The Wolf Den - Elodie Harper

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Welcome to the Wolf Den...

Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For now her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others.

But Amara's spirit is far from broken. By day, she walks the streets with the Wolf Den's other women, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her?

Set in Pompeii's lupanar, The Wolf Den is the first in a trilogy of novels reimagining the lives of women who have long been overlooked. Perfect for fans of Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls and Madeline Miller's Circe. 

What did I think?

I have had a love of classical history since learning Latin at school and I've always wanted to visit Pompeii, which I did virtually through Elodie Harper's amazing book.  The streets of Pompeii are brought to life through the incredibly vivid writing and I really didn't want my visit to end, feeling rather bereft when I turned the final page.  Thankfully, this is the first book in a trilogy and I simply cannot wait for more.

Even though it is set in a brothel, it isn't salacious at all as it focusses on the women and their feelings rather than the acts that they are forced to carry out.  I had never really considered the circumstances of the women working as prostitutes or house slaves so I felt quite emotional reading their stories.  They must have been so frightened being taken from their homes and forced to do unspeakable acts over and over again.

All they can do is make the best of their new lives and the camaraderie between the women is very uplifting and heartwarming (it reminded me of the Latin phrase fortis in arduis - strong in difficulties).  The main character of Amara is such a strong character; she's not even afraid to speak out to the brothel owner.  Doing what needs to be done to survive, Amara will never stop fighting for her freedom.

I loved the little sentences at the start of each chapter, often sharing actual graffiti from Pompeii or quotes from publications of the time (such as Pliny and Ovid).  It added to the authenticity of the story and brought Pompeii back to life, making the reader feel as if they were actually in AD74 (5 years before Pompeii was smothered by volcanic ash).  The writing is completely breathtaking; there's a scene in the amphitheatre that is described so exquisitely that I could almost feel my face heating up and my ears buzzing with chatter.

The Wolf Den is stunningly atmospheric and beautifully written.  I am delighted that there are going to be more books in the series and I'll be keeping a keen eye out for the next book.  Elodie Harper has found a Pompeii shaped niche in the historical fiction genre that was crying out to be filled and The Wolf Den fits it perfectly.  It's not just for historical fiction lovers either, with such strong female characters this is a book that all readers will enjoy.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Underbelly (A Taryn Winter Crime Thriller Book 1) - Karen Crawford

A popular Las Vegas hotel and casino is undergoing a billion-dollar renovation, and a killer is operating in the construction zone. The Square is open for guests, but they are unaware that a predator is lurking below the facade of luxury. One woman’s death will draw attention to the murders and spark an investigation.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department retired detective Taryn Winter, her former partner, Daniel Brady and FBI Special Agent Jenae Shannon are on the trail, risking everything to bring a killer to justice. But their opponent has become obsessed with one of them and is on the hunt. Will they find the killer first or be the next victims?

What did I think?

This book does exactly what it says on the cover as Karen Crawford transports the reader to the dark and seedy underbelly of Las Vegas.  Although I've seen it on TV, I've never been to Las Vegas but, through Karen Crawford's descriptive and immersive prose, I actually felt like I was seeing the twinkly lights of the strip and hearing the jangle of coins in the slots whilst reading Underbelly.

Karen Crawford has created a flawed yet empathetic character in the protagonist of Taryn Winter.  Taryn is a very intriguing woman; she has retired from the police force but still works as a consultant so it's almost like she hasn't left at all.  I love the relationship she has with her ex-partner, Daniel and how she really cares about the community, especially the ladies of the night.  I could go on more about the amazing character of Taryn, and I have so many questions regarding her past, so I hope this series continues for a long time to come in order to answer them.  

Where there is prey, there are predators and that is so very true in Las Vegas.  Gamblers, drunks and prostitutes are there for the taking and a killer is using a luxury hotel as their personal kill room.  It should be an easy collar for the Las Vegas MPD with so many CCTV cameras around but this killer seems to be invisible.  The hunt for the killer reaches fever pitch after a wealthy patron's wife becomes one of the victims.  The increased media interest puts the police under more pressure to catch the killer and increased pressure leads to a higher risk of mistakes being made.  This is one very confident and arrogant murderer who always seems to be just out of reach of the long arm of the law.

The feel of the book reminds me of Michael Connelly's Bosch, both in the complexity of the main character and the outstanding quality of writing.  What Bosch does for Los Angeles, Winter does for Las Vegas and I can't wait to continue her story in Atone.  Karen Crawford is a breath of fresh air in the over-saturated crime genre.  I'm a huge fan of crime fiction but I'm finding it a little predictable these days; this fast-paced, gritty and outstanding debut kept me guessing from beginning to beyond the end.  Underbelly is simply extraordinary and I can't rate it highly enough; 5 stars just doesn't do it justice!  A very highly recommended read.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Abandoned - Sharon Thompson

Peggy Bowden has not had an easy life. As a teenager, her mother was committed to an asylum and then a local priest forced her into an abusive marriage. But when her husband dies in an accident Peggy sees an opportunity to start again and trains as a midwife.

In 1950s Dublin it is not easy for a woman to make a living and Peggy sees a chance to start a business and soon a lucrative maternity home is up and running. 

But when Peggy realizes that the lack of birth control is an issue for women, she uses their plight as a way to make more money. Very soon Peggy is on the wrong side of the law. 

What makes a woman decide to walk down a dark path? Can Peggy ever get back on the straight and narrow? Or will she have to pay for her crimes?

Set against the backdrop of Ireland in the 1950’s The Abandoned tells the story of one woman’s fight for survival and her journey into the underbelly of a dangerous criminal world.

What did I think?

I took too much notice of the title and the cover of this book before reading.  I think if both elements had been removed I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more, but I kept wondering when the abandoned babies were going to come into the story.  Even at 80% through the book, I was still wondering what the cover and the title had to do with the story.  Taking that out of the equation, it was actually a really good story with a strong female character that Martina Cole would have been proud to have created.

Peggy Bowden has been in jail for selling babies and why not, it's only what the church has been doing in Ireland for many years.  Peggy now runs a whore house and she has a lucrative sideline of offering illegal abortions.  In typical Irish fashion, the prose is both lyrical and amusing, and I just have to share my favourite passage:

"I wouldn't be sitting in a hellhole with a dead woman in my house, prostitutes upstairs, a sergeant in my kitchen and a halfwit in my bath."

It sounds a bit like a Benny Hill sketch but trust me, it was deadly serious.  Looking back over the book now, I feel like Peggy Bowden would have given Tony Soprano a run for his money.  The Abandoned is like the Irish Sopranos and Sharon Bowden is to Dublin what Martina Cole is to London: both have tough female protagonists that are not only unafraid to wear the trousers, they're willing to kill for it.

Although not the book I was expecting from the title, blurb and cover, I really enjoyed it in the end.  I guarantee that all Martina Cole fans will love The Abandoned; Peggy is tough, gutsy and a real rough diamond.  I certainly wouldn't like to cross her!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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The Coven (Beatrice Scarlet book 2) - Graham Masterton

They say the girls were witches. But Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, is sure they were innocent victims...

London, 1758:

Beatrice Scarlet, the apothecary's daughter, has found a position at St Mary Magdalene's Refuge for fallen women. She enjoys the work and soon forms a close bond with her charges.

The refuge is supported by a wealthy tobacco merchant, who regularly offers the girls steady work to aid their rehabilitation. But when seven girls sent to his factory disappear, Beatrice is uneasy.

Their would-be benefactor claims they were a coven of witches, beholden only to Satan and his demonic misdeeds. But Beatrice is convinced something much darker than witchcraft is at play...

What did I think?

I had read the first Beatrice Scarlet book, Scarlet Widow, and rather enjoyed it so I didn't hesitate to accept a copy of the sequel, The Coven.  It sounded dark and scary but it turned out to be dark in a way I didn't expect and didn't enjoy, so I found myself getting more and more disappointed as I read on.  I almost didn't finish it, but for the fact that I wanted to find out what had happened to one of the characters.

After her son, Noah, is abducted by Indians, Beatrice leaves America and returns to London.  I'm not a mother, but really?  I can't imagine any mother would leave her son behind, the last link she has to her dead husband, when there is even the smallest chance he could return to look for her.  Anyway, Beatrice heads to London and she ends up living and working at a home that rehabilitates prostitutes.  Their benefactor picks the best looking ladies to go to work at his tobacco factory but when Beatrice enquires after those she befriended, they have disappeared and been branded as witches after leaving a gutted goat and a bloody pentagram.  Like Miss Marple, Beatrice smells a rat and begins an investigation into their disappearance.  As more girls disappear, Beatrice is drawn into the seedy underbelly of London which puts her at more risk than she can ever have imagined.

Scarlet Widow perhaps gave a little hint as to which direction the series was going in as there was quite a graphic sexual assault described.  At least I thought it was graphic until I read The Coven.  I'm not a prude by any means but the actions described in this book made me cringe in disgust and I felt quite uncomfortable at times.  Unfortunately, it has put me off reading any further books in the series.

The Coven is a sequel I was quite looking forward to but sadly I was very disappointed.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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