Dangerous Women is a fascinating and thoroughly researched story based on the voyage of the Rajah in 1841 from England to Van Diemen’s Land as she transported 180 women as punishment for their petty crimes. These women are overseen by Kezia Hayter who works closely with a small group to produce a patchwork quilt during their many weeks at sea and to try to rehabilitate them ready for their new lives on a new continent. When Hattie Matthews is stabbed, the race is on to discover who the culprit is before they dock, but none of the women on board are dangerous according to their crimes, and who would want to attack Hattie?

This book tells a wonderfully woven tale of loyalty and friendship and explores the circumstances under which these women have been convicted of their crimes. I was drawn in from the beginning and enjoyed the steady pace of the story as each chapter reveals a little more of the characters and their pasts. Hope Adams has done a wonderful job of creating a fictional story based on true events and people, although the names of the convicted women have been changed out of respect. There is a lot more to this story and its characters than solving the mystery of the attacker and I enjoyed this book all the more for that. I highly recommend Dangerous Women and am looking forward to reading more of Hope Adams work in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a digital copy for review.

I was unsure what to expect from this novel as its not really my genre. However, I was intrigued by the description and having been lucky enough to receive it to review I am very glad I did.
Loved the fact it was historically accurate and yet still full of human interest. The tale of each of the women, who were shipped off to Tasmania for committing crimes or simply being implicated in criminal activity, was fascinating. The work of the women who were charged with getting them there safely was also interesting g. I thought it a bit cliched to have the romance develop between the captain and the young Christian woman who was in charge of the woman during the voyage - but was delighted that this was also historically accurate as their relationship was documented.
Poor, yet strong women, badly treated by men and being punished for trying to take control of their circumstances.
A really good read with lots of interesting female characters.
Very much enjoyed it.

Rating: 4.5

It’s been a while since I read a historical mystery & I really, really enjoyed this one. I requested the book as I loved the concept of the ship/journey & I was excited to learn a bit more about this (not so nice) part of British history... in the end though, it was the mystery that really kept me interested - the “who done it” approach taken in the book was fantastic; I loved having chapters from the perspective of the most likely suspect, whilst still not actually knowing who she was, & I liked the little mysteries that were thrown in alongside the main event. I got rather attached to the characters as well, & I’m a little sad that there wasn’t more about Kezia’s life after this journey included in the afterword - I desperately hope that the real Kezia was at least half as kind & wonderful as Hope Adams’ Kezia. This book touches on some very sad & harrowing facts about the things women endured in past-Britain, & I commend Hope Adams for not shying away from telling the brutal, saddening truth. Overall, this was just a really fantastic read.

I didn’t expect a book that only covers a sea voyage to be so eventful! But these transported prisoners each had a tale to tell, and developed interesting relationships while on board. I could relate to the characters and enjoyed peeking into their lives. The quilt they made on board survives today in a museum and the author does a great job of imagining how it came into being. (And any Occupational Therapists out there will love the references to the benefits of meaningful activity and group therapy). I’m not usually a fan of books that flit between past and present, but most of the time I managed to not get confused, and when I did it was due to racing ahead to find out what happened next. As to the whodunnit, the author kept me guessing until the very last minute – great stuff!
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A good read. A little predicable but some interesting history of the times. The characters were interesting and well thought out.

Starts of with a mystery that keeps you guessing. Historically written and sometimes highly emotional it tells the story of women prisoners sent to Australia, a sewing club detailing the journey and the mystery around the stabbing. The blended fact and fiction works brilliantly that you often forget that this is a story. Amazing and I cannot wait to read more from this author

Dangerous Women certainly took me out of my comfort zone as I don’t usually chose to read historical novels.
Almost two hundred convicted women are on a sailing ship bound for Australia. Many have committed petty crimes but one is a
murderer.
I found this novel to be intriguing and enjoyed the plot where the women develop friendships and bonds until a tragedy happens on board. Can one woman manage to keep her secret? I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.

A fantastic concept, perfectly executed. This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction: it centres around a real historical artefact, known now as the ‘rajah quilt’, which was made by women aboard a convict ship bound for Tasmania, where they were being transported for petty crimes. This quilt was lost into obscurity for a long time, so it seems a lovely idea to shed more light on it now with a fictional story which it has inspired. While the ship, the quilt, and a few of the characters are all from the real historical record, the story of what happens on the ship is a fictional imagining brought to us by Hope Adams. It’s a mystery of the famous ‘locked room’ variety: one crime, seven convict women suspected of committing it, all trapped upon a ship which is still several weeks away from its destination. The writing is superb, as is the progression of the mystery: to begin with we know that one of the women is hiding under an assumed name, but we don’t know which one; this is cleverly developed. The matron of the ship, Kezia, was a complete delight to read. I have also now looked up the quilt and it’s beautiful, I encourage everyone to google it immediately. A brilliant debut novel!

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Michael Joseph UK, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m in two minds about this book. I chose to read it as I thought it was going to be historical fiction but it is actually more mystery fiction. The book is set aboard HMS Rajah from April-July 1841 during a voyage from Woolwich, London to Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) transporting 180 women convicts as their punishment for petty crimes. Back in 1816 Elizabeth Fry, a famous prison reformer, had set up a Quaker group ‘British Ladies Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners’. This group donated sewing supplies to every woman on the ship in an effort to give them something positive to focus on and to encourage friendships by working communally. By the end of the voyage the woman had completed a large quilt [which is now on display in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra]. The only female on board the ship who was not a convict was Miss Kezia Hayter who has embarked on the voyage on behalf of the British Ladies Society. She was the one who came up with the idea of the quilt and organised its creation from start to finish..

The voyage, British Ladies Society and Kezia Hayter are all based on historical fact but the book soon becomes a ‘whodunit’ as one of the women convicts is attacked. The captain, ship's surgeon, chaplain and Kezia seek to find the person who did this, presumed to be one of the women convicts. I didn’t find this aspect of the story so interesting as I was expecting to learn more about the creation of the quilt and how it was bringing the women together after their previous tragic lives, often through no fault of their own. Instead the plot moved into a long section of questioning many women about the attack which soon got dull as they all said the same.

The best sections were the women chatting to one another as they sewed and generally survived in very cramped quarters onboard the Rajah. We learned about the pitiful circumstances that forced most to commit a crime and also about their embryonic friendships and acts of kindness towards one another during the voyage. The relationship between the four main professionals onboard - captain, surgeon, chaplain and Kezia - was also interesting as Kezia's voice was often consciously and subconsciously ignored due to being a woman.

The ending was a little rushed. I would have liked it to continue on to the lives of the women once in Australia. I'd certainly read a a follow up book if ever that was written by Hope Adams..

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Adams has picked a great conceit for this historical mystery. The story is richly evocative of the time while also being tense and almost claustrophobic. Gripping.

An unputdownable tale; I had to read it almost non-stop from cover to cover. Cleverly written, the descriptions of the characters made them come alive as the mystery deepened and a proper 'who done it' had me turning the pages as quickly as I could. A feast of historical fiction woven through with intrigue. Don't miss this one off your 'to read' list!

I enjoyed reading this- a murder mystery but tied in with lots of historical detail. A transport ship heading to Van Diemen's land with female convicts- bit they aren't all they seem. A matron who has worked with Elizabeth Fry ,ans is not the archetypal 19th century female but who introduces the intricacies of quilting - the real quilt is now in a museum on Oz.

What an incredible story. I feel like I have been on the Rajah with the women. Dangerous women is the story of 200 petty convicts who are sent to Australia as their sentence for their petty crimes. The women are led by the wonderful matron Kezia. While on their journey she teaches them to sew, and 18 women are pet of making a beautiful Coverlet which will be presented when they arrive. We hear the heartbreaking background stories of some of the women on board, and how they are objectified by men. And what happens if they find themselves with child. Well
done to hope for sharing their incredible story. As soon as I had finished I was looking up the coverlet and reading more about the voyage online. An absolute pleasure to read. Thank you so much for allowing me an advanced copy.

This is a fabulous example of historical fiction meeting a locked-room whodunit! This intriguing tale is based in 1841, aboard the real-life transportation ship the “Rajah” and follows the journey of the crew, the matron and c. 180 female convicts leaving London and heading to Australia. The events that unfold, such as the blossoming romance between the captain and Kezia, our protagonist who is assigned to oversee and care for the women aboard, and the creation of a hand-crafted coverlet by Kezia and a small group of the convicts aboard, are actual historical events. The author also throws in a murder for good measure, allowing the tension to build as Kezia, Captain Ferguson, the ship’s doctor and the chaplain try to uncover the murderer before the “Rajah” reaches Van Diemen’s Land.

This is some really great female-led fiction, and the characters are often as relatable as they are intriguing. The pacing is just right and the conclusion of the tale was very satisfying. I love that several of the main characters were real people and that the coverlet, the creation of which anchors so much of the story, is a real historical artefact that I can now pour over and wonder about the lives of those who created it. The writing was great, and I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

This novel is superbly written. It felt so exotic and familiar at the same time. I loved hearing each woman's story, what led them to such a dangerous journey, and the alliances they made along the way. Excellent read, thank you for the ARC!

What a wonderful book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a real mystery and one that kept me on the edge of my seat. Moreover, I really had no idea about who the killer was, and it really did keep me guessing until the very end.

The book, which is based on a real voyage, although not a real murder, was atmospheric and very well written. The author was able to blend real events with fiction extremely well and I found myself researching the real voyage and looking for pictures of the real quilt. The author was able to portray the desperation of the women, being deported often for minor /petty crimes, away from their families, and all that they know and love, extremely well.

The characters were well drawn, and the romance was a welcome addition.

I have already pre-ordered a hardback edition of this book, and I can’t wait to read the physical copy. I will also be looking out for works by this author, she is a skilled writer, who had me hooked from the start.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Historical fiction set on board a convict ship transporting convicted women to Van Diemen's Land. The women all forge a strong bond during the long voyage, until a terrible crime occurs. How can convicted criminals show their innocence? A thrilling and engrossing read.

"How can you prove innocence when you've already been found guilty?"
This was such a good female-led historical. It's a genre I've dabbled in a few times this past year, and none have compared with this. The characters were well-written and engaging, the world the author constructed contained solely within the Rajah felt realistic; it felt enclosed, but also like the potential was boundless. It also did one of my favourite Historical novel things because it explored an area of history I didn't know anything about before reading the book.
Although this book was a little slow to get going, I was undoubtedly hooked before I got to the halfway point. Also, I actually solved the mystery! I don't often get it right, but I did in this one! It didn't feel obvious though, I thought the hints were quite subtle, the misdirects well placed. Even thinking back on it now I've finished, I can't pinpoint the exact moment that tipped the scales for me; I don't think there was a moment that confirmed my theory until the resolution of the book.
Overall; really engaging book that I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys a good historical novel, and maybe wants to read one filled with complex women.

This book is based on a true story about a boat, the Rajah setting sail for Van Diemen's land in 1841. It contained about 200 women who had been convicted in the UK for petty crimes and who were being transported. This is an important story culturally for Australia as the women produced a patchwork quilt from scraps of material given to them by the British Ladies Society.

An interesting story but the author has tried to incorporate a 'who dunnit' murder mystery and I am not sure that it works. The story was slow paced and the writing style very basic. In the end I was quite disappointed. 2 stars but that was mainly due to the research on the historical aspects of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the advance copy of this book..

Two hundred women convicts on a ship bound for the other side of the world,and one of them is a murderer.
Biggest locked room mystery ever it seemed,until the cast of suspects was narrowed down considerably.
I really enjoyed this book,,and the fact it was based on mostly a true story. (I've googled and looked at the quilt)

Told over two timelines,the then and now,helps us get to know the characters better.
It was so refreshing not to have 101 plot twists,just a straight forward who dunnit.
The most laid back one I've ever read I think,when they were interviewing the women at such a leisurely pace.

Great read.