Fiction can be fatal…
Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city. But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…
As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…
Rich in gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron’s life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…
What did I think?
I don't know a lot about Lord Byron, other than his links to County Durham town of Seaham, so I was very eager to read Dangerous by Essie Fox and I was not disappointed. Based on real events, Essie Fox conjures a realistic and vivid Lord Byron with her mesmerising and evocative words and it was a pleasure to virtually meet him, albeit in Venice not Seaham.
The life of a 19th century poet is never dull and whilst he may spend a lot of his time with his head in the clouds, Byron leaves a trail of destruction, scandal and heartbreak in his wake. It does seem like Byron doesn't live in the real world but he has to keep his wits about him when he accused of murder.
I really enjoyed all of the strands of the story from seeing Byron as a father with a menagerie of wild animals in his villa to the writer who is incensed when a story he considers mediocre is published under his name. There are so many real details in the book that it is easy to forget that it is fiction and I found myself drawn to look further into the life of this fascinating and scandalous man.
Authentic, atmospheric and alluring, Dangerous is a deliciously dark reimagining of Lord Byron's life in Venice that led to him being described as 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' by one of his paramours. It's beautifully written and well worth a read.
I received a digital ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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About the author:
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Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie’s Victorian gothic novel, The Fascination, debuted at No 10 on the Sunday Times bestseller list. Her authorised retelling of Wuthering Heights also became an instant bestseller and sold 4000 copies in hardback in the first two weeks. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian and a podcast: Talking the Gothic. She has lectured at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. She lives in Windsor.
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