Absolutely brilliant read, I highly recommend this book! Immerse yourself in Georgian London and the women of the Whores Club and Harris's List. A lady arranges to meet someone in one of the bowers of Vauxhall Gardens but upon arrival finds her friend dying, having been viciously stabbed. This sets the lady, Caro, on the trail of her murderer, and down a path of secrets, greed, and the sex trade of women in Georgian London. A brilliantly told story, well written and believable characters, and such descriptive writing of the setting- you can picture yourself standing there alongside the protagonists. I could not foresee how this story would end as the plot twisted and turned. The author has deeply researched this period and highlights further reading, for those interested, at the end of her book. I will definitely now read the first book 'Blood and Sugar'. I loved this story!

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot (I always think "why bother to read a book when someone's already told you what happens?") - plenty of other reviews like that out there if that's what you are looking for.

This is apparently a continuation of the author's previous novel "Blood and Sugar" - I haven't read that (will do so now) but this book works just fine as a standalone.

I enjoyed this historical novel, which was an interesting read with well rounded characters and descriptive prose, told from the viewpoint of several characters which rounds the story nicely.

I didn't know much about the Georgian era, so in many ways this was an eye-opener - for instance in line with the open acceptance of prostitution by London society at that time, there's a bewildering array of different terms for prostitutes at various levels. There are some lovely descriptions of London and the surrounding areas as they were then - such as the "little fishing village" of Battersea.

The depiction of the lives of those at the lower end of Georgian society is affecting and filled me with a mixture of horror and sympathy (equally, the lives of some of those in the upper echelons do not appear to be fragrant and carefree either).

In summary, an interesting read - I hope Caro's story continues in a further novel or two.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

A terrific follow up to Laura's debut novel, Blood and Sugar.

This historical novel, set in Georgian England during the period of War of Independence in the United States, is a thrilling, intriguing and exciting absorption into the period. It is almost filmic in its description and immersion into the sights, smells and visions of the period, but unlike Dickens, it is not long winded and barrels along.

Chapters alternate between the perspectives of thief-taker Child and Caro, wife of a man serving in the US colonies and with the perspective of Pamela, a prostitute (and victim of crime). Child and Caro are investigating the murder of a prostitute and a disappearance of another, while also dealing with their own personal issues such as alcoholism and debt and an unexpected pregnancy.

Laura's writing style visually recreates the visceral experience of Georgian London, with its vast differences between the rich and supposedly cultured and the poor and vulnerable. She has captured the vibrant dialogue of the period; I learned a few Georgian swear words, always a bonus. It has a number of unexpected twists and turns and red herrings and I was not able to guess the eventual conclusion.

I would heartedly recommend this for people interested in history, especially social and women's history and those who enjoy a good yarn with murder, intrigue, terror, treachery and even some humour. I look forward to reading Laura's next novel which I know she is already researching as I follow her on Twitter.

Rating 4.5 stars

London, 1782: Mrs Caro Corsham arranges to meet her friend Lucia di Caracciolo, a cousin of the King of Naples. However upon arriving in the bowers of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, Caro finds Lucia mortally wounded. The last words she whispers are "He knows".

When the constables discover that the deceased woman was a lady of the night named Lucy Loveless, they cease searching for her killer. Caro decides to seek justice for her friend instead and employs the services of a thief-taker, Mr Peregrine Child.

However Georgian society is filled with deceptions and secrets, and finding Lucia's killer more dangerous than Caro envisages.

This was an engaging story even though it took me a long time to read it, following the high society Georgian life as it mixed with the street walkers, tap houses, Bow Street runners and money lenders of the less savoury side of London.

This novel really put you in the action with the descriptions of life back then though at times the author over does it with her descriptions of the atmosphere. The characters were well written.

I thoroughly enjoy this novel and would now go and read the first book from this author that is set in the same period and any more to come. This can definitely be read as a stand-alone book, even though the characters cross over from the first I believe.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

Caro Corsham is waiting for her husband to return home from France but she has no idea when he is coming home. Which is a pity as she's just discovered she's pregnant by her lover and she needs her husband to return soon in order to pass off the baby as his. This, however, soon becomes the least of her concerns when Lucia, the lady she has arranged to meet in Vauxhall Gardens, dies in her arms. The revelation that she was not the Italian heiress she had thought her, but a prostitute by the name of Lucy Loveless, and Caro becomes far more involved with searching for Lucy's killer. And, as if to compound her troubles, her erstwhile lover, Lord March, soon becomes a suspect.
This is an excellent novel. The tension continues apace through the whole narrative, twists and turns, dead ends and confusion, we follow the story through the eyes of three people, Caro herself, Perry Child, a theif-taker employed by Caro to find the killer, and Pamela, a girl we know nothing of whose story becomes entwined with Lucy's and her presumed murder had, in its turn, obsessed Lucy. The stories are woven together and the threads gradually drawn together to a resolution that is as surprising as it is satisfactory.
The historical detail just keeps coming so the reader is immersed into the best of BBC costume dramas, everything is there, sounds, colours, smells, it is quite remarkable.
However, as few things are truly perfect, this - hopefully proof copy I read - has its moments. Some dialogue, especially interrogations between characters, are flat and like a game of tennis with little to break up the question, answer, question, answer format. It is like having Prime Suspect on TV with your eyes closed. And some of the explanations given by some characters tend to be long and although informative, a bit dull with little breaking up the soliloquy and becomes an info dump. A cordial becomes tea in one scene, but these are minor. What really annoyed me and made me wonder at the author was her use of Spanish even in the mouths of characters who are from Italy and Portugal. It makes no sense. Hopefully these details will be picked up before publication.
These are picky comments, and they won't stop me from recommending this to friends and family as a tight, tense novel and a glorious journey through the London of George III..

I loved this book. It is the first I have read by this author so had no pre conceptions. Although some of the characters first appeared in the previous book, this does not affect your reading of this book. It took a while to get into the story and understand the relationship between the characters. However, I quickly became hooked. It was a fascinating insight into how life was in Georgian times, particularly for women. Even the upper classes women had a difficult life, lacking freedom, whilst lower classes were vunerable to exploitation. The plot revolves around the murder of Lucy Loveless. It took unexpected twists and turns, but I couldn't put it down.
I look forward to reading more about Lady Corsham.

****THINGS I LIKED****
1) Great Characters
2) Nice Portrayal of the Political Historic Period
3) Satisfactorily Packed Mystery Read
4) Good Plotline

****THINGS I DISLIKE****
1) A Little too Stretched Read
2) Lost Interest In-Between Due to Endless Loop in the Story

Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham walking in the middle of the night to seek help from her friend Lucia, for her troubles. Little did she knew, her troubles were just getting started the night when she finds her friend brutally murdered in the dark alley. Lucia with her dying breath said only 2 words to Caro, which she couldn’t get out of her mind: ‘He knows’. Could it be her secret? And Who knows it? Is she in danger? She doesn’t know. All she knows now is that Lucia wasn’t who she said she was. She was a prostitute who pretended to be an Italian Noblewomen. Even then, Caroline can’t shake the feeling that the woman died in her arms.

Due to Lucy’s status in the society, the police and law doesn’t care much about her case and declares her case as closed. But Caro can’t shrug off the feeling. She knows there’s more to this case and she takes upon herself to seek justice for Lucia. She decides to hire a thief-taker Peregrine Child to help her with the investigation.

Slowly she finds that the people involved in the murder are really powerful and would do anything to stop this investigation. She knows the investigation is dangerous to her life and her reputation. The constant death threats and blackmails are just acting as fuel to Caro and Child to find the murderer. Caroline is determined to seek justice for Lucy to the extent that she is ready to put everything on the line.

Daughters of Night is a good light read that I enjoyed. There were some good aspects of the storyline and some which bored me a little. All-in-all, it was quite a nice mystery read with some great character portrayals.

1782 what a fascinating time, get ready for an incredible journey into prostitution, murder, lies and deceits.
Loved this book after I got over the large list of characters, halfway through I knew who they were. Good idea to bookmark the first page with character list.
Loved the style of writing, really kept you intrigued and involved..
Narratives from separate women, Pamela's story, a very sympathetic character who is only 15 when the story evolves. poor Caro suffers so much while trying to uncover the truth with the aid of Child a thief-taker with his own troubles.
So much history of prostitution, the trick, treachery and the sisterhood.
.I was certainly kept guessing until the end.
Also loved the acknowledgements and references.
Thank you Laura and NetGalley

Amazing piece of historical fiction! I also read and loved Blood & Sugar, and I thought this was just as good (maybe even better!) I found the writing style really atmospheric and the whole story was gripping. Definitely going to recommend this when it's published early next year.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
First time reading this Author and thoroughly enjoyable a very well thought out books excellent strong and intriguing characters.
Can highly recommend.

What a gloriously seedy alternative Georgian London! I have had a view of Georgians that they were simply all about the pomp and decoration and the snobbish hierarchy of their society. All of these things are represented in bucketfuls in this novel but there is more. I think Laura has researched the reality of this era brilliantly. For most of the book I felt vaguely uneasy about the story that was unfolding, this was due to the intimate depictions of the circumstances that women were forced to live in and the utterly despicable attitudes and actions of men. Nothing new there really but it's just not an era I knew much about and frankly I think I'm glad!
The actual story is almost secondary to all the wonderful descriptions but is nevertheless intriguing, with quite a few twists as we go along. The denouement is suitably surprising, just when I thought I had it all pegged and really sealed my appreciation of this book. In choosing to use minor characters from her first novel, the author has tied the two together neatly, although both are completely standalone. Caro is a wonderful example of a women who stood up for herself where most were often unable. I think my favourite character was our flawed hero Peregrine Child, he felt like the only one that really had a core of morality, although it was often overridden by a necessity to survive in his harsh environment.
Read this book, enjoy the mystery, but be prepared to be challenged once again about our cosy views of history and it's treatment of women and minorities.

An immersive and vibrant journey through 1780s London. Beginning with the murder of a well-known prostitute, Lucy Loveless, leading the reader on an expedition through high society drawing rooms and grimy brothels, this novel truly made me feel like I was part of the action.

After reading Shepherd-Robinson’s Blood & Sugar, I found myself wanting to know more about the somewhat mysterious Caroline Corsham - or Caro, as we know her in the novel. The initial plot points of her relationship with her son, Gabriel, and her plucky determination in finding the man who murdered Lucy made me want to get to know her even more. I loved how she ignored the terrible advice of the men she was surrounded by and did what she knew to be right – finding justice, no matter what this cost her personally or financially. She is ruthless in her resolve and this made Peregrine Child the perfect accomplice.

Child is a character that I was in two minds about in Blood & Sugar and, much like Caro, I’m glad we got to see his character develop even more in this novel. His sad backstory gives weight to his personality and the situation he has found himself in before he enters Caro’s employ.

The plot was slow in places, but this actually made the ending all the sweeter! I was genuinely surprised by the conclusion and I enjoyed the slight cliffhanger as well. The twists and turns in the plot didn’t feel forced or over-planned, they seemed to fit naturally together to create a real mystery.

I have given this novel five stars – it really deserves them!

My thanks go to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the ARC!

The year is 1782 in London. Caroline 'Caro' Corsham is waiting for her politician husband to come back from France. One night she finds a mortally wounded woman in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens who looks like she's from high society. At first, the constables are eager to find the murderer, but in due course, they find out that the dead woman in the park was a high-class sex worker. This is reason enough for the cops to stop their investigation. But Caro can't seem to move past the injustice done and tries to solve the crime with only the help of a thieftaker, Peregrine Child. They soon discover a world of deception and secrets that begins to upset Georgian society. It becomes harder to find the truth when no one thinks a prostitute's life is worth anything, and they're all trying to keep their sins hidden. With no one coming forward to help find the killer, the murderer may just get away it.

My top three thoughts on 'Daughters of Night':
1. I haven't read the author's debut novel, Blood and Sugar, which is where Caro was first introduced. It doesn't take away from this book because it seems like the story stands on its own. This novel is a fascinating, historical thriller that is multilayered and has an extensive list of shady characters and plenty of twists. The book is a tad bit long, but the book's fast pace still makes this a gripping read.
2. I absolutely love Caro! She's bold and fearless. She insists on doing what is right and uses her privilege and wealth to track down the killer. She's such a strong protagonist, and I enjoyed this book even more because of the feminist perspective on historical times.
3. I love, love, love how Georgian London is shown in this book. There's the rich side where money and power can open doors and excuse anything. Then there's the poor side where they'll do anything to make ends meet and survive. Laura Shepherd-Robinson takes inspiration from real events, the economy, and people in the 18th Georgian era. The prostitution, exploitation, blackmail, abusive relationships, auctioning of humans, pick-pocketing, artifice, and concealment; everything has a realness to it that transports you to darker London times.

London 1782. Whilst her husband is away on government business Caro Corsham has been unfaithful and is now pregnant. She meets up with a woman she thought an Italian countess to procure an abortifacient but in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens she finds Lucia murdered. Lucia is actually a notorious whore and Caro hires thief-taker Child to find her murderer. However the circumstances lead Caro and Child into the heart of Government, business and the world of courtesans.

Having loved 'Blood and Sugar', Shepherd-Robinson's first novel. I was looking forward to reading this one and it didn't disappoint. Taking two characters from the first book, Caro Corsham and Child, and weaving a tale of society at all levels this book is brilliant. The research is meticulous, both about the social lives but also business and banking in the 18th century. The plot is many layered and therefore has an ending so full of twists that the reader is satisfied.

When her friend is murdered and the official investigators seem keen to brush it away; Caro employs a thief-taker to help her uncover a world of prostitution and danger.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This has some of the same characters and settings as the author's previous book: Blood & Sugar. It is a stand-alone, and I didn't feel at a disadvantage for not having read the other book.

Caroline "Caro" Corsham was meeting her friend, an italian noble Lady Lucia. Her friend is killed before her eyes, but despite the crowd no one saw the murderer.
When the official investigation refuses to look into the matter, Caro employs Peregrine Child, a thief-taker that once aided her husband. They soon uncover that Lucia was not a noblewoman, but a famed London prostitute, Lucy Loveless.
Despite this, Caro still swears to get to the bottom of her friend's murder.

Child is most content at the bottom a gin bottle, to try and forget his past. Unfortunately, he's racked up quite a debt and, when Caro offers him employment, he is keen to take it.
Despite some crooked implications in his past, he is a man of honour and integrity, and quickly respects Caro.
They work together and make a great team, undaunted by the growing threats around them.

The cast of characters grows, looking into the lives of various women, who in their very different classes are all judged and condemned swiftly, by both the men that rule society, and other women who perpetuate social rules and expectations.

I really enjoyed this book. It strikes up a fine balance between historically-accurate, informative and entertaining.
Following Caro and the prostitutes, the story felt very realistic and compelling. Despite the sordid nature of whores, there was no glorifying their sexual conquests, and I never felt that any part of their lives were used for pure sensationalism.
The whores in this story have chosen to make the most of this career, while they are young and beautiful.

I really liked Caro as our main character. She has a strong sense of right and wrong, and doesn't care about upsetting the status quo of her social circle.
She is restricted by her gender - at first being her father's daughter; then her husband's wife.
As a sign of the times, when her husband Captain Corsham is away for an extended period of time, Caro and her on are given to the care of her pompous older brother.
Despite being a very intelligent woman, her life and her finances are in complete control of men.

Caro doesn't rail or whine against the unfairness of it all; she doesn't complain about the situation she's got herself into, as she knows that will not help her. She simply proceeds in a logical manner, until she gets her own way.

The murder mystery was very well done. It kept you guessing throughout who could be trusted, and who was the real culprit. I have to admit that I never saw the truth coming, and I was completely hooked for the second half of the book, I couldn't wait to find out what had happened and why.
It goes down some very dark and dangerous paths, with several shocks along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more of the author's work.

This is a loosely termed sequel to Blood and Sugar, however this could easily be read as a stand-alone novel. We have a brand new protagonist in Caro Corsham, the wife of the previous protagonist, Harry. Caro is a wealthy and adored daughter of London society, when she stumbles across a dying woman in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. She hires a thief-taker, Peregrine Child, to look into the murder of the woman, a well-known prostitute by the name of Lucy Loveless, after it becomes apparent that the authorities are not going to expend much effort to solve the crime.

The novel is abounding in beautifully detailed descriptions of Georgian England; one thing I love about these novels is how completely I feel I am in the time and place of the period. This is a dark and devious London and Caro is in considerable danger as she delves into the secretive world of illicit masquerades, prostitution and murder, but our heroine is not one to shy away from the risk to herself.

One aspect of this novel which was very impressive was its capacity to keep on bringing the twists in the plot. Several times it seemed like the mystery was almost resolved only for another reveal to come along and change the whole picture. Very cleverly constructed, things are not all what they seem at first.

My thanks to the publisher, Pan Macmillan, and #NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A most marvellous book. Like a previous reviewer, I am more accustomed to reading historical crime novels set in Victorian, or Tudor, times. Set in the late 18th century, incidentally when Jane Austen was a girl, this was a revelation for me. The squalor, corruption and randomness of justice reminded me of that excellent television series ‘Garrow’s Law’. It does what the best novels do: creates a completely credible world.

The author’s research is evident, but worn lightly. At no point, does the reader feel lectured to. I know from having read books such as Hallie Rubenhold’s ‘The Covent Garden Ladies… the Extraordinary Story of Harris's List’ (which the author consulted) that the story is grounded in the real world, where fact is as strange as fiction.

‘Daughters of Night’ depicts the demi-monde that is only a heartbeat away from the beau monde and the economic and social powerlessness of women at the time. Sadly, the seduction of young girls by the rich and powerful is still with us (witness the current Epstein/Maxwell case).

The plot is gripping and romps along, but never strains credulity. With only a couple of chapters to go, I still did not know ‘who done it’!

The author’s characters are completely believable and with descriptions such as “… a round face thickly plastered in white lead paint, with two circles of rouge” she graphically ‘nails’ their appearance and makes them easy to envisage.

I long to know what happens to Cora. I suspected from several slightly obscure references to her husband that there was a prequel to this novel, and to my delight there is! Can we now have a sequel, Ms Shepherd-Robinson, please?

As soon as I am able I will post this review on Amazon. Thank you for allowing me to read this fantastic novel.

The novel opens with Caroline (Caro) Corsham heading for a clandestine meeting at the pleasure gardens in Vauxhall only to find instead a dead woman, whose last words are 'he knows'. Caro knows the woman , a Contessa named Lucia having befriended her earlier in the year. However, it soon becomes apparent that the dead girl was actually a well know prostitute, called Lucy Loveless, and the authorities have little or no interest in investigating. Caro, however, is not to be deterred and enlists the help of thief-taker Peregrine Child.

And so begins a Georgian murder-mystery packing a complex and twisting plot covering child prostitution, loyalty to the king, illegal money-lending and additional murders; with a cast of flawed and duplicitous characters, where, everyone , it seems, has their price.

I do like a bit of historical murder-mystery, must have been all though Sherlock Holmes stories as a child. This however reminded me less of that and more of things I'd read by Iain Pears, Caleb Carr, and Kate Ross. As with those authors, Shepherd-Robinson's research of the times of which she writes gives the setting and locations a vivid reality which – in turn – helps breath life into her characters.

I confess, I had not read Shepherd-Robinson's debut novel Blood & Sugar – where this book's heroine - Caro , and Peregrine Child – made their first appearances, but I liked the fact that both characters are flawed. Indeed, the same can be said for the books' third lead character 'Pamela' too. Like everyone else they are slaves to their time and their environment. I also liked that there was never any hint of romance between the Child and Caro.

There is no rush to the denouement – indeed, some may find that the book takes rather too long to get there, taking a dickens-esq more is more approach to length. It probably could have been tighter, and lighter in term of length but the verve and vivid evocation of 18th century London coupled with the engaging Caro and Child meant that I still polished this off in a couple of days.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan for this eARC to read and review

An excellent story with an intricate plot set in London in 1782.
With a colourful picture of Georgian Londons wealth and sophistication, clandestine meetings and murder this is a story that keeps you hooked until the very last page

A brilliant murder mystery set in Georgian times.
Caro Corsham a member of the aristocracy discovers the murdered body of a friend in the bowers of the infamous Vauxhall pleasure gardens, but this women is in fact a prostitute.
Determined to find out who committed the murder she hires a thief taker to track down the murderer And thus begins her journey through the salubrious side of Georgian society becomes embroiled in scandal and murders that involve all layers of society even those in the higher echelons.
Brilliantly researched and written it keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the very last page and leaves you wanting more