This is a cleverly written historical fiction novel intertwined with an excellently executed crime thriller. Heavily character driven, the plot twists and turns at a steady yet compelling pace. I couldn’t guess the conclusion! Excellent read, thank you

This book was so GOOD! I didn’t know what to expect when I started it but I enjoyed it so much. It is set in the Georgian period in England, during the 1780s. After Lucy Loveless is murdered, a notorious woman of the night, Caroline Corsham, a lady of rank, is dragged into the dark world of murder, intrigue, prostitution and villainy. She is determined to find out who killed Lucy and begins investigating with the help of Peregrine Child, a thief taker.

This book was such a fun and addictive read, full of drama. I really enjoyed it. The characters were great and I was kept guessing at every turn. I was so invested in the world and the lives of the characters and wanted so badly for everything to work out well for Caroline. The women in this book were so strong and inspiring, despite the strict gender rules of their era. It was such a good book and I definitely want to read more by this author.

This is the second book from the author and while it isn’t a sequel to her first there are apparently some threads that link one strongly to the other. Don’t worry – if, like me, you haven’t read her first book ‘Blood & Sugar’ you can still read ‘Daughters of Night’ and follow the story just fine.

From what I understand this is in the same universe and features shared characters. While ‘Blood & Sugar’ was about Captain Harry Corsham solving a murder, here, during his absence overseas we have his wife Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham doing the same thing.

Caro shares the viewpoint stage with Peregrine Child a ‘thief-taker’ and then, a little way through, the viewpoint of ‘Pamela.’ Pamela’s introduction is confusing at first but then it becomes quickly apparent as to why she’s important.

This is a murder mystery set in Georgian times with Caro hiring Child to help her solve the murder of one Lucy Loveless, a woman whose murder is ignored by the authorities on account of Lucy being a ‘daughter of the night.’

The storyline is complex but not confusing, with plot twists and red herrings and foreshadowing that you didn’t realise was foreshadowing until it hits you in the face. I managed to guess one of the twists and was pleased as punch until I failed to see or guess the many others. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction and a lot of murder mysteries but spent my time trying (and failing) to guess ‘whodunnit’ and believe me when I say this is to the story’s credit not detriment -it’s a tale that keeps you on your toes.

The main draw is the characters. I could honestly read about Caro and Child solving crimes in many other books and though he wasn’t present, I was intrigued by Caro and Harry’s somewhat strange and failing marriage. I found myself genuinely caring about what would happen to them as a couple (and to Caro as a result of some of her actions) so I hope there’s a third book where we see their story continued.

Child is a magistrate fallen on hard times with drinking issues and debt problems and generally is a cantankerous grump with a desperate need for money. In the heart of it though he’s had a troubled background but is a good person, seeing and experiencing the suffering that those outside of ‘society’ have to ensure.

Caro is a privileged rich woman of society who is rife with flaws. However, she is a determined woman - one who is irritated that her society deems her fit for marriage and motherhood and nothing else which irks her as she is intelligent and capable and clearly wants more than her current life has to offer. The great thing about this story is that she never ‘tells’ you these things. We get to see it in all its glorious action as time and time again Caro picks herself up and gets on with it.

Child and Caro’s greatest attributes are the fact that they refuse to give up on a dead woman on account of her profession. It shouldn’t seem like it should be a big deal but the time period in which the story is set is very much a ‘let women of the night disappear into the darkness and let men of wealth and class do what they want to them.’ This is something neither Child nor Caro will let happen and their conflict with the world they live in continually drives the plot forward.

I really enjoyed this story and immediately bought ‘Blood & Sugar’ on my Kindle so I could catch up on the first instalment. This isn’t being marketed or confirmed as a series but I really hope it becomes one.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Pan Macmillan and the author for a chance to read this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson burst into the scene of literary fiction with the hugely successful Blood and Sugar and I have been looking forward to reading it for quite some time now. But like all crazy book addicts, TBR pile seems to be growing leaps and bounds and none of us hardly seem to make any dent in it. Honestly, I do wonder why in the world do we have a TBR if we are never gonna get into it.My new year resolution to concentrate on my TBR before taking up anything new has already gone for a toss and at the rate I am going, looks like it will be another 6 months before I even look into it.

Well, that’s me going blah…blah...blah... Now to this spectacular story called Daughters Of Night.

‘Vice, in its true light, is so deformed, that it shocks us at first sight; and would hardly ever seduce us, if it did not at first wear the mask of some virtue.’

The bowers of Vauxhall pleasure gardens is not a place to be seen visiting in the dead of the night. But Caroline Corsham is desperate and is therefore ready to take a chance but what she encounters is more shocking than ever imagined in her wildest dreams. And as Caro realizes that the Bow Street runners are not invested in the truth, she appoints Peregrine Child a thief taker who has his own share of troubles and nightmares to live with.

England in 1782 has been captured breath-takingly by the author, the beau monde with its fickle attentions, the gossips, the scandals, the sinful acts committed behind closed doors and above all, the women who bow to the men for their daily lives. As the tale alternates between Perry’s and Caro’s enquiries, the reader is given a clear picture of the darkness that may hide inside a human irrespective of the class or gender they belong to. The female characters in the story are strong and well characterized, be it Lucy or Pamela or Kitty or Theresa, each of them throwing light on the different aspects of life while the men like Edward, Simon, Lord March and Stone evoke anger and revulsion for their nonchalance and dare.

In the wrong hands, a secret is a weapon.

As the mystery deepens with secrets emerging out of each meeting and Caro is forced to let bygones be bygones, danger lurks in every corner and the insidious threats worm its way to Caro’s household. The author has penetrated the deepest layers of a human mind with myriad topics like money lending, sex trade, antique dealings, the secret clubs and their debauchery and the classical Greek paintings described informatively and effectively.

Daughters of the Night is an extremely thrilling and compelling read with twists that leaves the reader stunned, encapsulating a Georgian England that is so strikingly vibrant. I can’t wait to get my hands on Blood and Sugar after this.

Highly recommended!

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India and Twitter.

This book totally blew me away. I didn't realise historical fiction crime thrillers were a thing - but now I'm obsessed. I couldn't put this book down from the moment I started. As far as thriller/mystery/crime novels go - this was flawless. The twists came out of nowhere and each was more surprising than the last.

Shepherd-Robinson creates vivid and lovable characters with depth - none of them are perfect and you hate them as much as you love them. Caro is a brilliant lead and is truly enchanting. I didn't want to leave her at the end of the book and would love to return to her world.

I immediately got my hands on Blood & Sugar and cannot wait to get lost in it. Shepherd-Robinson is sublime and picking up this book is one of the best decisions you'll make this year.

Exquisitely-detailed with characters that capture the imagination, DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a historical novel that will captivate you from beginning to end.

It's 1782 and Caro Corsham has discovered the body of a fellow noble lady in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Horrified and demanding justice be served, it is soon uncovered that this was no polite lady of society but a well-known prostitute called Lucy. And with that, the interest to uncover the killer dissipates as who cares about a woman of the night? But Caro will not be dissuaded and hires a thief-taker of her own to solve the mystery. But the more information they dig up, the more dangerous this becomes and Caro will soon come to realise that the powerful men involved have a lot to hide and are more than willing to kill again to keep their secrets hidden.

Georgian society comes alive in this story and the author genuinely makes you feel like you are right there with the characters, even when you don't want to be. The horrific treatment of women at the time is flawlessly woven into the tale and I loved seeing a well-to-do female character recognise the worth of all women in this story and fight for justice, even though she has her own type of limitations placed on her too. There are plenty of clues, misdirections, twists, and turns in this book which I absolutely loved, and I must admit I changed my mind regularly over who I thought the culprit was.

DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is brimming with lust, power, murder, misguided romance, and more hiding among its pages, but more importantly strong, female characters who stand up for themselves at every turn. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

I adored the authors descriptions of late 18th century London in this book, and the detail given to the aesthetics, fashions and the people which you really could immerse yourself in. A little bloated in places, could be a little shorter I believe but ultimately a great story with a driving narrative and plenty of twists to keep me on my toes until the end.

Daughters of Night is a deeply engaging novel full of suspense and intrigue. It is richly detailed and obviously thoroughly researched.

I have read that this book gives voices to those female victims history often facts but I would argue it goes one step further – it makes you care about those same voices.

Daughters of Night is set in Georgian London and begins with a young woman’s body being discovered at a society party.

When it is discovered that the young woman was actually a prostitute the authorities seem to lose interest but Caro Corsham is not willing to let it drop and wants to see the murderer brought to justice.

“In the wrong hands a secret is a weapon.”

If there is one quote to sum up the book then it would be the above quote and it is also a wonderful opening line.

Caro is a strong, independent, intelligent and capable protagonist. A really well written and inspirational character.

Caro is at an opening night of an exhibition of classical scenes painted by Jacobus Agnetti when the novel begins.

“Men in helmets killing one another, killing monsters, killing women. The rape of Lucretia. Medea slaughtering her infant children. It’s how history remembers the lady, she thought. By our death or our dishonour or our sins.”

She was meeting someone in secretly in a shady part of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The agreed signal for their meeting place is an ostrich feather attached to a bower. When she gets there, she doesn’t see what she is expecting.

“A lantern, a stone bench, willow stirring in the breeze. Those were the things she expected to see. Not a woman lying on the ground – her body curled like a question mark, the stomacher of her pink gown stained a shocking dark red. One of her gloved hands clawed at a wound in her throat, the other lay limp next to a bloodstained document.”

The young woman is her friend Lucia.

“Lucia’s fingers found her own. She gazed at Caro as if from a distance. Her lips parted, her words in a whisper. ‘He knows.’”

Once Caro realises the authorities are not interested, she decides to hire a thief-taker named Peregrine Child. Peregrine Child is a former magistrate from Deptford who is known to her absent husband.

“In Deptford, he’d had status and respect, not to mention a steady stream of income, much of it honest. Now he was reduced to grubbing around after stolen property, arresting the odd thief who tried his patience, and spending too much time in dog-hole taverns like the Red Lion.”

Peregrine has no choice but to except the job as he owes money to a thug who has recently given him an ultimatum to pay up or die.

As the book progresses, we learn how Caro came to know Lucia (otherwise known as Lucy Loveless.) We also learn more about the mystery of Lucy’s death and why a whole host of powerful people don’t want the truth to come out.

When Peregrine asks her why she is so interested this is the answer she gives.

“For two days I mourned Lucia Di Caracciolo, and now I find no such person ever existed. The magistrate, my brother, the newspapers…they only see a harlot now and harlots matter now. Yet a woman still died in that bower. I held Lucy’s hand as she breathed her last. They’d like me to forget that I ever met her but I cannot.”

I won’t say anymore about the book because it is so good I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but I loved it so much.

I was gutted when the book finished and if ever there were a book deserving of a book hangover then Daughters of Night is it.

Caroline Corsham is in trouble. Her husband is abroad in France and she is pregnant with her lover’s child, although her lover is unwilling to face up to the responsibility. She meets Lucia, Italian countess her brother introduced her to some time ago, who figures out Caroline’s condition and offers to help. But, when Caroline goes to meet her in the garden at a society party, she finds Lucia murdered. The police quickly lose interest when it turns out that Lucia is not a countess, she is in fact a London prostitute. Despite her shock, Caroline decides she cannot let this mystery go unsolved and hires ex-magistrate turned thief taker Peregrine Child to help discover the murderer. In the process Caroline and Child become involved in a massive conspiracy to hide a scandal which could take down the British monarchy.

I didn’t realise until half-way through that this book is a Semi-sequel to the author’s first book Blood and Sugar. Caroline Corsham is the wife of the main character from the first book. He is referred to, but is absent abroad in this story. While the link will no doubt be obvious from the start of you’ve read the previous book, it made no odds to me and the book works as a standalone.

This is historical crime fiction. Set in the reign of King George III it deals well with the challenges of being a woman in this time. The prostitutes have independence and Caroline’s wealth and family standing get her in to a lot of places, but ultimately the men are the ones with the power. Yet even these men are bound by their secrets and forced to do the bidding of the man who controls the purse strings and their lives.

Secret societies, domestic drama, scandal and danger are all key parts of the plot. Unfortunately the most interesting and intriguing character is Lucy Loveless and the reader only gets to know her through the second hand accounts of other people. That’s a shame as I think she would have made a far more compelling main character and I’d have loved to have more insight into her actions and thinking.

Overall this is a good story, but I just felt at a distance from the action or threat of peril because I didn’t develop a sense of being invested in the outcomes for any of the characters. I suspect though that if you enjoyed Blood & Sugar this should be added to your TBR pile.

I’ll publish this review on my blog around two weeks before publication, and review on Amazon, Goodreads, Storygraph and Waterstones around the publication date. I’ll edit this page and add links to those reviews below once they are live.

Caroline Corsham is thrust into investigating the murder of a prostitute in early 1800s London. This is an exciting and at times violent read; we have prostitutes who are members of the Whores Club, soldiers and officers who served in the failed American wars. There are friends of the Prince Regent and members of a hell fire club. Putting all these things together we have a fast paced drama where women are just a commodity to be traded, used and even murdered. Caroline has her own problems but is brave enough to try and find the answers to who killed Lucy Loveless and Kitty Carefree. Bow street runners are new but trying to in s till law in London. The Home Office business traders and Jewish merchants all have their roles to play along with a gifted artist with a missing wife.
This story is exciting, well researched and beautifully written. I look forward to seeing more adventures with Caroline in the future.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book! The characters are excellent, the plot twists and turns all over the place, and there are constant surprises in what feels like every chapter.

A really enjoyable read!

My thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance copy

A follow-up of sorts to Blood & Sugar. Harry is on a diplomatic mission to France and his wife, Caro, becomes embroiled in the investigation of the murder of her friend Lucia. It soon becomes apparent that Lucia had a rather chequered background and that forces within the government seek to stymie the investigation.

Caro employs Peregrine Child, a thief catcher, to assist her and their enquiries lead them from the houses of the rich and noble into whorehouses and hovels of late 18th century London. As their investigation progresses, Caro and Peregrine face threats and violence. And Caro has other more personal problems to deal with too.

This novel lacks the power of the previous story but is entertaining enough. Both lead characters are strong enough to carry the story. The introduction of some chapters by a missing woman gives the reader information denied to the protagonists which adds another layer of enjoyment.

The plotting is tight and the outcome satisfactory and pleasing. There were a few lingers whilst reading unfortunately but these lessened as the story approached its climax.

Wowser, where do I even start with this book?? I hadn’t read Shepherd-Robinson’s debut novel, Blood and Sugar, but I’d heard great things – and I can see why! Daughters of Night is almost 600 pages of absolute brilliance! A totally immersive, twisty, Georgian crime novel, with an intricately-woven, intriguing plot, I was in awe at the author’s ability to keep me guessing and completely hooked for the duration.

It’s set in London in 1782, when Caroline Corsham stumbles upon a mortally wounded woman in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. When the police find out the woman was a prostitute they all but close the investigation. So Caro takes matters into her own hands and hires thief taker, Peregrine Child, to help her bring the culprit to justice. Needless to say, they uncover plenty of secrets and scandal, putting themselves in huge danger in the process. But will they ever find out what really happened?

Big books often intimidate me as my attention span can be poor and I often have difficulty when a novel has a large cast of characters. I have to say though that this book is written in such an engaging way that I had no trouble at all staying focused or knowing what was going on – I almost didn’t want it to end!

I found this particular historical setting fascinating and it’s clear what an enormous amount of research has gone into evoking such vivid imagery. I really want to start using some of the more “flowery” language; they had much cooler swears in Georgian times! 🤣

Daughters of Night is historical crime fiction at its best. I loved it. With thanks to the publisher for gifting me this eARC for review.

I started off really enjoying this book but somewhere along the line I got a little lost, perhaps if i had read Blood & Sugar, the authors previous novel I would have found it easier.
A well plotted story with good characterisation, plenty of intrigue and suspense to keep you turning the pages. It's very well written and engaging and introduces you to the seedier side of life in Georgian society.

Daughters of Night

I enjoyed this read and found I liked it a lot more than Blood and Sugar, the author’s first novel.
It’s an engaging mystery ‘who dunnit’ with great characters anda twisty plot. I particularly liked hearing more from Caro this time around.

Daughters of Night is a historical fiction meets murder mystery set in 1780s London. Our protagonist Caro is walking alone through the Vauxhall gardens at night when she comes across an injured woman, the woman's wounds prove to be fatal and Caroline realizes that she's knows the victim as Lady Lucia. When the police undercover that Lucia was actually called Lucy and a well know high-class prostitute they quickly loose interest in the case, Caro is left to try and find her own answers while trying to conceal the reason she was wondering in the dark unaccompanied a secret. To help she employees the services of Peregrine Child

My favourite thing about this book was simply that it kept me guessing, I had no clue who the murderer was until the reveal. Each time I thought I had a theory I'd be pulled in a different direction which has surely got to be what everyone's looking for in a murder mystery?

At just shy of 600 pages its not a quick or light read but the author paints such a picture of all the different parts of the world that I really didn't mind, the plot is quite complex and thickens with each twist and turn, with two timelines, perspectives and potentially two murders to get invested in.

This book is set in the same place/time as the author's previous novel Blood and Sugar where Caroline is a smaller character and her husband takes the lead; while reading I didn't feel like I missed out from not having read the other novel first however I've since listened to the audiobook of Blood and Sugar, which I also really enjoyed, and I would recommend reading this first just to get better acquainted with Caro and Mr Child.

Huge apologies for my late review. As publication was pushed back so I had to push it back on my TBR pile. In the end I chose to read it at Christmas as I always like to read something special over the festive period. It was totally worth the wait.

I loved Laura Shepherd-Robinson's debut Blood & Sugar and Daughters of Night is even better. Laura's depth of research comes across well and I felt completely submerged into Georgian London. Just thinking about it now, I feel myself pulled back into that world. But if you're expecting a Jane Austen Georgian view, then think again. Yes, we have the aristocracy and the wealthy but we also have the underbelly of London's streets. There are three main narrators - Caroline Corsham, wife of Harry Corsham from Blood & Sugar; Peregrine 'Perry' Child, former magistrate now turned thieftaker; and Pamela, a young maid who wants more out of life so decides to auction her virtue to the highest bidder. Definitely not Jane Austen!

When Caro discovers the body of a young woman, she's determined to find the murderer. Her husband is away so she hires Perry Child to help her. Sounds simple enough but when it's revealed that the young woman was a high-class whore and not the lady Caro thought she was, Caro and Perry find themselves plunged into a very sinister world.

There is so much going on in this novel and I genuinely couldn't work out who was responsible. Just when I thought I knew, there would be another twist. Even Caro has her own secrets to deal with. This book combines, art, Greek philosophy, the aristocracy, war heroes, whores, taverns and banks! And that's just what I remember!

Caro is a wonderful character. Forget the simpering, modest Georgian wife as Caroline Corsham has a mind of her own and is not afraid to use it. I think I actually prefer her to Harry but I'd love to see them team up together in another book.

This is a truly magnificent novel and deserves to do incredibly well. After reading Daughters of Night, I tried to read a contemporary crime novel but I couldn't settle to it. Instead I've started to read The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel and quite honestly, that should tell you something about the calibre of Laura Shepherd-Robinson's writing. I eagerly anticipate her next book.

I really really loved this book for the first third. Racy, pacy, interesting, a historical period that I love. Couldn’t put it down... but somehow along the way it lost its thrall.

An engaging story but too many characters - ok so they are interwoven but there are at least 10 different people who are part of the various groupings. I loved it in parts - magical writing, absorbing and thrilling intrigue- and yet there was just too much of it. I’m a fast reader, but I found it rather too long.

Would I read this author again? Absolutely! Would I recommend this book to others - yes for historical fiction or thriller fans. But I hesitate to give it more than 3*, perhaps a generous 3.5*... a little disappointed as I thought I’d found a gem of a 5 star book (few and far between!)...

I was not sure what to expect from this book, as normal historical fiction is not usually my cup of tea, but I am so glad that I broke my own reading habits and read this. It is regency perfection meets the nitty gritty of harlots in a balance that has you wrapped up, and not knowing what side of the street you would have wanted to live on. The detail is amazing, the author certainly did her homework, and the little extra touches she added in were amazing. As for the story, I did not know if I was coming or going, and that was brilliant. I was clutching at straws in the middle of the night trying to figure out who the guilty parties were, and still never saw all the twists and turns.

I can not wait to see what comes from her in he future!

This is the first book I have read by Laura Shepherd-Robinson and I am sure it won’t be the last!

When I began the book I was a bit daunted by the extensive character list but I needn’t have worried. The story was easy to follow and I was drawn into the mystery from the first few pages.

Set in London of the 1780’s Daughters of Night follows Caroline ‘Caro’ Corsham, a society lady, as she hires the services of thief-taker Peregrine Child to investigate the brutal murder of a woman in Vauxhall Gardens.

The tale is atmospheric and compelling throughout and I was kept guessing to the very end. Highly recommended!