Blood & Sugar - Softcover

Shepherd-Robinson, Laura

Softcover

ISBN 10: 150988078X ISBN 13: 9781509880782

Publisher: Mantle, 2019

Synopsis

‘A page-turner of a crime thriller . . . This is a world conveyed with convincing, terrible clarity’ – C. J. Sansom

Blood & Sugar is the thrilling debut historical crime novel from Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

June, 1781. An unidentified body hangs upon a hook at Deptford Dock – horribly tortured and branded with a slaver’s mark.

Some days later, Captain Harry Corsham – a war hero embarking upon a promising parliamentary career – is visited by the sister of an old friend. Her brother, passionate abolitionist Tad Archer, had been about to expose a secret that he believed could cause irreparable damage to the British slaving industry. He’d said people were trying to kill him, and now he is missing . . .

To discover what happened to Tad, Harry is forced to pick up the threads of his friend’s investigation, delving into the heart of the conspiracy Tad had unearthed. His investigation will threaten his political prospects, his family’s happiness, and force a reckoning with his past, risking the revelation of secrets that have the power to destroy him.

And that is only if he can survive the mortal dangers awaiting him in Deptford . . .

About this title

Review

Laura Shepherd-Robinson has written a story that is not only a page-turner of a crime thriller but, to an extent unusual in historical novels, where you feel you really are listening to a voice from the eighteenth century. This is a world conveyed with convincing, terrible clarity (C. J. Sansom)

Utterly compelling . . . The next star of historical crime fiction has arrived (R. N. Morris)

A book to be savoured. Characters and setting so vividly depicted, and a story both bold and heart-breaking. I can’t recommend it enough (Jo Jakeman, author of Sticks and Stones)

A striking historical thriller that exposes the horrors of Britain’s slave trade . . . Few first novels are as accomplished as this (Andrew Taylor)

Every colour, sound and smell of 1780s Deptford flew off the page and the depth of the characters, without exception, was extraordinary (Caz Frear, author of Sweet Little Lies)

Laura has created a host of memorable, convincing and, in many cases, damaged characters, all of whom are touched in some way by the slave trade, which operates from the suitably foetid Deptford docks. She really gets under the skin of the place. Intriguing, intelligent, inspired writing. (Abi Silver, author of The Aladdin Trial)

A truly addictive read about such a terrible and important part of our history (Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl)

Blood & Sugar is more than just a book, it plunges the reader into the vividly compelling world of 18th century London and the horrors of the slave trade. With a hugely likeable hero at its heart, this rich and beautifully written debut marks out Laura Shepherd-Robinson as a major new talent (Fiona Cummins)

There is so much I could say about this gripping and original book as I absolutely loved it and will be recommending it to everyone! I felt as though I could envisage every scene and was swept along with the vivid, strong characters. I kept thinking one more chapter... one more... and if I didn't have three children to look after I would've read it through in one night! (Karen Hamilton)

I was completely swept away by Blood & Sugar, an immersive and exhilarating crime novel that dissects the brutal underbelly of eighteenth century London with razor blade clarity and brings to life one of the most shameful periods of British history. (Holly Seddon)

Book Description

1781. An investigation into a gruesome murder on the Deptford Docks leads to a dark secret that could change the very core of British society . . .

About this edition

• Publisher: Mantle
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 150988078X
• ISBN 13: 9781509880782
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448