Scan barcode
A review by bookmarked642
Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
challenging
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
I don't listen to many audiobooks, and I don't tend to read a lot of historical fiction either, so this was maybe an odd choice for me. I do, however, love to try reading new things, hence why I picked it up.
It takes place in London toward the end of the 18th century. Caroline Corsham - or Caro, as she is known - is anxiously awaiting the return of her husband. Things become particularly interesting when she is wandering the Pleasure Gardens and discovers an injured woman. This woman is an acquaintance of Caro's, Lucia. Caro holds her bleeding body as she whispers her final words: "he knows."
It is later revealed that Lucia is actually a prostitute called Lucy Loveless. Nobody seems particularly motivated in investigating her murder in any real detail, so Caro decides to hire a thieftaker herself to look into it. Through their investigation, Caro ruffles a lot of feathers and discovers a lot about a variety of different people. It's hard to see how all the details are relevant at first, but it all comes together in the end.
There is also another narrative throughout the book, of 15-year-old Pamela from before the death of Lucy. Again, it isn't immediately clear what role she has in this whole affair, but it is all tied together very well later on. I particularly liked Pamela's chapters; the atmosphere was extremely mysterious and eerie, and I found Pamela as a character very interesting. I think I actually preferred her to Caro, personally.
This book covers a lot of issues and topics that may make people uncomfortable. It is largely centred around prostitution and the sex trade, as well as the misogynistic treatment and abuse of women that was sadly so commonplace during that era. Of course, there's more than a fair share of death and violence, too, along with foul language - just so you're prepared!
It was, in my opinion, a bit slow for a while. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the last parts of it, and the final 'twist' was very clever. It was perhaps a little too complicated, especially for an audiobook where I'm maybe not paying full attention at all times, and I may have missed some details because of that. But I know some people are far more interested in complex books with lots of intermingling details, so it's not a criticism! Maybe if I were to read it rather than listen to it, I would enjoy it a bit more. 3.5 stars overall.
It takes place in London toward the end of the 18th century. Caroline Corsham - or Caro, as she is known - is anxiously awaiting the return of her husband. Things become particularly interesting when she is wandering the Pleasure Gardens and discovers an injured woman. This woman is an acquaintance of Caro's, Lucia. Caro holds her bleeding body as she whispers her final words: "he knows."
It is later revealed that Lucia is actually a prostitute called Lucy Loveless. Nobody seems particularly motivated in investigating her murder in any real detail, so Caro decides to hire a thieftaker herself to look into it. Through their investigation, Caro ruffles a lot of feathers and discovers a lot about a variety of different people. It's hard to see how all the details are relevant at first, but it all comes together in the end.
There is also another narrative throughout the book, of 15-year-old Pamela from before the death of Lucy. Again, it isn't immediately clear what role she has in this whole affair, but it is all tied together very well later on. I particularly liked Pamela's chapters; the atmosphere was extremely mysterious and eerie, and I found Pamela as a character very interesting. I think I actually preferred her to Caro, personally.
This book covers a lot of issues and topics that may make people uncomfortable. It is largely centred around prostitution and the sex trade, as well as the misogynistic treatment and abuse of women that was sadly so commonplace during that era. Of course, there's more than a fair share of death and violence, too, along with foul language - just so you're prepared!
It was, in my opinion, a bit slow for a while. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the last parts of it, and the final 'twist' was very clever. It was perhaps a little too complicated, especially for an audiobook where I'm maybe not paying full attention at all times, and I may have missed some details because of that. But I know some people are far more interested in complex books with lots of intermingling details, so it's not a criticism! Maybe if I were to read it rather than listen to it, I would enjoy it a bit more. 3.5 stars overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Murder