What do you think?
Rate this book
Unlawful Things
A hidden masterpiece. A secret buried for 500 years. And one woman determined to uncover the truth. When London tour guide Helen Oddfellow meets a historian on the trail of a lost manuscript, she's intrigued by the mystery - and the man. But the pair are not the only ones desperate to find the missing final play by sixteenth century English playwright Christopher Marlowe. What starts as a literary puzzle quickly becomes a quest with deadly consequences.
When Helen realises the play hides an explosive religious secret, she begins to understand how much is at stake. Relying on her quick wits, she battles far-right thugs, eccentric aristocrats and an ancient religious foundation, each with their own motives for getting their hands on the manuscript. There is a price to pay for secret knowledge, but how high is too high?
Shortlisted for the Virago/The Pool New Crime Writer award.
When Helen realises the play hides an explosive religious secret, she begins to understand how much is at stake. Relying on her quick wits, she battles far-right thugs, eccentric aristocrats and an ancient religious foundation, each with their own motives for getting their hands on the manuscript. There is a price to pay for secret knowledge, but how high is too high?
Shortlisted for the Virago/The Pool New Crime Writer award.
432 pages, Paperback
Published October 22, 2018
44 people are currently reading
60 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 27, 2018
I love a good prologue & here we have one that does exactly what it should…grabs you by the hand & yanks you into the story. What follows is an intriguing mix of romance, history, conspiracy, secrets & religion.
Helen Oddfellow is a grad student doing a PhD on the works of playwright Christopher Marlowe. To make ends meet, she leads historical tours around London. In short order, she meets 2 men who will turn her quiet scholarly life upside down.
Richard Watson is a historian hired to research & catalogue the family archives of a wealthy, elderly woman. As he digs through personal papers dating back to Elizabethan times, he begins to suspect the woman’s ancestors were hiding something. And it’s big. But what he really needs to help unravel the cryptic clues is someone steeped in the life & times of one Christopher Marlowe.
Nick Wilson is a reporter looking into a racist gang of thugs responsible for acts of violence at a newly opened mosque. Being a POC himself, Nick is no stranger to xenophobia but even he is surprised when his investigation leads him to Helen & Richard.
Aaaand they’re off. This unlikely trio is soon dodging unsavoury characters who will do anything to get their hands on what Helen & Richard discover. It’s a search that pits them against ancient secret societies & religious zealots as they trace the steps of real life figures such as Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh & Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket.
There is a strong romantic slant to the story line, not just in the literal sense but in the character of Helen herself. Initially there were a few instances that made me want to reach through the pages & give her a quick shake. But she is a product of her age & experience. Namely, a very young woman who has led a sheltered, bookish life. As she is tested time & again, you begin to see remarkable growth in her character.
What I really enjoyed was the historical plot line. Remember that weird kid in high school who actually liked Shakespeare? That was me 🙋 So I’ve always found Marlowe to be a fascinating figure. So little is known about this man who was murdered when he was only 29. Friend & rival of the Bard himself, Marlowe was arguably the most popular playwright of his time. But there is also evidence he was an undercover agent for Queen Elizabeth who was under constant threat from the Catholic church. Religion plays a large role here & it’s interesting to note the parallels between Catholic/Protestant conflict of old & the present day tension between Muslims & Christians that is part of Nick’s story line.
So there you have it. I’m not really a romance reader but the abundance of action plus the historical angle were more than enough to keep me turning the pages. It’s a fast paced, easy read that opens a big box of “what ifs” as it blends fact with fiction.
Helen Oddfellow is a grad student doing a PhD on the works of playwright Christopher Marlowe. To make ends meet, she leads historical tours around London. In short order, she meets 2 men who will turn her quiet scholarly life upside down.
Richard Watson is a historian hired to research & catalogue the family archives of a wealthy, elderly woman. As he digs through personal papers dating back to Elizabethan times, he begins to suspect the woman’s ancestors were hiding something. And it’s big. But what he really needs to help unravel the cryptic clues is someone steeped in the life & times of one Christopher Marlowe.
Nick Wilson is a reporter looking into a racist gang of thugs responsible for acts of violence at a newly opened mosque. Being a POC himself, Nick is no stranger to xenophobia but even he is surprised when his investigation leads him to Helen & Richard.
Aaaand they’re off. This unlikely trio is soon dodging unsavoury characters who will do anything to get their hands on what Helen & Richard discover. It’s a search that pits them against ancient secret societies & religious zealots as they trace the steps of real life figures such as Marlowe, Sir Walter Raleigh & Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket.
There is a strong romantic slant to the story line, not just in the literal sense but in the character of Helen herself. Initially there were a few instances that made me want to reach through the pages & give her a quick shake. But she is a product of her age & experience. Namely, a very young woman who has led a sheltered, bookish life. As she is tested time & again, you begin to see remarkable growth in her character.
What I really enjoyed was the historical plot line. Remember that weird kid in high school who actually liked Shakespeare? That was me 🙋 So I’ve always found Marlowe to be a fascinating figure. So little is known about this man who was murdered when he was only 29. Friend & rival of the Bard himself, Marlowe was arguably the most popular playwright of his time. But there is also evidence he was an undercover agent for Queen Elizabeth who was under constant threat from the Catholic church. Religion plays a large role here & it’s interesting to note the parallels between Catholic/Protestant conflict of old & the present day tension between Muslims & Christians that is part of Nick’s story line.
So there you have it. I’m not really a romance reader but the abundance of action plus the historical angle were more than enough to keep me turning the pages. It’s a fast paced, easy read that opens a big box of “what ifs” as it blends fact with fiction.
October 23, 2018
An absolutely fascinating and gripping tale of two historians who are tracking down a lost play by Christopher Marlowe, and the historical ramifications that lost play might have. It's difficult to say more without giving spoilers!
From page one this book had me gripped. I was rooting for the protagonists and desperately hoping they found what they were looking for without some of the darker characters catching up with them. At times I had no idea who could and couldn't be trusted. And I was devastated by the twist in the middle!
A thriller centring on a historical quest - this is how Dan Brown's books should have been written. Highly recommended.
From page one this book had me gripped. I was rooting for the protagonists and desperately hoping they found what they were looking for without some of the darker characters catching up with them. At times I had no idea who could and couldn't be trusted. And I was devastated by the twist in the middle!
A thriller centring on a historical quest - this is how Dan Brown's books should have been written. Highly recommended.
March 6, 2019
A thriller with an academic twist, this is a unique book dominated by some serious historical research, both as part of the plot and the knowledge that was needed to create it. Sayburn Lane has created a trail of academic discovery which gives a real challenge to the characters to discover a radical explanation for a contemporary obsession, against a very real danger to today’s British society. With some brutal episodes, this is not merely an intellectual puzzle; real danger and violence follow the main characters as some seek to profit from fear of the different. I soon realised that this is a fascinating and compelling book which held my interest throughout a dense plot, and I was very grateful to receive a copy to read and review.
The book opens with a narrative of a stabbing attack in Deptford, and the realisation that it is an ironic place to be stabbed. The action then goes back by two weeks, to show Helen Oddfellow, leader of historical walking tours in London, Phd student and friend of Crispin, a retired actor with a past. She is contacted by Richard, who has unearthed a reference to the playwright Kit Marlowe, and has seen an article in a local paper which mentions Helen as a Marlowe expert. Younger and more interesting than she had expected, she joins in his research to clear the name of an ancestor of the Cobham family, visiting the archives of Dulwich College and the Parker library at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. Their investigations do seem to be getting close to a dangerous discovery however, and there are threats. Meanwhile a young reporter called Nick who wrote the original article about Helen witnesses an attack on a new mosque by a far right group. He is injured, and soon realises that this is but the tip of a very dangerous anti Muslim force. As he investigates, he too finds himself in some danger, and he overlaps with the hunt for Marlowe references. This is not a gentle academic tiff; there are some fairly brutal scenes and some violent and sudden twists as the two investigations become more complex.
This is a book which I read quickly, as I was so keen to find out what happened next. I found the historical research fascinating, but can see that it may be a little confusing for someone not so interested in Elizabethan politics. Having said that, the author is very competent at anchoring the plot in the sort of twenty first century politics that means that certain groups in society struggle. There are some points at which the narrative gets very convoluted, but the character of Helen grounds it well in a sort of bewildered yet determined way. This is a densely written book, full of incidental details of a contemporary London that seems real. I really enjoyed this book, found the characters well drawn and generally fascinating, and was very intrigued by the puzzle at the heart of the book. I recommend it to those who like their thrillers based in a detailed story with some elegant twists and turns, some of which are shocking and memorable.
The book opens with a narrative of a stabbing attack in Deptford, and the realisation that it is an ironic place to be stabbed. The action then goes back by two weeks, to show Helen Oddfellow, leader of historical walking tours in London, Phd student and friend of Crispin, a retired actor with a past. She is contacted by Richard, who has unearthed a reference to the playwright Kit Marlowe, and has seen an article in a local paper which mentions Helen as a Marlowe expert. Younger and more interesting than she had expected, she joins in his research to clear the name of an ancestor of the Cobham family, visiting the archives of Dulwich College and the Parker library at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge. Their investigations do seem to be getting close to a dangerous discovery however, and there are threats. Meanwhile a young reporter called Nick who wrote the original article about Helen witnesses an attack on a new mosque by a far right group. He is injured, and soon realises that this is but the tip of a very dangerous anti Muslim force. As he investigates, he too finds himself in some danger, and he overlaps with the hunt for Marlowe references. This is not a gentle academic tiff; there are some fairly brutal scenes and some violent and sudden twists as the two investigations become more complex.
This is a book which I read quickly, as I was so keen to find out what happened next. I found the historical research fascinating, but can see that it may be a little confusing for someone not so interested in Elizabethan politics. Having said that, the author is very competent at anchoring the plot in the sort of twenty first century politics that means that certain groups in society struggle. There are some points at which the narrative gets very convoluted, but the character of Helen grounds it well in a sort of bewildered yet determined way. This is a densely written book, full of incidental details of a contemporary London that seems real. I really enjoyed this book, found the characters well drawn and generally fascinating, and was very intrigued by the puzzle at the heart of the book. I recommend it to those who like their thrillers based in a detailed story with some elegant twists and turns, some of which are shocking and memorable.
March 10, 2019
Anna Sayburn Lane's debut thriller Unlawful Things grabbed me by the hand and didn't let up until I'd turned the final page a mere 24 breathless reading hours later!
Combining a literary historical mystery with the pacing of a contemporary thriller, Unlawful Things sees PhD student and Christopher Marlowe expert Helen Oddfellow team up with historian Richard Watson and local newspaper reporter Nick Wilson to unravel a 500-year-old mystery.
The plot is undoubtedly similar to that of The Da Vinci Code and The Shakespeare Secret but I have to say that I enjoyed the journey offered by Unlawful Things considerably more. The literary mystery elements are really well-handled, with a trail of tantalising breadcrumbs drip-fed through the plot to make a neat intellectual puzzle that is clearly the result of substantial research into Marlowe, Becket and the fraught political scene of Elizabethan England. This historical mystery is then confidently embedded into a twenty-first-century narrative that is packed with intrigue, danger and edge-of-your-seat intensity.
The characters are well-rounded and interesting, although I have to admit to getting frustrated with Helen at times. For an intelligent woman, it was frustrating to see her fall into some obvious cliches (such as continually failing to tell anyone where she's going, even when the danger is ever-present), or making irrational emotional decisions (such as contaminating an active crime scene). She is by no means an unpleasant lead - for the most part, she's witty, clever and extremely determined - but this only made her occasional naivety seem more unlikely to me.
The villains, on the other hand, are brilliantly, terrifyingly realised. From the insane religious mania of one character to the out and out torture inflicted by another, Sayburn Lane doesn't shy away from violence when necessary and there are a few difficult scenes in Unlawful Things. This never felt unnecessary, however, and the sometimes brutal nature of the violence felt completely in-keeping with the characterisation of the villains.
Overall, Unlawful Things was a really enjoyable reading experience. With its fast pace and complex, interweaving investigations, it really does deserve to be called a page-turner! This is definitely a thriller that has some meat on its bones - Sayburn Lane's clear yet crafted writing really brings each action-packed scene to life, whilst the densely plotted historical mystery means there's plenty packed into the pages.
This is an edited version of a review that first appeared as part of the Unlawful Things blog tour on my blog, The Shelf of Unread Books, at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre.... My thanks go to the author for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Combining a literary historical mystery with the pacing of a contemporary thriller, Unlawful Things sees PhD student and Christopher Marlowe expert Helen Oddfellow team up with historian Richard Watson and local newspaper reporter Nick Wilson to unravel a 500-year-old mystery.
The plot is undoubtedly similar to that of The Da Vinci Code and The Shakespeare Secret but I have to say that I enjoyed the journey offered by Unlawful Things considerably more. The literary mystery elements are really well-handled, with a trail of tantalising breadcrumbs drip-fed through the plot to make a neat intellectual puzzle that is clearly the result of substantial research into Marlowe, Becket and the fraught political scene of Elizabethan England. This historical mystery is then confidently embedded into a twenty-first-century narrative that is packed with intrigue, danger and edge-of-your-seat intensity.
The characters are well-rounded and interesting, although I have to admit to getting frustrated with Helen at times. For an intelligent woman, it was frustrating to see her fall into some obvious cliches (such as continually failing to tell anyone where she's going, even when the danger is ever-present), or making irrational emotional decisions (such as contaminating an active crime scene). She is by no means an unpleasant lead - for the most part, she's witty, clever and extremely determined - but this only made her occasional naivety seem more unlikely to me.
The villains, on the other hand, are brilliantly, terrifyingly realised. From the insane religious mania of one character to the out and out torture inflicted by another, Sayburn Lane doesn't shy away from violence when necessary and there are a few difficult scenes in Unlawful Things. This never felt unnecessary, however, and the sometimes brutal nature of the violence felt completely in-keeping with the characterisation of the villains.
Overall, Unlawful Things was a really enjoyable reading experience. With its fast pace and complex, interweaving investigations, it really does deserve to be called a page-turner! This is definitely a thriller that has some meat on its bones - Sayburn Lane's clear yet crafted writing really brings each action-packed scene to life, whilst the densely plotted historical mystery means there's plenty packed into the pages.
This is an edited version of a review that first appeared as part of the Unlawful Things blog tour on my blog, The Shelf of Unread Books, at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre.... My thanks go to the author for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
March 20, 2019
Possibly because I was reading it after a poor night’s sleep, but I didn’t really enjoy this. It couldn’t seem to decide if it was a literary puzzle, an adventure story, or a gritty tale of far right anti-Muslim action. I know it wanted to be all three, but they didn’t blend for me and I skimmed most of it.
March 6, 2019
I do love a good thriller mixed with a centuries-old mystery and bookish and smart characters and that’s what Anna Sayburn Lane’s novel delivers. Meet Helen Oddfellow, a young woman who is doing her PhD on Christopher Marlowe while working as a guide on historical tours around London. Meet Richard Watson, a renowned historian researching the history of a family who once had a prestigious position at the court of Elizabeth I. And meet Nick Wilson, a young reporter writing about the violence caused by racism following the opening of a new mosque. How are these three people connected? How do their paths cross? It revolves all around the Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, his tragic death, and a possible lost play.
The author really did her research into Elizabethan history and literature, the writing of Christopher Marlowe, religious beliefs, secret societies, conspiracies, and court alliances of the time. Featuring historical figures like Walter Raleigh, Thomas Becket (the Archbishop of Canterbury), and, of course, Christopher Marlowe, I found it all very fascinating and it really kept me glued to the pages, especially the mystery behind Christopher Marlowe’s death.
Religion and racism are at the center of the novel and there is murder, kidnapping, and torture with a bit of romanticism that fits perfectly in the plot. If you love a well-written and thrilling mystery with a dark atmosphere, if you’d like to travel back in time to the sixteenth century in the English court, then UNLAWFUL THING is a must-read!
The author really did her research into Elizabethan history and literature, the writing of Christopher Marlowe, religious beliefs, secret societies, conspiracies, and court alliances of the time. Featuring historical figures like Walter Raleigh, Thomas Becket (the Archbishop of Canterbury), and, of course, Christopher Marlowe, I found it all very fascinating and it really kept me glued to the pages, especially the mystery behind Christopher Marlowe’s death.
Religion and racism are at the center of the novel and there is murder, kidnapping, and torture with a bit of romanticism that fits perfectly in the plot. If you love a well-written and thrilling mystery with a dark atmosphere, if you’d like to travel back in time to the sixteenth century in the English court, then UNLAWFUL THING is a must-read!
August 24, 2024
I'm almost grateful I got walloped with a bout of food poisoning simply because it gave me the excuse to stay circled up in bed with this book. Yep, Unlawful Things manages to be both a carefully researched literary mystery and a page turner at the same time. Quite a feat, and one I thoroughly enjoyed consuming (unlike the dastardly sausage that gave me food poisoning). I feel like I've learned loads about Christopher Marlowe, Elizabethan politics, secret codes, and the modern London landscape all in one delicious bookish bundle. Great writing, excellent characters, and research woven in easily consumable bites throughout an intricate plot.
Only a couple of plot-points gave me pause ... [SPOILER ALERTS!]
1) I didn't think it was necessary to make Richard the long-lost love child of the rich, old, titled lady. The plot would have worked just fine without this credibility-stretching twist.
2) And was it really necessary to kill Richard off? Really? His death definitely spurred Helen's character growth on, but she'd barely kissed him, for goodness sake!
Only a couple of plot-points gave me pause ... [SPOILER ALERTS!]
1) I didn't think it was necessary to make Richard the long-lost love child of the rich, old, titled lady. The plot would have worked just fine without this credibility-stretching twist.
2) And was it really necessary to kill Richard off? Really? His death definitely spurred Helen's character growth on, but she'd barely kissed him, for goodness sake!
January 8, 2021
I have a deep distaste for books in which characters make stupid choices, which result in them being hit over the head. Well, just about everybody in this book makes such a choice and... gets hit over the head!
'Oh no, intruders have broken into my home. What should I do?'
'Why not phone the police?'
'No, I'll climb out the window!'
'And then phone the police?'
'No, I'll phone a reporter I barely know.'
'And get him to phone the police?'
'No!'
***
'Oh no, I'm trapped in a room with a violent racist thug, who's begging me to untie him.'
'Well, you wouldn't do that, would you? That would be really stupid...'
'No, I think I shall!'
When characters make stupid choices that the reader wouldn't make, it makes it difficult to feel any empathy for them. And, boy, do the characters In this book make stupid choices: all the time.
The plot starts out fun in a Da Vinci code kind of way but becomes lost in improbable twists and resolves itself in a denouement, which is frankly bonkers.
The book really doesn't know what it wants to be and so ends up a huge mess.
'Oh no, intruders have broken into my home. What should I do?'
'Why not phone the police?'
'No, I'll climb out the window!'
'And then phone the police?'
'No, I'll phone a reporter I barely know.'
'And get him to phone the police?'
'No!'
***
'Oh no, I'm trapped in a room with a violent racist thug, who's begging me to untie him.'
'Well, you wouldn't do that, would you? That would be really stupid...'
'No, I think I shall!'
When characters make stupid choices that the reader wouldn't make, it makes it difficult to feel any empathy for them. And, boy, do the characters In this book make stupid choices: all the time.
The plot starts out fun in a Da Vinci code kind of way but becomes lost in improbable twists and resolves itself in a denouement, which is frankly bonkers.
The book really doesn't know what it wants to be and so ends up a huge mess.
May 12, 2019
Taut thriller and historical mystery set in South London and Kent, and first novel. Concerns a layered investigation into a family history, which connects with the murder of Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe and secrets surrounding his life, works and associates, with a dash of modern London.
Very likeable lead character in Helen Oddfellow, a 21st century London Walks tour guide and academic, with strong supporting cast. Interesting connections between urban community tensions in London and religious sectarianism now and in the past.
This is not a genre I’d normally choose to read, but has plenty draw in the casual reader, as well as those who really enjoy a fast-moving and multi-location historical read.
Read as part of my 2019 Read Harder challenge.
[Ticks a few RH boxes (fewer than 100 reviews, about journalism/by a journalist and self-published)]
Very likeable lead character in Helen Oddfellow, a 21st century London Walks tour guide and academic, with strong supporting cast. Interesting connections between urban community tensions in London and religious sectarianism now and in the past.
This is not a genre I’d normally choose to read, but has plenty draw in the casual reader, as well as those who really enjoy a fast-moving and multi-location historical read.
Read as part of my 2019 Read Harder challenge.
[Ticks a few RH boxes (fewer than 100 reviews, about journalism/by a journalist and self-published)]
February 16, 2025
This is a rip-snorter of a literary thriller, lent to me by a friend. Murder and mysteries abound. Two scholars set out to look at rumours that Christopher - Kit - Marlowe wrote a play that no-one's ever found, and their world explodes with all sorts of violence and drama. It also gets tangled up with the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, what happened after, and the ongoing tensions between Christianity and the Muslim religion. Amazing how people have such long memories, and are willing to spring into drastic action to keep secrets that have gone undisturbed - and been guarded - for centuries. Far-fetched but fabulous and very entertaining to read.
November 6, 2020
I really like the idea for this novel: a literary historian searching for a lost play by the famous Christopher Marlowe. I don't know much about Marlowe, but I like a mystery that accompanies its thrills with some intellectual and literary weight. And I appreciate the message of inclusivity and diversity injected into this novel. But I'm not sure these two sides of the story come together in a satisfying way.
That said, this is a very good mystery novel. There are plenty of surprises and puzzles, and Lane balances well-crafted heroes and a crackling plot with impressive historical knowledge. All in all, an impressive debut.
That said, this is a very good mystery novel. There are plenty of surprises and puzzles, and Lane balances well-crafted heroes and a crackling plot with impressive historical knowledge. All in all, an impressive debut.
February 12, 2023
I thought that this was an okay read. I liked the writing style and the first couple of chapters drew me in. Overall the story is okay but not quite another Da Vinci code. The pace seemed a little slow in places and I didn't find the mystery compelling with the "bad guy" signalled pretty early in the piece.
January 25, 2022
A rollicking good read, with lashings of English history thrown in and some great literary licence to make a great plot. Thoroughly enjoyable.
July 14, 2025
The Da Vinci Code meets the Conclave. I really enjoyed the plot and it’s especially fun if you live in London and recognise all the places.
July 27, 2025
fun! da vinci code vibes
March 13, 2019
Helen Oddfellow has a fascination with the playwright, Christopher Marlowe, and her work as a London tour guide brings her into contact with a historian who suggests to her that there may well be a lost Marlowe manuscript. More than a little intrigued by this idea, Helen gets drawn into a very dangerous world which will have repercussions, not just for herself but also for those characters she comes into contact with.
I was gripped by the opening prologue, which I thought was a very clever introduction, and I quickly became involved in trying to keep one step of ahead of the action, keeping a close eye on what was evolving as the story progressed. Even if you don't know anything about Marlowe and the controversy around his death in 1593, there are more than enough modern day twists and turns to keep the action feeling relevant and exciting. The author writes well, both from a historical perspective, which I found to be highly informative about Marlowe's life and times, she's clearly done her research very well, and also about the uncertainty and danger of the social and political climate we live in today.
This was a really interesting idea for a novel as it combines both literary history and mystery perfectly. Helen's determined quest to discover the truth allows the story to look more closely into the tangled history of Christopher Marlowe, a fascinating subject in himself, but which also combines a really dark historical mystery, with a modern day fast action thriller.
Unlawful Things is a great start to what I hope will be more books, with literary connections, featuring Helen Oddfellow.
I was gripped by the opening prologue, which I thought was a very clever introduction, and I quickly became involved in trying to keep one step of ahead of the action, keeping a close eye on what was evolving as the story progressed. Even if you don't know anything about Marlowe and the controversy around his death in 1593, there are more than enough modern day twists and turns to keep the action feeling relevant and exciting. The author writes well, both from a historical perspective, which I found to be highly informative about Marlowe's life and times, she's clearly done her research very well, and also about the uncertainty and danger of the social and political climate we live in today.
This was a really interesting idea for a novel as it combines both literary history and mystery perfectly. Helen's determined quest to discover the truth allows the story to look more closely into the tangled history of Christopher Marlowe, a fascinating subject in himself, but which also combines a really dark historical mystery, with a modern day fast action thriller.
Unlawful Things is a great start to what I hope will be more books, with literary connections, featuring Helen Oddfellow.
March 6, 2019
The great prologue has you hooked from the off……What then follows is a gripping tale of history, religion, conspiracies and a little romance.
Helen Oddfellow is trying to complete her PhD in the works of the famous (or infamous)playwright Christopher Marlowe. To fund herself, she runs historical walking tours around London. She is contacted by Richard, a historian about a lost Marlowe play.
Alongside this runs the story of Nick Wilson who’s a reporter investigating the racist gang of thugs responsible for recent violence at a newly opened mosque. His investigation links to Helen and Richards….
This is where the story starts to ramp up the tension with the three of them trying to outwit and outrun some really unsavoury characters who will do just about anything to get their hands on what Helen & Richard discover.
This is a tale of religion, zealots and old secrets as they follow the stories of Marlowe, Raleigh and even Beckett….some historical fact and some from the author, Anna Sayburn Lane’s marvellously creative writing..
Religion is a large part of the plot and I found it interesting to see that not much has really changed in the tensions between faiths even up to the present day.
I very much enjoyed this and can thoroughly recommend it.
Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
Helen Oddfellow is trying to complete her PhD in the works of the famous (or infamous)playwright Christopher Marlowe. To fund herself, she runs historical walking tours around London. She is contacted by Richard, a historian about a lost Marlowe play.
Alongside this runs the story of Nick Wilson who’s a reporter investigating the racist gang of thugs responsible for recent violence at a newly opened mosque. His investigation links to Helen and Richards….
This is where the story starts to ramp up the tension with the three of them trying to outwit and outrun some really unsavoury characters who will do just about anything to get their hands on what Helen & Richard discover.
This is a tale of religion, zealots and old secrets as they follow the stories of Marlowe, Raleigh and even Beckett….some historical fact and some from the author, Anna Sayburn Lane’s marvellously creative writing..
Religion is a large part of the plot and I found it interesting to see that not much has really changed in the tensions between faiths even up to the present day.
I very much enjoyed this and can thoroughly recommend it.
Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
August 10, 2020
A gem of a debut novel by Anna Sayburn Lane. "Unlawful Things," follows Helen Oddfellow, a London tour guide and Ph.D., student as she works to unravel a 500-year-old mystery involving a lost manuscript by Christopher Marlowe.
An interesting cast of characters, a suspenseful, action-filled adventure, and a lot of questions without answers turn up along the way.
Extremely well written, with good pacing, memorable characters (I especially liked Helen), and lots of interesting history made this an enjoyable read. Note: there is a LOT of history, which I got a little lost in at times. There is also one scene with torture that was hard to read. Sensitive readers may want to skip ahead.
An interesting cast of characters, a suspenseful, action-filled adventure, and a lot of questions without answers turn up along the way.
Extremely well written, with good pacing, memorable characters (I especially liked Helen), and lots of interesting history made this an enjoyable read. Note: there is a LOT of history, which I got a little lost in at times. There is also one scene with torture that was hard to read. Sensitive readers may want to skip ahead.
February 7, 2020
I have to admit that when this book arrived in the mail and I saw it was self-published I couldn't help but groan. I've read some self published books in the past and they invariably seemed to me to be very poorly written and in much need of a good editor. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by unlawful things and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'll still shy away from self published books by other authors, but if Anna Saybourn Lane writes more novels I'll definitely give them a try.
December 17, 2019
A great mixture of fact and fiction cooked together to produce an exciting thriller which, because of the thorough research which underlies it, proves both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. I will definitely be following this author.
Read
July 20, 2020Unlike the rest of the reviewers I struggle to read a whole book - I'm a newspaper girl. So it is a tribute to Anna's writing that I was totally consumed by this book and finished it! The subject, the style and pace kept my interest throughout. can't wait for more!!
December 4, 2018
A rattling yarn with a London tour guide and a journalist battling murderous odds to solve a historical puzzle around a lost Marlowe Play, this is a terrific afternoon's read.
May 6, 2019
Educational/ historic lit and trashy thriller in one book. Different! A page turner !
March 29, 2020
An absolutely fascinating book. Very gripping. As a tour guide myself I couldn't put it down. Fantastic mixture of well researched historical facts and fiction. Can't recommend it enough.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews