Some elements were a little hokey, and some elements truly strained credibility, but the story was fun so I didn't mind. ( )

Fantastic book. Started it last night and couldn't put it down. The story was fascinating. I have little knowledge of debtor's prisons before reading this book. The author really made me see the prison with all its horrors. Highly recommend this book. ( )

Wow! That's the word I will use to describe this book. An unputdownable romp into history and the world of a murderer.

Set in 18th century Georgian London and, more specifically, in a debtor's prison called the Marshalsea, this book took me completely by surprise. While I have been reading some great historical titles of late, I'm afraid I found myself getting into a kind of reading slump. This book has definitely pulled me out. It has been awhile since I've read such an atmospheric book. As I was reading, I was visualizing every scene and action as if I was right there in the middle of the action.

One thing that rings true in the book is that the London of this time was a very dangerous place, inside or outside the Marshalsea. Stumble into the wrong side of town and you were lucky to just come away robbed, not murdered. Being on the constant watch for misfortune had to be exhausting. Even more so for our illustrious main character, Tom Hawkins, inside the Marshalsea. Having to find out who murdered a debtor, who just happened to have been his look alike, while rooming with a man who may very well be the killer, Tom is poised on a perilous precipice indeed.

A reader of historical fiction couldn't ask for a more exciting and well-written novel than Hodgson's debut novel. I've heard that this is the first in a planned historical crime series and I really can't wait to read the next one. ( )

It’s 1727 and Thomas Hawkins is in trouble. Admittedly, this is pretty much the status quo as far as this roguish disowned son of a clergyman is concerned; but this time things are worse than usual. Having spent his meagre income on wine, women and gambling, Tom is in dire financial straits, but a chance win at the tables has brightened his mood. Now he can pay his rent, get his landlord off his back and carry on having a good time. But the world has other plans. Mugged and robbed in the stews of St Giles, Tom is left – once again – penniless, and his landlord is in no mood to be generous. Our bewildered young hero is dragged off to the infamous Marshalsea, the debtors’ prison in Southwark. Like hell, it’s easy to enter but hard to leave. And, like hell, there are demons loose within. As rumours of murder and ghosts spread around the prison, Tom is made an offer: find the murderer and he will be set free. But what if the murderer finds him first?

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/02/13/the-devil-in-the-marshalsea-antonia-hodgson/ ( )

I really loved this book. It reminded me so much of Dickens' 'Little Dorrit', which is also partly set in the Marshalea prison, although Little Dorrit is set about a century later (1820's). I read a lot of historical fiction - love CJ Samson's Matthew Shardlake series and I have read a lot of Susanna Gregory's historical novels, but the Devil in the Marshalea struck me as having the most authentic tone of them all; it felt so much like Dickens. Some reviewers didn't think the characters were well developed. I disagree. Perhaps Tom Hawkins was not all that complex, but his roommate, Samual Fleet was very well developed. He is portrayed as evil and dangerous, but Tom learns that he has a good side as well. Reminds me a bit of the Dickens character Magwitch from Great Expectations. Anyway, perhaps this book is not meant to be so much about characters as the life and times of an early debtor's prison. Scary time to live if you couldn't pay even a small sum to your creditors. I found the book hard to put down, really vivid descriptions of the horrors of early prison life, suspenseful plot. Really, I can't think of anything negative to say about it. Can't understand the 3 star ratings much less the 2 star ones, a matter of taste I suppose.

Added Sept 13. I am now reading the sequel (The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins). It makes me realize one thing I don't like about both books - in both cases the main character Hawkins is also the main victim - a major theme in both books is him getting into a dangerous scrape and how is he going to get out of it. I now realize that I don't really like this kind of theme, as opposed to the hero helping obtain justice for a third party. ( )