Description

Book Synopsis

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The devastatingly beautiful, brutal, raucous and tender historical thriller a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!

**WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***

Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated you won''t want to put it down' Catriona Ward
 
Utterly thrilling' Elizabeth MacNeal
 
An immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel' Matt Cain
 
Stunning and powerful You'll never forget Thomas True' Janice Hallett
 
A clever mystery, a powerful love story affected me more than anything I've read in a long time' Gareth Brown

**WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN**
**THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER**
**SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**

_________________
 
The only sin is betrayal
 
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London''s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
 
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly''s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
 
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
 
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal

_______________________
 
Quite simply divine had me in all sorts of tears' Jennie Godfrey

A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London's past as compelling as West's debut' The Times
 
A darkly thrilling romp that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation' Susan Stokes-Chapman
 
An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy' Heat
 
Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable' Historical Novel Society
 
Electric an unputdownable read' Attitude Magazine
   
An epic adventure of love in a time of danger' Hallie Rubenhold
 
An exuberant, moving story' Rosie Andrews
 
Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful' D.V. Bishop
 
A devastating story told with great power' Christopher Stephens
 
You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies' Felice Picano

You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll cry' Essie Fox
 
Hugely entertaining' Anna Mazzola
 
Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery' Sean Lusk

Brilliantly researched and lavishly written' Emma Stonex
 
Like a modern Fielding' Kate Griffin

Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery' James Cahill

Very, very good' Stephen Fry

There has never been a book that made me cry until today' Suzie Edge
 
Fierce, funny, and fabulous an important and deeply moving story' Jonathan Harvey 

A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London unputdownable' Gareth Russell
 
A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul' Tracy King
 
The wit of Wilde still lives!' Gyles Brandreth
 
A gripping epic tale a powerful new voice in historical fiction' Gill Paul
 
A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart' Annie Garthwaite

The Betrayal of Thomas True

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Sat 13 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback by A. J. West

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Betrayal of Thomas True by A. J. West

      Publisher: Orenda Books
      Publication Date: 7/3/2025
      ISBN13: 9781916788596, 978-1916788596
      ISBN10: 1916788599
      Also in:
      Fiction

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The devastatingly beautiful, brutal, raucous and tender historical thriller a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!

      **WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***

      Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical. I was captivated you won''t want to put it down' Catriona Ward
       
      Utterly thrilling' Elizabeth MacNeal
       
      An immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel' Matt Cain
       
      Stunning and powerful You'll never forget Thomas True' Janice Hallett
       
      A clever mystery, a powerful love story affected me more than anything I've read in a long time' Gareth Brown

      **WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN**
      **THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER**
      **SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**

      _________________
       
      The only sin is betrayal
       
      It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London''s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
       
      Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly''s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
       
      Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
       
      Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal

      _______________________
       
      Quite simply divine had me in all sorts of tears' Jennie Godfrey

      A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London's past as compelling as West's debut' The Times
       
      A darkly thrilling romp that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation' Susan Stokes-Chapman
       
      An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy' Heat
       
      Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable' Historical Novel Society
       
      Electric an unputdownable read' Attitude Magazine
         
      An epic adventure of love in a time of danger' Hallie Rubenhold
       
      An exuberant, moving story' Rosie Andrews
       
      Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful' D.V. Bishop
       
      A devastating story told with great power' Christopher Stephens
       
      You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies' Felice Picano

      You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll cry' Essie Fox
       
      Hugely entertaining' Anna Mazzola
       
      Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery' Sean Lusk

      Brilliantly researched and lavishly written' Emma Stonex
       
      Like a modern Fielding' Kate Griffin

      Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery' James Cahill

      Very, very good' Stephen Fry

      There has never been a book that made me cry until today' Suzie Edge
       
      Fierce, funny, and fabulous an important and deeply moving story' Jonathan Harvey 

      A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London unputdownable' Gareth Russell
       
      A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul' Tracy King
       
      The wit of Wilde still lives!' Gyles Brandreth
       
      A gripping epic tale a powerful new voice in historical fiction' Gill Paul
       
      A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart' Annie Garthwaite

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