A brilliantly twisting plot full of surprise and intrigue. This thrilling mystery is so complex and gripping it's impossible to put down.
When Caro finds her friend Lucy brutally murdered in a secluded bower, she sets out to find her murderer and ensure they are brought to justice, hiring thief-taker, Mr Child, to help. But Lucy is not the woman Caro thought she was, and unravelling the mystery of Lucy's final months leads Caro into a dark and dangerous world. Caro will have to decide if bringing Lucy's killer to justice is worth risking everything she loves.
Shepherd-Robinson brings Georgian London to life in vivid detail. But Daughters of Night doesn't remain in the glittering ballrooms found in an Austen novel or Bridgerton. This is the London of the people - the poor as well as the privileged - and it is fascinating to read about. War with America, illegal gin, a King failing in his duty to his country, Daughters of Night is packed with historical details (and amusing references to rather quaint sounding villages now part of London's large urban sprawl).
It was a joy to pick this up and lose myself in Caro and Child's world. The characters are painted as vividly as the London they inhabit. Everyone had secret motives, their own agency and desires. In a story filled with selfish actions and characters who readily sacrifice others to protect their own interests, Caro really shines as someone who will do whatever it takes for justice. She is one of the best protagonists I have come across and she will stay with me far beyond the pages of this book.