Blurb:

Blood & Sugar is the thrilling debut historical crime novel from Laura Shepherd-Robinson for fans of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor.

June, 1781. An unidentified body hangs upon a hook at Deptford Dock – horribly tortured and branded with a slaver’s mark.

Some days later, Captain Harry Corsham – a war hero embarking upon a promising parliamentary career – is visited by the sister of an old friend. Her brother, passionate abolitionist Tad Archer, had been about to expose a secret that he believed could cause irreparable damage to the British slaving industry. He’d said people were trying to kill him, and now he is missing . . .

To discover what happened to Tad, Harry is forced to pick up the threads of his friend’s investigation, delving into the heart of the conspiracy Tad had unearthed. His investigation will threaten his political prospects, his family’s happiness, and force a reckoning with his past, risking the revelation of secrets that have the power to destroy him.

And that is only if he can survive the mortal dangers awaiting him in Deptford . . .

Review:

Blood & Sugar is a stunning novel and it’s hard to believe it is Shepherd-Robinson’s debut. Her writing is beautiful and so lyrical that the atmosphere she creates is absolutely wonderful.

Much to the chagrin of my mother and some of my friends, I never really enjoyed history at school, so I approached Blood & Sugar with a level of apprehension. I need not have worried as the novel is so well researched that I was immediately transported to the eighteenth century setting. Shepherd-Robinson has a very keen eye for detail and I was engaged from beginning to end.

Blood & Sugar is narrated by Captain Henry Corsham, and he introduces us to a wide range of characters from all backgrounds. Even the minor characters are really well developed and I enjoyed learning about them as I read.

Through Blood & Sugar, Shepherd-Robinson explores a number of themes including slavery, racism and homosexuality. It was incredibly interesting to look at these issues in a historical context.

As the novel reaches its ending, the tension increases tenfold and I desperately wanted to find out what happened. I was kept on my toes until the very last page and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Blood & Sugar is available from Amazon