01 October 2021

Historical thriller fans prepare yourself for a gore-filled tale that will keep you reading late into the night. The Women of Blackmouth Street is a fast-paced period thriller that transports you to a world of psychological profiling, political unrest, and women on the brink of madness.

Thea Sutton wrote a gore-filled story that will leave your stomach-turning at times and still you feel as if you are reading a classic. Her depiction of the various scenes is creative and colourful allowing you to experience the story with all your senses. While this is not a genre I spend a lot of time with, I found myself captivated and curious to discover the conclusion of this dark twisty tale.

When one of her patients commits suicide, Georgia Buchanan leaves Boston to spend some time in London. Time to escape the horror of Sophie’s death and time to forget about William’s affection for her. However, her sabbatical ends abruptly when she is approached by police to assist with the investigation of a series of horrific murders in the East End. Caught between a publisher with a political agenda, a police commissioner, and her desire to save the women of East End from a brutal murderer, Georgia needs to unravel the truth, and quickly.

This book reads like a classic, and if like me, you do not spend a lot of time reading historical fiction it takes a bit of time to wrap your head around the dialogue and use of language. The good news is that this story is extremely intriguing, and you will find yourself quickly absorbed unable to put it down. I loved the focus on strong women. Women who, even living during the 1890s dared to pursue what they believed in. The conclusion of this story was brilliant and the revealing of the Shoreditch Savage’s identity will leave your jaw on the floor.

The women in this story remind me how lucky we are to be living in the “modern world”. The author brings to life a strong, independent woman who stands up for what she believes in during a time when women were viewed very differently. Georgia Buchanan is a remarkably brave and determined woman. While she is flawed and facing some internal struggles you cannot help but love the character. The author went above and beyond in her creation of this realistic, likeable woman.

While it took it bit of time, I fell headfirst into this novel, battling to drag myself away. The story is dark, gory and delivers twists when you least expect them. It might not be my genre of chose but I loved this book and highly recommend it to historical thriller and crime fans.