This book is seemingly centered around Mrs Nellie Coker's release from prison and her large family. But there's way more going on here.

Mrs Coker's family is all busy either betraying or being betrayed while she tries to run the family empire of speakeasy clubs in post-war London. The entire family is at risk, from the police, from lovers, and sometimes even themselves.

In the meantime, some of the police force is in Nellie's pay, also busy plotting their betrayals. Somewhere outside of London, Chief Inspector Frobisher is taking care of his ailing wife while also trying to find out who is killing young girls and dropping them in the Thames.

Like I said, lots going on. I won't even mention Freda. Or Florence. Or Gwendolen. You'll have to discover what they're up to for yourself.

An observer's point of view on the chaos of the times. The writing style isn't warm nor is it fuzzy, something I've noted is the author's style. It's a great way to relay facts and to give the reader a bird's-eye overview of the whole messy picture.

The story of Gwendolen. To me, she is a careworn, tired daisy pushing up through a crack in the pavement of what was her former life. Now she has a real chance to live.

I felt like I wasn't given the opportunity to get close to any of the characters. Probably because of that "observer's" POV I mentioned above.

Read some of this author's other works. I remember reading "Started Early, Took My Dog" a number of years ago and really enjoyed it.

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Created Sep 10, 2025 at 5:58pm • Submit your own review...