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motherofladybirds's review against another edition
4.0
Really good hopefully a new Victorian thriller series. Great characters and an interesting premise.
callosaurus's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
per_fictionist's review against another edition
4.0
The Anarchists' Club, a brilliant price of historical crime fiction set in the revolutionary period of England is a continuation of the Leo Stanhope detective series.
Leo Stanhope, born as Charlotte 'Lottie' Pritchard, the daughter of a vicar finds who now lives a renewed life with her new name and identity finds herself amidst crimes and secrets that are linked to her past and has the potential to reveal her old identity.
The story unravels with an woman named Dora, who is later murdered and her two children Ciara and Aiden visiting Leo's pharmacy and asking for some credit which he refuses. Leo later forgets about the trivial incident but what is shocking is the discovery of Leo's name and address that is found with Dora's dead body. And as Leo tries to steer clear of the homicide, he is further inundated with the arrival of John Duport a.k.a John Thackery, another character from his past that holds the key to his deep secrets. Leo also develops a kind of rekindled companionship with the orphaned kids and as their lives are at probable danger, Leo tries his utmost best to solve the murder and most importantly protect the children.
The protagonist Mr. Leo Stanhope is one that will stay with me for a longtime. Calling Mr. Stanhope a detective won't be justified as he is much more than that. Although he has his own vices and doesn't come off as confident all through out the book, he doesn't give up. Leo, walks on a very thin line through out the book with the risk of his own secrets being spilled out as the case is very closely connected with his once dreadful past life. But that doesn't hamper Leo's investigation in finding who the culprit is. For this he even visits, his estranged father after a gap of ten years and even though their relationship doesn't sweeten, we definetly get to see his emotional side. The plot of the book was quite submersive and also gives an idea of the Vicotrian Era. The expolitation of mill workers by the owners, conspiracies of the radicals against the bourgeois and the dismal treatment of the transgenders find their place in the story.
Every charcater was assigned to their role very well and played their part that built up to an amazing climax. However I felt that the character of John Thackery should've been given a little more lime-light as to what his original plans were.
Although this book can be read as a standalone(which I did), I suggest you read the first book i.e The House on Half Moon Street to get an insight of the relationship dynamics between Leo and Mrs. Flowers, who was another prominent character in the story.
An absolutely enjoyable read for thriller fans and lovers of historical fiction.
Leo Stanhope, born as Charlotte 'Lottie' Pritchard, the daughter of a vicar finds who now lives a renewed life with her new name and identity finds herself amidst crimes and secrets that are linked to her past and has the potential to reveal her old identity.
The story unravels with an woman named Dora, who is later murdered and her two children Ciara and Aiden visiting Leo's pharmacy and asking for some credit which he refuses. Leo later forgets about the trivial incident but what is shocking is the discovery of Leo's name and address that is found with Dora's dead body. And as Leo tries to steer clear of the homicide, he is further inundated with the arrival of John Duport a.k.a John Thackery, another character from his past that holds the key to his deep secrets. Leo also develops a kind of rekindled companionship with the orphaned kids and as their lives are at probable danger, Leo tries his utmost best to solve the murder and most importantly protect the children.
The protagonist Mr. Leo Stanhope is one that will stay with me for a longtime. Calling Mr. Stanhope a detective won't be justified as he is much more than that. Although he has his own vices and doesn't come off as confident all through out the book, he doesn't give up. Leo, walks on a very thin line through out the book with the risk of his own secrets being spilled out as the case is very closely connected with his once dreadful past life. But that doesn't hamper Leo's investigation in finding who the culprit is. For this he even visits, his estranged father after a gap of ten years and even though their relationship doesn't sweeten, we definetly get to see his emotional side. The plot of the book was quite submersive and also gives an idea of the Vicotrian Era. The expolitation of mill workers by the owners, conspiracies of the radicals against the bourgeois and the dismal treatment of the transgenders find their place in the story.
Every charcater was assigned to their role very well and played their part that built up to an amazing climax. However I felt that the character of John Thackery should've been given a little more lime-light as to what his original plans were.
Although this book can be read as a standalone(which I did), I suggest you read the first book i.e The House on Half Moon Street to get an insight of the relationship dynamics between Leo and Mrs. Flowers, who was another prominent character in the story.
An absolutely enjoyable read for thriller fans and lovers of historical fiction.
mrsa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
marsremijn's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
businesscasualcowboy's review against another edition
It pains me to stop reading a book so far in, but I simply do not find the mystery at the center of the story compelling. Life is too short to force yourself to finish a book you aren’t enjoying. The plot felt slow going and one note without enough emotion to get me invested. I did accidentally pick this up without reading the first book in the series, so maybe it does a better job of building the world and fleshing out the characters. Unfortunately, I’m just not interested in finding out. 🥱
hxnnah_ku's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
miloblue's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
The follow up to The House on Half Moon Street, The Anarchists' Club is a historical crime novel that follows Leo Stanhope again as he finds himself caught up in another mystery. His life has been quiet since the events of the previous book, but when the police come to talk to him about a woman found dead in a club for anarchists with his address in her purse, he is drawn into her murder and into what has happened to her two children. And tied up in the case is a man from his past who blackmails him into providing an alibi, making Leo more mixed up in the events than expected.
As with the previous novel, the characters are what really make this series. Leo is a great protagonist, a trans man who plays chess every week and can't help but get involved when there's a mystery to get to the bottom of. Leo's landlord Alfie and Alfie's daughter Constance are also vivid characters, a kind of family that Leo has found in the heart of London who try to look out for him, despite his foolish tendency to get into trouble. The plot is a gripping one, a tangled web with a rich family in the middle and an anarchists' club who find themselves as a police scapegoat. It would've been interesting to hear more about the anarchists' club, but as Leo isn't interested in revolutionary politics, the reader will have to stick with glimpses into that world.
In some ways, The Anarchists' Club makes for a more thrilling read than its predecessor, as it doesn't need to set up the characters as much, but can delve further into them as the narrative progresses. The somewhat clumsy emphasis on Leo's physical discomfort that let the first book down is less prevalent in this one, too. The series isn't always nuanced, but the depiction of Victorian crime and Leo's tendency to run headfirst into trying to help people make the books a decent read.
As with the previous novel, the characters are what really make this series. Leo is a great protagonist, a trans man who plays chess every week and can't help but get involved when there's a mystery to get to the bottom of. Leo's landlord Alfie and Alfie's daughter Constance are also vivid characters, a kind of family that Leo has found in the heart of London who try to look out for him, despite his foolish tendency to get into trouble. The plot is a gripping one, a tangled web with a rich family in the middle and an anarchists' club who find themselves as a police scapegoat. It would've been interesting to hear more about the anarchists' club, but as Leo isn't interested in revolutionary politics, the reader will have to stick with glimpses into that world.
In some ways, The Anarchists' Club makes for a more thrilling read than its predecessor, as it doesn't need to set up the characters as much, but can delve further into them as the narrative progresses. The somewhat clumsy emphasis on Leo's physical discomfort that let the first book down is less prevalent in this one, too. The series isn't always nuanced, but the depiction of Victorian crime and Leo's tendency to run headfirst into trying to help people make the books a decent read.
fiiicoooo's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0