Killing Beauties

My thanks to Unbound Digital for a digital edition via NetGalley of ‘Killing Beauties’ by Pete Langman in exchange for an honest review.

‘Killing Beauties’ was also a group read event on The Pigeonhole and I enjoyed contributing comments during our daily staves. Pete Langman also joined us.

This novel is based on the true story of Susan Hyde, the sister of Edward Hyde, chief advisor to King in exile Charles Stuart. Susan is part of a secret network of she-intelligencers – female spies – who manage to gather information to advance the Royalist cause.

In 1655 Susan is given a dangerous mission of extracting information from John Thurloe, Oliver Cromwell’s spymaster, by any means necessary. Assisting her is Diana Jennings and Molly, a young woman who becomes a trainee in the Sisterhood.

I have read two recent historical thrillers that featured women serving as spies. This novel follows a similar premise though is based on the lives of two women who worked behind the scenes during the 17th Century as part of the Sealed Knot. 

Pete Langman had been closely associated with historian Nadine Akkerman as she researched and wrote her nonfiction work, ‘Invisible Agents: Women and Espionage in Seventeenth Century Britain’ (Oxford University Press, 2018). It was Nadine who encouraged him to write a fictionalised account of these women and their experiences. Even without knowing this background it’s quite clear that the novel has been well researched.

This proved a very down-to-earth depiction of Britain during this period. Langman’s descriptions were very effective especially in terms of communicating the smells. The bawdy behaviour of the women served to bring some levity to quite a serious novel. 

Some of the plot was rather complicated and a bit hard to follow though this can often be the case with novels about intelligence agents. The dialogue was also quite formal reflecting the period.

Overall an interesting novel that was also educational. I am planning to read Nadine Akkerman’s book in the near future.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.