I do not read much historical fiction, but I do have a bit of a soft spot for a mystery or a thriller, no matter when it is set. The Wicked Cometh, the debut of author Laura Carlin, is a little bit of all three, as well as a tale of forbidden love, and a burgeoning relationship between Laura Carlin's protagonist, Hester White, and her tutor and soon to be friend, Rebekah Brock. Set in 1851, their friendship would be something of a scandal, however it is not this which dominates the story. In fact this is quite an atmospheric tale which takes us from the finery of high society, to the dark and dangerous streets of London, where people appear to go missing with disturbing regularity. No one but Hester and Rebekah seems to care, but as the two start to investigate they have no idea of the danger they are putting themselves in, or the dark secrets they are set to uncover.

As novels go, this is kind of a tale of two halves. Much of the first part of the book goes into setting the scene and establishing the facts of Hester's early years and how, following an accident that could well have claimed her life, she comes to find herself in the sphere of Rebekah Brock and her brother, Calder, and Uncle, Septimus. it is during these early scenes that the mystery that is to come is also introduced to us as readers - the constant disappearance of people from the streets of London. They are people from all walks of life, including two former maids from the Brock's employment, and yet the disappearance seems to merit no more than the occasional missing person poster and the odd headline in the newspaper.

And, in fairness, this dismissal of the importance of these missing people is reflected in the fact it is little more than a footnote in Hester's daily life. This segment is more about Hester's growing infatuation with her new tutor, Rebekah, Calder having taken it upon himself to prove that a woman of the street can be 'educated' and elevated from their lowly status. Laura Carlin does a great job in creating nineteenth century London and society, portraying the distinct lives of those that have and those who do not. Creating that sense of depravation and seediness that coloured Hester's early life, compared to the impression of opulence of her new found fortune. Although if you look behind the veneer, it is easy to see that all is not quite as shiny and perfect as it may first appear.

It is in the second half of the book that the pace, and the tension, increases. In truth, there is not a lot that occurs in the book that I couldn't predict from the foreshadowing of some of the earlier passages, and there is much that clearly signposts some of secrets that are to be revealed in the latter part of the story. That is not to say that there are not a few revelations that caught me by surprise, there were. And there were more than the odd occasion where the sense of threat and jeopardy were raised, and the pace picked up to match. But it did feel like somewhat of a wasted opportunity in not exploring the depravity of life in the darker recesses of the London streets a little more, and the conclusion to Rebekah and Hester's investigation seemed a little fast and almost anti-climactic after all of the build up and the danger that threatened.

It doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the. book, but perhaps taking the story a little darker, or at least building or maintaining that suspense for a little longer would perhaps have given a more satisfying ending. Laura Carlin really does have a wonderful turn of phrase in her writing, and has captured the spirit of lower class London well. I've read similar stories before and it certainly holds it's own amongst some of the best in terms of narrative style. Personally, I like my stories a little darker but I'd still recommend this to other fans of historical mysteries.

"The Wicked Cometh" by Laura Carlin has received mixed reviews. Readers praise its atmospheric portrayal of Victorian London and exploration of social issues but criticize its pacing and character development. While it offers a rich historical setting and intriguing premise, some find the plot slow and characters lacking depth. Overall, it appeals to fans of atmospheric historical fiction despite its drawbacks.

I so enjoyed this book.
I’ve been absent from this platform for some time, hence the late submission. However, this book really ticked all the boxes for me. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction and this book I found to be well researched a great pace and sensitively dealt with. Quite thrilling in places and satisfying to the end. I’ll be watching out for this author in the future.!

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

The dark and murky side of London in this historical fiction with a great cast of characters, characters that you will route for and characters that you can not wait for their comeuppance

Thank you Netgalley fro a copy for an honest review

I was so excited for this book but unfortunately didn't hit the mark for me. It started out well but completely lost my interest by the 1/3 point. Well written but the plot lacked the ability to hold my attention at all.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Advanced Reader copy - Enjoyed this book, really opened my eyes and made me seek out other similar books to read.

Victorian London is my favourite era/setting and I think the atmosphere was captured exceptionally well in this nook. Carlin's writing is beautiful, and I kept forgetting I was reading a contemporary novel - it had all the qualities of a classic.

The plot twists come thick and fast, and you lose yourself in the story of the characters, the setting, and their relationships.

I did feel that it was a *little* slow in places, but this added to the classic feel, and at no point was I bored.

I've seen some reviews that say that the ending should have missed out the last chapter and epilogue, and while I feel like this would have been more impactful, I was happy with the way that the story concluded.

The Wicked Cometh brings us to 1830’s London, and a very dark side of the city that most of us could never imagine.
Dark deeds are taking place across the capital; the down and out of society start to disappear but no one really cares. Hester White is an orphan, trying to survive in the slums, when she is injured in a horse and carriage accident. The wealthy owner of the carriage sweeps her away and brings her home to be a companion to his sister but all is not as it initially appears with this family, and Hester finds herself in more danger than ever before.
This is a darkly atmospheric book and perfect for fans of gothic novels!

An interesting read but not altogether unique enough for me. I kept thinking I had read something similar before but couldn’t put my finger on where.
Very well written and beautiful prose but I was a bit disengaged from the plot and characters.

Dark and suspense historical fiction. Other reviewers compared it to The Crimson Petal and the White and they are right.

I loved this book, historical novels are one of my favourite things to read and this was up there with the best of them. Loved loved loved it.

The Wicked Cometh is set during a murky time in William IV's reign when the mean and moody streets of London aren't paved with gold. Life for eighteen year old Hester White is nothing like the one she was born into and after a tragic set of circumstances she is living in abject poverty in a London slum. It is during this time that Hester is involved in an accident which will change the course of her life.

Hester's association with, Calder Brock, a young physician, and her subsequent meeting with his sister, the enigmatic Rebekah Brock, at Waterford Hall, forms the early part of the story but it is in Hester and Rebekah's burgeoning relationship where the real crux of the story lies. Add into the mix a deeply worrying mystery surrounding the disappearance of people from the streets of London and you have all the ingredients needed for a tense and atmospheric story.

The Wicked Cometh is evocative story of a dark and dangerous time, quite slow in places, but written with a fine eye for historical detail, and a sharp appreciation of the shock tactics of a Gothic thriller.

A historical fiction novel that is both gorgeous and gritty, The Wicked Cometh is a really fantastic book. The plot takes a backseat to the relationship that develops between two women, one from a wealthy family and one from a poor background, and the book investigates class and inequality at the time. Highly recommended for anyone looking for sapphic historical fiction!

This is the story of Hester White and her troubled life in 1830s London. We see her move from the filth of the slums in London to the countryside with the help of a wealthy family following an accident. But all is not as it seems. The reader is drawn into a world of darkness where people of all ages keep disappearing and evil is closer than she realises. It is also a tale of loves lost. A great read by an author new to me.

This book had a pretty slow start, and for the first third of it I was just waiting for the action to begin. I was even worried that the beginning would become redundant later on; luckily it was basically just set up for the rest of the 2/3s of the book. I do therefore think the beginning could have been shorter, but…

…wow. The rest of the book: just, wow. I don’t want to give too much away but I bloody loved it. It was crimey and mysterious with a speckle of romance and some angst to pull on my heart strings. I thought the plot was paced and accelerated really well and the plot twists! Ah.

I really enjoyed the main character, Hester, and how spunky she was. She did sort of go-with-the-flow sometimes, but she knew who she was and what she wanted. Not only that, but she developed the whole way through. She was a little underhand at times, but that just made me love her more!

Overall, despite not being 5/5, this book is a new favourite of mine, and I definitely recommend it.

I am in charge of our Senior School library and now during this time of lockdown, I am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me!

I am usually a fan of historical fiction, and I’m not quite sure this book lived up to the same standard that I normally would enjoy. Without spoiling the plot, I really enjoyed how the big reveal tied together all the storylines towards the end - and I think using that historical context is what might set this book apart from others in its genre in my memory.
As a historical lesbian murder mystery, this book was certainly an interesting and unique read, but I wouldn’t say it was my favorite book ever. I thought it was a bit predictable, and the characters didn’t face enough truly challenging difficulties in their investigations to really make me root for them.

An incredibly fast paced historical fiction book that was both complex and descriptive. It definitely wasn't a favourite of mine but I did enjoy the way the book was written. Definitely a descriptive read that you need to take some time to sit down and read. The storyline at times I found a bit unbelievable but I found the characters very well written and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them.

A historical book that had many plot holes but was enjoyable at the same time. As I said not a massive fan but I love dhow descriptive the book was.