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

1727. Marshalsea, a debtor's goal in London. A gentleman who is imprisoned for outstanding debts. A mystery surrounding a death on the inside. Is it murder or suicide?

In a setting that is both chilling and disturbing, Thomas Hawkins' new life in Mashalsea depends on his ability to solve the mystery of the death of Captain Roberts, a former prisoner. Hawkins is supported in his quest for answers by a cast of characters who are vile, despicable, and as scheming as they are pathetic. Who is innocent and who is guilty?

The Devil in the Marshalsea is mystery that will keep you guessing until the last few pages. Not for the faint of heart, the story will thrill, fascinate, and horrify you – all in one story. If you enjoy mysteries that are enhanced by the environment in which they are told, The Devil in the Marshalsea will be "un-put-down-able!" But be warned, read with the lights on.

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.

A winner! I read, I learned, I thought about this book for many days after I finished reading it. While poverty and cruelty are rampant in literature and in life, the horrific goings-on at Marshalsea Gaol hold a special fascination.
It helps to suspend disbelief that so much could happen in a few short days. The writing, the plot, the strange assortment of flawed characters contribute to a compelling reading experience.

Although this book takes place mainly in the debtors' prison of Marshalsea it is not as depressing as I thought it might be.

It's interesting to read about the community that built up in the prison.

The author does a good job of keeping the reader's interest by changing the direction of the story. Many characters are not what they appear to be when you first meet them. The ending was a total surprise to me.

This is a good read, it holds your interest and is well written.

An infamous gaol in 1727 England; a likeable rogue who can't pay his debts; a friendly warrant officer; a beautiful, mysterious widow; a prison where anything goes even murder - these are all the ingredients and characters Antonia Hodgson has woven in her novel "The Devil in the Marshalsea". Ms Hodgson has given a glimpse of a horrific time in English history where men, women, and children were worth only what they could afford to pay. A terrifically written book. I look forward to her next novel.

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.