Dangerous by Essie Fox #Review #Giveaway

If a gothic thriller is what you are after, look no further than Essie Fox's Dangerous which will be published by Orenda Books on April 24th. I also have the chance for you to win a print copy. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

 
 When fiction is fatal…
 
Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city
But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…
 
As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…
 
Rich in gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron's life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…

 My Thoughts

This dark mystery thriller features Lord Byron, the poet who lived life on the edge. It merges together fact and fiction and it is particularly interesting to read the author's comments at the end of the book which explore her choice of characters and events. The pace of the story is fast as you are taken through Byron's attempts to solve a mystery and get revenge on those he believes have blackened his name. 

    Venice emerges  at the centre of this atmospheric story as characters appear out of its dark streets and mysterious canals. There are several tense episodes as the twists and turns of the mystery emerge.  With references to Byron's writing, excerpts from his poems are used to introduce episodes in the story. With death and menace infusing the action, you discover that Lord Byron is not the only character with revenge on their mind.

In short: gothic mystery

About the Author

 

Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Essie now spends her time writing historical gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie’s Victorian gothic novel, The Fascination, debuted at number 10 on the Sunday Times bestseller list, and was widely acclaimed. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. She lives in Windsor.

You can follow Essie here: Twitter  |  Website 

Book links: Amazon UK

Thanks to Essie Fox, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

Check out these brilliant bloggers!

 

Giveaway (UK only)

 

To win a print copy of Dangerous, just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

Closing date is April 18th 2025 and there is one winner.    

 

*Terms and Conditions – UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.