Daughters Of Night (Longlisted: The Hwa Gold Crown 2021)

Description: LONGLISTED: THE HWA GOLD CROWN 2021


'The best historical crime novel I will read this year' -- The Times

'Spectacularly brilliant . . . One of the most enjoyable and enduring stories I have ever read' -- James O'Brien

'This is right up there with the best of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor' -- Amanda Craig

London, 1782. Desperate for her politician husband to return home from France, Caroline 'Caro' Corsham is already in a state of anxiety when she finds a well-dressed woman mortally wounded in the bowers of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The Bow Street constables are swift to act, until they discover that the deceased woman was a highly paid prostitute, at which point they cease to care entirely. But Caro has motives of her own for wanting to see justice done, and so sets out to solve the crime herself. Enlisting the help of thieftaker Peregrine Child, their inquiry delves into the hidden corners of Georgian society, a world of artifice, deception and secret lives.

But with many gentlemen refusing to speak about their dealings with the dead woman, and Caro's own reputation under threat, finding the killer will be harder, and more treacherous, than she can know . . .

From the pleasure palaces and gin-shops of Covent Garden to the elegant townhouses of Mayfair, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's Daughters of Night follows Caroline Corsham as she seeks justice for a murdered woman whom London society would rather forget . . .

Review: Come for the clever mystery, stay reading late into the night for the vivid, tender portrayal of a world where women are bought, sold and abused, yet fight to retain their vim and dignity. I would gamble what's left of my virtue on Daughters of Night being the best historical crime novel I will read this year -- Antonia Senior * The Times *
Outstanding -- Sarah Hughes * The I *
Here's one where the pages turn all by themselves and the plot doesn't let you go -- Diane Setterfield, author of Once Upon a River
This is right up with the best of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor . . . A real treat, for readers of literary, detective and historical fiction -- Amanda Craig, author of The Lie of the Land
Shepherd-Robinson's ingenious plotting, eagle eye for detail and evocative prose picked me up and dropped me in the underbelly of Georgian London. Like all the best historical fiction it makes the reader think as much about the way we live now as then -- Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said
A dark, fascinating and richly imagined world - brilliantly done! -- Ruth Ware, author of One By One and In a Dark, Dark Wood
Rich in historical detail, impeccably plotted . . . Laura Shepherd-Robinson really is the queen of the historical crime novel -- C. J. Tudor, author of The Chalk Man
Deft characterization, wonderful writing and great pace . . . Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a big talent -- Steve Cavanagh, author of Thirteen and Twisted
A very satisfying whodunnit . . . The twists and turns were masterful -- James Oswald, author of the Inspector MacLean series
Top-drawer historical fiction meets compulsive, just-one-more-chapter crime. Expertly plotted, gloriously grisly, with characters who stomp around your brain long after you turn the last page. In other words, masterful -- Caz Frear, author of Sweet Little Lies and Shed No Tears
A masterfully plotted labyrinth of a novel with a dangerously dark heart, teeming with memorable characters. Eighteenth-century London seethes from the page. I loved it -- Robyn Young, author of Brethren and the Insurrection trilogy
Just finished Daughters Of Night a stunning tour de force from the hugely talented Laura Shepherd Robinson breathtaking stuff -- Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End
Laura Shepherd-Robinson has at once proved herself a star -- Antonia Hodgson, author of The Devil in the Marshalsea
It thrums with life and colour, the characters are bawdy and beautiful and sly and savage, the twists are wicked, and the denouement has a satisfying modern flavour without ever straying from the confines of the setting -- Sarah Hilary, author of Fragile
Every bit as good as Blood & Sugar, better even. Rich in historical detail, a fascinating exploration of the London sex-trade, and I loved the twist . . . Another terrific novel -- Jo Spain, author of The Confession
This book blew me away. Pitch-perfect within the eighteenth-century world and wholly immersive, it is an exquisite mystery, an exceptional voyage through danger and an extraordinary novel -- Rachel Edwards, author of Darling
Exquisitely crafted and enormous fun. Murder, mythology, deception and dark doings in Georgian London -- Anna Mazzola, author of The Story Keeper
Shepherd-Robinson's second offering is without doubt even better than her award-winning debut . . . Every page is a joy to read - this deserves to sweep all before it in the end-of-year book awards -- David Young, author of Stasi Child
I absolutely loved it. Laura reimagines an eighteenth-century London with seemingly effortless clarity - I read it in a permanent state of rapture, covered in goose bumps. If you want to be lost and thrilled by another world, then this is the book for you -- Emily Elgar, author of Grace Is Gone
A historical murder-mystery masterpiece, with an exquisitely crafted, page-turning narrative and flawed characters that the reader can't help but to root for -- Marnie Riches, author of Tightrope
Laura Shepherd-Robinson has written a story that is not only a page-turner of a thriller but, to an extent unusual in historical novels, where you feel you really are listening to a voice from the eighteenth century -- C. J. Sansom, bestselling author of Tombland on Blood & Sugar
Laura Shepherd-Robinson's historical crime thriller Daughters of Night brings Georgian London to life in all its seedy glory * Express *
This richly woven tale brings history vividly to life . . . A gripping read * Adam Hamdy, author of Black 13 and Red Wolves *
[Daughters of Night] pitched the period perfectly, you got a real sense of what London was like. The attention to detail is exceptional and the plot races along. Loved it * Woman's Way *
Spectacularly brilliant. Once in a blue moon levels of fantastic. One of the most enjoyable and enduring stories I have ever read -- James O'Brien
Utterly fascinating . . . Niftily plotted, vivid and thoroughly researched * Guardian *
Daughters of Night is a deeply satisfying novel, reminiscent of Iain Pears's later work in its feel for historical detail and character, and the way it subtly asks questions about our own age * The Observer *
There is no doubt that Shepherd-Robinson is a rising star in the historical fiction firmament * Sunday Express *
[Shepherd-Robinson] would be advised to clear her shelves for future awards * Financial Times *
Deservedly described as a strong contender for the best historical novel of the year, it is a lushly written and evocative look at Georgian society, high and low, centering on the violent death of a woman who turns out not to be quite who she claimed. It is fuelled by a quiet anger over the lack of agency available to women then, and, by implication, now -- Sarah Hughes * The i *
Read Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, but read Blood & Sugar first: a) because it's brilliant, and b) because the characters overlap. They're both murder mysteries set in a meticulously and hyper-vividly drawn 18th-century London. The first is eye-opening about slavery, the second is about prostitution, or rather the first is about race and the second is about woman. Total page-turners -- India Knight * Sunday Times *
[A] delectable whodunnit oozing with menace and lively period language * Woman & Home *
I loved Daughters of Night even more than the fantastic Blood & Sugar. A gripping page turner that had me immediately invested in every rounded character, this was a perfect blend of rollicking good read and insightful commentary on both the past and present. In Caro Corsham, Laura Shepherd-Robinson has created a heroine who is hugely believable and hugely engaging. 5 shining stars from me -- Gytha Lodge, bestselling author of She Lies in Wait

Author Biography: Laura Shepherd-Robinson worked in politics for nearly twenty years before re-entering normal life to complete an MA in Creative Writing at City University. Blood & Sugar, her first novel, won the Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown and the Specsavers/Crimefest Best Debut Novel prize; was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month; and a Guardian and Telegraph novel of the year. It was also shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and the Sapere Historical Dagger; the Goldsboro Glass Bell; and the Amazon Publishing/Capital Crime Best Debut Novel, as well as being longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Daughters of Night is her second novel.

The second novel from the author of Blood & Sugar, and this time Captain Harry Corsham's wife, Caro, takes centre stage as she pursues a murder case the city officials are refusing to investigate . . .