What do you think?
Rate this book
Trades of the Flesh
Preston, 1888: as the century draws to a close, the prostitute murders in London have made young Lydia Ketch's 'trade' a political issue. Lydia, the tough but optimistic daughter of a former workhouse inmate, has spent a year working in the 'introduction house' of Kathleen Tanner, a job that has given her an income few others could match. When Lydia meets Henry Shadwell, a young surgeon with a passionate interest in biology, the two develop an instant - and non-professional - bond. And Henry soon enlists Lydia's help in his underground sidelines; first as a model for pornographic photography; then as an assistant in procuring corpses for medical experimentation. With the dangers of her own line of work becoming clearer by the day, and her newfound delight in her own sexuality burgeoning, Lydia becomes disillusioned with her life as a prostitute. And it soon become clear that her trade - and Henry's - are even more dangerous than either had imagined.
293 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2009
6 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Faye L. Booth
2 books10 followersFaye L. Booth was born in Lancashire in 1980 and continues to live in the county. She shares her home with a menagerie of animals and has given up denying her eccentricity.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 2, 2010
I was taking my own advice when I didn't judge this book by it's cover...mistake! The writing is so amateurish that I'm surprised this book ever got published. The awful cover is a good indicator for what you will find inside.
I thought this was going to be a gritty look at the life of a prostitute in Victorian England, with a bit of grave-robbing and pornography thrown in. And, yes, that does sound good to me. In my mind I thought of it as The 'Dress Lodger', 'The Mephisto Club' and 'Fingersmith' rolled into one. That would be good wouldn't it? Well, sadly this was not.
There was no character development, the dialog was unrealistic and awful, the situations the author created for the characters were completely unrealistic, the events that unfolded were often illogical and never had any explanation, and the behavior of the characters was frequently ridiculous.
In order for this story to be believed you would need to accept what the author has conjured up as remotely possible and I just couldn't do it. You'd have to believe that a madam could run a house of prostitution without any muscle for protection. You'd have to believe that leaving a life of prostitution is an easy thing to do and that all it takes is the ability to save a little bit of your money and then get yourself into the newspaper business...simple, especially for a young girl. Then you'd have to believe that a man who has run a successful pornographic photography business would abruptly walk away from it once he got married. Can all of those things happen, well sure, but not in the way this author writes them.
Here is an example of the writing in this book, granted I picked my least favorite example but still it'll give you a good idea about the writing. 'Lydia devoured everything she was offered, and more than once she noticed Henry watching her as she ate. Her sex flickered in recognition of the dark look of desire in his eyes.'
So, if all of that doesn't sound too bad to you, you might have a chance of enjoying this novel...Sadly I wasted my time and my money on this one.
I thought this was going to be a gritty look at the life of a prostitute in Victorian England, with a bit of grave-robbing and pornography thrown in. And, yes, that does sound good to me. In my mind I thought of it as The 'Dress Lodger', 'The Mephisto Club' and 'Fingersmith' rolled into one. That would be good wouldn't it? Well, sadly this was not.
There was no character development, the dialog was unrealistic and awful, the situations the author created for the characters were completely unrealistic, the events that unfolded were often illogical and never had any explanation, and the behavior of the characters was frequently ridiculous.
In order for this story to be believed you would need to accept what the author has conjured up as remotely possible and I just couldn't do it. You'd have to believe that a madam could run a house of prostitution without any muscle for protection. You'd have to believe that leaving a life of prostitution is an easy thing to do and that all it takes is the ability to save a little bit of your money and then get yourself into the newspaper business...simple, especially for a young girl. Then you'd have to believe that a man who has run a successful pornographic photography business would abruptly walk away from it once he got married. Can all of those things happen, well sure, but not in the way this author writes them.
Here is an example of the writing in this book, granted I picked my least favorite example but still it'll give you a good idea about the writing. 'Lydia devoured everything she was offered, and more than once she noticed Henry watching her as she ate. Her sex flickered in recognition of the dark look of desire in his eyes.'
So, if all of that doesn't sound too bad to you, you might have a chance of enjoying this novel...Sadly I wasted my time and my money on this one.
February 23, 2021
Poorly written, stilted, flat, & rushed; no sense of time, place, or legit atmosphere with only minimal background detail; basic, bland prose that feels like YA with an occasional 4-letter word for “realism”; bleak & gloomy for no reason other than labeling itself as a Modern Vision(tm) of the Victorian era. How this was picked up by a mainstream imprint is beyond me. The inspirations (CRIMSON PETAL + FROM HELL, among others) are blatant—but when you strip them away, the core plot is amateurish & cobbled together with a cast that can claim all the depth of a Johnny Depp cardboard cutout.
...Actually, scratch that. At least a Johnny Depp cutout has visual appeal. This book can’t even claim that much.
Sorry to be harsh, but there it is. I’ve read (& loved) many different takes on neo-Victorian fic, but this isn’t one of them.
...Actually, scratch that. At least a Johnny Depp cutout has visual appeal. This book can’t even claim that much.
Sorry to be harsh, but there it is. I’ve read (& loved) many different takes on neo-Victorian fic, but this isn’t one of them.
April 22, 2017
This was the tale of a british prostitute and....some stuff that happened. Really that's about it. If you're hoping for sex then look elsewhere because it's barely in this book. What is here are a series of life events and characters who do grow on you. There's no common plot throughout, however, sometimes Lydia is trying to escape the "introduction house" other times she's perfectly content to pursue her relationship with Shadwell or hang out with her friends and other times she writes. The writing seems to be the closest thing to a common thread in this book but it's not focused on enough to really come out.
What this reminds me of, more than anything, is a lesser Bronte novel or something in the vein of War and Peace. Nothing really happens in the book but you're perfectly content to drop in to see what's not happening. If you're tv is broke and you can't get your Downton Abbey fix this is a reasonable substitute.
What this reminds me of, more than anything, is a lesser Bronte novel or something in the vein of War and Peace. Nothing really happens in the book but you're perfectly content to drop in to see what's not happening. If you're tv is broke and you can't get your Downton Abbey fix this is a reasonable substitute.
May 7, 2011
Faye Booth has written a different kind of historical romance. It’s set in Victorian days, but this is no tale of a poor but genteel woman rescued by a duke or lord. Protagonist Lydia Ketch is only a teen when her mother dies in wretched poverty, with her last words to Lydia being to take care of her younger sister Annabel- the brains of the family, the one with a future. There aren’t many options for poor girls with no family in that era, so Lydia picks the one that looks to be the most lucrative- she enters ‘the trade’.
Good luck is a relative thing; most people wouldn’t think of working in a brothel as ‘good luck’. But in that time and place, the stability, comfort and safety of a brothel is a downright luxurious situation compared to working the streets. Preston may not be London, where the Ripper is on the loose, but the streets still present dangers to women. The fact that Lydia finds a madam who is good to her ‘girls’- and even allows Annabel to work there as a maid while finishing her schooling- is a huge bonus. The working girls and Annabel all dream of a fairy tale ending to their lives.
Lydia knows there is no such thing, especially for such as her. When she meets Henry Shadwell, a young surgeon who is making extra money with both pornographic photography and illicit anatomy lessons- stolen bodies and all- she finds her world expanding, both sexually and financially. She’s smart, ambitious, hard working and ready to take on any new situation, and makes the most of her opportunities. Life is looking up. But not too far up; she is to know tragic loss, and while Henry is a kind man with a passion for Lydia, he is still a man of his time and class, not a prince on a white horse.
There are no caricatures here, no black or white. The world and the characters are shades of gray as all real people are. Booth has done a lot of research of the era and it shows in her novel. Recommended!
Good luck is a relative thing; most people wouldn’t think of working in a brothel as ‘good luck’. But in that time and place, the stability, comfort and safety of a brothel is a downright luxurious situation compared to working the streets. Preston may not be London, where the Ripper is on the loose, but the streets still present dangers to women. The fact that Lydia finds a madam who is good to her ‘girls’- and even allows Annabel to work there as a maid while finishing her schooling- is a huge bonus. The working girls and Annabel all dream of a fairy tale ending to their lives.
Lydia knows there is no such thing, especially for such as her. When she meets Henry Shadwell, a young surgeon who is making extra money with both pornographic photography and illicit anatomy lessons- stolen bodies and all- she finds her world expanding, both sexually and financially. She’s smart, ambitious, hard working and ready to take on any new situation, and makes the most of her opportunities. Life is looking up. But not too far up; she is to know tragic loss, and while Henry is a kind man with a passion for Lydia, he is still a man of his time and class, not a prince on a white horse.
There are no caricatures here, no black or white. The world and the characters are shades of gray as all real people are. Booth has done a lot of research of the era and it shows in her novel. Recommended!
May 7, 2017
A nice little book. I think that had I gone by the copy on the back (that I only read after finishing the book) I would have been disappointed, though. This is not a dark, gritty, or even erotic book as advertized; but there really isn't anything wrong with it, either. I suppose going into it without any expectations (I literally chose it at random from a stack of Thriftbooks envelopes, long after I marked it as "to read" on here) helped me out a lot, judging from the other reviews.
This is the kind of book you read when you just want to laze away a Sunday, or read on your lunch break; the chapter divisions are nice for a little breather, and there's nothing particularly jarring about it either in bad writing or in excellent writing either. If you're looking for a book that will stick with you and that you'll be recommending to all of your book-loving friends as a must-read, this one probably isn't it.
But, if you're looking for a nice little story about nice little Victorian people that doesn't try too hard to be anything other than an amusing little story, you'll probably be quite satisfied with this.
This is the kind of book you read when you just want to laze away a Sunday, or read on your lunch break; the chapter divisions are nice for a little breather, and there's nothing particularly jarring about it either in bad writing or in excellent writing either. If you're looking for a book that will stick with you and that you'll be recommending to all of your book-loving friends as a must-read, this one probably isn't it.
But, if you're looking for a nice little story about nice little Victorian people that doesn't try too hard to be anything other than an amusing little story, you'll probably be quite satisfied with this.
December 7, 2010
I really wanted to like this book, I love well researched books about the seedy side of Victorian life but this read like porn for young adults.
The story itself was really childish and naive and the author had tried to titivate it up a bit by splashing a few dirty words and unrealistic sex scenes in all over the place.
It held a lot of promise and the ideas behind the story were pretty good, but having read The Journal of Dora Damage and The Crimson Petal and the White I just found this to be a cheap and tawdry rip off of these 2 brilliant books.
Having said that I stuck with it as it kept my interest going just sufficiently to want to know what happened to the characters - to find out that really not much did!
The story itself was really childish and naive and the author had tried to titivate it up a bit by splashing a few dirty words and unrealistic sex scenes in all over the place.
It held a lot of promise and the ideas behind the story were pretty good, but having read The Journal of Dora Damage and The Crimson Petal and the White I just found this to be a cheap and tawdry rip off of these 2 brilliant books.
Having said that I stuck with it as it kept my interest going just sufficiently to want to know what happened to the characters - to find out that really not much did!
Want to read
March 25, 2011The early reviews here are terrible, but Victorian whores are my favorite.
March 30, 2011
A quick and attention-grabbing read, but in the end it left me wanting more. The marketing copy is a bit misleading. I got the impression that there was going to be a darker, murderous, mysterious element, but there wasn't. Jack the Ripper is stalking London prostitutes, but he doesn't figure into the story at all, and indeed there didn't seem to be much danger other than that which nineteenth-century prostitutes already faced. But I did find it an interesting glimpse into the seedy side of London and the people who lived there, and the beginnings of the nudie magazine trade. I really liked Lydia, and I really felt for her, but I agree with some other reviewers that it seemed like Lydia accomplished her ultimate goals a little too easily. Though I suppose she did pay a price for it. I liked Henry, too, but he disappointed me. I think the author did her research well, and I thought the period detail was rich and enlightening. I think it's actually technically very well-written, but I just finished it feeling like I wanted it to be more: to have had a little more plot, a little more meaning, a little more resonance. Different, though, if you're interested in another take on Victorian London.
March 26, 2011
Lydia's life seems to be set for her when her mother’s passing leaves her in
charge of a younger sister, Anna. Barely more than a child herself, she applies
at a House of Introduction for employment as a prostitute so that she can
provide for her sister allowing her to continue her education as was her
mother’s dying wish.
Lydia quickly fits into the entertaining life and meets Henry who chooses her as
his favorite. Their friendship grows and Henry asks her to be a model for him.
Lydia learns just how hard life can be and to what extent people will go to
support themselves and climb out the situation they find themselves in. Love
and hate, poverty and illness push Lydia to learn to support herself.
This is a good story of triumph. It shows a seedier side of life that most
author’s don’t write about. I enjoyed the book and will remember the story for
some time to come. Thanks, Ms. Booth for sharing Lydia’s story.
charge of a younger sister, Anna. Barely more than a child herself, she applies
at a House of Introduction for employment as a prostitute so that she can
provide for her sister allowing her to continue her education as was her
mother’s dying wish.
Lydia quickly fits into the entertaining life and meets Henry who chooses her as
his favorite. Their friendship grows and Henry asks her to be a model for him.
Lydia learns just how hard life can be and to what extent people will go to
support themselves and climb out the situation they find themselves in. Love
and hate, poverty and illness push Lydia to learn to support herself.
This is a good story of triumph. It shows a seedier side of life that most
author’s don’t write about. I enjoyed the book and will remember the story for
some time to come. Thanks, Ms. Booth for sharing Lydia’s story.
October 17, 2011
This is the kind of book I pick up from the library when I'm desperate--I'm totally out of reading material, the library closes in 10 minutes, and none of the books I actually want to read are available at the branch I'm at and the books for which I've placed holds haven't been delivered yet. I grabbed several books off a fiction display and bee-lined it to check out, thinking if any or all of my random picks were awful I wouldn't read force myself to finish the books. But fortunately, it was a very quick read--I read it in a few hours--so the time commitment is minimal. It's pretty flat in terms of characters and the plot didn't live up to the back cover (really I should have known based on the front cover). I liked it well enough to finish reading, but I wouldn't recommend this book to a friend.
August 21, 2017
It was great to read a 19th century tale that was set "up North", rather than in London, although I should add that it doesn't make a massive difference to the story. Lydia Ketch has to think fast after her mother dies, leaving a younger sister to care for. It's an uphill struggle until Lydia takes residence at an "Introduction House", where she finds some sort of stability. Eventually, both Lydia and her sister realise they want to better themselves, and attempt to do so in their different ways.
I enjoyed Trades of the Flesh and found Faye Booth's style easy to read. It's not the titillating book that some might expect from the cover, rather a tale of late 19th century life in a Northern English town (Preston in this case). Lydia has a good supporting cast to work with and the story moved along easily without ever dragging. I liked it, so my rating is 3 stars.
I enjoyed Trades of the Flesh and found Faye Booth's style easy to read. It's not the titillating book that some might expect from the cover, rather a tale of late 19th century life in a Northern English town (Preston in this case). Lydia has a good supporting cast to work with and the story moved along easily without ever dragging. I liked it, so my rating is 3 stars.
January 3, 2016
This seemed more like a first draft or outline of a novel than a finished novel. It was all a bit rushed and muddled.
December 30, 2018
i'm probably really biased about this because one of my favorite tv shows airing rn is harlots, and it's been forever since s2 finished and it's forever until s3 starts, so i miss it. and this book really reminded me of harlots so so much... the description is kind of misleading as far as the plot of this book goes (it's not untrue, exactly, but those aren't the main plot points) and even though i feel like it ended kind of abruptly (one of my pet peeves is when books end immedately after something happens with barely any falling action, i want to see how they all adjust to their new lives! i want to see how they settle into it! hello!) overall i liked this a lot. would recommend for people who also like the tv show harlots
May 30, 2018
I finally got around to reading this. Lydia Ketch does what she needs to in order to survive and provide for her and her sister. Nicely written and set in 1888. The characters really made the story.
February 16, 2021
It was interesting and well written. I guess I would call it soft porn though. If you are against these type of books, DON't READ!
April 22, 2021
Grabbed off the shelf as was stuck on what to read. Very easy and fairly enjoyable, seemed to just end rather than clear stories up but was enjoyable enough.
August 29, 2019
I liked this book, lots of historical charm, believable characters, nitty, gritty northern story, telling how people survived in dreadful conditions. Well worth a read.
October 10, 2013
This wasn't what I expected at all, especially with the cover it has. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a light story about the Victorian underworld; a look at prostitution and the laws surrounding learning medicine. It is set in Victorian England without shoving that fact in your face. Small details show the politics and environment it's set it. It's not about the dangers of being a Victorian prostitute or procuring corpses for medical studies, but about a girl who made a promise to her dying mother that she would do what she could to care for her sister in one of the few ways available to a young woman in Victorian England.
January 1, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I really liked this because it was a more realistic look at prostitution in Victorian England than what we normally get. It's not glamorized, but it's not portrayed as immoral or shadowy. While the ending concerning Lydia and Henry was realistic, I'm On the other hand, Annabel's sideplot was sloppily done. The ending of it was so abrupt (and convenient. I mean, what are the chances of ) and we get no closure whatsoever for it.
November 18, 2014
The story about two orphaned sisters who move into a brothel to stay out of the workhouse.
The younger sister is intelligent and goes to school while the older sister works tricks to make ends meet.
I thought as I started reading that this was very 'light', I want to say YA, but I have read some YA books that have better character development. This story could have taken place anywhere, I didn't feel immersed into the time or place, or into the characters themselves.
A fast read that was a bit entertaining. A 2.5 score actually.
The younger sister is intelligent and goes to school while the older sister works tricks to make ends meet.
I thought as I started reading that this was very 'light', I want to say YA, but I have read some YA books that have better character development. This story could have taken place anywhere, I didn't feel immersed into the time or place, or into the characters themselves.
A fast read that was a bit entertaining. A 2.5 score actually.
March 19, 2010
Well I will say that whoever chooses the covers for Booth's books does a great job as they are lovely.
This book wasn't quite as bad as her first one,'Cover the Mirrors', so showed some improvement.
Again I felt that Booth did write some good erotic scenes but still there wasn't much of a story, realistic characterizations or a convincing Victorian feel to the setting.
May 20, 2011
As much as I wanted to LOVE this story, it lacked in rising action & there wasn't a climatic pivotal moment. It was just stuff happening. *SPOILER* The ending was eh...right when you think Lydia is finally going to do something worth reading, she quickly changes her mind after talking to her friend.
Overall, it was an okay story. I'd probably read it again, but no time soon.
Overall, it was an okay story. I'd probably read it again, but no time soon.
July 17, 2011
I read this entire book but I did not like it much. It was just weird...I never would have guessed or even could have pictured this book going the way it went and I didn't like it. I loved how Lydia starts her life on her own terms, I love the concept of a "lady of the night" being independent...a la Sugar...but I just didn't feel the connection to this book that I wanted to.
April 18, 2013
What a surprising little book, it was only £1 or so and most definitely worth it. A little bit of scandal, female fiction and history with loveable and easy to know characters. Easy to read but definitely a book for adults due to some slightly explicit scenes. Very glad I read it and I shall be looking for more from the same author.
February 3, 2014
It is touted as being an Historical Romance, but I didn't find a lot of romance in it. Sure, our lead heroine seemed to have a liking for our "hero," but the story wasn't about them.
It was an interesting look into the underbelly of London and I enjoyed it.
It was an interesting look into the underbelly of London and I enjoyed it.
no-thank-you
February 8, 2013Review # 24,000 for our fearless leader.
July 19, 2011
Meh. This one didn't thrill me.
August 6, 2011
Not a literary masterpiece but a fun read when you're looking for something historically inaccurate but enjoyably scandalous.
May 27, 2015
Loved the character of Lydia as she makes the best of her circumstances.
Mary, Daisy & Kathleen at house and Henry Shadwell make excellent foils for her.
Mary, Daisy & Kathleen at house and Henry Shadwell make excellent foils for her.
June 9, 2012
I don't often read mediocre romance novels. But when I do, I make sure they contain corsets, cobblestone streets, and grave robbing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews