The debut novel by actress and presenter Janet Ellis, The Butcher's Hook is the dark and twisted tale of a young girl in 18th-century London determined to take her life in her own hands. No matter the cost.
This is a book of two halves. The first is a gritty portrayal of the powerlessness of a young urban British adolescent in an age without antibiotics, contraception, or healthcare. The narrative seems to build an intriguing love story between two characters of disparate social backgrounds. However, in the second part, Ellis takes The Butcher's Hook into different territory. Anne's pressured life breeds startling reactions. One overly-lurid murder follows another. Anger and arson rage out of control. The body count unrealistically soars. Anne is not who we think she is.
