Alison Goodman, Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1), HarperCollins, 1 Jan 2016, 448pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780732296094
Lady Helen Wrexhall lives an elegant life in the stately home of her aunt and uncle; waiting for her Season to begin and suitors to call. But lately Lady Helen has been feeling less than demur and somewhat overly energised, as if something is happening inside her that can’t be stopped. Will she become wild like her disgraced mother before her, a fate that Uncle broods darkly upon? Lord Carlston seems to know the answers to her unseemly manner but he can’t be trusted – didn’t he kill his wife? Even so, Lord Carlston’s revelations of Deceivers and monsters infiltrating London are horrifyingly real. Lady Helen has a gift that, among other talents, enables her to see these creatures as they really are. There’s more at stake than merely balls and polite conversation. Lady Helen’s fate, if she so chooses, moves her far away from society and into a warrior role, fighting rogues that threaten the peace of everyday life. She could end it by using the alchemy bound into her mother’s miniature – or she could accept who she was destined to be.
What a thrilling story, where historical fiction meets paranormal on the dark streets of 1812 Regency London. As well as the details of Regency culture, Goodman has blended in horrible life-sucking monsters and super-powered humans to deal with them. Add to this a handsome but dark-hearted ally and a rich gentlemanly suitor, and what’s not to like? There are mature scenes involving sexual violence so this book is more suited to older readers. It’s a novel that had me itching to keep reading and is responsible for many late nights. I hope the sequel comes very soon so we can learn more about Lady Helen and the arrival of the Grand Deceiver. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Pam Harvey