As a long term lover of 19th C classics and such tomes as Michel Faber’s The Crimson Petal and the White, I absolutely adored The Wicked Cometh. If you prefer your prose plain and perfect you might find the very wordy narrative of this book annoys you but I loved it. The plot is dark, twisting and convoluted. The world is very Dickensian in feel but without some of the overt silliness of Dickens. Ultimately a wonderful book with a very plausible heroine in Hester.

London in 1831 sounds pretty miserable and Hester White was having a more miserable time than most. Her parents dead, she finds herself taken away from an idyllic countryside life and now living in the slums of London with her father's gardener. As the number of missing people in London grows, Hester finds her own situation becoming more precarious by the day when fortune smiles upon her in a strange way. Struck by a carriage, Hester is rescued by physician Calder Brock who takes it upon himself to educate Hester who he presumes is illiterate. Charged to the care of a reluctant teacher in Brock's sister, Rebekah, Hester finds herself thrust into a dangerous world of family secrets and an underbelly of London even she was not aware of.

This is gothic mystery at its finest. No character is what they seem, the halls are filled with whispering servants and the atmosphere of Victorian London leaps out from the page. Comparisons to Sarah Waters are inevitable but this novel certainly stands on its own two feet. It's cleverly plotted and had this reader second guessing the conclusion more than once. It's obviously thoroughly well researched without being a massive information dump. Beautifully written and a joy to read.

I received a ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

With The Wicked Cometh having near-universally positive reviews, I suppose this will stand as an unpopular opinion. Yeah, I’m not shocked either..
You know how some books you can hate and still understand how other people may like them? Yeah, this wasn’t one of those; every time I have thought about it since giving up on it, all I have experienced is a feeling of urgh-WHY. And this, for me, had all of the makings of a new favourite - a lesbian Victorian romance with a bit of mystery thrown in - but honestly, the romance was flat and instalove-ish, and the inclusion of the mystery made The Wicked Cometh feel like two very different books.
The tonal shift between the two main aspects of the story was just too much, and that issue was just exacerbated by the way the author chose to write the novel. Why, oh why, did they think it was a good idea to write a historical fiction novel in present-tense???? I just - I have no words. (Has anyone ever read a book written in present-tense that actually worked? Because I haven’t). It created a humongous disconnect between the reader and the narrative and was made even worse (if that is even possible) by the excessively flowery writing-style. I suppose that it was supposed to reflect the main character’s ‘good background’ and intellect, but the contrast between that and the overly-simplistic dialogue was just too much.
It also posed a problem for me, because it meant that the main character had the necessary cultural capital to be able to work her way out of poverty and that the main couple, although they may seem like it at first, didn’t cross class boundaries in their relationship. I know, I know, this may not seem like a big deal but you have to remember that, in the United Kingdom, the stratification of class is incredibly important and plays a factor in all media, either from this century or ones before it. And, despite the growing social mobility available to British citizens, back when The Wicked Cometh was set, if you were born or found yourself in poverty, you nearly-always died there.
The Wicked Cometh bypasses that, and instead makes its main character adopt a simpering caricature of the Victorian working class. She just changes her accent a bit and pretends to learn how to read, which is frankly more than a bit of a ridiculous narrative arc, and taDA, you have yourself a novel. Honestly, she is definitely leaning towards coming across as a Mary Sue, as she really doesn’t have any discernible flaws and she isn’t realistic to her environment because, despite the horrors that a real woman in her position in society would have almost certainly experienced, she remains remarkably unscarred.
And, why am I criticising the depiction of the novel’s depiction of class, I hear you ask? Because there is nothing else to criticise. 400-or-so pages and barely anything happens apart from vague mentions of people going missing and the main character falling in love at first sight with the woman teaching her to read. There is no chemistry between them, no anything, just god knows how many lines of I’m-intrigued-by-her and I-must stay-away-from-her.
Urgh.

The book is well written but I failed to connect to the story. The pace did not work for me. I gave up on the book halfway trough.

"How simple life might be if we could shape time to our need, but instead its silent footsteps walk on, leaving me in their wake."

I must say that the title drew me to this book and I was hoping for a dark Victorian drama. I did get this, but it was a lot slower and jumbled than I'd hoped, and I must admit the wicked took along time in comething.

I like Hester, I think it's hard not too, she's an educated woman trying to survive at any price in the slums of London. I did however, find her a little over explained at times; I could catch her feelings and emotions from the text, but then the author would seem to explain it as well, just to make sure. This was unnecessary and made it feel a bit less realistic.

I also really liked the character of Rebekah who I actually found more intriguing than Hester. I think Carlin comes up with some strong and complex female characters. The male characters are good as well, although slightly less well-rounded.

The pace of The Wicked Cometh threw me a little. It falls into the trap of being very slow nearly all of the way through and then hurrying into an ending and falling over itself to try and explain everything in time.

The slowness does allow for character development and a growing tension, but I did find myself losing interest after a while. I'm glad I read on though, as I did like the ending (though it was a little too good to be true) and I liked how Carlin weaved all the aspects of the story together, though it was a little rushed.

The Wicked Cometh is a good, dark winter's tale and one that I did enjoy, but I could have done with a bit more pacing.

My Rating: 3 Stars

I received a copy of The Wicked Cometh, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review. My thanks to the author and publisher.

Set in the 1800s The Wicked Cometh follows Hester White, a girl that bad look seems to follow. She finds herself taken in by a kind wealthy doctor after being struck by his carriage.
As far as historical mysteries go this was incredibly fast paced. The story line was complex but yet easy to follow and it featured a wide ranging cast of characters. At point I did find the plot somewhat unbelievable and incredibly convenient, which goes against the serious atmospheric Dickensian, and there were so many background characters that appeared in the main plot it was difficult to keep track of them all.
However, the writing was wonderful and I really enjoyed the mystery aspect as well as the blossoming romance. This is a great book as long as you don't take it to seriously.

Very intense and atmospheric thriller. I loved the characters and setting, and it was brilliantly written. Fantastic!

Wicked indeed! This novel tells the story of Hester White, a young woman living in the depraved streets of 1830s London. Following an accident with a carriage, she is taken into the Brock family home where she meets the enigmatic Rebekah Brock. The burgeoning relationship between Hester and Rebekah was very deftly drawn and Carlin has a very good eye for details that bring the past to life. I felt that the depictions of London were particularly well handled as the author made me feel the grime and claustrophobia of the narrow alleyways. There were some plot elements that I found a little bit predictable, but the narrative was well paced and the characters seemed believable. I think this would appeal to anyone who liked The Frankenstein Chronicles or Sarah Waters and I found it an engaging albeit rather obvious read.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found that this book started very slowly and didn't really grab me as I was expecting. I liked the writing style and there were many layers to the story but not for me I'm sorry to say

It's 1831 and men, women and children have been disappearing from the streets of London. Hester is a young woman who lost her somewhat privileged life when she was orphaned and was taken in by her father's ex-gardener and his wife, which has led to her living in ever more wretched conditions. She is pinning her hopes on being able to meet her long lost cousin in London but a chance incident and injury sees her become something of a 'project' for the Brock family - Calder Brock, his sister Rebekah and their uncle. Hester is sent to their country house where they plan to educate her (as she has managed to keep to herself the fact that she is actually relatively well educated), she makes friends with some of the housemaids and is mentored by Rebekah.

This is a book or two halves. There is the 'salvation' of Hester and her burgeoning relationship with Rebekah. Then there are the 'investigations' as they play amateur detective in trying to find what's become of the missing people, uncovering some unpleasant secrets in both their families along the way.

I have to say this book that wasn't really for me. The stories and the multiple threads became quite convoluted and the author packed a lot in. I wasn't a huge fan of Hester, for some reason I didn't find that her character rang quite true - although nothing I can really put my finger on. The author does paint an interesting and atmospheric picture of London, demonstrating some of the contrasts between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' and there is a period leaning to the writing. But the very end of the book felt like it had pushed the credibility of the story too far.

Laura Carlin writes in a similar style to Sarah Waters’ early books covering the same period. She paints a vivid picture of poverty, squalor and the unsavoury characters inhabiting the streets of London in 1831. Her description of the smell, streets odorous with the pungent aroma of bodies, fetid water and sickness, transports the reader to the era. Her writing is reminiscent of Dickens, in its characterisation and narration and she delivers a vivid picture of the dodgers and murderers she shares the streets with.
The story embraces murder, mystery and love, with women at the forefront of solving the crimes that they encounter. Women are to the fore throughout the book. The story is told at a leisurely pace with lots of twists and a lengthy and somewhat outrageous ending, which is in keeping with the spirit of the novel.
My thanks to Net Galley for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book, set in the murky sub-world of Victorian London, and beautifully written in Victorian-style prose, tells the story of Hester White, a young educated orphan, who has fallen upon very hard times. When being involved in an accident offers Hester the opportunity to move up in the world, she grasps it with open arms, and considers any deceptions on her part, to be the price she must pay. She does not reckon with the attachment she will soon feel to her benefactors, and her guilt in having deceived them.
The pace of the book is slow for the first half, but picks up as the danger mounts in the latter stages.
The book deals well with the class distinction in Victorian London, and particularly how the outward appearance of class, as shown by the clothes worn, decides the nature of interactions between people. Even better is the portrayal of gender politics, and the stifling fate of women in this period. For me, the heroine of this story was Rebecca – willing and able to apply her considerable intelligence, capable of caring for those close to her, but also for people outside her class and acquaintance – but condemned to forever be undervalued as both unmarried and female. I kept hoping she might live long enough to see women get the vote.
The story is narrated by Hester. At first, I really liked her character, but as the story progressed, and she became increasingly love-stricken and obsessed with the object of her affections, I lost patience with her. I am not a fan of romantic fiction – and this was just a bit too much love-lorn sighing for me.
That said, the underlying story is engaging, and the writing very good. Anyone who loves Victorian crime mixed in with romance would probably give it five stars.

A sinister tale indeed! Some excellent atmospheric prose takes us back to the darker side of London in times past - it must have been a grim existence indeed (borne out by recent historical TV programmes I've seen).

The writer is undoubtedly a skilled storyteller, but the book felt a little uneven in the timing - some sections seemed to drag a little. However I enjoyed most of the book (though skimmed the sections pertaining to the romance).

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

An okay read, but found the characters a little hard to get behind and the plot not quite what I was hoping.

The theme and setting of this book is perfect for me! I love Victorian dramas, Michel Faber / Sarah Waters etc. And this book certainly had the description and tone, I really enjoyed walking through the author's London and her understanding of poverty and a women's life during that time.
It felt a little like a book of two parts, the first far easier to read but the second overly complicated and a little too wordy, as if the narrator had suddenly swallowed a thesaurus, so the tone changed a little for me half way through.
Also I found it hard to follow which storyline I was meant to, whether it was a forbidden love story or a dark horror or a mystery. And how all the characters/family fitted together was a little confusing.
After a very long, complex story it all seemed to get wrapped up very abruptly and the major players or villains - who I would like to have known what happened to: Septimus, Blister, Calder - all just die or disappear 'off stage' without any real comeuppance.
I'm glad Hester and Rebekah found each other again but I'd have preferred a cleaner ending with them solving the crimes together and bringing everyone to justice - or just something a little neater for a quite unruly story.

The Wicked Cometh was a mixed bag for me. Firstly, I loved the way this book was written. It evoked a real sense of time and place, and you could imagine being there with Hester as she navigates and lives among the shady characters of murky 1800's London. The narrative is easy enough to read and the characters are interesting. I liked the element of mystery that hung over the novel, too.

There are some good twists and turns that kept me wanting to read on, with the first part of the story setting the scene really well, transporting me there in my mind. It's the second half, however, where the action ramps up a bit more, and I was glad of this as I felt some of the story tended to drag things out a bit.

This was the main problem I had with The Wicked Cometh: the pace and the length of time the story spent on certain things instead of advancing the plot as I wanted it to. I should make it clear that I don't mind a book that has a slower pace, but I felt like this lost its way at times. I think at times there were a little too many characters to keep track of. who I didn't really care enough about. I found myself losing interest a little as the novel took so long to get anywhere. As the second half of the story approached I did get more into the narrative, and found myself caring more about what happened.

Saying that, I definitely appreciate the really skilled writing in this novel and would recommend it to fans of historical fiction who don't mind a book that tends to go more 'around the houses'. However, whatever novel you prefer, Laura Carlin's writing is sure to fire up the imagination, painting a vivid picture of 19th century London for whoever reads this!

Hester White lives in the slums of London in the 1830s.. She is involved in an accident and is taken in by a young doctor who helps her recover and his sister Rebekah agrees to educate her. People are going missing in London and Hester and Rebekah start to investigate. Really struggled with his book - found it very slow and hard to get into. Very disappointing ending.

Laura Carlin’s debut novel is a historical tale that projects 1830's London onto the canvas of the reader's imagination. With an exacting and totally believable use of the vernacular, and with succinct descriptions that delicately balance on a fulcrum teetering between moral outrage and hopeless inevitability, the novel draws you into Hester White's world; a world of Dickensian proportions.

Orphaned at the age of eleven, Hester's orderly life as the daughter of a Lincolnshire parson is abruptly cut short. With no other option than to go and live with her family's erstwhile gardener, Hester is thrown into the swirl of grime, poverty, and criminality that defines the lifestyle of London's underclass. It's a life where thieving and drunkenness compete to distract the vagrant populace. And this is a distraction sorely needed for there are regular and unexplained disappearances from within their number. Is abduction and/or murder being serially committed within their midst? And if so, is the perpetrator no respecter of age or gender. For children and women appear equally susceptible to this manifestation of evil along with adult males.

It is in this atmosphere of fear and vulnerability that the teenage Hester is seemingly accidentally struck down by a horse-drawn carriage and whisked away. Ultimately finding herself transported to Waterford Hall, Hester discovers that she is to become the subject of a scientific experiment exploring the possibility of educating the vagrancy.

Initially Waterford Hall appears to be an idyllic alternative to London's bleak underbelly, but Hester's hopes are soon to be confronted by unpalatable rumours that circulate among the servants. Is she liable to become just another victim? Her name added to the list of victims that flows so easily between the staff below stairs. Into this scenario comes salvation from a most unlikely source. A source that gives Hester hope — and the promise of nurturing her emerging sexuality. But is this true salvation, or a blow designed to deceive and to exploit?

Throughout, the characters are delineated with precise detail that cannot fail to elicit empathy. In addition, the backdrop these characters inhabit is so effectively recreated that you'll almost hear the grind of futile labour amid the putrid fog of London, and smell the delicate fragrance of gillyflower that pervades the rural escape offered Hester. The fast-paced narrative effortlessly propels the reader along with Hester into the vortex of the expertly crafted, and totally unpredictable, denouement. With an unexpected twist embedded, it had me eagerly reading to the very last sentence.

This is a delightful tale, delightfully told, and it was a delight to read. I'll be keeping a keen eye, looking for Laura Carlin's next novel.

A mix of period drama and romance with a thriller crime story at the centre, I was swept up in the era and the compelling story of Hester and Rebecca.