What readers think of The Devil in the Marshalsea, plus links to write your own review.

When I think about it, it is hard to quantify but this book satisfied me completely (except the maybe the too perfect ending). I do like to be entertained and find it necessary to be drawn to the characters. I loved the depiction a Samuel Fleet. He made the book. It is the type of novel that is easily finished in one sitting ( the plot twists and reader involvement). The historical aspects only added to the story and imparted much that I was unaware of in that particular level of society. A most enjoyable book in almost every way.

A cunning debut historical mystery by Antonia Hodgson, editor in chief of Little, Brown, UK. Thoroughly researched, this mystery is set in London's Marshalsea debtor's prison in 1727.Tom Watson, a charming, handsome parson's son who prefers London highlife to the quiet countryside of his childhood, finds himself in Marshalsea, a rat-infested hell hole which makes Alcatraz seem like Club Med.

Populating her fast-paced narrative with real-life characters, Hodgson weaves a vivid tale which intrigues both as a solid historical mystery as well as a lucid portrait of a little known aspect of early Eighteenth century London society.

This novel takes us into the 1720's London streets and prisons. We are shown the underbelly of the debtor's prison system when Tom Hawkins is unable to pay off his creditors and is thrown into Marshalsea Prison. The mystery begins when Tom is offered a way out if he can solve the murder of of another debtor. Twists and turns abound and slowly the layers of corruption are exposed. The closer Tom comes to solving the murder, the higher the chances become that he will be the next victim. A tidy ending but still an enjoyable mystery.

This is a fascinating look at 18th century London and especially the prison system of that time. This is an enticing story of murder and bribery, of making friends and discovering enemies, and of surviving prison and discovering love. Antonia Hodgson has done an incredible job of writing her first novel. I was enthralled and delighted with the story and the characters. Character development was excellent and the story moved along quite well and had a very satisfying ending.

I had a very limited and shallow knowledge of the actual purpose and conditions in London's debtors prisons. This Historical Fiction story set in one the most infamous of them, is a page turner. The plot is tight and focused, even if at times it felt forced to facilitate the story. The descriptions of physical conditions, individual's motivations, and the political realities of this time are detailed and graphic while still drawing you on toward the surprise conclusion.

This is a book I would recommend for a book club. The moral questions faced by characters set in difficult and hard circumstances, should allow for lively and thoughtful conversation. Would we be able to do things differently if put in these circumstances?

I was never as interested in the so-called 'facts' that we're presented in history classes about periods/events/places than I am when there are stories involved. I guess that is what makes historical fiction a delicious AND nutritious genre. Putting it that way, The Devil in Marshalsea is a dish! I didn't actually think about wanting to read about the conditions of Londoners in a debtors gaol in the 1700's but such a peek into the 'day in the life' (or five days in the life...) of the downtrodden was woven into a terrific tale.

This is a very well researched depiction of an infamous London debtor's prison in 1727. A lot of intrigue and action is packed into a few days in the life of Tom Hawkins. The story continuously evolves and characters are introduced and then slowly developed. There are some surprises, especially at the end, and the book kept my interest. I don't usually read mysteries so I was intrigued with the way the murder is solved. I liked the historical notes at the beginning and end.

In my city our county prison looks like a castle. Supposedly the huge stones in its structure were used as ballast in the many English ships used to travel to Colonial America. Some might smile when they hear the pun: "A man's home is his castle," but no modern jail or ones like Marshalsea in 17th century London are places of joy to their inhabitants.
When we meet Thomas Hawkins, estranged son of a well-to-do vicar, we know he is headed for trouble, which is Marshalsea Gaol and Court Palace and its head keeper William Acton. Defiant, reckless, and heavily in debt, Hawkins wins at a card game that will temporarily get his creditors off his back, but on his way home he is lured by a link boy into the hands of robbers. Beaten and robbed his landlord turns him over to Jakes, a warrant officer, who escorts him to Marshalsea and the five days of hell that follow.
When asked by one of the characters what he does, Hawkins flippantly replies, "I am a gentleman, as little as possible." However, in his five days at Marshalsea he endures a lot. He is beaten, left for dead in The Strong Room with the deceased bodies of prisoners whose relatives do not have the money to claim the bodies, falls in love, loses a friend, and solves a murder that has plagued the King's Marshal, Sir Philip Meadows.
The reader is faced with the horrid conditions of debtors' prisons where everything is for sale. Marshalsea has two parts: The Masters Side and The Common Side. Luckily for Tom, he is thrown in the Masters Side because Samuel Fleet his roommate and fellow scoundrel
has offered him free room and board. For the first twenty-four hours it doesn't seem too bad. It has a pub, a restaurant, and prisoners have freedom of movement during daylight hours.
Tom's penchant for finding trouble or it finding him happens fast. Hodson's well-researched storyline offers an array of characters. She keeps the reader guessing the identity of the murderer; and when the last page is finished it screams, "Tom is most certainly returning to let readers know what trouble he finds next." At least I hope she writes a sequel.