1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.

At the heart of this glittering world is notorious Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost.

With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems.

Matriarchy, legacy, gangland, competitive progeny and Kate Atkinson’s inimitable style. What more do you need? One of my favourite reads for 2023 so I am offering it for the Roundabout.

Order of play:-

dark-draco
earthcaroleanne
greenbadger
estelle1806
grovalskii
fifna
Icila
Andrasthe
Mathgirl40
djf1968
echode
39301
Valpete
Cross-patch

Enjoy!

Starting with Dark-draco on a new journey.

Received, thanks … an author I have enjoyed before, so looking forward to it.

I have to admit that this was a little bit of a chore to work through. I have liked books by this author in the past, so was surprised that I struggled. I'm not sure why, as the writing is good, and while the characters aren't particularly likeable, they well written too. I think I was just waiting for something to happen. Each event seemed to hint at something bigger, something more to come, and yet it never really seemed to. The 'big finale' felt more like a damp squib, with all the characters lives suddenly rounded off in a few short chapters at the end and no-one really 'winning'. In fact, the ending kind of made me mad - not a suitable reward for sticking through the 500+ pages!

That said, I did make it to the end and, while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, it hasn't put me off trying more books by this author. So overall, a bit o hit and miss for me.

Off to the next person on the roundabout.

This arrived at the weekend. Thank you.

I started reading this, then I had to go back to the beginning and start again taking a note of the characters and relationships because I couldn’t remember who everyone was. And I’ve got to agree with Dark-Draco, nothing really happened, it felt like there should have been more. As for the ending, it was all tied up quickly and too neatly. And Frobisher at the end! What! Why! I don’t understand…

Sending on in the roundabout.

It's arrived, thank you!

London between the wars, and the bright young things are in search of pleasure. A perfect opportunity for a ruthless person with an eye to the future of her family to open a circle of nightclubs. The notorious Nellie Coker, just released from Holloway, makes money from girls paid to dance in the clubs, and girls are going missing in London, but Detective Inspector Frobisher has no evidence to convict her. Frobisher knows Nellie Coker has a policeman in her pay and is determined to clean up Bow Street Police Station. When the supremely competent Gwendolen Kelling arrives in London in search of two missing girls, Frobisher sends her into action as his spy in the clubs. Bringing brilliantly to life the frenzied whirl of parties, drugs, ambition and frivolity of London in the 20s, the plot follows the path of each character as their stories intertwine. Really enjoyed this.

Sent to estelle1806, next in the ring.

Received thank you.

My first book by Kate Atkinson and I found it very slow to start and set the plot and the many characters. I went to read other books but came back to it and found the second half was more flowing and interesting. The end was a bit rushed I thought. Not so bad after all. Thanks for sharing, Cross-patch.

On its way to grovalskii.

Please let us know when you release it again...