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

I found this book to be a real page turner. The characters were colorful and had a Dickensian flavor. The author kept you guessing as to who the real culprits were and so
wasn't in any way predictable. Lovers of historical fiction would like this book as it captured the dismal times for the poor and unfortunate in London but wasn't dismal to read. Some book clubs might find it too dark. Overall, I thought it was a great read.

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 a little hesitant to read a book about an eighteenth century British prison, a subject I knew very little about, but once I started reading I began thoroughly enjoying the book and found it very hard to put down. It was well written, well researched and well edited in addition to being a fascinating mystery. Lovers of historical mysteries will really like this one.

On of my father's favorite expressions was "you're driving me to the poor house". Naturally I was drawn to read this book to discover what Antonio Hodgson had to say about a debtor's prison. She portrayed life there so well I felt like I was experiencing the sentence myself. The characters were vivid. The research that went into this historical fiction work was awesome. I had no idea how the class system and life worked in a prison like Marshalsea including politics and religion. It was a page turner in the truest sense. The plot was well developed and moved in and out of situations smoothly. I hope that Antonio Hodgson is working on another historical fiction novel. I loved and hated the people I met in this one.

I loved this book. It's still a wonder to me how this author can take a subject as unpleasant as debtor's prisons in 18th century Britain and turn it into a fascinating, page turning book. Then, add to the mix a few absorbing murder mysteries to make it even more interesting. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and this book delivers on all fronts. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, you are thrown in a completely different direction. This book is the true definition of a page turner and I look very forward to future books from this talented author.

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.

The Devil in the Marshalsea is a well-written and thoroughly entertaining tale of murder and mayhem in the infamous Marshalsea prison in the early 18th century. Tom Hawkins, a charming rogue whose debts have finally caught up with him, enters the Marshalsea and quickly realizes that his only hope of gaining his freedom is to solve a recent murder at the prison. But the Marshalsea is a dangerous place and any number of its inmates could be murderers.

Peopled with a fascinating cast of characters, The Devil in the Marshalsea is a fast-paced narrative with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The novel is also imbued with a strong sense of place--Hodgson's gritty descriptions of day-to-day life in the Marshalsea are intriguing and disturbing and are clearly the product of thorough research. And Tom is an appealing protagonist, a good man who has difficulty rising above his baser instincts. Is it too much to hope that The Devil in the Marshalsea is just the first novel in a planned series?

This book would appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction/mysteries.