Two women meet in unusual circumstances and become entangled for the rest of their lives in this novel. Their magnetic dynamic, fraught with envy and desire, tells a compulsive, cinematic story about class, morality and the cost of being an independent woman in 1920s London.

This book was so interesting and I was addicted to it. I enjoyed reading about how these gangs worked a d how they got rid of the goods they stole from shops like Debenhams and Selfridges. A lovely read. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I love Georgina Clarke's historical mystery and love her strong women, always on the grey moral spectrum and well developed.
This is a gripping story that I strongly recommend.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

‘What Hannah wants, she gets. What Ruby can’t have, she’ll take’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Verve Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Dazzle of the Light’ by Georgina Clarke.

This historical novel was inspired by the notorious all-female crime syndicate known as the Forty Thieves, who for many years operated out of the slums of South London.

February 1920. Ruby Mills is beautiful and ambitious and one of the Forty Thieves' most talented members. In contrast Harriet Littlemore is from a good London family and is engaged to an up-and-coming Member of Parliament. Yet she wants her own career and currently writes the women's section in a local newspaper.

After Harriet witnesses Ruby fleeing the scene of a robbery, she becomes fascinated with the elusive young thief that soon extends beyond journalistic interest. It’s not long until their lives become intertwined challenging the established class norms of their day.

This was a gem of a novel that told the stories of two independently minded young women negotiating a changing society still struggling to come to terms with the devastation of the Great War.

I found myself captivated by Clarke’s storytelling and was fascinated to learn about the Forty Thieves. In her closing Historical Note she provides more details about them and their targets.

Georgina Clarke had previously written the Lizzie Hardwicke novels set in 18th Century London and after such a positive experience with ‘The Dazzle of the Light’ I am now keen to read these two earlier novels and have added them to my Kindle library.

Overall, I found ‘The Dazzle of the Light’ an impressive historical novel and it’s one that I feel will appeal to reading groups looking for an engaging read that also examines social issues of the post-Great War period.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Gripping and enthralling - I LOVED this one!

Harriet Littlemore is desperate to be a modern women; coming from a well-to-do family with connections, she is engaged to be married and, until the wedding, is working on the local newspaper. Desperate to get her own by-line, she becomes fascinated with thievery after witnessing a local robbery. Ruby Mills is a professional thief, a member of a female gang very much sought after by the local police. Class rules state that Harriet and Ruby should never meet - but what happens when they do?

This is a story on so many levels: wealth and poverty, educated and non-educated, envy, desire and morality. Until I read the author's note at the end, I had no idea that this was based on truth which makes it all the more fascinating. Beautifully written, I was captivated until the very end, eager to find out exactly where it was all headed. A grand tale and a rewarding read. No doubt about this one, it easily commands all five glowing stars and my recommendation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The 1920s are one of my favourite periods in historical fiction and I loved this novel set in 1920 London. Georgina Clarke takes us from high society dining rooms to the pubs of the East End and the night life of Soho and it's a brilliant journey

The main protagonists are Ruby Mills, a member of the forties shoplifting gang, and Harriet Littlemore, privileged daughter of a politician who wants more out of life and is working on a local paper as a lady journalist. The two women lead very different lives but their paths cross one day. Harriet is fascinated by Ruby and determines to find out more about her and the life that she leads.

Both of the women have their own distinct character arcs as they strive to achieve something more than they currently have. Ruby is the more determined of the two and far more aware of the world but they both fight against the conventions of the society they belong to. It is very clear that both women are really second class citizens and almost completely dependent upon the men around them. Both women want more than this but in the end it is Ruby who has the greater success.

I loved the way the novel moved between the social settings and how characters like Peter Lazenby were able to inhabit the shadowy underworld as well as be accepted in the poshest hotels and clubs. The social upheavals resulting from the end of the war only two years before are very clear and the way that people have adjusted to this new life and found opportunities that didn’t exist before gives the novel a real immediacy.
This was a great piece of historical fiction and I am grateful to Net Galley and the publishers for providing my ARC.

When the light catches a diamond what women can resist. Well none of the Forty Thieves it seems, and especially of them – Ruby Mills. Beautiful and an eye for beautiful things, Ruby is one of the best thieves, but she wants to break out on her own and not be beholden. When you are in deep with the forty Thieves, there is it seems no way out.

Harriet Littlemore, from the right side of London, her marriage prospects are good but she still wants to forge her own path in life. Which is why she is dabbling in journalism, she writes pieces that the editor thinks women want to read about. Harriet desires to read pieces about the gritier side of life.

She gets her chance when she witnesses a robbery, and goes on to publisher her piece about it, with a rather good drawing of one of the perpetrators – Ruby Mills.

Two sides of London, two sides of society and two sides of the law. Harriet and Ruby gravitate towards each other, Ruby shows Harriet another side of life whilst Harriet shows Ruby that with money you can have freedom and not be restricted. What neither of these wonderfully drawn characters realise is that both lives and both their worlds have their own restrictions. The main one they share is they are other female.

It’s the 1920s, the decade is about to start ‘roaring’ and the scars of the war are being eradicated through frippery and finery and the muscle of the men that did come home, used to get what they want now that the whole world has shifted.

This is a great piece of historical fiction and I it had me drawn in form the beginning, as the story unfolded of these women. The supporting characters were rich in description and quite frankly despicable in some cases. The plotting, the deviousness could not be forgiven with some but when these desparate women were turning to all sorts to simply survive, you did suddenly realise how unfair class, society and gender can be and in some cases still is an issue.

This books is one to be read along Kate Atkinson’s latest, the two complement each other so well and the richness of the storytelling is excellent. It has brought a period of history that I was slightly aware more to the forefront and I hope to read more about these fascinating people that seem to be forever missing in history.

I love historical fiction and the 1920s was a period I didn't know a huge amount of. It was a fascinating insight into this period with the female characters giving it so much context. I felt very immersed in the story and particularly enjoyed the pub scenes. It was subtle and nuanced and while I usually enjoy a big dramatic ending, I understand why the ending played out the way it did. A very enjoyable read.

Intriguing premise but I felt like it wasn't really going anywhere for most of the book and in the end it was a bit of a slog. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

I absolutely love when the infamous Forty Thieves gang appear in stories, so I was extremely excited to read this new novel featuring them in all their dastardly glory. Georgina Clarke brings these women to life brilliantly! I enjoyed every minute of 'The Dazzle of the Light' and tried to make the book last as long as possible. A superb read and one which I highly recommend!

Fabulous and immersive read. A great tale of crime, corruption, female friendship, and post-war London. Brilliant.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters in this book, it felt really fleshed out and gave a vibrancy to what life in London in the 1920s was like. Living in London myself helped as I could picture where the characters were and what the areas are like - there was a great deal of research done into the book and some fantastic recommendations for further reading in the back.

I would highly recommend the book!

A dazzling read full of strong female characters, friendships and the not so glitzy side of 1920’s London.
I was definitely #teamruby as we followed Ruby on the shopping trips and liaisons with the Forty Thieves. She was a formidable woman - brave, loyal and clever - never afraid to do what was needed and stick up for her friends. Harriet was interesting too - fighting her corner in a man’s world - she tried hard to understand and appreciate Ruby’s life.
The seedier side of London is brought to life in Georgina Clarke’s book and I loved reading about the true inspiration from the group of women responsible for a lot of the crime in London during this time.

Dazzle of the Light

Just a couple of weeks ago I was waxing lyrical about Kate Atkinson’s novel Shrines of Gaiety and then another novel passes my way covering the same territory and the same time period. While I loved Atkinson’s novel on it’s own merits, this one feels more urgent and alive. I felt immediately in the story and fascinated by the two main female characters. Ruby is one of a female gang known as the Forty Thieves (the Forties) who commit crimes from pick-pocketing for the young members to shoplifting and even jewellery theft for those more experienced members. Ruby has been one of the Forties for years and due to her looks doesn’t always attract suspicion in the fancier stores. In fact, she’s on a joint job with her lover Billy from the Elephant Boys, when she first runs into Harriet Littlemore. Harriet is the real deal, a young woman from a very good family, engaged to an up and coming member of parliament. Harriet has ambitions beyond being an MP’s wife, she wants to be a journalist and her father permitted her to ask for a job with the evening paper. She’s been hired to write pieces for the woman at home, such as ways to wear the new style of hat, but Harriet has ambitions for so much more, thinking she might write a piece about the young thief she’s seen. However, her fascination with Ruby seems to be much more than journalistic interest.

The story follows these two women as they each pursue their ambitions. Ruby wants to do more work with the Elephant Boys. She wants to take on bigger jobs and wear beautiful clothes and jewellery. When she meets Harriet again, on a shoplifting run in a department store, she cheekily suggests she should update her style. Perhaps she should cut her hair in the new shingled way that’s the height of fashion, Ruby tells her, then she could wear the new style of hat she’s considering. Like a woman in a trance, Harriet goes to a French hairdresser and has her long hair cut short. She’s amazed by how much it suits her and hopes to see Ruby with her new fashionable look, even if it does cause a stir at home, particularly with her traditional mother. She’s furious when the story about the jewellery heist she witnessed is written by one of the male reporters at the paper. So she decides to write a piece on Ruby, the Jewel of the Borough, and gets one of the artists to draw a sketch from her description. In a way, Harriet admires Ruby. She sees Ruby’s freedom, her nerve and confidence, and contrasts it with her own restrictions. She has no idea what her article will truly mean for Ruby. We see what Harriet can’t, because we’ve met the rest of the Forties and Ruby’s other mentor Solly, who runs a jewellery business. The women of the Forties are in a hierarchy, with Annie ? At the top. Many have been thieving since they were children, looked after by the Forties in return for their tiny hands making their way into pockets. The ones that are married are struggling to feed their kids and to avoid their husband’s fists. Most have done time in Holloway and without the Forties, they and their families would be cold and hungry. From Ruby’s perspective, money is freedom and Harriet certainly has plenty of that.

I loved the way the author showed, that despite their differences in class and means, Ruby and Harriet are still second class citizens due to their gender. Although Ruby has earned some equality thanks to her sleight of hand and is chosen by leader Annie, to do jobs with the Elephant Boys, her personal life is very different. Solly is a father figure to her and always keeps a room for above the jewellers, but when it comes to her lover Billy she has no real power. She has confidence in her allure, but when she’s forced to lie low for a while Billy soon moves on to the next warm body. She often has to give up her body to seal a deal, whether it’s a little extra for the man who fences the more risky pieces of jewellery she’s stolen or romancing someone to get information out of them for Peter who runs the nightclub. This work gives her a rather glamorous roof over her head when she really needs it, but she definitely earns her money. Peter has a big job coming up with the Elephants, something that involves men of money and influence. Ruby has no clue how respectable these men are, or their standing in society. It seems to her that all men will use women, no matter how respectable they may seem. Harriet is completely powerless when it comes to the men in her life. She has a life set up for her as Ralph’s wife and her parents can’t understand why she isn’t satisfied with her lot. She has money, beautiful clothes and a handsome fiancé who is going to be a man of great influence. They can’t understand that she wants something for herself, something she has earned on her own merits. I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted both of these women to break out of the prison they are in, choose a different life and perhaps become close. I didn’t want the system to win.

The setting for this fascinating story is beautifully built by the author. We’re post-WW1, a period of huge shifts in the class system and changes for both men and women. The author shows how the class system and expectations of women have changed through Harriet’s relationship with her parents. They still have pre-war attitudes and are expecting Harriet to fall in line. Even the changes she makes to her appearance show that shift from the restrictions of Edwardian dress and the relative freedom of the 1920’s fashions with shorter skirts, no restrictive undergarments and shorter hair. These fashions suit women who are busier and don’t have hours to dress in the morning. Financial changes mean only the very wealthy can afford the help of a ladies maid every morning. Ruby can wear the latest fashions to please herself, when she can afford them. She loves the glamour of the clothes she wears to the club, where she needs to attract the more discerning gentleman.

For the men, those who were in the trenches found them democratising. Bullets and shells don’t care about the class you’re from and although there was still a hierarchy, they died in the mud together. This led to some strange allegiances back in the post-war world. It’s clear to Ruby that there’s a big job on the cards, Billy has hinted as much and her time at the club throws her close to the planning. There are men involved who would never normally give the Elephant Boys the time of day, so they must need them to do the dirty work. These are men from the highest class, who usually drink at their club or the Savoy, but don’t mind slumming it at the club if it makes them money or the company of a woman like Ruby. I desperately wanted some of them to get their come uppance, knowing that’s not always the way of the world. The real winners though are those that can move between worlds, like Peter Lazenby. Though the polish and charm of all these men hides something more brutal. Despite her misdemeanours I was as charmed by Ruby as Harriet was and I wanted her to find a middle ground where she survives comfortably. As for Harriet I wanted her to break out of her parent’s upper class restrictions. I wanted her to have a love affair with someone unsuitable and a friendship with Ruby, if not a full on passionate affair. This was a fantastic book, full of characters, historical detail and that verve and energy that seems synonymous with 1920.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m no stranger to the 40 Thieves and their shoplifting activities, as I’ve read Queen of Thieves and Queen of Clubs by Beezy Marsh. It’s partly what drew me to this book. They’re all based on the real-life female criminal gangs that prowled the department stores of London in search of furs and jewellery.

I loved the characterisation of both Ruby and Harriet. Ruby is a feisty young woman who knows what she wants and longs for the glamorous life of the women who live the other side of the river, and of the actresses she sees in the films. Having been brought up by a jeweller who doesn’t tend to stay on the right side of the law, he’s taught her everything he knows of the quality and value of expensive jewellery. He doesn’t nickname her Magpie for nothing. She wants more out of life than just working for Annie, the Queen of the 40 Thieves gang that she’s in.

In contrast, Harriet was born into wealth and has never known anything else. She’s destined to marry an MP whose ambition is to one day become Prime Minister. Harriet is struggling with family and society’s expectations that she will marry Ralph and basically become his PR and live a life of arranging dinner parties, entertaining and helping her husband up the political ladder. This isn’t what Harriet wants, she has designs on journalism and a career for herself. In some ways, though she seeks independence, she has led a cosseted life and could be incredibly naive. Some of the things she says and does make you cringe and panic on her behalf.

As the book moves on, Harriet and Ruby’s lives become intertwined through events brought about by Harriet and her journalistic ambitions. Each, in their own way, glamorises the other which makes for an interesting, eventful and tense plot.

As with other historical books I’ve read, this one left me thinking how in the world of politics, nothing seems to change much and the character of Ralph and his cronies could quite easily be compared with many a modern day politician – the similarities are all there!

A great book which kept me intrigued and entertained all the way through.

*To be posted to my blog on publication day*

A greatly told and constructed tale. Loved the lead characters and contrast with their lives and interesting that it was based on a real life gang of girls. 5 stars.

It's 1920, and London isn't yet in the roaring twenties, but rather very much still recovering from the First World War. Ruby is a thief, a member of the Forty Thieves gang of women based in Southwark, a woman determined to make her way to the top. Harriet is the daughter of a wealthy politician, engaged to a rising star in the same world, and working as the women's writer on the local paper. Their paths cross, and both their destinies are changed as a result.

I really enjoyed this! I loved Georgina Clarke's previous two books, and although this has a very different setting it's still very readable. It's full of fascinating historical detail (the shops!) without seeming to overload you with it, and the emerging nightlife and underworld of Soho was also a really interesting setting. Ruby is a great character, determined to succeed and to get what she wants.

I think my only frustration was the ending for Harriet - I'd hoped for more independence, more benefit from that brush with life and vitality that she got from Ruby. Instead it seemed that she was crushed and I was a bit disappointed that she didn't get something better. I would definitely read a follow up if there was one!

Sparkling read! Loved it.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book but I felt the rest of it didn’t live up to it. Great idea, loved the female shoplifting gang and the whole premise but thought the characters were more family saga than historical fiction. However, a good read even so.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.