Book Synopsis:
The only sin is betrayal…
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…
My Review:
The Betrayal Of Thomas True is a intriguing and emotional read which I found incredibly gripping.
Firstly, I hadn’t read much about Molly Houses, so I enjoyed learning finding out more about them. The joyful atmosphere inside Mother Claps and the shows that happen there were wonderful to read about. I often felt like I was actually there, watching all the action unfold and enjoying it all alongside the characters. It really brought a smile to my face seeing them all free and able to just be themselves there. The general attitude toward homosexuality was difficult to read about and it made me very sad for past Mollies from that period. The gangs that hunted them made me shiver as did the corporal punishment that was doled out for anything that could be deemed homosexual behaviour.
My favourite character was Thomas who I felt very sympathetic towards as I felt he had a hard, lonely life trying to hide his sexuality. He seemed very naive and lost at times as he negotiates his new life in London which made me feel very protective of him. His growing friendship with the other Mollies was lovely to witness and I loved watching it develop. Their crude banter often made me laugh out loud as I read and the scenes of the book where they are all together at Mother Claps were my favourite in the book.
Overall, as you can probably tell I loved this book and I will definitely be recommending it to others. I quickly found myself drawn into the book and into the lives of the characters. There were some characters I loved to hate, like the horrible justices who I hoped would come to a sticky end, and some that I felt very attached so wanted to keep reading to find out what happened to them. I thought the book was quite hard hitting in places as the reader describes the treatment of the Mollies and the hardships poor Londoner’s faced during that period.
The ending was lovely though very emotional and while I did hope for a different ending I thought it was a fitting way to end the book. It’s a book that has stayed with me long after reading and I think would make a good book club read as I think there would be lots to discuss.
About The Author:
A.J. West’s bestselling debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long-forgotten true story. His second novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, is published July 2024.
An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events.
A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.
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