A review by serenityofbooks
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams, Adèle Geras

3.0

**3 & half stars**

Bestselling author Val McDermid aptly labels Holly Adams' Dangerous Women as the “ultimate locked-room adventure”— a spot-on portrayal of a historical sea-bound murder mystery in my opinion.

ABOUT THE BOOK
“Kezia Hayter knows these women aren't dangerous.

One hundred and eighty petty convicts, all sentenced to transportation to Australia.

On board the Rajah , Kezia makes it her duty to redeem them, enlisting a select few to create an intricate quilt. With each stitch, they are tied closer together.

But when one woman is murdered, Kezia's work is threatened. She maintains faith in their innocence, even when the men leading the investigation do not.

But if she can't find the killer, how can Kezia save them?

Based on a real-life voyage, Dangerous Women is a sweeping tale of confinement, hope and the terrible things we do to survive.”

Dangerous Women is based on the true 1841 voyage of the Rajah to Australia. The Rajah Quilt, created during the journey, now resides in the National Gallery of Australia and learning more about it after the book was interesting. The murder mystery plot line kept me engaged, making everyone a potential culprit. While some parts felt repetitive, the book was still enjoyable. Managing the characters was a challenge, but once I identified the main ones, the story flowed better.

Enthusiasts of historical fiction with suspense will relish this, and I'm glad for the insight into the harsh historical snapshot it offers.