The Devil in the Marshalsea
(2014)(The first book in the Tom Hawkins series)
A novel by Antonia Hodgson
2015 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year (shortlist)
2014 CWA Historical Dagger
2014 ILP John Creasey First Novel (shortlist)
WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN CREASEY CWA DAGGER FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME NOVEL
'A splendid debut. . .this is a truly spellbinding tale' Guardian
'Hodgson's utterly compelling debut is fiendishly plotted and dripping with atmosphere' Mark Billingham
'A brilliant first novel. . .a blood-drenched investigation that twists and turns in the vortex of Georgian society' The Times
'Historical fiction just doesn't get any better than this. Magnificent!' Jeffery Deaver
London, 1727.
Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors' prison.
The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules:
Those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort.
Those with none will starve in squalor and disease.
And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol's rutheless governor and his cronies.
The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol.
While the Captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet.
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH THIS MAGNIFICENT HISTORICAL MYSTERY
'I read a lot of detective fiction. Hodsgon's debut is one of the best ever' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A devil of a good story' ⭐⭐���⭐⭐
'A rollicking good read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I haven't enjoyed a novel so much in a long, long time' ⭐⭐⭐⭐���
'Absolutely breathtaking' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Superb from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Mystery
"Historical fiction just doesn't get any better than this. Magnificent!" - Jeffery Deaver
"A wonderfully convincing picture of the seamier side of eighteenth-century life. Antonia Hodgson has a real feel for how people thought and spoke at the time and, God knows, that's a rare talent." - Andrew Taylor