I have heard alot about this book, however, it didn't hold my attention. I'm not sure if it was the way the characters were written or the way the book jumped forward and backwards but I just didn't enjoy it. The premise was good, a whodunnit mystery on a ship bound to Van Diemans Land loaded with convicts, but as I have mentioned, the writing just didn't capture my imagination enough to really care about the women or the story. Sorry of that sounds harsh.

A well researched historical fiction novel, The Plot was a great page turner, it moved at a really nice pace and the fictional aspect of the plot was exciting with a great murder mystery. I would say the first half of the novel kept me gripped more than the latter but overall I did enjoy this book.

Dangerous Women is a fictionalised account of an historical voyage, and it sweeps you up in the intricacies of the lives of the women involved.
One hundred and eighty women are taken on board the ship that will be their home for the next fifteen weeks as they sail from England to Van Diemen’s Land, the place that will be their new home. All very different, but every one of the women has something in common...they have been convicted of a crime, and this is their opportunity to start anew. Though we don’t learn the identity of the person involved until very late on, one of the women should not be there. She has killed someone, and has done what was necessary to take her place on the ship in her desperation to hide her past.
Our story slowly reveals details of the past lives of some of the women, but for the most part we focus on their interactions during the journey. Some of the women are invited to become part of a group run by Kezia Taylor, a woman from a wealthy background who is convinced her presence can help these women change their situations.
While the book is, for substantial periods, quite gentle there is an undercurrent of menace. When one of the women in the group is stabbed, everyone is suspicious. Investigations are started to establish the truth...and we soon learn that those who are most dangerous are not always most visible.
A tale of hope and redemption, in the bleakest situations. The stifling atmosphere of the ship is perfect for allowing events to unfold, and I was most relieved when they ended by setting their sights on new land - their chance to start over.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this before publication in exchange for my review.

I loved loved loved Dangerous Women. It was a fantastic story that had a little bit of everything, from mystery and murder to love and compassion. It was fantastic and I devoured the book in just a few nights. I hadn't read anything about the Raja or the Raja Quilt before and it was such a great way to learn more about them both. A sad story at times, it was extremely interesting, and I cannot wait to see what Hope Adams writes next!

Dangerous Women is a fictional story based on true events about a large number of female convicts from England. These women were driven to commit crimes to survive and help their families. The law back then took no mercy and as punishment for their petty crimes they were being transported on a ship called The Rajah to the other side of the world. During their voyage a group of the women were put together to craft The Rajah Quilt which still survives today! I looked up online all about it and it really is fascinating so I recommend you take a look.

During their voyage there is a murder which the author cleverly fabricates. The story then becomes a locked room mystery as you know it could be anyone on board the ship and there is nowhere to escape to. It creates such an unsettling air of tension and suspense.

The author does such a fantastic job of writing in multiple POV’s so you get to learn a bit about some of the women crafting the quilt. You know one of them is a murderer and you spend your time reading the book trying to work out who it could possibly be. Secrets are uncovered and threats are made.

It is historical fiction with dark crime mixed in. It is also a story of friendship between these brave women who have lived a difficult life and how they come together to comfort each other as they travel to the unknown land of Australia ahead of them. The question is who is innocent and who is guilty?

Thank you @michaeljoseph & @netgalley for letting me read this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review.

1841 and The Rajah sets sail bound for Van Diemen's Land. Aboard are 180 convict women, sentenced to transportation and torn from their families and loved ones. Kezia Hayter is a gentlewoman who has worked with Mrs Fry on prison reform and she accompanies the voyage, working with the women to produce a large piece of patchwork and keeping them on the straight and narrow. However many of the women have secrets and when one is murdered the race is on to find the culprit before the end of the voyage.
This is a piece of fiction based around a true story, the Rajah Quilt is a piece of work still in existence and a memory of the transportation voyages of the 19th Century. Beyond that the story is made up but Adams has managed to conjure up a tale that is warm and redemptive as it weaves together the stories of the woman and mystery of the murder.

Set in 1841 upon the ocean fairing Rajah, are women being transported and as part of their punishment for being petty criminals. Kezia Hayter is a lady overseeing the women whilst they travel to Van Diemans Land, Australia.
As a reader we know that one woman is an imposter, who has taken the place of another, she killed to avoid being hanged and to gain safe passage. She doesn’t want to draw attention to herself. During the voyage a further murder has occurred and so the Captain along with key personnel such as the ship’s surgeon and Kezia need to determine who the culprit maybe.
Each day we follow how the women interact, how they start to trust each other. Kezia has set up some sewing classes to produce a coverlet. All the characters are absorbing and intriguing. The setting of the ship is captivating and the challenging living conditions and smells vividly described. A number of characters share their experience of the voyage in their own designated chapters, which works well and gives a richer insight in to people’s thoughts and observations of what transpires. It’s really hard to work out who could have done the deed and there is great character development to help you enjoy the journey. Not too long a story but a very engaging and absorbing read that is also that bit different. Really enjoyed/good for a book club too.

I was enthralled by this fictionalised account of a real voyage. The plot was tightly woven and despite my guessing some of the twists before time, I thoroughly enjoyed the unfurling patchwork of the story as this tale of rough women given a second chance at life after petty crimes in England. All prisoners of their pasts themselves, all seeking something as they endure a voyage of violent discovery and personal unburdening of crimes and secrets long held.

Bravo!

On board the Rajah are a group of women convicts, sentenced to transportation to Van Diemen’s Land. Employed to look after their welfare, Matron Kezia Hayter persuades a group with sewing skills to produce a patchwork quilt, to be presented to the Governor’s wife when they land. As they work, the group become closer, but when a murder takes place, suspicions abound. With no option of escape, the killer has to be from among the passengers, but without any detective experience, the Captain, Parson and Matron have their work cut out to find a solution before they dock.

Dangerous Women is a really enjoyable read on so many levels. Based on a true story - the Rajah Quilt was genuinely produced by convicts on board the transportation ship - the historical details of the conditions and experiences of the women would be enough for many, but added to that is the mystery of the murder. I especially loved the detailed descriptions of the quilt at the start of each chapter.

I was hooked and wanted to keep reading, and also to find out more about the Rajah Quilt. An excellent book.

A fabulous story about women who were transported to Tasmania as convicts. The characters are really well written and it is a lovely look at the power of craft as they stitch a patchwork quilt while at sea. Lots of twists and turns that make it historical fiction as well as a crime thriller.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It started off well, the premise of female convicts being transported to Van Diemens Land. The background includes references to prison reform and to Elizabeth Fry. I found, however, the majority of this book was just heavy going. Like the ship the book seemed to be taking a long time to get absolutely nowhere. I am not sure that creating two timelines that were so close to each other really did anything to help this I felt a linear approach which concentrated more on the creation of tension that must have been evident in a situation like this. Instead each repetition of Now was indeed that, a repetition of the last Now, the investigation seemed banal and lack lustre. I often wonder in these cases whether author's are writing to a pre conceived idea of optimal book length. I believe this would have been better as a more concise 200-250 page book.

A group of women are forced to travel three months by sea to Australia as part of a reform program for their crimes. However, when one of the women is attacked and left with fatal injuries, who can be trusted?

I loved how this was based on true events and I really felt for some of the women onboard. The writing was great and easy to follow.

This definitely also kept me guessing who was guilty.

A great story and would be a fantastic starting point for those trying to get into historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with a copy to review.

This one wasn't for me. A murder mystery on the high seas! It had a lot of potential and an absolutely GORGEOUS cover, but alas, it fluttered about with all the drama and intrigue of a daytime soap opera. The story seemed to focus more on the clash of cultures between genteel politeness and niceties and rough-and-tumble women of the streets and so the story draaaged.

Recommended for fans of Convict historical fiction, Behind the Sun, A Cargo of Women: The Novel

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the ARC.

A fictional account of the making of a giant quilt created by women prisoners who sewed it on the voyage from the England to Australia.

On the journey, one of the women is seriously assaulted, leaving her son without a mother. An investigation is started into the crime with a mainly male ‘jury’. Kezia Hayter is a well to do young lady who takes a position on board, to watch over the women. It is Kezia who starts the quilting project, bringing the women together and helping to pass the time on the very long journey.

The book was okay, it was a typical who dunnit, but I found the novel to drag a bit around the middle which took away some of the enjoyment of it,

This book was very mixed for me. Some parts I FLEW through, but then others really dragged and took me a while to get back to the gripping parts.
The start hooked me straight away but seemed to slow down many times and I would lose interest for about 20 pages until it gripped me again.
A really interesting premise and I have researched the Rajan quilt since reading this, which I think is a good sign.
Sadly, this just missed the mark.

Kindly sent from the publishing team for an honest review and I was part of the blog tour. Full review is on my blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, some complex characters, lots of emotion and you delve into some historical facts.

Overall the book was well written and a worthy read. I was definitely drawn in to the description of the women's surroundings and emotions. The cover is simply beautiful.

Based on true events Dangerous Women is a tale of the ship Rajah that sets sail from England to Tasmania with 200 convicted women in 1841. Atmospheric and beautifully researched, the story is compelling and the characters real.

London, 1841.

The Rajah sails for Australia.

On board are 180 women convicted of petty crimes, sentenced to start a new life half way across the world.

Daughters, sisters, mothers - they'll never see home or family again. Despised and damned, all they have now is each other.

Until the murder.

As the fearful hunt for a killer begins, everyone on board is a suspect.

The investigation risks tearing their friendships apart . . .

But if the killer isn't found, could it cost them their last chance of freedom?

Based on a real-life voyage, Dangerous Women is a sweeping tale of confinement, hope and the terrible things we do to survive.


I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Until the end of the book I hadn’t realised this was based on a true story. Saying that there was a very real feel to it, the structure of the book was well grounded.

Hope captured the atmosphere of the time very well and as I was reading this book I was also watching The Terror and I could envisage the Rajah and life on board.

There was strong characters within the females and they were portrayed well given the patriarchal system.

The story could have become despairing and self pitying with the circumstances that the women on board find themselves in but it doesn’t it is rather an account of the time on board without any unnecessary drama.

The story wasn’t fast paced and for this book I enjoyed the more leisurely tempo and continued to enjoy the faster pace towards the end.

Some twists and turns kept it engaging and brought a long forgotten time in history back to my thoughts.

If you don’t read the book - which I would encourage you to do look up the Rajah quilt!

Today I am honoured to be joining the other brilliant Book Bloggers and Bookstagrammers on the blog tour for Dangerous Women by Hope Adams.

Dangerous Women is set in London, 1841. The Rajah sails for Australia. On board are 180 women convicted of petty crimes, sentenced to start a new life half way across the world. Daughters, sisters, mothers – they will never see home or family again. Despised and damned, all they have now is each other.

Until the murder…

As the fearful hunt for a killer begins, everyone on board is a suspect. The investigation risks tearing their friendships apart. But if the killer is not found, could it cost them all their last chance of freedom?

Based on a real-life voyage, Dangerous Women is a sweeping tale of confinement, hope and the terrible things we do to survive.

What Did I Think?
They say that books are one of the best forms of escapism, and when they say that they mean books like Dangerous Women. The setting of this book is done so superbly, you feel like you know exactly what image the author is describing. The setting makes you feel like you are there, watching and listening to all the women surrounding you.

The book fluctuates between narrators and this excellently adds to the story and the narrative of women’s experiences in the 1800s. The different narratives also allowed me to understand different women’s perspectives and outlooks of the time, as well as helping me to draw an emotional connection with each character.

So, I was then shocked to hear that the book was inspired by a true historic event. The Rajah voyage actually did transport 180 convicts to Tasmania (as it is now known) in which 18 women crafted a patchwork quilt, which is held at the National Gallery of Australia. Therefore, the book for me, beautifully mixed fiction and history, with female empowerment and survival right at its very heart.

Being a HUGE history nerd myself, it is no doubt that my favourite part about this book was the sheer historical context/research that went into its making. I can’t begin to imagine how much research the author must have undertaken to achieve the very feeling that you’ve stepped back in time, but for me, that was the most enjoyable experience.

Dangerous Women gives a voice to the women who were on-board this voyage in such a clever and raw way, that you read this book like you have been allowed to step onto that very same voyage with them. With the murder mystery/thriller aspect of the novel also making you catch a glimpse of just how frightening it must have been for these women, I think Hope Adams has done a fantastic job of creating a novel that celebrates women, sisterhood, and friendship.

I would like to say a huge thank you to Gaby Young and Michael Joseph for my gifted ARC andfor inviting me to be part of the blog tour!.

This was an absolute joy to read and for me, it brings everything to the table: wonderful characters, a gripping storyline and a fantastic setting.

As the mystery unfolded, I sympathised more for these poor women who had to sacrifice everything to sail to the other side of the world, even if it was a better option than the fates they faced in England.

I particularly liked the 'whodunnit' thread of this story as I love a good mystery and the author didn't disappoint. A wonderfully atmospheric novel which advocates the solidarity of women in their journey towards the unknown.

This will be a book that I will read over and over again and would highly recommend to anyone who loves a gripping, entertaining and thought-provoking historical page-turner!