The Betrayal of Thomas True: This year's most devastating, unforgettable historical thriller – THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The devastatingly beautiful, brutal, raucous and tender historical thriller – a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!

**WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***

‘Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated … you won't want to put it down’ Catriona Ward
 
‘Utterly thrilling’ Elizabeth MacNeal
 
‘An immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel’ Matt Cain
 
‘Stunning and powerful … You’ll never forget Thomas True’ Janice Hallett
 
‘A clever mystery, a powerful love story … affected me more than anything I’ve read in a long time’ Gareth Brown

**WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN**
**THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER**
**SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**

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The only sin is betrayal…
 
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
 
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
 
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
 
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

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‘Quite simply divine … had me in all sorts of tears’ Jennie Godfrey

‘A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London’s past … as compelling as West’s debut’ The Times
 
‘A darkly thrilling romp that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation’ Susan Stokes-Chapman
 
‘An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy’ Heat
 
‘Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable’ Historical Novel Society
 
‘Electric … an unputdownable read’ Attitude Magazine
   
‘An epic adventure of love in a time of danger’ Hallie Rubenhold
 
‘An exuberant, moving story’ Rosie Andrews
 
‘Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive … I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful’ D.V. Bishop
 
‘A devastating story told with great power’ Christopher Stephens
 
‘You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies’ Felice Picano

‘You’ll smile, you’ll gasp, you’ll cry’ Essie Fox
 
‘Hugely entertaining’ Anna Mazzola
 
‘Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery’ Sean Lusk

‘Brilliantly researched and lavishly written’ Emma Stonex
 
‘Like a modern Fielding’ Kate Griffin

‘Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery’ James Cahill

‘Very, very good’ Stephen Fry

‘There has never been a book that made me cry … until today’ Suzie Edge
 
‘Fierce, funny, and fabulous … an important and deeply moving story’ Jonathan Harvey 

‘A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London … unputdownable’ Gareth Russell
 
‘A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul’ Tracy King
 
‘The wit of Wilde still lives!’ Gyles Brandreth
 
‘A gripping epic tale … a powerful new voice in historical fiction’ Gill Paul
 
‘A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart’ Annie Garthwaite

A.J. West grew up reading books to escape his shyness at school and discovered an early talent for writing fiction which led to an award-winning career as a BBC television newsreader and reporter. He has also written for national newspapers and magazines and has appeared on television programmes including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning and the legendary reality television show, Big Brother, where he became an instant household name... though the specific household has yet to be identified. Today, A.J. lives in South London with his husband, Nicholas Robinson.