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A Cruel Corpse
'Christmas Reading Choice 2025' recommended by Historia Magazine
'Thrumming with dangerous secrets and meticulous historical detail - this is a go-to for fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe!' Kate Griffin, co-author of The Blackbirds of St Giles
Hang for murder, or destroy a secret that protects their precious ways of life. Can Jasper and Hayden find a third way forward?
Carlisle, September 1747.
A rebellion has been put down, but trouble persists for two soldiers in the government army. Jasper Greatheed is a man with a secret.
As a ‘molly’ he could be hanged for sodomy.
His friend is also living a lie – Private Hayden Gray is in fact a woman. Two years ago she joined the army to escape a life of debt and victimisation.
Unsuspected until now, they are part of the garrison of Carlisle castle.
When a vicious sergeant is murdered, Hayden comes under sharp suspicion. Her only alibi will wreck her masquerade, and if she is exposed, as her ‘dresser’ Jasper will not keep his secret for long either.
They set out to find the sergeant’s real murderer before time runs out.
After all, the officer who is leading the official investigation has reason to hate Hayden.
Inspired by real-life female soldiers who served in the military in the 18th century, A Cruel Corpse is an accomplished blend of history and crime.
Ben Bergonzi is an author and Reviews Editor for Historical Novel Reviews. He lives in the UK.
Praise for A Cruel Corpse:
'A convincing recreation of life in the 18th century. Highly recommended.' Historical Novels Review
‘A Cruel Corpse is a superbly written, expertly researched and gripping historical novel. Hayden Gray is an inspired creation, and this is historical fiction at its finest. Perfect for readers of Sharpe or Shardlake.’ Howard Linskey, author of A Serpent In The Garden
‘A transportive novel, embroidered with rich historical detail, Bergonzi brings his characters to life with deft, immersive prose.’ A.J. West, author of The Betrayal of Thomas True
‘Fascinating characters, tense plot, and a well-turned mystery.' Eleanor Swift-Hook, author of the Lord’s Legacy series
'An accomplished and brilliantly researched military historical. Brimming with secrets and dangers. Definitely one for fans of Sharpe and AJ West’s Thomas True.’ Essie Fox, author of Dangerous and The Fascination
'Thrumming with dangerous secrets and meticulous historical detail - this is a go-to for fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe!' Kate Griffin, co-author of The Blackbirds of St Giles
Hang for murder, or destroy a secret that protects their precious ways of life. Can Jasper and Hayden find a third way forward?
Carlisle, September 1747.
A rebellion has been put down, but trouble persists for two soldiers in the government army. Jasper Greatheed is a man with a secret.
As a ‘molly’ he could be hanged for sodomy.
His friend is also living a lie – Private Hayden Gray is in fact a woman. Two years ago she joined the army to escape a life of debt and victimisation.
Unsuspected until now, they are part of the garrison of Carlisle castle.
When a vicious sergeant is murdered, Hayden comes under sharp suspicion. Her only alibi will wreck her masquerade, and if she is exposed, as her ‘dresser’ Jasper will not keep his secret for long either.
They set out to find the sergeant’s real murderer before time runs out.
After all, the officer who is leading the official investigation has reason to hate Hayden.
Inspired by real-life female soldiers who served in the military in the 18th century, A Cruel Corpse is an accomplished blend of history and crime.
Ben Bergonzi is an author and Reviews Editor for Historical Novel Reviews. He lives in the UK.
Praise for A Cruel Corpse:
'A convincing recreation of life in the 18th century. Highly recommended.' Historical Novels Review
‘A Cruel Corpse is a superbly written, expertly researched and gripping historical novel. Hayden Gray is an inspired creation, and this is historical fiction at its finest. Perfect for readers of Sharpe or Shardlake.’ Howard Linskey, author of A Serpent In The Garden
‘A transportive novel, embroidered with rich historical detail, Bergonzi brings his characters to life with deft, immersive prose.’ A.J. West, author of The Betrayal of Thomas True
‘Fascinating characters, tense plot, and a well-turned mystery.' Eleanor Swift-Hook, author of the Lord’s Legacy series
'An accomplished and brilliantly researched military historical. Brimming with secrets and dangers. Definitely one for fans of Sharpe and AJ West’s Thomas True.’ Essie Fox, author of Dangerous and The Fascination
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 26, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2025
It is Carlisle in 1747. Sergeant Beatty, a ‘stupid cruel man’ and a member of the government army, has been brutally attacked and murdered by persons unknown. The novel begins (a very striking opening scene this) with Jasper Greatheed, a drummer and medical orderly, being asked to prettify the corpse so that it can be paraded in front of the men later that morning.
Given that Jasper is (a) black and (b) homosexual he clearly has his work cut out to avoid being persecuted by eighteenth-century English society. Jasper’s great friend, Private Hayden Gray, is in a similar predicament: she is a woman who, with Jasper’s help as her ‘dresser’, is succeeding in passing herself off as a man so that she can serve in the army. As Hayden was seen in the vicinity of Sergeant Beatty at around the time of his murder, suspicion falls on her and she is detained in a cell.
Hayden is swiftly released owing to an intervention from the colonel but, when other soldiers begin to be murdered in Carlisle, she decides to team up with Jasper (almost the original ‘odd couple’ these two) to try to solve the mystery. A former actress in civilian life, Hayden has no difficulty dressing up as ‘Mrs Duguid’, a lady of means, in order to infiltrate a home for fallen women and to interview one such woman who may have vital evidence regarding the murder of Beatty. As you can imagine, with that little lot going on, we are well away…
As befits the son of a respected literary critic, Ben Bergonzi writes very well and tells an absorbing story with gusto. This is a well-structured twisty thriller, interspersed with exciting set pieces and fascinating historical detail, and Mr Bergonzi keeps control of his large cast of characters with admirable facility. The breadth and depth of the author’s research shine through, although a glossary might have helped to explain some of the more obscure terminology.
The closing chapters suggest that a sequel may be on the cards and, if so, I expect to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Mr Bergonzi’s first confident foray into the world of novel-writing.
Given that Jasper is (a) black and (b) homosexual he clearly has his work cut out to avoid being persecuted by eighteenth-century English society. Jasper’s great friend, Private Hayden Gray, is in a similar predicament: she is a woman who, with Jasper’s help as her ‘dresser’, is succeeding in passing herself off as a man so that she can serve in the army. As Hayden was seen in the vicinity of Sergeant Beatty at around the time of his murder, suspicion falls on her and she is detained in a cell.
Hayden is swiftly released owing to an intervention from the colonel but, when other soldiers begin to be murdered in Carlisle, she decides to team up with Jasper (almost the original ‘odd couple’ these two) to try to solve the mystery. A former actress in civilian life, Hayden has no difficulty dressing up as ‘Mrs Duguid’, a lady of means, in order to infiltrate a home for fallen women and to interview one such woman who may have vital evidence regarding the murder of Beatty. As you can imagine, with that little lot going on, we are well away…
As befits the son of a respected literary critic, Ben Bergonzi writes very well and tells an absorbing story with gusto. This is a well-structured twisty thriller, interspersed with exciting set pieces and fascinating historical detail, and Mr Bergonzi keeps control of his large cast of characters with admirable facility. The breadth and depth of the author’s research shine through, although a glossary might have helped to explain some of the more obscure terminology.
The closing chapters suggest that a sequel may be on the cards and, if so, I expect to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Mr Bergonzi’s first confident foray into the world of novel-writing.
November 15, 2025
Carlisle, September 1747. Two years after the ’45 Rebellion, and a sergeant has been murdered. He was widely disliked, but Hayden Gray has more cause than most to seek revenge and lacks an alibi. Or at least none she is willing to reveal, for her real name is Grace Hayden, and she has been masquerading as a soldier with the aid of her good friend Jasper Greatheed, black-skinned drummer and medical orderly. Nor is that the only secret they wish to conceal. To deflect suspicion, they set out to find the real culprit, but as the body count of murdered soldiers grows, will they themselves become the next victims?
As might be expected in mysteries where criminals seek to conceal their identity, the disparity between appearance and reality is crucial to the plot, but its wider social impact is established from the outset by the stark contrast between Jasper’s respectful words to Major Mottershead and his actual thoughts at the time.
The characterization is convincing and the mystery satisfying, but though the many reversals of fortune emphasize the insecurity of life as well as build suspense, the pattern does become repetitive. The strength of the novel, however, lies in its convincing recreation of life in the 18th century, with all its hardships and injustices, prejudices and social inequities, intolerance and abuse of power, especially within the military, unsurprisingly. Amidst such conditions, the bonds of loyalty and friendship and the courage to strive for a fairer and more compassionate world are all the more admirable. Highly recommended.
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
As might be expected in mysteries where criminals seek to conceal their identity, the disparity between appearance and reality is crucial to the plot, but its wider social impact is established from the outset by the stark contrast between Jasper’s respectful words to Major Mottershead and his actual thoughts at the time.
The characterization is convincing and the mystery satisfying, but though the many reversals of fortune emphasize the insecurity of life as well as build suspense, the pattern does become repetitive. The strength of the novel, however, lies in its convincing recreation of life in the 18th century, with all its hardships and injustices, prejudices and social inequities, intolerance and abuse of power, especially within the military, unsurprisingly. Amidst such conditions, the bonds of loyalty and friendship and the courage to strive for a fairer and more compassionate world are all the more admirable. Highly recommended.
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
September 23, 2025
A Cruel Corpse is a gripping blend of historical intrigue and mystery. The author's meticulous research and vivid prose transported me to 1747 Carlisle. With compelling characters and a tense, twist-filled plot, this novel is historical fiction at its finest—immersive and unforgettable.
September 16, 2025
The beginning of a great series! This book will stay with me. It paints a world, an army life I knew nothing about. The camaraderie, the reliance on each other and the feeling of belonging will remain as a reference. The author skillfully plays with everything the 18th century has to offer to create his plot with voice, costumes, expectations and social class. Jasper and Hayden are original, wholesome, and authentic. Really looking forward to the next one.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews