{"product_id":"the-butchers-hook-9781473625150","title":"The Butchers Hook","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJanet Ellis's \u003cb\u003eappealing \u003c\/b\u003edebut novel is like a cross between Fanny Burney's \u003ci\u003eEvelina\u003c\/i\u003e and US crime drama \u003ci\u003eDexter\u003c\/i\u003e... \u003cb\u003eEllis excels at the poetics of flesh\u003c\/b\u003e. She writes with a keen eye for the texture of skin and the meat beneath. She vividly describes the slaughter of a calf, the wet thwack of the knife, the cleaving of muscle from bone, the hot rush of blood. Anne, we come to realise, is something of a sociopath. This is where \u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e gets really interesting ... \u003cb\u003eThere's a wit and a richness to the writing, a nice way with pastiche, and a real feel for the macabre. And, in Anne, she has created an engaging and at times daringly amoral heroine.\u003c\/b\u003e * Observer (Paperback of the Week) *\u003cbr\u003eEllis has a public personality of great charm, and a good deal of this gets into her writing... \u003cb\u003eshe revels in the historical details, has a grasp of pace and knows how to keep her audience hooked\u003c\/b\u003e * The Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e doesn't read like a first novel - it is \u003cb\u003ea high-finish performance\u003c\/b\u003e. Its heroine is an 18th-century teenage girl, who starts demurely although her sex drive turns out to be anything but demure. You need to be braced for violence to rival any Jacobean tragedy: \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e will hook you. \u003c\/b\u003e * Observer (New Faces of Fiction) *\u003cbr\u003eThis author remains \u003cb\u003eone to watch. \u003c\/b\u003eShe has \u003cb\u003ea sharp eye and a sharper wit. \u003c\/b\u003eMore importantly still, \u003cb\u003eshe possesses a subtle and compassionate understanding of the human heart\u003c\/b\u003e * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA strange, unsettling story * The Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a \u003cb\u003edark\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eweird\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003egloriously feminist\u003c\/b\u003e story of a girl in 1763 pushing against the limits of her role and a dark love story. * Elle UK (Best New Books for 2016) *\u003cbr\u003eA story of \u003cb\u003edispassionate, bloody brilliance\u003c\/b\u003e rich in believable period detail * Metro *\u003cbr\u003eActress and former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has created a surprising blend of psychological thriller and revenge tragedy in her debut novel... In \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair, \u003c\/i\u003eThackeray demonstrated how society determines character, and this suggestion underlies Ellis's \u003cb\u003erobust and textured vision of the Georgian mindset. \u003c\/b\u003eBut from it emerges \u003cb\u003ean unsettling portrait of a deeply damaged individual whose capacity for creating mayhem is timeless\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eA gripping girl-power story * Sun *\u003cbr\u003eEllis weaves her tale with \u003cb\u003edeft skill, striking imagery and a boldness rare in a first novel\u003c\/b\u003e * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eThe debut novel from the ex-\u003ci\u003eBlue Peter \u003c\/i\u003epresenter is a \u003cb\u003edoozy\u003c\/b\u003e * Glamour *\u003cbr\u003eJanet Ellis has written \u003cb\u003eone of the most hotly-tipped debuts of 2016\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Express (Books To Look Out For In 2016) *\u003cbr\u003eFormer Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis has burst on to the literary scene with a bodice-ripping thriller... \u003cb\u003eEllis evokes the sights, sounds and smells of Georgian London and turns a telling phrase that captures on 18th-century cadence\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Express *\u003cbr\u003eAnne Jaccob is the audacious heroine of this \u003cb\u003edark, historical debut\u003c\/b\u003e from former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis * Sunday Express *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDark\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003epacked \u003c\/b\u003ewith surprises and with \u003cb\u003ea feisty unforgettable heroine\u003c\/b\u003e, this is a\u003cb\u003e top-class debut\u003c\/b\u003e -- Fanny Blake * Woman \u0026amp; Home (Best Books To Read in February) *\u003cbr\u003ea \u003cb\u003espirited\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003edark \u003c\/b\u003edebut set in Georgian London with a heroine who will stop at nothing to get what she wants * Woman and Home *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA cracking read\u003c\/b\u003e... An \u003cb\u003eatmospheric \u003c\/b\u003ewalk through the streets of 1763 London as Anne seeks to be in charge of her own destiny. She finds herself falling for the butcher's apprentice, but her father has already chosen a husband for her...\" -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Prima magazine *\u003cbr\u003eThe sonnets of John Donne provide a brooding counterpoint to the gruesome turns of this \u003cb\u003enervy historical novel\u003c\/b\u003e. Ellis's calculating 19-year-old narrator, Anne Jaccob, dwells in what may be the bleakest house in 18th-century London... \u003cb\u003eTrained as an actor, Ellis reveals that pedigree in wry winks to Shakespeare (the butcher's name is Titus) and dramatis personae evocative of \u003ci\u003ecommedia dell'arte\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (a foppish suitor, a predatory doctor, a dashing lover). More unsettling than its Grand Guignol shocks, \u003cb\u003ethe novel's third act gives us the acrid and increasingly disconnected voice of its protagonist\u003c\/b\u003e, a sociopath-in-training who projects onto her environment the pain and distortions wrought by her own sense of victimhood: a sky \"the color of an old man's snot\" and a home so forlorn that \"the mice here probably throw themselves on the traps for a quicker end.\" * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eAn \u003cb\u003eabsolute page turner\u003c\/b\u003e * Nadia Sawalha, Sunday Express *\u003cbr\u003eThis bawdy debut novel \u003cb\u003ebodes well for a successful new career\u003c\/b\u003e * Choice Magazine *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003efun\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003egrimy \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003eromantic\u003c\/b\u003e, as well as being \u003cb\u003ea properly rollicking adventure\u003c\/b\u003e * The Debrief *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA highly accomplished piece of work\u003c\/b\u003e...there's no doubt that Janet Ellis is an author of \u003cb\u003egenuine talent\u003c\/b\u003e * Reader's Digest *\u003cbr\u003eWithin one chapter I was hooked. * Woman's Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDark and sometimes bloody, \u003c\/b\u003eit can be \u003cb\u003ean unsettling read. \u003c\/b\u003eYet it's also \u003cb\u003ea\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003egripping work of fiction\u003c\/b\u003e, full of twists and surprises, and Anne, who tells her own story in her own idiosyncratic voice, is \u003cb\u003ea distinctively disturbing character\u003c\/b\u003e * BBC History Magazine *\u003cbr\u003eCoursing with sexual awakening, this is \u003cb\u003ea compelling story of a young woman\u003c\/b\u003e... Janet Ellis has a \u003cb\u003emagnetic style\u003c\/b\u003e that draws you into surprising realms of what can be achieved if the will is strong enough * Sainsbury's Magazine *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA dark debut\u003c\/b\u003e * Pyschologies Mag *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook \u003c\/i\u003eis \u003cb\u003ebewitching\u003c\/b\u003e: Anne Jaccob is \u003cb\u003ea dark and dangerous heroine\u003c\/b\u003e and her story is \u003cb\u003egripping and full of surprises\u003c\/b\u003e. This is \u003cb\u003ean exciting and hugely impressive debut\u003c\/b\u003e from Janet Ellis. * Antonia Hodgson, bestselling author of THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePunchy \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003efast-moving\u003c\/b\u003e. Janet Ellis' period piece\u003cb\u003e brilliantly captures the visceral sights and smells of the time\u003c\/b\u003e and regardless of (or because of) her twisted morals, \u003cb\u003eAnne's strong voice reels you right in\u003c\/b\u003e. * Sydney Morning Herald *\u003cbr\u003eThe rush of this novel is its \u003cb\u003emacabre sense of justice\u003c\/b\u003e... A sexually heightened gothic of the type de Sade would approve... The events in \u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e predate the French Revolution by 26 years, but there's a similar sense here of \u003cb\u003eambition unfairly tamped by an unjust social order\u003c\/b\u003e. That's the thrill of the bloodbath when Anne takes the law into her own hands. * The Globe and Mail *\u003cbr\u003eEllis has created something marvellous in the character of Anne Jaccob - her voice is \u003cb\u003estrange, dark and utterly mesmeric\u003c\/b\u003e. This is \u003cb\u003ehistorical fiction as I've never encountered it before\u003c\/b\u003e: \u003cb\u003efull of viscera, snarling humour and obsessive desire. I loved it\u003c\/b\u003e. * Hannah Kent, bestselling author of BURIAL RITES *\u003cbr\u003eBeautifully crafted. Janet Ellis is \u003cb\u003ea masterful storyteller\u003c\/b\u003e * Clare Mackintosh, bestselling author of I LET YOU GO *\u003cbr\u003eAnne is \u003cb\u003ea heroine unlike any we've met before in historical fiction\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cb\u003eprickly\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eamoral\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003eopportunistic\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003edetermined to eke what happiness she can from life\u003c\/b\u003e, even if it means spilling a bit of blood. * Toronto Star *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJanet Ellis has given us a tale set in Georgian London which \u003cb\u003epossesses all the well-plotted intrigue and gritty reality of these great predecessors (Dickens' \u003ci\u003eBleak House\u003c\/i\u003e and Brontë's \u003ci\u003eJane Eyre\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e)  - yet Ellis' heroine has a steely determination to break out of the  constraints of her circumstances and get the man she wants at any cost.\u003cbr\u003eThis is a \u003cb\u003edistinctly original \u003c\/b\u003enovel  of a young woman's sexual awakening... She is savvy enough to see the  shortcomings of those around her and play them to her own advantage. \u003cb\u003eAnne's narrative is so vivid it invokes the sensory experience of the time period and the unsavoury habits of those around her\u003c\/b\u003e...  Ellis writes so well about that all-consuming infatuation we've all  felt in first love. It's not romanticized, but deeply physical and tied  to a strident rejection of Anne's circumstances... \u003cb\u003eIt's refreshing to  read about a character set in this time period that is in many ways  sympathetic, yet is also capable of horrifyingly monstrous acts\u003c\/b\u003e. The drama escalates throughout the novel making it an increasingly gripping read as the story progresses... \u003cb\u003eJanet Ellis has created a fierce, memorable heroine and an inventive atmospheric story\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eIt has all the richness of Dickensian detail and the modern flair of Sarah Waters\u003c\/b\u003e. I also have to mention that the cover design and colour of this book is exceptionally beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e * Lonesome Reader *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA triumph\u003c\/b\u003e; dark, shocking and funny. \u003cb\u003eThe voice is perfect and the words glitter like little black jewels\u003c\/b\u003e. * Erin Kelly, bestselling author of THE POISON TREE *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTerrific\u003c\/b\u003e... Anne is no 18th-century milquetoast heroine in love. Her savagely witty observations of those around her reveal a sharp and cunning mind... Every word of it is \u003cb\u003ereally very good\u003c\/b\u003e * Bookseller *\u003cbr\u003eYes, \u003cb\u003eit's \u003ci\u003ethat \u003c\/i\u003eJanet Ellis\u003c\/b\u003e, and this debut is attracting a lot of attention, particularly as it sounds darker than many people would have imagined a former Blue Peter presenter would have written... \u003cb\u003eA coming-of-age novel with a strong female lead\u003c\/b\u003e... both violent and bawdy. * Novel Heights *\u003cbr\u003eIn Anne Jaccob, Ellis has created a fascinating, feisty character whose voice is certainly different from many heroines I have encountered in the past... it is a \u003cb\u003edark\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ecompelling \u003c\/b\u003etale of one \u003cb\u003eunforgettable \u003c\/b\u003ewoman and her quest for love and happiness. It is a story filled with surprises, one that \u003cb\u003estayed with me long after the final page\u003c\/b\u003e. It is an \u003cb\u003eimpressive \u003c\/b\u003edebut from Janet Ellis, and \u003cb\u003eI hope to read more of her writing in the future\u003c\/b\u003e! * The Owl on the Bookshelf *\u003cbr\u003eIn her first novel, Ellis weaves \u003cb\u003ea darkly psychological tale set in the rough-and-tumble, vulgar, colorful London of Moll Flanders and Tom Jones\u003c\/b\u003e. Evoking pity, abhorrence, admiration, and disgust, this title is strongly recommended for readers with a love of Georgian literature and Georgian London and those \u003cb\u003eintrigued by the complexity of the human psyche\u003c\/b\u003e * Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003eJanet Ellis's \u003cb\u003ecompelling \u003c\/b\u003eplot rests on Anne's formative sexuality and constantly returns to differing conceptions of love and the lenghts people go to in order to protect their status and reputation. The unwillingness of anyone in the story to view Anne as more emotionally complicated than a child leads her self-discovery to run amok, and Ellis to explore the stifling effects of such repressive views of sexuality. \u003cb\u003eEllis's use of vivid imagery and focus on grisly detail add a macabre beauty to a stirring story.\u003c\/b\u003e * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eI \u003cb\u003ereally enjoyed\u003c\/b\u003e this debut offering from Janet Ellis... The story is \u003cb\u003edark \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003equite surprising\u003c\/b\u003e, beginning like a Regency Romance, building into a bit of a bodice ripper becoming \u003cb\u003equirky \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003etwisted \u003c\/b\u003ethen ending with \u003cb\u003ea rather shocking climax!\u003c\/b\u003e The book c\u003cb\u003eompletely sucked me in\u003c\/b\u003e and I was \u003cb\u003eenthralled \u003c\/b\u003eby the story and \u003cb\u003ekept riffling through the pages at a fair old pace\u003c\/b\u003e. It's a \u003cb\u003ehectic \u003c\/b\u003eand \u003cb\u003ehair-raising \u003c\/b\u003etale, a coming of age story for adults. \u003cb\u003eRead it, love it\u003c\/b\u003e, but don't be taken in by dear Anne who is like an aniseed ball, hard and deceptive with any sweetness well tempered by the curious bitterness of flavour and the darkness of licorice. * BeadyJans Books *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ea tale of wildness and desire\u003c\/b\u003e * Sydney Morning Herald *\u003cbr\u003eThis first novel captures the dark era and holds the reader in suspense until the end * Belfast Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThere is no doubt that in the hands of this talented author, Georgian London comes gloriously alive\u003c\/b\u003e; the fractured underbelly of the lower classes teem with darkness and as this sinister edge starts to infiltrate, before you know it, you are completely under its spell. * Jaffareadstoo *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe characters are excellently rendered, recognisable to the extent that you might start casting actors for the TV adaptation\u003c\/b\u003e... There's a real feel for setting, too, not in the layering of detail but in the impression of surroundings, in the atmosphere invoked and most notably in the people that inhabit the pages, the every-day hustle and bustle of grubby London life. Where this book really shows strength is in when Janet Ellis chooses to reveal what she does. The pace and the timing are perfect and I'll wager there's more than one moment that'll cause your hand to rise to cover the 'o' of your open mouth... \u003cb\u003eJanet Ellis's \u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e is a complete package.\u003c\/b\u003e The settings, characters, the pace and the action are tightly controlled. There's some really nice dry humour in there too, some genuinely funny moments. \u003cb\u003eAnd the story is likely to have you, well, hooked. It's amazing to think that this is her debut. I loved it. I can't wait to see what comes next.\u003c\/b\u003e * Van is Reading *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJanet Ellis writes with a precision that is rare to find in a debut author.\u003c\/b\u003e She slices through the sixteenth century's idiosyncrasies amid a turbulent period in British history, whilst soaking up the richness of the era into a three hundred plus page novel. As a reader, you dive into the past, willingly, without hesitation. \u003cb\u003eJust as in life, her characters are memorable, admirable and flawed. And, just like in life, you never know exactly where the journey may take you.\u003c\/b\u003e * Sukasa Reads *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is a dark, twisted tale that is bleakly humorous.\u003c\/b\u003e Well written, it is an accomplished debut, and I look forward to seeing what Ellis does next. * Jo's Book Blog *\u003cbr\u003eFrom the get-go Anne is smart, sarcastic, and an unforgettable character. Her interactions with the world around her intrigue and disgust in equal levels. * Cantionis *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA thrilling and ambitious debut novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e is a spellbinding read\u003c\/b\u003e... A stunning addition to the string of female-led historical fiction that's prevailed in the last couple of years, I can only only sit back and wait on tenterhooks to find out what Janet Ellis will give us next. * Food for Bookworms *\u003cbr\u003eAn accomplished debut novel with a mighty main character in Anna Jaccob * Reflections of a Reader *\u003cbr\u003eThe book completely sucked me in and I was enthralled by the story and kept riffling through the pages at a fair old pace.\u003cb\u003e It's a hectic and hair raising tale, a coming of age story for adults.\u003c\/b\u003e Read it, love it * BeadyJans Books *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eI was incredibly impressed with Ellis' prose\u003c\/b\u003e- beautiful in places and shocking in others, \u003cb\u003eshe displays a real grasp of language and knows the shocking power of a well-placed, incongruous smile or a wicked thought\u003c\/b\u003e * Thoughts About Books *\u003cbr\u003eOriginal and striking. This is a beautiful read full of sensuous detail and wayward heroes. I loved it. * Kate Hammer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e is an accomplished, polished, excellent read\u003c\/b\u003e. The novel feels fresh, it is a terrific read and it will shock you. Banish any preconceived ideas about historical novels; get reading the story of Anne, her desires and passion in Georgian London. * soreilly.com *\u003cbr\u003eI was incredibly impressed with Ellis' prose- beautiful in places and shocking in others, she displays a real grasp of  language and knows the shocking power of a well-placed, incongruous simile or a wicked thought. A couple of times I had to re-read a line just to check I'd seen the right thing...her intricate and complicated characters are spellbinding and she has the readers eating out of her hand-the way that the our opinions and perceptions are played with and bent into and out of shape is brilliant. I loved how the novel was able to surprise me and kept me guessing not only about the plot but about the characters. \u003cb\u003eThough I'd describe the novel as sensational and slightly unlikely, it was an enjoyable, twisted journey nonetheless, a gripping whirlwind of passion, debauchery and moral vacancy which I'd thoroughly recommend.\u003c\/b\u003e * Mythoughtsaboutbooks *\u003cbr\u003eThis 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Butcher's Hook\u003c\/i\u003e 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. * stuff.co.nz *","brand":"John Murray Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48739514614103,"sku":"9781473625150","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781473625150.jpg?v=1720052454","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-butchers-hook-9781473625150","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}