Coffee Pot Book Tour: Donna Scott / The London Monster

February 02, 2021

Coffee Pot Book Tour: Donna Scott / The London Monster

Welcome to a stop on the Coffee Pot Book Tour. Today we are hosting Donna Scott's The London Monster. Set at the end of the 18th century, its full of romance, intrigue, and of course, the London Monster.

The Details:

Book Title: The London Monster
Author: Donna Scott
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing
Page Length: 322 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Historical Mystery

Publication Date: 21^st November 2020

The Blurb:

In 1788, exactly one hundred years before Jack the Ripper terrorizes the people of London, a sexual miscreant known as the London Monster roams the streets in search of his next victim…

Thomas Hayes, having lost his mother in a vicious street assault, becomes an underground pugilist on a mission to rid the streets of violent criminals. But his vigilante actions lead to him being mistaken for the most terrifying criminal of all.

Assistance arrives in the form of Sophie Carlisle, a young journalist with dreams of covering a big story, though she is forced to masquerade as a man to do it. Trapped in an engagement to a man she doesn’t love, Sophie yearns to break free to tell stories that matter about London’s darker side—gaming, prostitution, violence—and realizes Tom could be the one to help. Together, they come up with a plan.

Straddling the line between his need for vengeance and the need to hide his true identity as a politician's son becomes increasingly difficult as Tom is pressured to win more fights. The more he wins, the more notoriety he receives, and the greater the chance his identity may be exposed—a revelation that could jeopardize his father’s political aspirations and destroy his family’s reputation.

Sophie is also in danger as hysteria spreads and the attacks increase in severity and frequency. No one knows who to trust, and no one is safe—Tom included, yet he refuses to end the hunt.

Little does he realize, the monster is also hunting him.

The Author:

Donna Scott is an award-winning author of 17^th and 18^th century historical fiction. Before embarking on a writing career, she spent her time in the world of academia. She earned her BA in English from the University of Miami and her MS and EdD (ABD) from Florida International University. She has two sons and lives in sunny South Florida with her husband. Her first novel, Shame the Devil, received the first place Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction and a Best Book designation from Chanticleer International Book Reviews.

Connect with Donna:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

My Review:

First, I would like to thank Donna and The Coffee Pot Book Tour for inviting me to host this book and to read and review The London Monster.

The History: The Late Georgian/Regency Period is one of the most popular time settings for historical fiction and with good reason. The Age of Reason, the Enlightenment, was in full flower. Science was on the rise and superstitious beliefs on the wane. The rich were having fun. It was a time of indulgence for many with the Prince Regent leading the charge. Author Donna Scott takes full advantage of this amazing time in history and gives the reader a full immersion into Georgian London.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of pulling the reader into her world. The clothes, the lifestyles, the culture and mores are all ring true. I enjoyed spending a few hours in that amazing time period.

The Characters: There are four main characters, not including the 'Monster'. Sophie, from a well to do family, is trapped in an engagement to a man she does not love. Tom, the son of an aspiring politician, is constrained by family expectations. Maeve, is a prostitute on the opposite end of the spectrum. She cannot escape her life, trying to support a sickly child. And Cuthbert, Sophie's fiancé, money constraints make it imperative he marries, and marries well. Each have unique motivations, secrets, desires and goals. I found their stories engaging and well drawn.

The Writing: Told in 3rd person, the writing is good, fast paced and with little down time. The dialogue and language are appropriate for the era. The story is well plotted.

Overall: I enjoyed the London Monster. The mystery of the Monster's identity was well done and added an interesting layer to the story. I would highly recommend this fine novel to anyone interested in this time period.