"A powerfully descriptive and compelling historical crime novel set in the viciously bloody times of Jack the Ripper."
Set within the viciously violent reign of Jack the Ripper this is a historical crime novel with real attitude. When Susannah reads newspaper reports detailing a number of ferocious murders, she fears her new husband may be involved as he has been disappearing at night and returning bloodied and secretive. Goodness what a premise this is! While blood-soaked and brutally descriptive, it feels convincing and authentic rather than glorified and salacious. Clare Whitfield doesn’t hold back, but I felt she looked beyond the obvious violence with thoughtful consideration. Not only does she explore the Jack the Ripper case with this novel, she also highlights violence against women, abject poverty, and prejudice. Through the novel we are shown a glimpse of other lives, a connection begins to form before deliberately slicing away again to the main story. This is one of those books where there is no perfect shining light of a character to attach yourself to, life is a struggle, at times a battle, just to survive. Compelling, thought-provoking, and powerful, People of Abandoned Character has been chosen as a LoveReading Debut of the Month.
| Primary Genre | Crime and Mystery |
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I can’t recommend this book highly enough - as a thriller, superb historical fiction or for anyone who loves Ripperology, it’s a five star read from me and a book that will definitely be staying on my bookshelves.
Clare Whitfield’s, “People of Abandoned Character” was one of the easiest five stars I’ve ever awarded to a book. Victorian London, a unique take on Jack the Ripper and an atmospheric location with descriptions the best I’ve read, I could have kept reading this for days, with every single page keeping me entertained.
“Susannah, a nurse at The London hospital, rushes into marriage with a young and wealthy surgeon Thomas Lancaster. After a passionate honeymoon, they return home to Chelsea but everything changes within their marriage. Thomas's behavior becomes increasingly volatile and violent. He stays out all night, returning home bloodied and full of secrets. The gentle and carefree man she married is just a distant memory. When the first woman is murdered in Whitechapel, Susannah's interest is piqued.... Read Full Review
A page- turner set in Whitechapel, London in the late 19th century. Susannah's doctor husband has changed since they returned from their honeymoon; could he be involved in something sinister?
People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitfield is a real page-turner! Its tone is grim, but the twists and turns of the plot make it a compulsive read.
Susannah Chapman leaves her home in Reading to become a nurse in the London Hospital in Whitechapel. Whitechapel in the late 19th century was a dire place: slums, prostitutes, disease and utter poverty….and before long, a place identified with a notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
At the hospital, Susannah meets young Doctor Lancaster. He seems to be the answer to her dreams, able to offer love, security and a home away from the hardships and danger of Whitechapel. After a whirlwind romance, they marry, and all seems to be well.
However, it is not long before Susannah becomes aware that her husband is not all he seems.... Read Full Review
This well-researched, wonderfully titled first-person narrative opens in Reading in 1885 and closes in Chelsea in 1890, though the plot centres around the murders of women in Whitechapel during 1888.
According to The Bookseller, 570-odd books will hit shelves on one day in September, up a quarter on the amount released at the start of the same month in (pre-pandemic) 2019. People of Abandoned Character, the lead crime debut of the year for Head of Zeus, may not be part of this flood yet will it sink or swim come October? In a word: swim. Below is an outline of the story and reasons why.
This well-researched, wonderfully titled first-person narrative opens in Reading in 1885 and closes in Chelsea in 1890, though the plot centres around the murders of women in Whitechapel during 1888.... Read Full Review
