Product Description

Bella Wallis discovers her plots in the alley ways, drawing rooms and dirty laundry of Victorian London. Under the pen name Henry Ellis Margam she takes revenge upon the scoundrels that litter London Society by destroying them - in print.So when Bella discovers a crested cigar case at the scene of a murdered prostitute she and her friends are determined to solve the mystery and to avenge the wretched girl's death. But the owner of the coat of arms is a dangerous and powerful man, and the world he inhabits far murkier than Bella could ever have imagined. With cruelty and violence threatening to engulf her, she plots one last attempt to expose and denounce the murderer. Bella Wallis, widow and writer, must put pen to paper before her nemesis silences her for ever.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #450354 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 268 pages

Review
"'Wonderful... by turns heartbreaking and deliriously funny.' Diana Melly, Sunday Times 'Almost every page contains an observation so baldly funny that you will wish to commit it to memory, usually followed by an event so starkly desolate that its memory will make you shudder... a masterpiece.' Simon Garfield, Observer 'Astonishing... warm, funny and utterly without self pity... a fine example of that increasingly rare beast: the memoir as art.' Christina Patterson, Independent 'Beautifully written, wonderfully evocative.' Steve Boyd, Sunday Times 'Exquisitely observed, beautifully written and enormously entertaining.' Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman 'Flawless...genius.' Peter Stanford, Independent On Sunday 'Brilliantly crafted and touching.' A. N. Wilson, TLS 'It is impossible not be impressed anew - indeed at times bowled over - by the sheer economy of style and sure-footedness of pacing... It is all pitch-perfect.' Literary Review"

From the Back Cover
‘As the curtain-raiser for a new detective series, this novel is a bold beginning. Thompson is clearly having the time of his life here. He revels in the vigilante justice, ribald talk and Dickensian grotesques at his disposal’ Sunday Telegraph

‘A neo-Victorian yarn that rattles on merrily and rings true’ Financial Times

Bella Wallis is a respectable widow with a secret identity: in an office buried deep within the seedy backstreets of Victorian London, she writes sensationalist novels exposing the scoundrels that litter high society under the pen name Henry Ellis Margam.

So when a crested cigar case is found near the body of a murdered prostitute, Bella and her friends are determined to trace the murderer and write a mystery that will avenge the poor girl's untimely death. But the owner of the cigar case is a dangerous - and rich - man who has already destroyed the lives of others who have crossed him. Will Bella see justice done, or will she meet the same fate as so many of her characters...?

‘Brian Thompson writes well and there's a rich vein of humour’ Daily Mail

‘Entertaining, indeed dazzling. Dickensian in its humour, its vivid evocation of a criminal underworld, and the poverty and filth of the Victorian city’ Times Literary Supplement

About the Author
Brian Thompson was born in London in 1935. Two award-winning volumes of memoir, Keeping Mum, winner of the Costa Prize for Biography and the PEN/Ackerley Prize, and Clever Girl, longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, were published by Atlantic Books in 2006 and 2007. He lives in Oxford.

Customer Reviews

Does not deliver
I was looking forward to reading this book beguiled by the usual blurb on the jacket cover but I too found it disappointing.

The premise is that a female novelist, Bella Wallis, writes novels under the guise of being a male writer. Her books takes revenge and metes out justice on those in society who feel they can get away with murder (in both senses of the term). So far so interesting.

She is a beautiful, well-off widow who attracts admirers of all ages but who keeps a young French girl (who seems to suffer from hysteria at the best of times) at home for 'company'.

Our heroine is a strong character in the days when women just weren't taken seriously. However, she can be quite rude as well and quite petulent when she doesn't get her own way so you are not sure how much you like her.

Bella enlists the help of other characters who she becomes close to but who can really annoy her too.

There were little bits of the story I didn't quite get: like why did her laughing and tugging at her sleeve make her male companion realise he had 'lost her'. Was this a subtle way of signalling feelings in those days that we just don't do anymore? And what was the point of her sleep-walking appearance in a nightdress in front of one of her companions?

The wrapping up of the crime has nothing to do with the fact that she writes a book about the culprit, which is what I thought the whole story would be leading to.

No, I don't think this is one of the best historical detective stories on the go.

A refreshing take on Victorian England
I really enjoyed this book. As someone who loves historical detective fiction, I bought this expecting an easy and fun read along familiar lines. However, from the first page I realised that a traditional whodunnit this certainly was not! The main character is a fascinating portrayal of a sexually ambiguous and independent Victorian widow who takes her revenge on unscrupulous characters by writing them in as characters in the scandalous fiction that she writes. I found it beautifully written with scenes that were sometimes absurd, to others that were really moving. The book is definitely not a traditional detective novel, but should appeal to those who want something that is a bit different and who love a good story line with fascinating characters.

Good First Murder Mystery
I found this book compelling from start to finish. Thompson has hit upon a refreshing idea to an old theme. Can't wait to read The Captain's Table.