Hats Off To Brandenburg (The Roxy Compendium) by Graham Thomas
| Hats Off To Brandenburg (The Roxy Compendium) by Graham Thomas | |
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| Category: Historical Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: It's a lot more than a Regency romp - it's a gutsy thriller which will take you back to parts of London which are the stuff of nightmares. Great stuff. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 732 | Date: June 2011 |
| Publisher: The Never Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0956742230 | |
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It was London, 1815. George III was on the throne although it was his son who was Regent, but it would be quite a while before those facts bothered the Roxy Playhouse Irregulars, who lived, loved and had their being in the old Roxy Playhouse. Money had always been in short supply as it tends to be when life is lived as a celebration, but they were in debt to Richard Sheridan and eventually forced to strike a bargain with him: pay their debts within one month or he would take the Roxy Playhouse. The Irregulars took the challenge and put on a performance, only this was no three-act play on a stage. Their performance was a tightly choreographed heist which would relieve members of the ton of some of their more valuable trinkets. If you're thinking of Robin Hood then forget it - this was going to be far more complex and bloody and it was obvious that there was more at stake than a decrepit playhouse.
Sheridan, you're probably thinking - would that be... Well, the answer is in his nickname - No, Not. When the King asked for Sheridan and our Playhouse nemesis was brought to him what he said began No, not... and, well, it stuck. You're going to giggle your way through quite a few other familiar names too as they turn up in slightly unlikely situations and circumstances. This is a book by an author who knows his history and he's confident enough to play with it and with the reader. You're going to become acquainted with parts of London which are definitely not High Society too - and there are occasions when you're going to need a strong stomach The faint hearted need not apply!
A Regency romp, I was told when the book came my way. And yes, there is quite a lot of romping in the story: the Irregulars wouldn't have it any other way, but this is far more than a light-hearted story. It's a tale with thrills (look on the cover - that fight on the top of a speeding carriage is even more terrifying when you read it), deaths, deception and an eerie feeling that no one is quite who they seem to be.
At seven hundred plus pages (and the first part of a promised trilogy) I did wonder if this book was going to be a bit too long, but this is a big story with big characters who fight their way off the pages. Even in a book of this size they're pushing and shoving for space and the action is filmic. It's great stuff and I can only hope that the next part of the trilogy isn't too long in coming my way.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
It's set later in the nineteenth century but if this book appeals then you might also enjoy Beautiful Lies by Claire Clark or The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Hats Off To Brandenburg (The Roxy Compendium) by Graham Thomas at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Hats Off To Brandenburg (The Roxy Compendium) by Graham Thomas at Amazon.com.
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