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A review by definebookish
The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin
3.0
London, 1831. Eighteen year old Hester White is desperate to escape life in the slums, and increasingly concerned by a spate of disappearances in the capital. When she's injured in a collision with a carriage, the passenger, Dr Calder Brock, sees to her wounds and proposes an experiment: Hester will recuperate at his home, Waterford Hall, and be educated by his sister Rebekah. Determined to grasp this opportunity with both hands, Hester agrees - finding herself drawn to the aloof Rebekah Brock from their first meeting. But with London's poor now disappearing daily, Hester is soon pulled back towards the terrible wickedness lurking in the city streets.
What I liked: there's a real richness of historical detail in Carlin's depiction of London life in the late Georgian period. This is no Austen wannabe. Carlin's London is dirty, dark, and dangerous. The queer romance is sweet, too.
What I didn't: I found the pacing difficult. It's a book of two halves - a twisted murder mystery and a fairly innocent love story - which at times feel stitched together rather than organically connected.
Overall, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Still, I appeciated its murky old-London atmosphere, historical detail and unapologetically tender queer romance. An enjoyable read.
What I liked: there's a real richness of historical detail in Carlin's depiction of London life in the late Georgian period. This is no Austen wannabe. Carlin's London is dirty, dark, and dangerous. The queer romance is sweet, too.
What I didn't: I found the pacing difficult. It's a book of two halves - a twisted murder mystery and a fairly innocent love story - which at times feel stitched together rather than organically connected.
Overall, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Still, I appeciated its murky old-London atmosphere, historical detail and unapologetically tender queer romance. An enjoyable read.