‘The sharp-witted, courageous heroine is the perfect narrator of the atmospheric, enthralling story that Hare has woven … a fantastic read’ Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times bestselling author

‘A beautifully drawn cast of characters and a heroine you care about from the very first page. I had to stop myself racing through it because I didn't want it to end’ Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man

****

December, 1765. In the early hours of the morning, Sukey Maynard flees her home – a brothel in Covent Garden. Her maidenhood is about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, and she is too frightened to stay. But when she is captured and returned to the house of fallen sisters, she has a choice to make – should she stay, or should she run again?

As Sukey accepts her fate, she begins to learn how to navigate this strange new life of hers, and soon realises that there are those who wish her and her sisters harm. But this world that operates in the shadows has its own set of rules, and if Sukey is to survive then she must learn to play the game …

From the brothels of Covent Garden to the oppressive society of the eighteenth century, Louise Hare’s enthralling historical masterpiece paints a vivid picture of London’s underbelly and shows how, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a better future.

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Praise for Louise Hare

‘The best of historical fiction gives voice to those excluded from the history books, and Hare does exactly this with great skill and exceptional storytelling. I absolutely loved it!’ Louise Fein, author of People Like Us

‘A shocking, visceral tale that’s also uplifting and empowering. Louise Hare has given voice to the disenfranchised … Like nothing I’ve read before. I loved it’ Eleni Kyriacou, author of The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou

‘A thought-provoking and compelling tale about freedom, identity and agency’ Nicola Gill, author of Swimming for Beginners

'Poignant and authentic … it’s [Hare’s] steady, calm prose and the animating authenticity of her material that make it so hard to resist' Observer

'Hopeful and inspiring' Abi Daré