I love this time period of English history so I was thrilled to be deflected to read this book. I so enjoyed the movie The Favorite about Queen Anne’s reign, a period of history that is so very rarely covered - whether in books, documentaries or films. The author did a fantastic job creating interested fully developed characters and an interesting plot. I loved it!

this was an enjoyable read, i liked that it was set in a time period that I don't see often. The characters were great and I enjoyed the mystery

I was excited to read this book after watching The Favorite about Queen Anne’s reign, a period of history that is very rarely covererd in books, movies or documentaries. The story was good and reminded me of David Liss’ novels. I think the mystery was a bit confusing at times, but I really enjoy the time period and the writing was excellent.

Thank you to Netgalley for a chance to review this book

1708 England was an interesting time. Queen Anne's reign was anything but routine and scandal was rife. There were spies everywhere. The celebrations for the Queen's birthday are all being planned and with a big fireworks display as well.

In Covent Garden we have a coffee house newly opened and Mary Trotter at the helm hoping that this house will lead the way for intellectuals to gather to have discourse and conversations on a higher level. She did not expect to face the problems she did.

Full of historical detail of a period not very often found, it was an interesting account of the times. The characterization was very good with three people trying to help out a publisher falsely accused. Not easy in these times.

I liked the mystery in this book, but found that the plot dragged at times and I felt it had too many characters

An intriguing mystery set in the early 1700s 'Chocolate House Treason' by David Fairer is full of suspense. The fascinating characters are likable and well developed. Three amateur sleuths: Widow Trotter (coffee house proprietor), Tom Bristowe (poet) and Will Lundy (Lawyer), set out to free their friend Mr Morphew of murder charges by solving the murder. As the plot builds, the reader finds that many of the government officials are corrupt. The trio of investigators don't know who to trust. A new conspiracy is found everywhere they turn often misdirecting the investigation.
I found this book intriguing because it has many parallels to our time. Government corruption of our era is out of control much like it was in the early 1700s. Incorrigible government officials were bending laws to meet their needs back then as they are today.
Give this book a chance. It took about four chapters before it gripped my full attention. After that, I could not put it down. I recommend this book because it is both thought-provoking and has every quality of a good mystery. Chocolate House Treason is a great read.

This is the perfect mystery for readers who enjoy history well delivered, that history in fine detail, as well. This is not a light mystery, full of fluff. It has teeth. If you like authors such as Anne Perry and Paul Doherty who give the reader a time travel adventure into London of old, please give this book a try. Yes, it is long and often it is more talk than action but the immersion into the days of the reign of Queen Anne is worth every word. London is alive, complete with the sights, sounds and, yes, the smells of the 1700's.
The main characters are a likable trio of Mary Trotter, owner of a coffee shop. She is landlady to Will, a lawyer and his friend, Tom, a poet. The politics of the period are woven through their efforts to defend a wrongfully accused publisher. It's history with a mystery included rather than the other way around. I really enjoyed my visit to this period of London history.

This is a good book but not my cup of tea. It's very long and the conversations can go round in circles. I wanted to like it more than I did. I also had a problem keeping track of who was who.

Thank you to NewGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is clearly written by an academic and none the worse for it, it is no light, fluffy story to read over a couple of evenings. It's something to read and savour - once you get into it which, as other reviewers have noted, can take some time. There is a lot of scene setting at one level but I thought that a little more broad context would help. This, it turns out, is given at the end - too late. I would call it essentially a political intrigue - Whigs versus Tories, just after the Act of Union between Scotland and England, Queen Anne being courted and vilified at the same time and pamphlets of dubious origin but literary value appearing everywhere. No-one acknowledging who the authors are or the veracity of said verses. Sound familiar? Twitter, you were there in the 18th century after all, Into this is woven a murder story and the detecting of it by a widow running a coffee house, her young aspiring poet lodger and his lawyer friend plus a Constable. The murder links to the politics of course and comes to an ending which is somewhat of a compromise. The descriptions of place and context are excellent - the stench of Newgate and plight of the inmates, stench and poverty of the poorer side of London, the narrow alleys full of mystery, fear and the like; all set against the slightly more refined but dark coffee houses where med debate and intrigue. Much has parallels with modern-day politics - the back biting, snipes, lies - but the Court remains of its period. Thanks to NetGalley and Matador publishers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a loooong book. Really long. If you’re into historical fiction this Is the book for you. Set in the 1700s during the reign of Queen Anne.
Our main characters, the Widow Trotter, Tom and Will are interesting. They are soon bought together to help a friend being held in prison.
The author weaves a good story.
As other reviewers have said this book could indeed be a series.
I give it a solid 3/5 stars.

I'm sad to say that I simply could not finish this. It was simply too static for me. Rather than showing most of the action, the author has the characters talk about it to one another in a fashion that I suspect was verbose even for the 18th century. The reason I'm sad is that the writing evoked the time and place beautifully, and the author certainly knows the era. But when I found myself about a third of the way in and making excuses not to continue reading, I knew it was not the book for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Matador, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the kind of book you savour page after page. The details, the quality of the dialogues, the complexity of the plot, all is pure pleasure. The period is so interesting, it is like the birth of Modern political life in England. London is depicted in vivied colours and details, it is like a time travel with a murder mystery, of very good standards. The characters are detailed in such a way that you want to be their friends. People from the past with problems we could help to solve. The writing is fluent, it is impossible to get tired. Good that the book is substantial, I cannot wait for another story. I will srongly recommend this book and offer it as a gift.
Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a preview in exchange for a fair comment.

Historical fiction set in the times of Queen Anne. Lady Malbourough and Abigail, Lord Sunderland and Hardy… Some people say every great man has a woman behind him… It is truth in reverse as well. A great woman or a monarch (or both) always has many men behind and by her side, next to her and around her... Are they good? Are they enemy? Who is to decide? Where is the truth?
Chocolate House Treason is misleading the reader. It is not light and fluffy as a hot chocolate drink in the Good Fellowship House of Coffee, it is dark and treacherous, unknown and unexpected. The account given to the reader in this book is very detailed, dry in places. But it does not take away from the weight of it - it is hard to swallow some time. Also, it is so very modern. People are people. Our human nature is such, we betray as easily as we love. Add ink and paper to the mix... and cry 'in the name of the Queen'.
A very worthy read to the lovers of British and European history. Queen Ann might not have left a heir, but she left her mark: her reign, her rule and her court.

I hope this is going to be a series because it was a highly enjoyable and entertaining read.
The book is well written and the historical background is well researched and vividly described.
The cast of characters is interesting and well written and realistic.
The plot is not very fast paced but once you are hooked you won't stop reading till the end.
An excellent read, highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Delicious! A delightful start to a historical mystery series set in 1709 London, in the Good Fellowship coffee house. Recently-widowedi Mary Trotter now has great ambition to turn the popular men's meeting place into a chocolate house. The new beverage, more sophisticated decor, and a new name on a new sign will, she is sure, propel her to even more success.
But she hasn't counted on being swept into a political firestorm as competing factions at Queen Anne's palace wage a bitter, no-holds-barred war over control of the government. One major force in influencing public opinion was the published poem or political tract (think of it as that era's Twitter) which were often printed sureptitiously to avoid charges of sedition. Mary's young lodger, aspiring poet Tom Bristowe, has shown promise enough to have caught the notice of a respected publisher. But publisher Morphew has been marked by a ruthless politician to create a scandal that will bring down his rivals at court.
When Morphew's trusted assistant is found murdered in the print shop and Morphew arrested, Widow Trotter and her helpers - including poet Bristowe, his impetuous lawyer friend Will, and a police constable with good connections - must rescue the publisher before he hangs. They are unwittingly plunged into a whirlpool of intrigue, betrayal, political machinations and intimidation that not only tests their resolve but, as the murder count rises, the safety of the intrepid investigators.
Deeply researched without being obvious, this charming and lively tale will not only sweep you into the mystery, but the era and its habits, mores, opinions and politics. The investigating friends are clearly drawn, the motives and means logical and appropriate to the times. Beautifully written, with a nice turn of phrase and wit, this is a stellar series kick-off. I look forward to the next Chocolate House Mystery.

An historical novel that’s rich with Restoration detail and the intrigue surrounding coffee houses in the reign of Queen Anne. It’s great to read a book that illuminates this period in history because until the film ‘The Favourite’ Queen Anne hasn’t been explored as much as Queen Victoria or the Tudor queens. This book brings to life a period leading up to the Queen’s birthday celebrations where political factions were jostling for power.

I did find the novel difficult to get into at first. It didn’t grab me instantly so I had to persevere - I had the same issue with Hilary Mantel’s history novels so I know that it’s worth putting the work in early on. It was the vivid descriptions that drew me in. In Mrs Trotter’s coffee house people gather to socialise and plan intrigue. I could almost smell the hot chocolate with spices and found myself craving my favourite tea room in Venice and their delicious hot chocolate. Her tenants are Tom, a young poet, and his friend Will, a lawyer. We follow this trio of characters as they try to clear the name of Morphew, a publisher wrongly accused of murder. This is a time of tension between Whigs and Tories and by investigating the circumstances surrounding Morphew’s arrest they uncover hidden letters and satirical publications that could bring down the government.

I found myself diverted by the world Fairer paints in the novel, sometimes more than the story. I felt the author truly loves this period of history and enjoyed fleshing it out. It reminded me of Lisa Picard’s book Restoration London because I felt all my senses engaged in this moment of history. From the delicious smell of spiced chocolate to the dirty streets and fetid smells of Newgate. The contrast between the ordinary streets of London and the finery in the homes of the aristocracy was very well written. I think I was more engrossed with the detail of this world than with the story, so I wasn’t gripped to keep turning the page to see what would happen. However, I did see intriguing parallels to our current political situation which added interest for me. The author’s love and knowledge of this period was so evident I could imagine an incredible TV series set there and that’s how the book felt; for me it held together because of the incredibly detailed and rich setting rather than the story.

This is a book jam-packed with period detail - you can almost taste the coffee, smell Newgate prison and feel the fear of a time and place where the merest hint of sedition could land you in serious trouble. I felt that a little too much time was spent in scene-setting and character building before the story really got going, but once it did, it then moved along at a cracking pace. Thanks to having seen 'The Favourite' I had some idea of the politics and intrigues of Queen Anne's era but perhaps a brief introduction summarising the situation would help people get to grips with this before getting caught up in the detail of the narrative. The author, David Fairer, is a professor of C18th literature and his expertise makes this a fascinating and really enjoyable read. The characters are all believable and as I warmed to several of them, I hope this book might be the start of a series in which they feature. To summarise - if you enjoy stories of political and courtly intrigue, excellent characterisation and a good murder mystery then you will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! I find that it did take a while to find a rhythm (close to 100 pages for me), but once it did, I couldn't put it down. As someone fascinated by Queen Anne, I loved that Robert Harley was a featured character, as it truly grounded this novel in history for me. It is obvious that Fairer has put an extensive amount of effort into researching this book and it paid off. Restoration London and the few decades that followed after are largely forgotten in both history (though we are seeing a resurgence of interest) and in literature. Fairer has built a rich and complex London for us to dive into. The mystery is a bit twisty, but still interesting to follow along!

Literature is not mere words. Poem, for example, could be deathly political weapon; it could bring the state in a turmoil. Like what I read in this book, poems from an anonymous writer found illegally spreading in the coffee houses brought us to a bizarre murder case which leads a publisher as a suspect. Mr. Emmet who worked in a publishing company, killed in his own office, clutching this poem in his hand. His boss, Mr. Morphew is the only suspect for this since he was found in the same office in a complete disarray and blood all over his clothes. Most people believed this is the case, but our heroes, Tom Bristowe, Will Lundy, and Widow Trotter didn’t. They determined to find the answer for this murder case and save the publisher life. The three went on investigations in the middle of Queen Anne’s England, 1708.

I could say this is kind of long story for a mystery. The tempo is slow and it’s full of historical facts. I do admire this side, the history side which the writer choose to write. He choose to write about Queen Anne’s Robert Harley situation in 1700ish and it is a whole new information for me. I’m not really familiar of England’s history and I feel a little hard to adapt at the beginning. You know, I kept forgetting who’s who, and I did searching and do my own research of the Whig and Tory for the book’s sake. But really, the book has a remarkable details. I always loved if the book is deeply researched like this.

The writing is nice, I like the words the author used. The mystery itself is so confusing and need some deliberation. Politic is everywhere and the book made me think twice to be in that politic world (no, actually I’m never into politics :p). The issue about political writings also made me think how powerful words are. I like the ending, I like the main characters, they are likeable even the little characters like Jem, but my favorite is Will Lundy, hehe. I even found myself hoping that this book is going to be a mystery series from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Matador for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an interesting and erudite novel. It vividly brings to life the political intrigues that swirled through the coffee houses of Queen Ann’s London. The author relishes the detail which brings grimy sordid alleyways to life as much as the homes and palaces of the aristocracy.
I guess I’d characterize it as a literary novel, which does for the Restoration and Queen Anne’s England something between what Hilary Mantel does in Wolf Hall and what CJ Samson’s Shardlake does in Tudor England.
I enjoyed the book but would say it wasn’t an early page-turner, hence my referring to Mantel. It does take a little while to become engrossing, but it is well worth sticking with it, (ditto Wolf Hall). You can absolutely tell the author knows this period inside out and lives every moment with his characters.