What do you think?
Rate this book
Victorian Detectives #2
Honour & Obey
The long awaited sequel to Diamonds & Dust , Honour & Obey brings together Detective Inspector Leo Stride and his assistant Detective Sergeant Jack Cully. It is London, 1861 and a serial killer stalks the dark gaslit streets.
In another part of the city, Hyacinth Clout, bullied and despised by her older sister, decides to find love via the lonely hearts column of a newspaper. But will it be romance, or ruin?
In another part of the city, Hyacinth Clout, bullied and despised by her older sister, decides to find love via the lonely hearts column of a newspaper. But will it be romance, or ruin?
- GenresMysteryHistorical
Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2014
98 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
June 28, 2016
...a superb offering...
...my favourite writer of all time is Charles Dickens, so I approached this novel with a slight reticence as to what to expect from Ms Hedges’ Victorian setting and characters... but what a superb offering... the narrative spins deliciously around main players with names to die for... Moggs, Mullygrub, Cully, Reverend Bittersplit, Lobelia and Hyacinth Clout, Mr Juniper... so, Mr Dickens, eat your heart out, m’Lady here has served up a treat that sits well alongside your narratives... the daytime and night-time streets of London play as much a role in the story as do the live protagonists... murders in the eventide darkness there are,... dedicated detectives there are, much avoided by the common populace... and an evil doer there is, cast in the best morbidity and personal demons... there’s love and romance... there’s intrigue... and an over-arching humour teasing its way through the novel... I was sorry to finish the book, but will be grabbing more of this author’s work...
...my favourite writer of all time is Charles Dickens, so I approached this novel with a slight reticence as to what to expect from Ms Hedges’ Victorian setting and characters... but what a superb offering... the narrative spins deliciously around main players with names to die for... Moggs, Mullygrub, Cully, Reverend Bittersplit, Lobelia and Hyacinth Clout, Mr Juniper... so, Mr Dickens, eat your heart out, m’Lady here has served up a treat that sits well alongside your narratives... the daytime and night-time streets of London play as much a role in the story as do the live protagonists... murders in the eventide darkness there are,... dedicated detectives there are, much avoided by the common populace... and an evil doer there is, cast in the best morbidity and personal demons... there’s love and romance... there’s intrigue... and an over-arching humour teasing its way through the novel... I was sorry to finish the book, but will be grabbing more of this author’s work...
December 13, 2014
I loved Diamonds and Dust, so I was very much looking forward to reading Honour and Obey - and it's even better. I liked the story much more.
This novel is extremely clever and amusing and fabulously well researched. Carol Hedges' Victorian London is very much one of pantomime baddies and goodies; the ghastly Lobelia Clout and the horrible Crevices, the mysterious 'Lonely Widower' and Reverend Bittersplit, compared with put-upon Hyacinth, dutiful Emily, and our heroes, detectives Stride and Cully. But then there are also the clever street sharp survivors, like Tonkin the 'dolly shop' assistant, and the maid in the boarding house of disgusting cuisine, only ever known as the Foundling. Other wonderful pictures are painted of the ladies of the night, and (one of my favourites) the police surgeon.
Ms Hedges does something I find very entertaining. She shows how lives brush together briefly, only to go their separate ways almost immediately, never knowing the effect the characters might or have had on each others' past and future. Loved it, loved it. Unusual, perfectly put together, and I read several passages more than once because they were so good. No skip reading with this book!
This novel is extremely clever and amusing and fabulously well researched. Carol Hedges' Victorian London is very much one of pantomime baddies and goodies; the ghastly Lobelia Clout and the horrible Crevices, the mysterious 'Lonely Widower' and Reverend Bittersplit, compared with put-upon Hyacinth, dutiful Emily, and our heroes, detectives Stride and Cully. But then there are also the clever street sharp survivors, like Tonkin the 'dolly shop' assistant, and the maid in the boarding house of disgusting cuisine, only ever known as the Foundling. Other wonderful pictures are painted of the ladies of the night, and (one of my favourites) the police surgeon.
Ms Hedges does something I find very entertaining. She shows how lives brush together briefly, only to go their separate ways almost immediately, never knowing the effect the characters might or have had on each others' past and future. Loved it, loved it. Unusual, perfectly put together, and I read several passages more than once because they were so good. No skip reading with this book!
December 16, 2015
Great second book following Stride and Cully and set in Victorian London. If you like Dickensian characters with the names we are familiar with then there are such names in this book as Mollygrub and Moggs.
There are various storylines, the murders of young ladies, the lodger, the dressmaker and Hyacinth and Lobelia. Some stories fit together, others have a slight connection to the previous book. Already ordered book 3, do have nights over Christmas.
There are various storylines, the murders of young ladies, the lodger, the dressmaker and Hyacinth and Lobelia. Some stories fit together, others have a slight connection to the previous book. Already ordered book 3, do have nights over Christmas.
August 4, 2020
Great book
This is the second of the series and it was just had good as the first one .I will now look forward to the 3rd book in the series
This is the second of the series and it was just had good as the first one .I will now look forward to the 3rd book in the series
October 1, 2020
Actually several story lines weaving their way through the book, and sub plots galore. Writing style takes a little getting used to, but I thoroughly enjoyed it
December 21, 2014
Love, friendship, and murder in Victorian London.
I loved DIAMONDS & DUST and now Carol Hedges gives us another sooty tour-de-force full of superb historical detail and intricate subplots.
D.I. Leo Stride, assisted by the normally unflappable D.S. Jack Cully, has a serious problem on his hands. There's a serial killer loose in London. Young women, most with some link to what in Manhattan would be called "the garment district", are found with their throats cut and other, more telling, mutilations. Stride's investigation is hampered on several fronts. The killer leaves little evidence behind. Possible witnesses are reluctant to talk. And the gutter press, in their longstanding mission to insult and humiliate the police force, pull pranks that lead to floods of useless "tips" and false confessions.
Though the murder provides the book's main plot, several complex subplots add romance, humor, and drama. There's the growing attraction between D.S. Cully and one of his witnesses--Emily Benet. And the darkly comedic situation of Hyacinth Clout, a young woman from a well-off family whose entire young life has been clouded by tragedy that took place when she was only six years old. These characters and many others go about their daily business largely unaware of their connections to one another and to the ongoing murder case.
Hedges has a knack for creating complicated characters with mixed motives. Somehow she's fixed it so that their names and occupations and temperaments pay homage to that quintessential Victorian storyteller Charles Dickens without turning them into "stock" characters. Instead, each is unique and engaging. Their situations plunge us into the world of contradictions that is late 19th-century London, where sparkling privilege and gnawing poverty co-exist, often within steps of each other.
There are only two points where the author and I part company. First, I'm on the fence about the "disappearance" of Emily Benet. Yes, it give D.S. Cully a kick in the pants and increases the sense of urgency as the strands of the murder mystery come together. But dragging such a strong character offstage at a pivotal point in the narrative seems a waste. When we learn who carried her off, it's something of a let down...a non-event.
My second quibble has to do with the resolution of the murder itself. I won't go into too much detail, but it left me feeling annoyed on D.I. Stride's behalf. He deserved more personal and professional satisfaction than he got.
On the whole, though, this is a truly gorgeous novel. If you enjoy meaty narratives driven by fascinating characters, you will love HONOUR & OBEY.
I loved DIAMONDS & DUST and now Carol Hedges gives us another sooty tour-de-force full of superb historical detail and intricate subplots.
D.I. Leo Stride, assisted by the normally unflappable D.S. Jack Cully, has a serious problem on his hands. There's a serial killer loose in London. Young women, most with some link to what in Manhattan would be called "the garment district", are found with their throats cut and other, more telling, mutilations. Stride's investigation is hampered on several fronts. The killer leaves little evidence behind. Possible witnesses are reluctant to talk. And the gutter press, in their longstanding mission to insult and humiliate the police force, pull pranks that lead to floods of useless "tips" and false confessions.
Though the murder provides the book's main plot, several complex subplots add romance, humor, and drama. There's the growing attraction between D.S. Cully and one of his witnesses--Emily Benet. And the darkly comedic situation of Hyacinth Clout, a young woman from a well-off family whose entire young life has been clouded by tragedy that took place when she was only six years old. These characters and many others go about their daily business largely unaware of their connections to one another and to the ongoing murder case.
Hedges has a knack for creating complicated characters with mixed motives. Somehow she's fixed it so that their names and occupations and temperaments pay homage to that quintessential Victorian storyteller Charles Dickens without turning them into "stock" characters. Instead, each is unique and engaging. Their situations plunge us into the world of contradictions that is late 19th-century London, where sparkling privilege and gnawing poverty co-exist, often within steps of each other.
There are only two points where the author and I part company. First, I'm on the fence about the "disappearance" of Emily Benet. Yes, it give D.S. Cully a kick in the pants and increases the sense of urgency as the strands of the murder mystery come together. But dragging such a strong character offstage at a pivotal point in the narrative seems a waste. When we learn who carried her off, it's something of a let down...a non-event.
My second quibble has to do with the resolution of the murder itself. I won't go into too much detail, but it left me feeling annoyed on D.I. Stride's behalf. He deserved more personal and professional satisfaction than he got.
On the whole, though, this is a truly gorgeous novel. If you enjoy meaty narratives driven by fascinating characters, you will love HONOUR & OBEY.
December 10, 2014
Do you want to find yourself walking the streets of Victorian London on a night of “relentless rain” seeing people hurrying back to their semi-detached villas and tiny hovels, a place where evil and kindness stand side by side? Then this is the book for you.
“Honour and Obey” is packed with richly drawn characters with fascinating names. Who could not wish to make the acquaintance of Lobelia and Hyacinth Clout, as they make their way to the church hall of Rev. Ezra Bittersplit, where they will listen to a talk about the Overseas Missionary Society for the Conversion of African Heathens, given by Eustacia Mullygrub?
Throughout the book, Detective Inspector Leo Stride and his assistant Detective Sergeant Jack Cully are in pursuit of a dastardly killer who seeks out innocent young women as his prey. So often they miss the murderer by seconds without realising it and they are hampered by the lurid exaggeration of the crimes in the popular press.
Parallel to the investigation, three young women seek happiness. Hyacinth, after a life of drudgery with her mother now seeks independence from her demanding sister Lobelia, while Portia Mullygrub also wishes to leave the family home where she works tirelessly as her mother’s secretary, in order to begin married life with her fiancé. Meanwhile, penniless Emily Benet just wants to survive in a cruel world.
This witty novel is a delicious feast of Victorian delights; the gruesome murders, foundlings and workhouse families, do-gooders and honest hard working individuals. The streets, houses, shops and hospital dissection room are all described in vivid detail and the complex plot interwoven seamlessly. I can highly recommend “Honour and Obey” as a Christmas treat, but you will find it very hard to put down!
“Honour and Obey” is packed with richly drawn characters with fascinating names. Who could not wish to make the acquaintance of Lobelia and Hyacinth Clout, as they make their way to the church hall of Rev. Ezra Bittersplit, where they will listen to a talk about the Overseas Missionary Society for the Conversion of African Heathens, given by Eustacia Mullygrub?
Throughout the book, Detective Inspector Leo Stride and his assistant Detective Sergeant Jack Cully are in pursuit of a dastardly killer who seeks out innocent young women as his prey. So often they miss the murderer by seconds without realising it and they are hampered by the lurid exaggeration of the crimes in the popular press.
Parallel to the investigation, three young women seek happiness. Hyacinth, after a life of drudgery with her mother now seeks independence from her demanding sister Lobelia, while Portia Mullygrub also wishes to leave the family home where she works tirelessly as her mother’s secretary, in order to begin married life with her fiancé. Meanwhile, penniless Emily Benet just wants to survive in a cruel world.
This witty novel is a delicious feast of Victorian delights; the gruesome murders, foundlings and workhouse families, do-gooders and honest hard working individuals. The streets, houses, shops and hospital dissection room are all described in vivid detail and the complex plot interwoven seamlessly. I can highly recommend “Honour and Obey” as a Christmas treat, but you will find it very hard to put down!
November 24, 2014
Set in Victorian England and written in a voice of the times, this novel holds you captivated by the dark side of London in 1861 where gruesome murders of young women set the Victorian minds ablaze with their fascination and curiosity of the macabre.
As the newspapers treat a series of murders with their usual sensationalism, it is left to Detectives Stride and Cully to try and find the murderer by deduction and supposition alone. They are hampered by the Press and also the reluctance of the community to share information vital to the case for fear of comebacks from their peers and losing their jobs.
The novel opens with a particularly good narrative about the London rain which sets the tone for the whole novel with its depth of description. Each scene is carefully crafted to give the reader a really vivid perception of exactly what life was like for women, the poor, the rich and the desperate as they act out their parts in the story.
One character I particularly championed was Hyacinth Clout whose life was filled with guilt and servitude until a chance event brings her a moment of clarity which is to change her outlook on life forever, giving her the courage to move forward and live the life she had always assumed was out of her reach.
A novel full of tricksters, murders, lies and intrigue. I challenge you to be able to put it down once you start reading. Carol Hedges has again delivered a book which is written to be devoured in one sitting.
As the newspapers treat a series of murders with their usual sensationalism, it is left to Detectives Stride and Cully to try and find the murderer by deduction and supposition alone. They are hampered by the Press and also the reluctance of the community to share information vital to the case for fear of comebacks from their peers and losing their jobs.
The novel opens with a particularly good narrative about the London rain which sets the tone for the whole novel with its depth of description. Each scene is carefully crafted to give the reader a really vivid perception of exactly what life was like for women, the poor, the rich and the desperate as they act out their parts in the story.
One character I particularly championed was Hyacinth Clout whose life was filled with guilt and servitude until a chance event brings her a moment of clarity which is to change her outlook on life forever, giving her the courage to move forward and live the life she had always assumed was out of her reach.
A novel full of tricksters, murders, lies and intrigue. I challenge you to be able to put it down once you start reading. Carol Hedges has again delivered a book which is written to be devoured in one sitting.
October 3, 2015
After reading Diamonds and Dust I was very keen to read this. I absolutely loved D&D and was delighted to find that Honour and Obey is just as good, if not even a little bit better.
The characters are vivid and intriguing and the setting is described in just enough detail that the whole scene just springs to life in your mind's eye. I particularly admire how Carol Hedges manages to create such endearing characters on the one hand and such villainous rogues on the other. The dialogue is witty and the stories (for there is more than one between these covers) keep you so engaged that it is very difficult to put the book down at all.
My only critique is that the ending was a little unsatisfactory. But that is personal taste. I was so engrossed with the investigation that I felt bad for the two main characters when it ended the way it did.
Overall, two thumbs up for Honour and Obey, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
The characters are vivid and intriguing and the setting is described in just enough detail that the whole scene just springs to life in your mind's eye. I particularly admire how Carol Hedges manages to create such endearing characters on the one hand and such villainous rogues on the other. The dialogue is witty and the stories (for there is more than one between these covers) keep you so engaged that it is very difficult to put the book down at all.
My only critique is that the ending was a little unsatisfactory. But that is personal taste. I was so engrossed with the investigation that I felt bad for the two main characters when it ended the way it did.
Overall, two thumbs up for Honour and Obey, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
November 29, 2025
An excellent sequel
Following on from the first in the series, Diamonds and Dust, we are back with Stride and Cully, as well as some other familiar characters from that first instalment.
This series is a reminder that not all London was beauty and riches in the 1860s. While we still catch glimpses of the rich, this book is firmly about both the poor working class, as well as those falling between the cracks to the workhouse. There is social commentary alongside the drama, whether considering working conditions, or indeed female emancipation.
There is, of course, also a mystery for the detectives to solve as we become more acquainted with the city of London and its characters. I’m looking forward to the next instalment and curious to see whether we meet any of our familiar friends there.
Following on from the first in the series, Diamonds and Dust, we are back with Stride and Cully, as well as some other familiar characters from that first instalment.
This series is a reminder that not all London was beauty and riches in the 1860s. While we still catch glimpses of the rich, this book is firmly about both the poor working class, as well as those falling between the cracks to the workhouse. There is social commentary alongside the drama, whether considering working conditions, or indeed female emancipation.
There is, of course, also a mystery for the detectives to solve as we become more acquainted with the city of London and its characters. I’m looking forward to the next instalment and curious to see whether we meet any of our familiar friends there.
July 28, 2021
Dickensian Drama
I enjoyed the first book in this series,Diamonds and Dust, so thought I would give this one a try. As I progressed through the book, I realized that two of the storylines were taken directly from Charles Dickens' Bleak House. From the spontaneous combustion of The pawnbroker Mr. Crevice to the storyline of Portia Mullygrub , her torturous engagement and her overly charitable mother, I was a little turned off by the appropriation of material. Not sure I will continue on the book 3.
I enjoyed the first book in this series,Diamonds and Dust, so thought I would give this one a try. As I progressed through the book, I realized that two of the storylines were taken directly from Charles Dickens' Bleak House. From the spontaneous combustion of The pawnbroker Mr. Crevice to the storyline of Portia Mullygrub , her torturous engagement and her overly charitable mother, I was a little turned off by the appropriation of material. Not sure I will continue on the book 3.
Read
December 30, 2021This book
I struggled initially with this book unsure if I liked the way the author wrote the chapters in present tense explaining what would next happen.however I then got used to this and enjoyed the explanation s .I did find the ending a bit of an anticlimactic were the murderer was concerned but enjoyed how the other characters lives fell into place.
I look forward to book 3.
I struggled initially with this book unsure if I liked the way the author wrote the chapters in present tense explaining what would next happen.however I then got used to this and enjoyed the explanation s .I did find the ending a bit of an anticlimactic were the murderer was concerned but enjoyed how the other characters lives fell into place.
I look forward to book 3.
July 3, 2019
I enjoyed the mystery of london.I can hear the horse's good on the cobblestone streets.
I enjoyed the mystery of london.The detective's closing in on their villian.I don't like the idea that there's a murderer running loose.but the hero's always get their man.I would recommend this book to anyone I know,who lives a good mystery.
I enjoyed the mystery of london.The detective's closing in on their villian.I don't like the idea that there's a murderer running loose.but the hero's always get their man.I would recommend this book to anyone I know,who lives a good mystery.
September 18, 2019
Great story!
This is told like a storyteller is whispering it to you over a cup of tea. Not a whole lot of dialogue but you feel and see and smell the characters as they pass you on their way living their lives.
With each book the story changes but the detectives are the same and their lives progress too.
This is told like a storyteller is whispering it to you over a cup of tea. Not a whole lot of dialogue but you feel and see and smell the characters as they pass you on their way living their lives.
With each book the story changes but the detectives are the same and their lives progress too.
February 3, 2021
Honor and Obey( Victorian Detectives book 2)
This story goes into 100 different paths...very hard to keep the characters straight and very hard to understand...
This is my second book and I find the writing very strange...it reads like a journal, then changes into a conversation,
Then changed again into who what...weird!!!not to my liking!!!
This story goes into 100 different paths...very hard to keep the characters straight and very hard to understand...
This is my second book and I find the writing very strange...it reads like a journal, then changes into a conversation,
Then changed again into who what...weird!!!not to my liking!!!
September 3, 2024
Victoriana
I've said before I love this era. The history, the poverty, the richness and deprivation go hand in hand here along with innovation that the Victorians mastered. I enjoyed the tale as it went along and technology fact that I am learning about Britain's history. Great stuff Carol, thankyou.
I've said before I love this era. The history, the poverty, the richness and deprivation go hand in hand here along with innovation that the Victorians mastered. I enjoyed the tale as it went along and technology fact that I am learning about Britain's history. Great stuff Carol, thankyou.
December 15, 2018
Honour&obey
This book is really enjoyable . The names of the characters are names to die for,even better are the names of the Charity 's are wonderful.Making you smile.High!y recommended.
This book is really enjoyable . The names of the characters are names to die for,even better are the names of the Charity 's are wonderful.Making you smile.High!y recommended.
April 9, 2019
Very good read
Fast paced, entertaining, tragic and amusing book. Hard to put down. Great to visit those characters from book 1. Marvelled at the history and the psychology and sociology of the era. Recommend.
Fast paced, entertaining, tragic and amusing book. Hard to put down. Great to visit those characters from book 1. Marvelled at the history and the psychology and sociology of the era. Recommend.
March 26, 2022
Another wonderful novel
I thoroughly enjoyed this second novel. The unique way it is written and the richness of language enhance the believable characters and intriguing plot. Can't wait to read the next one
I thoroughly enjoyed this second novel. The unique way it is written and the richness of language enhance the believable characters and intriguing plot. Can't wait to read the next one
August 5, 2018
Excellent read
I have read plenty of historical crime novels and this is right up there with the best of them. A real sense of time and place.
I have read plenty of historical crime novels and this is right up there with the best of them. A real sense of time and place.
June 6, 2020
Victorian M M
I enjoyed the book very much. Very well written with believable characters, good plot, and descriptions of V-London that gets all your senses engaged.
I enjoyed the book very much. Very well written with believable characters, good plot, and descriptions of V-London that gets all your senses engaged.
Read
September 9, 2020Recommend gladly.
Good read.
Vivid descriptions of 1861 London.
Like D.S. Cully.
Grateful not to lived there in those days for sure.
Good read.
Vivid descriptions of 1861 London.
Like D.S. Cully.
Grateful not to lived there in those days for sure.
October 31, 2020
Excellent read!!
Thoroughly enjoyed the story! Have to say that the characters seem to come straight out of a Dickens novel! Fantastic!
Thoroughly enjoyed the story! Have to say that the characters seem to come straight out of a Dickens novel! Fantastic!
September 16, 2021
Enjoyable
Lots of interesting and diverse characters. The author understands the time period and shares
this knowledge with the reader making a stronger story.
Lots of interesting and diverse characters. The author understands the time period and shares
this knowledge with the reader making a stronger story.
March 7, 2022
Excellent story
This novel was engaging and interesting. I really liked all the twists and turns of the plot. I highly recommend this book and series.
This novel was engaging and interesting. I really liked all the twists and turns of the plot. I highly recommend this book and series.
March 4, 2023
I always love accurate, historical detail; the story itself was a nice, easy read
July 1, 2015
A serial killer stalks the streets of London targeting the unfortunate women working in or for the sweat shops of the garment industry. Until that is, a well to do young lady meets her maker in a theatre box. The women all are all killed in the same way but unfortunately Detective Inspector Leo Stride and his Detective Sergeant, Jack Cully, of the detective division of the Metropolitan Police, aren’t making a lot of progress. The killer leaves no evidence and no witnesses have come forward. Only Emily Benet whose friend was the first victim, is willing to help the detectives. Stride and Cully must use any and all means at their disposal to try and apprehend the killer. Once again they are persecuted by the press for failing to do so in record time, with discrediting headlines, such as ‘Ghastly Murder’ and ‘Baffled Detectives’ which do nothing but hamper the investigation.
The story is peopled with a wonderful mix of fascinating, if not always likeable, and extremely well drawn characters both primary and secondary, with names reminiscent of the Dickensian era. We have, among others, the obnoxiously repulsive Rev. Bittersplit, the appealing Mullygrub children, horrid Lobelia Clout and the awful Morbid Crevice and his equally awful wife. Hyacinth Clout is an appealing character and one of my favourites. She rises above the cruelty of her sister and improves her life immeasurably; although not quite in the way she envisioned, after receiving a reply to her response to a personal advertisement in The News of the World. Hyacinth can’t think of anything worse than ‘a life of mindless and repetitious drudgery and boredom’.
Although the main aspect of the plot revolves around the murders, Carol Hedges cleverly and seamlessly weaves in sub plots and characters which connect and/or touch one another’s lives.
As with Diamonds & Dust, the first book in the series, Victorian London is brought to life vividly and packed with period detail. The squalor and hardship which is the lot of the much less fortunate, contrasting sharply with the more affluent members of society, the class divide all too apparent. The women who work long hours sewing beautiful gowns for those more affluent members, the Foundling unfortunate enough to work for Mrs Whitlow in her less than salubrious boarding house and Tonkin, a shop boy apprenticed to Morbid Crevice for the last six years. They are all, along with the story, authentic and believable. The writing is witty and engaging, flowing smoothly through the narrative. I love the covers too, with the little symbols relating to each story. Looking forward to book three which is due out later this year.
The story is peopled with a wonderful mix of fascinating, if not always likeable, and extremely well drawn characters both primary and secondary, with names reminiscent of the Dickensian era. We have, among others, the obnoxiously repulsive Rev. Bittersplit, the appealing Mullygrub children, horrid Lobelia Clout and the awful Morbid Crevice and his equally awful wife. Hyacinth Clout is an appealing character and one of my favourites. She rises above the cruelty of her sister and improves her life immeasurably; although not quite in the way she envisioned, after receiving a reply to her response to a personal advertisement in The News of the World. Hyacinth can’t think of anything worse than ‘a life of mindless and repetitious drudgery and boredom’.
Although the main aspect of the plot revolves around the murders, Carol Hedges cleverly and seamlessly weaves in sub plots and characters which connect and/or touch one another’s lives.
As with Diamonds & Dust, the first book in the series, Victorian London is brought to life vividly and packed with period detail. The squalor and hardship which is the lot of the much less fortunate, contrasting sharply with the more affluent members of society, the class divide all too apparent. The women who work long hours sewing beautiful gowns for those more affluent members, the Foundling unfortunate enough to work for Mrs Whitlow in her less than salubrious boarding house and Tonkin, a shop boy apprenticed to Morbid Crevice for the last six years. They are all, along with the story, authentic and believable. The writing is witty and engaging, flowing smoothly through the narrative. I love the covers too, with the little symbols relating to each story. Looking forward to book three which is due out later this year.
December 24, 2015
I love the way this book is written. A narrator sets the scenes between the dialogue and this gives the story a real eerie feel to it. We are onlookers, seeing and hearing things we maybe shouldn't.
Young girls are being brutally murdered in Victorian London. The murdered girls are poor yet respectable seamstresses and not the prostitutes that the police expected. As Inspector Stride and Sergeant Cully investigate they are once again hampered by the press and by copycat killers but only they know exactly how the murderer disposes of his victims.
The author takes us on a ride through Victorian London, the sights, the smells which I'm glad not to have experienced. We are then immersed in the whole atmosphere by way of her words.
Poor women worked their fingers to the bone and their bodies to exhaustion,sewing for the rich pampered ladies. These rich ladies didn't have such a great life either,pampering to older sisters, fathers and mothers with no real lives of their own.
Another part of Carol's writing which I love is the names she gives her characters. It seems if your not very nice you have a name like, Morbid Crevice or Lobelia Clout and if you are nice you have a name like Emily or Hyacinth. There are many more strange names but I'd like you to find them yourself. I am in no doubt that these were all actual Victorian names as I know the author does her research well. I will say that I love the little Mullygrub children and I now think all children should be called Mullygrubs,what a great name.
I loved Hyacinth and was willing her to stand up to certain people throughout the book. Lovely Emily and the hard life she had. I disliked the usual horrible pious people like Lobelia and Rev Bittersplit, he made my skin crawl.
The more into this book I read the more I liked it and especially enjoyed the ending where the reader is the only one privy to what happened.
I enjoyed the first book in this series which was Diamonds and Dust. Although the same policeman are involved both books can be read on their own.
The third book of the series is Death and Dominion and will be published on 13th October.
These books would make a great drama series on television.
January 8, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed Diamonds and Dust so was looking forward to reading the next in the series, Honour and Obey. If anything it’s even better than the first novel. Once again we are transported back in time to the Victorian London in 1861. The rain is relentlessly sheeting down which immediately sets the dark mood. Detectives Cully and Stride are baffled when a series of grisly murders take place. Young women are discovered horribly mutilated. Unfortunately people are reluctant to speak to them and potential witnesses are few. The Press are having a field day with banner headlines ‘Ghastly Murder’ and ‘Dreadful Strangling’ and ‘Baffled Detectives’
Once again Carol Hedges gives us several plot strands which very cleverly interweave and make us keen to find out more. I love the wonderfully apt names of the various characters which adds to the Dickensian feel of the novel and which made me smile. There’s Hyacinth and Lobelia Clout, one of whom is not a delicate flower and the Reverend Bittersplit and his sharp faced daughter Bethica to name a few. The characters are so cleverly drawn and complex. It’s interesting to see the connections between them. It was interesting too to see the growing attraction between Jack Cully and Emily Benet.
Once again we are shown the sharp contrast between the rich and the poor and the harsh lives that a great many of the ordinary people had at that time. There are people working their fingers to the bone and those who face the dreaded Workhouse. The descriptions are so vivid you can picture these scenes clearly.
As for our detectives and their efforts to find the murderer well, the killings stop and D. I. Stride is finishing his report on ‘The Slasher’ I can’t wait now to read book 3.
Once again Carol Hedges gives us several plot strands which very cleverly interweave and make us keen to find out more. I love the wonderfully apt names of the various characters which adds to the Dickensian feel of the novel and which made me smile. There’s Hyacinth and Lobelia Clout, one of whom is not a delicate flower and the Reverend Bittersplit and his sharp faced daughter Bethica to name a few. The characters are so cleverly drawn and complex. It’s interesting to see the connections between them. It was interesting too to see the growing attraction between Jack Cully and Emily Benet.
Once again we are shown the sharp contrast between the rich and the poor and the harsh lives that a great many of the ordinary people had at that time. There are people working their fingers to the bone and those who face the dreaded Workhouse. The descriptions are so vivid you can picture these scenes clearly.
As for our detectives and their efforts to find the murderer well, the killings stop and D. I. Stride is finishing his report on ‘The Slasher’ I can’t wait now to read book 3.
January 11, 2017
There’s a killer, loose on the streets of London. He’s nicknamed The Slasher by the popular press, is targeting young blond women and, as all decent murderers do, he’s leaving his calling card at the scenes of crime.
Strong women abound in this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions particularly between the older and younger generations. My favourite was Hyacinth who has lived under the yoke of her bullying mother and hideous sister her entire lifetime and who’s future I feared for as she tried to break free. It is easy from the distance and cynicism we view her naivety not to want to shake her into awareness of the danger approaching and her development was terrific to watch.
I also loved the Mullygrub’s whose names, when revealed, belied the circumstances in which they lived.
I felt for Stride having to endure the endless and frustrating tussle with the press who taunted the police who were struggling to track the killer down and I enjoyed the tentative building of a romance for Cully. But then amongst all these delights we see the murderer, we know who he is and where, and how, he lives and it gives us a disturbing insight into his life.
Ms Hedges writes in a style that makes it appear as though you are on the very streets of the London she is so eloquently describing and it really brings you into the story when a scene unfolds and you feel you can almost reach out and touch the fabric of the dresses as they pass and unfortunately smell the fetid streets as you walk them.
This is a terrifically well written sequel, there’s humour and dry wit throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed, and recommend, the read.
Strong women abound in this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions particularly between the older and younger generations. My favourite was Hyacinth who has lived under the yoke of her bullying mother and hideous sister her entire lifetime and who’s future I feared for as she tried to break free. It is easy from the distance and cynicism we view her naivety not to want to shake her into awareness of the danger approaching and her development was terrific to watch.
I also loved the Mullygrub’s whose names, when revealed, belied the circumstances in which they lived.
I felt for Stride having to endure the endless and frustrating tussle with the press who taunted the police who were struggling to track the killer down and I enjoyed the tentative building of a romance for Cully. But then amongst all these delights we see the murderer, we know who he is and where, and how, he lives and it gives us a disturbing insight into his life.
Ms Hedges writes in a style that makes it appear as though you are on the very streets of the London she is so eloquently describing and it really brings you into the story when a scene unfolds and you feel you can almost reach out and touch the fabric of the dresses as they pass and unfortunately smell the fetid streets as you walk them.
This is a terrifically well written sequel, there’s humour and dry wit throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed, and recommend, the read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews