The Devil in the Marshalsea

The first historical crime novel of "scenic intrigue" (Vogue) starring Thomas Hawkins, a rakish scoundrel with a heart of gold, set in Georgian London. London, 1727. Tom Hawkins refuses to follow in his father's footsteps and become a country parson. His preference is for wine, women, and cards. But there's honor there too, and Tom won't pull family strings to get himself out of debt--not even when faced with London's notorious debtors' prison. The Marshalsea Gaol is a world of its own, with simple rules: Those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort. Those with none will starve in squalor and disease. And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of its ruthless governor and his cronies. The trouble is that Tom has never been good at following rules, even simple ones. And the recent grisly murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol. While the captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: do the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet. Some call Fleet a devil, a man to avoid at all costs. But Tom Hawkins is sharing his cell. Soon Tom's choice is clear: get to the truth of the murder--or be the next to die.

Author: Antonia Hodgson
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Published: 06/10/2014
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 8.18h x 5.24w x 1.05d
ISBN: 9780544176676

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/15/2014 pg. 80
Booklist 04/15/2014 pg. 24
Publishers Weekly 04/14/2014
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2014
Shelf Awareness 06/17/2014
Publishers Weekly Best Books 11/03/2014 pg. 32

About the Author
ANTONIA HODGSON is the editor in chief of Little, Brown UK. She lives in London and can see the last fragments of the old city wall from her living room. The Devil in the Marshalsea is her first novel.