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

The era and the location are the true stars of this novel. The history of the Marshalsea Goal is fascinating and the author does a good job of bringing 1727 London to life.

Although the characters are a bit flat and underdeveloped, the mystery moves along at a brisk pace. The story has something for everyone; a mysterious rogue, a charming preacher's son, the evil bad guys, and the sweet servant girl to add some love interest. There was some raw language, and some graphic descriptions, but these really just add to the atmosphere.

This is a well-written, well-researched combination mystery/historical novel with great period detail and graphic depictions of the horrific atmosphere of one of London's debtor's prisons.

A well-written historical novel although, in my opinion, not
for the faint of heart. The dreadful conditions in Marshalsea are graphically depicted! The combination of a mystery, some really despicable characters, as well
as a main character with a good heart, makes for a quick
and entertaining read.

Set in London in the 1700s, this story brings to life the horror of the prison system at the time. The characters were well introduced and developed and the plot was gripping. My only issue would be the timeframe. I found it difficult to believe that so much happened in a matter of a few days. I did enjoy the book and would highly recommend it to those who enjoy a good mystery in a historic setting. Ms. Hodgson is a talented writer and I'm sure we'll see much more from her.

Once Antonia Hodgson sets our plate with abundant characters and a malefic setting, The Devil in the Marshalsea turns into a real page turner. I was halfway through the book, when I passed-up golf with my son to race to the ending. This is a "locked room murder mystery" (in this case, locked prison and murders plural), and it is the Marshalsea prison itself that is the main character. The prison's unique internal social, legal, and organizational structure during the 18th century is a captivating historical lesson in itself, and it is this structure and the prison's brooding presence throughout the book that directs the characters and action. Four stars ... I had to withhold one star because the characters themselves seemed two-dimensional and some seemed only there to make the plot twists work.