What do you think?
Rate this book
Loyalty and Lies on Dressmakers' Alley
A BRAND NEW 1920s East End saga of family, fashion and dangerous secrets from MILLION COPY BESTSELLER Rosie Clarke. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Kitty Neale! 'Brilliant read' Bestselling author Kitty Neale Times are changing. Is there a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the women of Dressmakers' Alley?
London's East End 1927
Yvonne White is content as head seamstress at Miss Susie, raising her beloved son alone and determined to keep the past behind her. So when John's father suddenly reappears after years of silence, demanding a place in his son's life, Yvonne's hard-won peace is shattered.
Polly Blake spends her days exhausted by endless work and family responsibilities, caring for her invalid father and three younger brothers while her carefree twin, Patsy, falls in with dangerous company. Polly longs for happiness of her own, but trouble is never far away.
Meanwhile, Lady Diane's dazzling fashion designs have made Miss Susie the toast of London. Yet as she accompanies the ailing Lord Henry to Italy, jealousy and uncertainty threaten everything she holds dear.
With fear spreading through London's East End as a killer stalks the shadows, the women of Dressmakers' Alley must face secrets, heartbreak, and unexpected surprises before their lives change forever.
Things are looking brighter on Dressmakers' Alley, but there are always those who want to cause trouble...
Praise for Rosie
' Brilliant read. Wonderful characters that draw you into Harpers world. Thoroughly enjoyable' - Kitty Neale
'Brilliant series. Another great read in the Harper series. Rosie Clarke makes all her characters seem so real, new ones are added which makes for good and exciting storylines, such good writing makes it so hard to put down so the ending comes far too fast..' - Reader Review
'Top-notch saga writing. A superb saga from a talented storyteller. Another immersive, captivating and compelling read from Rosie Clarke readers will struggle to put down' - Reader Review
'Love these books there is eight in the series and I have enjoyed reading each one' - Reader Review
'Another great read by Rosie Clarke. Looking forward to your next book which will hopefully follow Kitty's future.' - Reader Review
'As always there are lots of laughs and lots of tears in the Harpers books, I love them all, such a lovely story thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you Rosie for yet another lovely book' - Reader Review
'Having enjoyed Rosie Clark's previous 7 books in the Harper series, number 8 did not disappoint. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to read the next in the series!' - Reader Review
'Great catch up with everyone at Harpers, some strange encounters and some dark possibilities. Love the newer characters and their lives connected to Harpers. Brilliant writing and great stories' - Reader Review
'An absolutely wonderful book series. I love all the characters and all they get up to. Hopefully there will be more in this series. After all they have another war to get through. I highly recommend Rosie and all her books.' - Reader Review
London's East End 1927
Yvonne White is content as head seamstress at Miss Susie, raising her beloved son alone and determined to keep the past behind her. So when John's father suddenly reappears after years of silence, demanding a place in his son's life, Yvonne's hard-won peace is shattered.
Polly Blake spends her days exhausted by endless work and family responsibilities, caring for her invalid father and three younger brothers while her carefree twin, Patsy, falls in with dangerous company. Polly longs for happiness of her own, but trouble is never far away.
Meanwhile, Lady Diane's dazzling fashion designs have made Miss Susie the toast of London. Yet as she accompanies the ailing Lord Henry to Italy, jealousy and uncertainty threaten everything she holds dear.
With fear spreading through London's East End as a killer stalks the shadows, the women of Dressmakers' Alley must face secrets, heartbreak, and unexpected surprises before their lives change forever.
Things are looking brighter on Dressmakers' Alley, but there are always those who want to cause trouble...
Praise for Rosie
' Brilliant read. Wonderful characters that draw you into Harpers world. Thoroughly enjoyable' - Kitty Neale
'Brilliant series. Another great read in the Harper series. Rosie Clarke makes all her characters seem so real, new ones are added which makes for good and exciting storylines, such good writing makes it so hard to put down so the ending comes far too fast..' - Reader Review
'Top-notch saga writing. A superb saga from a talented storyteller. Another immersive, captivating and compelling read from Rosie Clarke readers will struggle to put down' - Reader Review
'Love these books there is eight in the series and I have enjoyed reading each one' - Reader Review
'Another great read by Rosie Clarke. Looking forward to your next book which will hopefully follow Kitty's future.' - Reader Review
'As always there are lots of laughs and lots of tears in the Harpers books, I love them all, such a lovely story thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you Rosie for yet another lovely book' - Reader Review
'Having enjoyed Rosie Clark's previous 7 books in the Harper series, number 8 did not disappoint. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to read the next in the series!' - Reader Review
'Great catch up with everyone at Harpers, some strange encounters and some dark possibilities. Love the newer characters and their lives connected to Harpers. Brilliant writing and great stories' - Reader Review
'An absolutely wonderful book series. I love all the characters and all they get up to. Hopefully there will be more in this series. After all they have another war to get through. I highly recommend Rosie and all her books.' - Reader Review
320 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 5, 2026
Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker’s Alley by Rosie Clarke is part of an ongoing saga.. We watch as people get older, move on, die, and love. The story revolves around the women that work at Miss Susie’s which is an unscale clothing factory who worked closely with Lady Diane, whose husbland thought it was just a little hobby but she proved it was so much more. She has been having marital problems lately with her husband, who is older than she, but is dealing mostly with health issues. Susie, who runs the place, has stepped back to part-time as she has had a child and is thinking about hahving another. Yvonne is Susie’s right hand person and often works more than her allotted time. She has a son, John, who is doing some designing and plans to apprentice with her when he leaves school. He was born out of wedlock, but she doesn’t dwell on it. Then his father reappears, and puts them in danger. Polly is a seamstress but is destined for so much more. She cares for her father, who is ill and drinking himself to death and her three brothers. She has a twin sister who does not carry responsibility well. They live their lives.
These are ordinary women, not rich except for Lady Diane, but mostly happy, living good lives. They are a variety of personalities who have a variety of people in their lives. The area of town is a little rough so they don’t always get the police protection they need, so have to rely on themselves and some of the men in the neighborhood who care. It is an engaging story, living these loves with these women. They are well-written and well-rounded, as well as engaging. It tugs sometimes and other times makes the reader angry, but always entertains.
I was invited to read Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker’s Alley by Boldwood Books.. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #RosieClarke #LoyaltyAndLiesOnDressmakersAlley
These are ordinary women, not rich except for Lady Diane, but mostly happy, living good lives. They are a variety of personalities who have a variety of people in their lives. The area of town is a little rough so they don’t always get the police protection they need, so have to rely on themselves and some of the men in the neighborhood who care. It is an engaging story, living these loves with these women. They are well-written and well-rounded, as well as engaging. It tugs sometimes and other times makes the reader angry, but always entertains.
I was invited to read Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker’s Alley by Boldwood Books.. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #RosieClarke #LoyaltyAndLiesOnDressmakersAlley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Back again for the 4th time with the characters, mostly ladies of Dressmakers Alley
Lady Diana’s business is thriving - even if her marriage to Sir Henry seems to have hit a hiccup. Will he tell her of his illness and disinterest in the bedroom - or will she seek solace elsewhere. The bounder after her doesn’t deserve her.
The workers in the dress among business still have great conditions for the times and the camaraderie of their colleagues most of the time.
Miss Susie has her beloved husband Timothy and daughter, Yvonne has brought up her son single handed and Polly tries to keep her errant twin Patsy on the straight and narrow. But what Pasty decides she wants she gets even if she has to teed lol over her twins dreams and wishes. Add in an alcoholic dying father and Polly has her work cut feeding and keeping house for herself and her 3 brothers.
Yvonne hopes that she never sees the rotter of a man who fathered John ever again but like the bad penny he is he rolls up and wants access to his son.
But danger lurks round every corner and no-one is safe. There is a murderer after ladies of the night and revenge for his own illness. He also has a score to settle with Eddie - who had his sights on Yvonne. But she prefers Trevor who is Johns teacher and mentor.
Rosie Clarke has obviously put her research into the fashions of the time and fabrics available - and I enjoyed imaging the clothes that the ladies designed and produced.
She also has researched upcoming medications of the time as well
Sounds a muddle - it’s not really - if you have read the other books in the series then it will all be clear but if not it’s perfectly possible to read a standalone. Rosie Clarke provides many clues to the past - in some places a few too many and it can be repetitive.
Having said that this is a well written book and keeps one enthralled to the end. The ending might mean that this is the last in the series but equally there are plenty of opportunities for more adventures in Dressmakers’ Alley
Lady Diana’s business is thriving - even if her marriage to Sir Henry seems to have hit a hiccup. Will he tell her of his illness and disinterest in the bedroom - or will she seek solace elsewhere. The bounder after her doesn’t deserve her.
The workers in the dress among business still have great conditions for the times and the camaraderie of their colleagues most of the time.
Miss Susie has her beloved husband Timothy and daughter, Yvonne has brought up her son single handed and Polly tries to keep her errant twin Patsy on the straight and narrow. But what Pasty decides she wants she gets even if she has to teed lol over her twins dreams and wishes. Add in an alcoholic dying father and Polly has her work cut feeding and keeping house for herself and her 3 brothers.
Yvonne hopes that she never sees the rotter of a man who fathered John ever again but like the bad penny he is he rolls up and wants access to his son.
But danger lurks round every corner and no-one is safe. There is a murderer after ladies of the night and revenge for his own illness. He also has a score to settle with Eddie - who had his sights on Yvonne. But she prefers Trevor who is Johns teacher and mentor.
Rosie Clarke has obviously put her research into the fashions of the time and fabrics available - and I enjoyed imaging the clothes that the ladies designed and produced.
She also has researched upcoming medications of the time as well
Sounds a muddle - it’s not really - if you have read the other books in the series then it will all be clear but if not it’s perfectly possible to read a standalone. Rosie Clarke provides many clues to the past - in some places a few too many and it can be repetitive.
Having said that this is a well written book and keeps one enthralled to the end. The ending might mean that this is the last in the series but equally there are plenty of opportunities for more adventures in Dressmakers’ Alley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The 4th book in the Dressmakers' Alley series, this story focuses on Yvonne White, Polly Blake and of course Lady Diane as we follow the usual main characters on the journey of Miss Susie's dress shop. As with all the stories, we continue to learn about the challenge of running a small dress shop in 1920s London, as well as the poverty and crime rampant in the East End. The characters are a realistic representation of the tight communities that supported each other through tough times.
The author does a great job of showing the contrast between the poverty of the East End and the wealthy high society in the West End.
I especially like how the author continues to introduce and develop new characters, each with a unique story that represents the challenges so many of the working class faced in London at the time. She helps us understand how circumstances may have turned someone to crime, while others were able to rise above the very same situations.
Overall, the books are very readable and enjoyable.
The author does a great job of showing the contrast between the poverty of the East End and the wealthy high society in the West End.
I especially like how the author continues to introduce and develop new characters, each with a unique story that represents the challenges so many of the working class faced in London at the time. She helps us understand how circumstances may have turned someone to crime, while others were able to rise above the very same situations.
Overall, the books are very readable and enjoyable.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
📚 Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker Alley by Rosie Clarke 📚
What more can I say other than Rosie Clarke has absolutely excelled herself with this latest book! From the very first page, I was completely drawn into the story. There’s no long, slow build-up — Rosie gets straight into the action and keeps the pace going right through to the end.
I’ve really struggled with books this year and have found myself in a bit of a reading slump, so it was such a joy to pick up a book that completely captured my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish and found myself eager to keep turning the pages.
A brilliant story, wonderful characters and plenty to keep you hooked. ❤️
Definitely a five-star read from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I highly recommend Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker Alley to anyone who enjoys an engaging, unputdownable historical read.
What more can I say other than Rosie Clarke has absolutely excelled herself with this latest book! From the very first page, I was completely drawn into the story. There’s no long, slow build-up — Rosie gets straight into the action and keeps the pace going right through to the end.
I’ve really struggled with books this year and have found myself in a bit of a reading slump, so it was such a joy to pick up a book that completely captured my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish and found myself eager to keep turning the pages.
A brilliant story, wonderful characters and plenty to keep you hooked. ❤️
Definitely a five-star read from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I highly recommend Loyalty and Lies on Dressmaker Alley to anyone who enjoys an engaging, unputdownable historical read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews