Today I’m joining the paperback blog tour for The Betrayal Of Thomas True. I’m resharing the review I originally wrote in July 2024 with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and to Orenda Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

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…

Review:

I must admit that I didn’t know much about molly houses before I started to read The Betrayal Of Thomas True, but I really enjoyed finding out more from the author’s impeccable research. AJ West is a really powerful writer and I was taken to the streets of London straight away and completely immersed in the life within the molly houses. 

At the beginning of the novel, there is a character list, which reminds us of the “molly names” of the male characters. I did find this useful, as it did take me a little time to get to grips with who was who, but that did not stop me from absolutely loving their attitude, their colour and their flamboyance, which is portrayed really well by the author. However, there is a lot more to these characters on an emotional level and I loved this side to the characters as well. I felt a lot of sympathy for most of them and I found their stories incredibly poignant.

The Betrayal Of Thomas True has quite a complex plot, but it kept me transfixed the whole way through. It’s not always easy to read, as there are some brutal and heartbreaking scenes, but I was compelled to keep reading until I found out the answers. I constantly had to rethink my ideas!

I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

The Betrayal Of Thomas True is available from Amazon.

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