.
When Garret O’Hare comes seeking Anna’s services, thus begins a reluctant acquaintance, at least on the part of Anna. However, Garret continues to surprise her and slowly gets under her skin. And it is only Garret that is willing to help Anna in her quest to find a man who had slashed the face of a young prostitute, the prostitute having seemingly disappeared altogether.
So begins the search, where Garret warns Anna of the consequences that could come calling. There is no prettying up what the squalid conditions of where the story takes place is like. Ms. Wendeberg dishes it out as it is, and as it should be. The whole setting comes off as authentic, Anna and Garret realistic in a way that you can relate to and root for them. The menace that lingers owing to the killer is one that does not abate as the story proceeds, the ending being the most shocking of all. A killer who can outsmart everyone else, that is in reality who he is.
I read this right after I finished watching The Alienist series, which I absolutely loved. I felt as if Ms. Wendeberg’s writing carried the same vibe, and I felt just right at home with the story that unfolded.
I did take a look at the next book in the series and find that this is probably the only ending this story is going to get? Plus the series is veering in a totally different direction? I believe I might come back and sample some of the other stories in the series in due time.
Recommended for those who love historical mysteries. This one definitely and cleverly serves as the appetizer to the next installment.
Final Verdict: Ms. Wendeberg certainly has the prose, style, and wit to carry this off. Definitely gets one thinking, which I love in my books!
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
Anna Kronberg lives in the worst of the worst that Victorian London has to offer. Anna is a doctor, who is viewed by most as a “nurse”, (because why on Earth would a woman be a doctor?), treating those who would never have access to proper medical care if otherwise. She treats the prostitutes, the criminals, and the children who grow up in the miserable and abject poverty that is brought to life so vividly in this story. And then there is her secret identity where she moonlights as Dr. Anton Kronberg at Guy’s Hospital.
When Garret O’Hare comes seeking Anna’s services, thus begins a reluctant acquaintance, at least on the part of Anna. However, Garret continues to surprise her and slowly gets under her skin. And it is only Garret that is willing to help Anna in her quest to find a man who had slashed the face of a young prostitute, the prostitute having seemingly disappeared altogether.
So begins the search, where Garret warns Anna of the consequences that could come calling. There is no prettying up what the squalid conditions of where the story takes place is like. Ms. Wendeberg dishes it out as it is, and as it should be. The whole setting comes off as authentic, Anna and Garret realistic in a way that you can relate to and root for them. The menace that lingers owing to the killer is one that does not abate as the story proceeds, the ending being the most shocking of all. A killer who can outsmart everyone else, that is in reality who he is.
I read this right after I finished watching The Alienist series, which I absolutely loved. I felt as if Ms. Wendeberg’s writing carried the same vibe, and I felt just right at home with the story that unfolded.
I did take a look at the next book in the series and find that this is probably the only ending this story is going to get? Plus the series is veering in a totally different direction? I believe I might come back and sample some of the other stories in the series in due time.
Recommended for those who love historical mysteries. This one definitely and cleverly serves as the appetizer to the next installment.
Final Verdict: Ms. Wendeberg certainly has the prose, style, and wit to carry this off. Definitely gets one thinking, which I love in my books!
Rating = 4/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit www.maldivianbookreviewer.com
March 28, 2021
I’m so conflicted about this book right now. I will say that this is not a happy story. There is no shining hero or light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not happy endings or a love song, only dark justice and the law of the slums.
Victoria London’s St. Giles is a place riddled with the impoverished and suffering. The hardship of the people who live there is practically palpable but I have to appreciate the gritty, uncompromising look this author took. As it stated in the description, it does go into detail about medical procedures that Anna performs and the prostitution and poverty that seems to be everywhere. It is unyielding in its dark details and even more chilling is the harm done to a young prostitute named Poppy. When the girl turns up murdered, it is the people of the slums who have to band together to extract their own justice, knowing that the police care little about any crime that happens to one of St. Giles’s own.
The plot interested me and I thought the central focus would be on the mystery but it was not. Things didn’t really pick up until the end and moved somewhat slowly up til that point. There was a greater emphasis placed on navigating the mud-filled streets of the slums and the lives of the people who called the city home.
I would have given this book four stars if it had been more fast-paced and if it had placed more attention on the mystery and the hunt for the killer. It did, however, take a bleak and unyielding look at the horror of the slums in that era. And yet, despite the utter hopelessness of some on the streets, I also found myself both pitying them and admiring them for their resolute steadfast nature, for them they can survive no other way and this is the only life they know. I also like the twist with Anna’s character. Nurse by day, and respected doctor by night, a woman disguised as a man to pursue what cannot be allowed by society.
The book doesn’t shy away from accounting the harsh life of the slums but I can’t fault it for portraying the realism of the streets.
Warning: This does end on a cliffhanger and the ending surprised me.
November 14, 2017
A. Kronberg, Survivor, Savior, Selfless
In the slums of Victorian England lives A. Kronberg, a person buried in many secrets, but also a realest in it’s truest form. At night, Anna is the nurse who cares for the destitute in the slums where she lives by choice. During the day she morphs into the respected gentleman, Dr. Anton Kronberg of Guy’s Hospital. Women doctors are unheard of in England. Should anyone find out her true identity, she would loose her license and go to prison. But that is not her only secret.
This story shows us the ugly truth about how people lived during Victorian times. The street was a sewer, and a life wasn’t worth very much, except to Anna. She did not judge her patients no matter how much she despised how they came to need her or how she hated what she had to do to care for them. Because of the true empathy for these people, she almost losses her life.
Anna’s flat is invaded by a gunshot victim, Garrett O’Hare. After she saves him, he wants nothing more than to care for and protect her. A skilled powerful thief by trade who melts into a clumsy puppy when he is near her. But will her deep seated fear of men along with her other secrets push him away.
Warning: This book does contains some archaic and sensitive medical procedures that may be offensive to some people. To keep true to the historical and ethical practices of this time, many of the conditions and procedures were common place in day to day life.
Take some “me” time. This book is perfect for an afternoon. Not to long, easy to read and hard to put down. It is a bumpy ride, so hang on and enjoy! But don’t stop here. Book 2 brings more excitement and surprises.
In the slums of Victorian England lives A. Kronberg, a person buried in many secrets, but also a realest in it’s truest form. At night, Anna is the nurse who cares for the destitute in the slums where she lives by choice. During the day she morphs into the respected gentleman, Dr. Anton Kronberg of Guy’s Hospital. Women doctors are unheard of in England. Should anyone find out her true identity, she would loose her license and go to prison. But that is not her only secret.
This story shows us the ugly truth about how people lived during Victorian times. The street was a sewer, and a life wasn’t worth very much, except to Anna. She did not judge her patients no matter how much she despised how they came to need her or how she hated what she had to do to care for them. Because of the true empathy for these people, she almost losses her life.
Anna’s flat is invaded by a gunshot victim, Garrett O’Hare. After she saves him, he wants nothing more than to care for and protect her. A skilled powerful thief by trade who melts into a clumsy puppy when he is near her. But will her deep seated fear of men along with her other secrets push him away.
Warning: This book does contains some archaic and sensitive medical procedures that may be offensive to some people. To keep true to the historical and ethical practices of this time, many of the conditions and procedures were common place in day to day life.
Take some “me” time. This book is perfect for an afternoon. Not to long, easy to read and hard to put down. It is a bumpy ride, so hang on and enjoy! But don’t stop here. Book 2 brings more excitement and surprises.
February 10, 2021
Genre - historical fiction, mystery, thriller
Location - London, the slums (St. Giles)
Time - Victorian era, 1890's
This is a very well reaearched book based loosely on Jack the Ripper. It is the first in an award winning series. The heroine is Anna Kronberg, who lives in the slums, and has a very mysterious background. She provides medical care to the street urchins, thieves, prostitutes and desperately poor. Some days of the week she dresses as a man known as Dr. Anton Kronberg and works at Guys Hospital.
Garret O'Hare is a thief whom Anna treats when he is shot in the leg. When a young prostitute is knifed in the face, Anna sews her up. A few days later she disappears, and Garret is the only person who will help Anna try and find her.
Victorian London and the slums are very realistically portrayed, to the point that you can see, smell, and feel the poverty all around. It's hard to believe that such suffering existed with so little concern from the more fortunate. Our modern cities also have a form of "the bad part of town" even today.
I'll probably read the next in this series to learn more about the mysterious Anna Kronberg.
Location - London, the slums (St. Giles)
Time - Victorian era, 1890's
This is a very well reaearched book based loosely on Jack the Ripper. It is the first in an award winning series. The heroine is Anna Kronberg, who lives in the slums, and has a very mysterious background. She provides medical care to the street urchins, thieves, prostitutes and desperately poor. Some days of the week she dresses as a man known as Dr. Anton Kronberg and works at Guys Hospital.
Garret O'Hare is a thief whom Anna treats when he is shot in the leg. When a young prostitute is knifed in the face, Anna sews her up. A few days later she disappears, and Garret is the only person who will help Anna try and find her.
Victorian London and the slums are very realistically portrayed, to the point that you can see, smell, and feel the poverty all around. It's hard to believe that such suffering existed with so little concern from the more fortunate. Our modern cities also have a form of "the bad part of town" even today.
I'll probably read the next in this series to learn more about the mysterious Anna Kronberg.
February 15, 2022
Not without merit
We enjoy Victorian mysteries and wanted so much to enjoy this work ... and it certainly has its good points. But sadly we think the weak points outweighed the good ones. Try as we did, we just couldn't "see" most of the characters. They were one dimensional and lacked depth. The plot itself was interesting but the ending was seen long before it arrived. The dialogue was stilted, awkward and did didn't have an even flow, and descriptions of the street scenes lacked depth. We didn't feel transported to the places. (The author should read Charles Dickens for a true vision of life in that era.)
Finally, the main character had so much promise. A strong, educated, self-reliant woman with confidence and ability ... and she dissolved into a wishy-washy mess unable to make simple decisions.
Still, the series does retain a tiny spark of hope. We have already acquired the second offering and hope the author had given her main character a bit more backbone. Fingers crossed.
We enjoy Victorian mysteries and wanted so much to enjoy this work ... and it certainly has its good points. But sadly we think the weak points outweighed the good ones. Try as we did, we just couldn't "see" most of the characters. They were one dimensional and lacked depth. The plot itself was interesting but the ending was seen long before it arrived. The dialogue was stilted, awkward and did didn't have an even flow, and descriptions of the street scenes lacked depth. We didn't feel transported to the places. (The author should read Charles Dickens for a true vision of life in that era.)
Finally, the main character had so much promise. A strong, educated, self-reliant woman with confidence and ability ... and she dissolved into a wishy-washy mess unable to make simple decisions.
Still, the series does retain a tiny spark of hope. We have already acquired the second offering and hope the author had given her main character a bit more backbone. Fingers crossed.
July 17, 2018
This, for me, is dark ~ literally and figuratively. You can smell the refuse, the rotting things on the dark alleys, this is Criminals' Haven peopled by thieves and murderers and everything else in between. Only people who have business there purposely seek this deplorable part of the Great City. Most people who are born there will probably die there, too. All these and the lack of security, the squalor, impending danger and more, are graphically portrayed in this book. The rookeries during this timeline and even before has always been the bolt~hole for criminals and home for the poor and mostly without hope. Not a very pretty and sweet smelling place and yet they did exist then and we even have today's version of them in our own cities and countries. As a work of fiction and for its graphic depiction of life in those times, it has managed to achieve its purpose in informing and educating the reader of some parts of history seldom written about.
September 6, 2019
Victorian London. Anna Kronberg lives in seedy St. Giles, London and, at night, she is a nurse who goes to the brothels to take care of the girls. Who else will if she doesn't? She meets Garret O'Hare who is a burglar and appears at her door late one night with a leg wound. They become friends, but he wants more and she's too afraid to be vulnerable because of a violent past with three other men. No details are given, but she does succumb to the romance in the end. A 15-yr old prostitute is badly cut on her face and is now not worth her keep. Anna tries to find this wealthy man who is said to have killed her. Garrett and his friends set out to kill the man once they find out who he is. The ending has a a good twist, but ends very abruptly. I don't mind the plot, but I didn't like how abrupt the book just ended. The Victorian age is well described and I didn't mind the slang conversations in some places for they were short and understandable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2018
This was closer to a mystery then to a romance novel...not my usual read at all. Before I even knew that, I was tempted to quit with how frustrating reading the broken English was whenever the author tried to write out an accent. Just tell me they have an accent. I don't want to have to try to decipher what they're saying.
This book wasn't great overall. I was intrigued when the hero, Garret, begins the novel by showing up at the home of our heroine, Anna, having been shot. However, Garret's character quickly became less compelling. From the poorly written out accent, to his dopey characterization. He's written like a lost puppy dog. I wasn't about it.
I did end up being able to finish the novel because I was curious about who the murderer/abuser was. But even that had an unfulfilling ending.
This book wasn't great overall. I was intrigued when the hero, Garret, begins the novel by showing up at the home of our heroine, Anna, having been shot. However, Garret's character quickly became less compelling. From the poorly written out accent, to his dopey characterization. He's written like a lost puppy dog. I wasn't about it.
I did end up being able to finish the novel because I was curious about who the murderer/abuser was. But even that had an unfulfilling ending.
February 21, 2018
All right
This book isn't great, but it is okay. The story is set in the late 1880's slums of London......a suspense filled thriller as a murderer seeks his victims in brothels.
The main character is a nurse who chooses to offer her services to the poor and mostly free.
There is a lot going on with a budding relationship with a burglar and her medical practice as all is entangled with a killer.
I had trouble at times understanding the slang language and gutter speech of characters. And I don't much care for cliffhanger endings in a series to get you to obtain the next book.
That all said, the writing is basically good and the plot interesting.
Would recommend to readers of suspense thrillers and historical fiction.
This book isn't great, but it is okay. The story is set in the late 1880's slums of London......a suspense filled thriller as a murderer seeks his victims in brothels.
The main character is a nurse who chooses to offer her services to the poor and mostly free.
There is a lot going on with a budding relationship with a burglar and her medical practice as all is entangled with a killer.
I had trouble at times understanding the slang language and gutter speech of characters. And I don't much care for cliffhanger endings in a series to get you to obtain the next book.
That all said, the writing is basically good and the plot interesting.
Would recommend to readers of suspense thrillers and historical fiction.
April 11, 2018
Anna is a nurse in the slums of London
She treats the poor, the prostitutes and asks for little or no payment. She leads a secret life too, she dresses as a man and works at a hospital, but little is mentioned of this part of her life.
Garret is a thief, he meets Anna because he was shot and was told where she lived and what she did for the poor in the area. After Anna helped him, he became her watchdog, whether she wanted one or not.
After Anna was called to a brothel to attend to a prostitute whose face had been sliced open by a customer, she made it her mission to track down the perpetrator, regardless of the danger she was putting herself into.
An interesting story with shades of Jack the Ripper. I will read the next in the series.
She treats the poor, the prostitutes and asks for little or no payment. She leads a secret life too, she dresses as a man and works at a hospital, but little is mentioned of this part of her life.
Garret is a thief, he meets Anna because he was shot and was told where she lived and what she did for the poor in the area. After Anna helped him, he became her watchdog, whether she wanted one or not.
After Anna was called to a brothel to attend to a prostitute whose face had been sliced open by a customer, she made it her mission to track down the perpetrator, regardless of the danger she was putting herself into.
An interesting story with shades of Jack the Ripper. I will read the next in the series.
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