Untitled 7970
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Reviews
4rachel
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I think I was expecting a little more from Ms Atkinson after the fantastic Life after Life 。But having said that I did enjoy it。 The notorious Nellie Coker - single handedly built her clubland empire whilst raising her 5 children 。 Whilst Nellie fights to keep control of her empire -there are young girls going missing and ending up in the Thames 。 These girls have links to the clubs Nellie owns and Detective Frobisher is determined to bring Nellie down 。 ， It was an easy read -no surprises reall I think I was expecting a little more from Ms Atkinson after the fantastic Life after Life 。But having said that I did enjoy it。 The notorious Nellie Coker - single handedly built her clubland empire whilst raising her 5 children 。 Whilst Nellie fights to keep control of her empire -there are young girls going missing and ending up in the Thames 。 These girls have links to the clubs Nellie owns and Detective Frobisher is determined to bring Nellie down 。 ， It was an easy read -no surprises really and I thought the end was wrapped up a bit sharpish Thankyou NetGalley in return for an honest review 。。。more
Alicia
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Normally I love Atkinson， but I was just not really feeling this， and after the second time someone tried to rape a little girl， I was out。
Karon Buxton
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Bloody brilliant 🤩 I do hope this one makes it to the tv just like life after life ; based on the true story of the soho nightclub owner in the ‘20s Kate Meyrick aka Nellie Coker。 I particularly loved Frobisher the detective & the wonderful Gwendolyn Keeling and handsome Niven， feisty and tough Freda and disillusioned Florence ， wonderful wonderful wonderful ！ A sprawling yarn of 20s London the toffs the seedy under world ， with wonderful characters ， which all draws to a nail biting brilliant c Bloody brilliant 🤩 I do hope this one makes it to the tv just like life after life ; based on the true story of the soho nightclub owner in the ‘20s Kate Meyrick aka Nellie Coker。 I particularly loved Frobisher the detective & the wonderful Gwendolyn Keeling and handsome Niven， feisty and tough Freda and disillusioned Florence ， wonderful wonderful wonderful ！ A sprawling yarn of 20s London the toffs the seedy under world ， with wonderful characters ， which all draws to a nail biting brilliant conclusion， perhaps apart from Florence’s but still bravo 👏🏻BRILLIANT if you only read one book this year it should be this oh and lessons in chemistry ！ Huge thanks to NetGalley and penguin random house for an advanced copy for an honest review 。。。more
Becky
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Took me a while to get into and therefore finish but once I'd got to know the large cast of characters this had the classic Kate Atkinson humour and I couldn't wait to pick it up each time。 Quite similar in theme to her recent writing in that it's set around war time/post war London and has a crime investigation at the centre。 A fun， well written read。 Took me a while to get into and therefore finish but once I'd got to know the large cast of characters this had the classic Kate Atkinson humour and I couldn't wait to pick it up each time。 Quite similar in theme to her recent writing in that it's set around war time/post war London and has a crime investigation at the centre。 A fun， well written read。 。。。more
Sally Anfilogoff
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I think I've read all Atkinson's previous novels so I am definitely a fan and this latest doesn't disappoint。 In Shrines of Gaiety we meet a huge cast of characters who sprawl across the page and London itself in the 1920s。 Nellie， the matriarch of the Coker family， Edith the poor wronged daughter， Niven the war hero， Ramsey， the ne'er do well hoping for literary success （ this was very funny）， Gwendolyn （ possibly the hero of the novel: a war nurse turned librarian turned undercover sleuth） and I think I've read all Atkinson's previous novels so I am definitely a fan and this latest doesn't disappoint。 In Shrines of Gaiety we meet a huge cast of characters who sprawl across the page and London itself in the 1920s。 Nellie， the matriarch of the Coker family， Edith the poor wronged daughter， Niven the war hero， Ramsey， the ne'er do well hoping for literary success （ this was very funny）， Gwendolyn （ possibly the hero of the novel: a war nurse turned librarian turned undercover sleuth） and Frobisher the policeman who was the lone voice of good in a most corrupt police station。 Freda and Florence the 'lost girls' brought up the ranks。 Based loosely on some real characters and with obvious meticulous research， it was a great romp of a story and it wasn't always easy to choose a favourite character to root for （ Frobisher of course， Niven possibly and Nellie herself trying always to do her best to keep her family in the manner to which she had broken accustomed）。 This was the roaring twenties and drink， drugs， murder， gambling featured heavily with the bright young things getting away with， well， murder and always the need for each character to look over their shoulder。 The occasional reminder of the horrors of the War reminded us of why everyone wanted to get on with their lives so rapaciously。 But against this， girls are disappearing and being found floating in the Thames， Freda and Florence stars-of-the-stage hopefuls have disappeared and Gwendolyn and Frobisher have to find them before they too turn up dead。I loved this glorious， captivating， humorous novel and raced through it。 It's a return to Atkinson at her finest and anyone with a heart will love it。 。。。more
Jim
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In this eminently readable novel， Kate Atkinson goes back to the mid-1920s， uses London’s Soho as a decadent backdrop， and plays with a Dickensian range of characters。 It’s a fascinating mix。The book starts with a female gang leader and club owner， Nellie Coker being released from prison but this isn’t as good as it sounds since she seems to be facing problems on every front with the clubs she owns and the family。 It rolls on from there with some familiar Atkinson figures: a policeman who does h In this eminently readable novel， Kate Atkinson goes back to the mid-1920s， uses London’s Soho as a decadent backdrop， and plays with a Dickensian range of characters。 It’s a fascinating mix。The book starts with a female gang leader and club owner， Nellie Coker being released from prison but this isn’t as good as it sounds since she seems to be facing problems on every front with the clubs she owns and the family。 It rolls on from there with some familiar Atkinson figures: a policeman who does his best in a corrupt world; runaways; murdered girls; a capable woman with unexpected strengths and a plot where nothing is quite what it seems or what you might expect。Frobisher is the policeman fighting corruption and it is an uphill battle。 Gwendolen is the female lead; a nurse in the Great War and subsequently a librarian， she is transformed into a sleuth working for the police！The setting is an excellent choice。 The Great War， the flu epidemics and tuberculosis have decimated the older male population and those who are left wonder why， as well as struggling with their traumatic memories。 The next generation are simply confused and partying。 Drink drugs and prostitution are controlled and mostly illegal unless you know the right people in the right venues。 It’s a hard world with upsidedown values。Kate Atkinson has used contemporary sources to locate the story but has embroidered on events and， cleverly， shifted some others around just to make the point that this is a novel。 And， unsurprisingly， the ending is not what you might have expected as well！ I nursed a faint hope that Frobisher would turn out eventually to be Brodie’s father but it wasn’t to be！（Shrines of Gaiety is published by Doubleday。 Thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review。） 。。。more
Hayley
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So close to 5 stars。Set over a few days in the London of 1926， this novel has a rich and deep sense of time and place， several interwoven plots， and a whole raft of complex and vivid characters。 My only grumble is that the author seems to have lost interest in the last few pages and just finished the damn thing。The connective tissue for the multiple plot threads is the decadent and slightly seedy nightclubs run by matriarch ‘Ma’ Coker and her children。 Mrs Coker is just out of jail and her many So close to 5 stars。Set over a few days in the London of 1926， this novel has a rich and deep sense of time and place， several interwoven plots， and a whole raft of complex and vivid characters。 My only grumble is that the author seems to have lost interest in the last few pages and just finished the damn thing。The connective tissue for the multiple plot threads is the decadent and slightly seedy nightclubs run by matriarch ‘Ma’ Coker and her children。 Mrs Coker is just out of jail and her many enemies， on both sides of the law， are circling her empire。 Meanwhile， stage-struck young Freda Murgatroyd and her homely friend Florence Ingram have run away from their homes in York to make their fortunes as dancers in the West End and Gwendolen Kelling， a friend of Florence’s family， has come down to find them。 Gwendolen connects both with a straight-laced police inspector and Ma Coker’s eldest son， Niven。The novel moves back and forward in time， reliving scenes from different perspectives， creating a wholly believable and multi-dimensional world。 It’s an inward-looking and self-centered society with tendrils that creep out into Bright Young Things parties （the hilarious and apparently real-life baby party）， the death of young women in the Thames， and the lingering after effects of the first World War。 But， as the author notes， this was also the year of the General Strike， though this has little impact on our characters’ lives。There is a mystery of sorts that is resolved without detective work and the perpetrators receive their just， if unorthodox， desserts。 The plot， however， is more driven by the vultures circling around the Coker night clubs， and by corruption both physical and financial。And I loved it right up to the final few pages where the author just wraps everything and everybody up with a peremptory briskness that jars with the rest of the novel。 It felt like she had got to the end and couldn’t really be bothered making the effort to finish in keeping with the world she had so skillfully built。Of course， I do thoroughly recommend Shrines of Gaiety。 I have enjoyed many other Kate Atkinson novels and I’m pretty sure she knows what she’s doing， but this ending left me unfulfilled。Thanks to Doubleday and Netgalley for the digital review copy。 。。。more
Paromjit
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Kate Atkinson's 1920s set historical novel beguiles as it paints a Dickensian picture of London with its filth， poverty， the sordid， criminal gangs， streetwalkers， corrupt cops， gambling， and murder， a city desperate to shrug off the terrors， pain， suffering， grief， death and darkness of the war and passionately embrace a culture of dancing， drink， drugs， and debauchery， like there is no tomorrow， the roaring twenties have arrived。 Filling this need and making money hand over fist is the notorio Kate Atkinson's 1920s set historical novel beguiles as it paints a Dickensian picture of London with its filth， poverty， the sordid， criminal gangs， streetwalkers， corrupt cops， gambling， and murder， a city desperate to shrug off the terrors， pain， suffering， grief， death and darkness of the war and passionately embrace a culture of dancing， drink， drugs， and debauchery， like there is no tomorrow， the roaring twenties have arrived。 Filling this need and making money hand over fist is the notorious Nellie 'Ma' Coker with her 'shrines of gaiety'， her popular group of nightclubs， the jewel in the crown being 'The Amethyst'， where royalty， peers of the realm， film stars， 'bright young things'， and foreign dignitaries rub shoulders with criminals and everything inbetween。 She is a powerful， successful， pagan and ruthless force of nature to be reckoned with， operating in a cut throat man's world of business of the time， wedded to reading the future through the cards and haunted by a past that has her constantly seeing the dripping wet， ghostly appariton of a young girl。 Whilst not containing a maternal bone in her body， Nellie will do whatever she can to ensure the survival and elevation of her 6 children。 There is the war hardened sniper and his own man， Niven， the reliable book keeper Edith， the Cambridge educated if vacuous， Betty and Shirley， expected to marry into the aristocracy， the unrooted Ramsay with his pretensions of being a novelist， and the young Kitty。 Upon being released from a stint in Holloway Prison， Nellie is the toast of the town， but some sense weakness， making plans to grab her business empire， willing to do anything to hasten her downfall， others pose a danger to her family， and some threats come from within。 But Nellie is no pushover， she might be getting older， but she has not lost her guile and cunning。 The honest DCI John Frobisher wants to ensure Ma Coker faces justice， and recruits an unlikely spy， a provincial librarian and ex-battlefield nurse， Gwendolen Kelling， with her charismatic spirit of adventure， to help him。 She is in London to finally live a life， and to find the runaway girls， Freda， chasing her pipe dreams of dancing and fame， and her naive and more innocent friend， Florence。 Freda and Florence have been lured to a city where girls and young women are disappearing， some turning up dead in the River Thames。 Atkinson spins a delightful， vibrant and ripping historical yarn of a London in the grip of a life affirming need to throw off the shackles of the horrors of war， capturing the collapse of class and social divisions in the excitement， thrills and hedonism of the nightlife。 This glittering age exists simultaneously amidst the background of insights into the Coker family， crime and corruption， a web of intrigue and plotting， and the undercurrents of menace with the rising tide of dead young girls。 This is a irresistible， captivating and engaging read， although I should warn readers that it might take a little time to become fully immersed and that there is a large cast of disparate characters that inhabit the narrative。 Highly recommended for fans of Atkinson and other readers， including those who love their historical fiction。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more
Steve Streeter
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Kate Atkinson is a wonderful novelist and this new title continues the tradition of excellence and originality。 This is a tale of London clubland in the 1920s over seen by the indomitable Nellie Coker- undisputed Queen of London nightlife。 The book is part historical in that the reader explores the incredible world of the era with focus on the dramas and reality of social aspirations， cultural differences and events of the period- factual and fictional。; but above all this is an excellent novel Kate Atkinson is a wonderful novelist and this new title continues the tradition of excellence and originality。 This is a tale of London clubland in the 1920s over seen by the indomitable Nellie Coker- undisputed Queen of London nightlife。 The book is part historical in that the reader explores the incredible world of the era with focus on the dramas and reality of social aspirations， cultural differences and events of the period- factual and fictional。; but above all this is an excellent novel about the lives of those surrounding and working within the empire of Nellie Coker- her children ， her staff ， the gangs and the young who desire to be part of the “glamour” of the time。 It is also a detective story as the search for and understanding the deaths of a group of young women is explored through the endeavours of Inspector Frobisher。 The attention to period details and the emotional trials and tribulations of all the characters is subtle yet deep- a less is more approach -as a reader there is a sense that Nellie Coker needs to succeed and ‘ beat ‘ the system。 The BBC dramatisation is already visible in the mind’s eye and this novel will delight readers familiar to Kate Atkinson’s work whilst bring a new group into her world 。 This is a book that needs to be enjoyed and savoured through the autumn evenings。 。。。more
Teknikservis147
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https://www。enuygunhizmet。com https://www。enuygunhizmet。com 。。。more
Hillary Copsey
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This starts a little slowly because the cast of characters is large， and there are a handful of plots that Atkinson deftly braids together。 Once it gets going， it's hard to put down。 Smart and sharp and just a whole lot of fun。 Gwendolyn Kelling， librarian turned amateur sleuth， is my favorite character in a very long time。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy。 This starts a little slowly because the cast of characters is large， and there are a handful of plots that Atkinson deftly braids together。 Once it gets going， it's hard to put down。 Smart and sharp and just a whole lot of fun。 Gwendolyn Kelling， librarian turned amateur sleuth， is my favorite character in a very long time。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
Sydney
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Atkinson masterfully brings 1920s London to life， the glamour， the grime and the seediness that lingers in the darkness。 Shrines of Gaiety centres around the Coker family and their collection of clubs in London in 1926。 The Coker matriarch has just been released from prison and her six children are learning how to adapt as a family since her release as well as how to work together against the dark forces that wish to bring the Cokers down。Atkinson can always be relied upon to write an interestin Atkinson masterfully brings 1920s London to life， the glamour， the grime and the seediness that lingers in the darkness。 Shrines of Gaiety centres around the Coker family and their collection of clubs in London in 1926。 The Coker matriarch has just been released from prison and her six children are learning how to adapt as a family since her release as well as how to work together against the dark forces that wish to bring the Cokers down。Atkinson can always be relied upon to write an interesting and engaging story and Shrines of Gaiety is no exception。 。。。more
Bruce Katz
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Kate Atkinson has long been one of my must-read authors。 She's smart， she has a dry wit， and is a wiz at twisty plots that entertain without feeling contrived。 I've found it interesting how many of her recent books have taken her back in time: the WW2 （roughly） of "Life After Life，" "A God in Ruins，" and "Transcription。" She seems to be enjoying herself， for which I am happy and grateful。In her new book， "Shrines of Gaiety，" Atkinson steps back another couple of decades。 It's London in 1926， onl Kate Atkinson has long been one of my must-read authors。 She's smart， she has a dry wit， and is a wiz at twisty plots that entertain without feeling contrived。 I've found it interesting how many of her recent books have taken her back in time: the WW2 （roughly） of "Life After Life，" "A God in Ruins，" and "Transcription。" She seems to be enjoying herself， for which I am happy and grateful。In her new book， "Shrines of Gaiety，" Atkinson steps back another couple of decades。 It's London in 1926， only a few years after the First World War。 The city bears the scars of the war -- wounded veterans， the people haunted by loss， the sense that there is black hole in the heart of the city。 But it is also the scene of the bacchanalian excess that comes from a society having survived severe trauma。 Eerything goes -- drugs， alcohol， sex。 A good part of the action takes place in London's nightclubs and in the shadows where， as one character puts it， people are responding to "some instinctive compulsion to restock the human race。 Like frogs。"*"Dickensian" is the word always used to describe such densely populated works of fiction。 In the case of "Shrines，" the word is apt， not solely for the size of its list of characters but because of the wit， humor， empathy， intelligence， and social awareness Atkinson brings to the book。 There are a fairly large number of people， all of whom are linked to one another in some way or another。 Two young girls who run away from home to seek stardom in the city。 A young woman -- a librarian who served as a nurse during the war -- who goes to London to find them。 A rather disreputable woman named Nellie Coker （inspired， Atkinson tells us in an afterword， by a real person named Kate Meyrick， the "queen of Soho's clubland"）。 Nellie， whom we meet on the morning she is being released from prison， owns several nightclubs。 She has three grown children and one young one， eleven year old Kitty。 There's also a sternly upright officer with the unmistakably British name Frobisher， sent to weed out corruption at a local police station。 And of course there are others: gangsters， bad cops， back alley abortionists， con men， prim boarding house owners， British "swells" with their top hats and fur coats who visit the clubs to rub elbows with seedier sorts of individuals。 The novel opens with a scene that feels like it was taken from a Dickens novel: a large crowd forming outside the gates of Holloway prison， a mixture of dissolute "toffs" in furs and tuxedos， and lamplighters， milkmen， and shift-workers， pickpockets， some people on their way to work and others making their ways home after a night of reveling， and -- prominently， because he is given the first words in "Shrines of Gaiety，" a young newspaper delivery boy who makes his way through the throng asking whether there was about to be a hanging。 The beginning is Dickensian and a bit cinematic， and it does a very good job in setting the scene for what will follow。Numerous plot lines run like strands through the book， any one of which could keep a good mystery going: where did the girls go？ are they in danger？ why is a librarian （of all things） looking for them？ There are plots and counter-plots to wrest control of the clubs from Nellie Coker。 Are Nellie's kids working with her or against her？ Frobisher doesn't know who to trust; what's more， he finds himself having uncomfortable feelings for a woman who is not his （war-damaged） wife。 And he's just had that woman make her way into the Coker world as a spy; she'd be killed if she were betrayed。 Gunshots are fired。 And as if all this weren't enough， someone is abducting young girls from the streets and killing them。Atkinson successfully keeps all these balls in the air。 There is real suspense。 There's humor， more than I've encountered before in one of her novels。 （"May I introduce the beef， sir the waiter。。。 asked， raising the dome on the great silver serving trolley with a ponderous flourish， as if diners in the Grand Divan lived all their lives waiting for this revelation。"*） Countless nods to the realities of London between the wars -- the debauchery， the gangs （including one made entirely of women）， drugs and alcohol， mores， slang， mixing of the classes， etc。 Over all， one gets the sense of one world turning into something else， of old institutions giving way to new ones。 There are allusions to high culture -- classical myth， literature: Ramsay， a Coker son and would-be author， contemplates writing a novel "about a man in a Swiss sanitorium in the grip of hopeless and existential dread。"* （A classic of early twentieth century fiction with precisely that set-up was in fact published in English at roughly that time: Thomas Mann's "Magic Mountain，" a book that ends as World War One was beginning。） Ramsay puts aside the idea; "Who on earth would want to read that？ Ramsay certainly wouldn't。" -- and low: parties in which people dress up as babies and。。。 you can read it yourself。 Yes， it was a real thing。 Scenes of low culture are everywhere in the novel。"Shrines of Gaiety" works on every level。 Most importantly， it works as a truly engaging and deceptively smart entertainment。 It's the newest addition to my Favorites list。* Note that quotations are subject to change in the final printed form。My thanks to Doubleday and Edelweis+ for providing a digital ARC in return for an honest review。 FWIW， guys， I'm starting to recommend "Shrines of Gaiety" to all my book people now so they can grab it the day it comes out。 Now， if I may， I'm going see if I can figure out the significance of the title。 I think I understand it but。。。 。。。more
Christine
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This is a fun and unique read。 It is very unlike the author’s other books （which I love）， but even so， it will not disappoint。 It took a little time to get into the story， but it was completely worth reading on。 I loved all of the characters and was intrigued by Niven and Edith the most， even though their roles were unfortunately small。 Freda was also a great character。 Just don’t go into this book expecting something similar to Life After Life！ Thank you Netgalley for a ARC。
Geth
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4。5*maybe the easiest 580 pages i've ever read。 loved every single character to death， which is bizarre considering there are so many 4。5*maybe the easiest 580 pages i've ever read。 loved every single character to death， which is bizarre considering there are so many 。。。more
Barbara Scott-Emmett
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Can't beat a Kate Atkinson book for a good read， though I felt this one was a little unfinished - the ARC I gratefully received from NetGalley is of a draft that needs editing and proofreading。 Fair enough。 Because of this though， I felt it didn't hold together as well as her other books。 The world of Nellie Coker and her nightclubs is well portrayed - the glitter and the sleaze - as are the various nefarious characters who want to bring her down。 Nellie herself is an odd creature - cold-hearted Can't beat a Kate Atkinson book for a good read， though I felt this one was a little unfinished - the ARC I gratefully received from NetGalley is of a draft that needs editing and proofreading。 Fair enough。 Because of this though， I felt it didn't hold together as well as her other books。 The world of Nellie Coker and her nightclubs is well portrayed - the glitter and the sleaze - as are the various nefarious characters who want to bring her down。 Nellie herself is an odd creature - cold-hearted and money-oriented - and her six children are well-delineated， apart from Shirley and Betty， who seem to come as a pair。DI Frobisher is a reserved man with a mentally ill wife。 He teams up with Gwendolen Kelling， a former librarian who has come to London to look for two missing girls。 Those are the basics。 What follows is a mix of the two story lines， which of course join up at some point。I enjoyed the book to a point， though as I say， it seems rather disjointed and in need of editing。 My greatest disappointment was the ending， or one aspect of it， which I was not expecting and thought was rather abrupt and unnecessary。 。。。more
Jo Furniss
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As I’ve come to expect from Kate Atkinson， every page contains an observation or witticism or description that elevates the writing。 There is never a mundane moment or wasted word。 She shows us the world of 1920s Soho through a wide cast of characters， every one of whom comes vividly alive。 All this is weaved into a tense murder mystery that brings all the threads together to a fast-paced ending。 Another great read。
Mrs。 I。
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Another Kate Atkinson novel that will no doubt be a popular read。 the novel goes to and fro in places and time frames。 But Kate allows us to catch up with all the characters in the end to discover what happens to the people who are somehow 'left' in the initial storyline。 A very interesting book that you will want to finish。 Worth the read Another Kate Atkinson novel that will no doubt be a popular read。 the novel goes to and fro in places and time frames。 But Kate allows us to catch up with all the characters in the end to discover what happens to the people who are somehow 'left' in the initial storyline。 A very interesting book that you will want to finish。 Worth the read 。。。more
larayne harris
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Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book。 I enjoy reading Kate Atkinson books and believe I have read them all。 Initially I found this story a little difficult to follow who the characters were and how they inter-related。 However， once I had got into the story I found the underworld of London fascinating。 I can well believe that the likes of Nellie Coker were able to control much of the seedier side of Soho and had police officers on their payroll。 Niven was an interesting Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book。 I enjoy reading Kate Atkinson books and believe I have read them all。 Initially I found this story a little difficult to follow who the characters were and how they inter-related。 However， once I had got into the story I found the underworld of London fascinating。 I can well believe that the likes of Nellie Coker were able to control much of the seedier side of Soho and had police officers on their payroll。 Niven was an interesting character who didn't seem to want to belong in the same circles。 His sisters were each different in their own ways。 Edith as the one whom Nellie felt was her natural successor， didn't follow the path so well。 I won't spoil things for the reader by telling more。 I can however， recomend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction & thrillers。 。。。more
Allison
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I absolutely love Kate Atkinson books and this one did not disappoint！ The characters are so fully developed even though we spend such a short time with each of them。 The chapters rotate focusing on a single character and their storylines intersect in obvious and surprising ways。 Each chapter ends with a delightful twist or quippy line that makes you want to speed through the next perspectives to get back to the twist， which made me absolutely fly through this 400 page book！ I had my favorite "P I absolutely love Kate Atkinson books and this one did not disappoint！ The characters are so fully developed even though we spend such a short time with each of them。 The chapters rotate focusing on a single character and their storylines intersect in obvious and surprising ways。 Each chapter ends with a delightful twist or quippy line that makes you want to speed through the next perspectives to get back to the twist， which made me absolutely fly through this 400 page book！ I had my favorite "POVs" （they're not really points of view because it's all third person omniscient） but none of them I dreaded reading as is sometimes the case with multiple characters。 Overall an excellent historical litfic。 Nellie is an absolute icon。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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In 1926 London Nellie Coker has just been released from jail。 She has amassed nightclubs in Soho which she keeps a close eye on and an even closer eye on her children in the family business。 The Coker Dynasty depends on each of the six kids stepping up and taking part but some have other plans to take her down。 Nellie is a delightful character - the perfect mob boss/ sharp tongued moll who is as wise as she is ruthless。 Life is not all gin， dancing and jazz as some would like to believe and Nell In 1926 London Nellie Coker has just been released from jail。 She has amassed nightclubs in Soho which she keeps a close eye on and an even closer eye on her children in the family business。 The Coker Dynasty depends on each of the six kids stepping up and taking part but some have other plans to take her down。 Nellie is a delightful character - the perfect mob boss/ sharp tongued moll who is as wise as she is ruthless。 Life is not all gin， dancing and jazz as some would like to believe and Nellie must contend with an inspector on her tail， an inside informer and the antics of her children and a good deal of danger。 This is a slice of life historical novel at a time where the line between right and wrong is somewhat fuzzy and people desperately wanted to get past the war and just have fun。 Fans of "Peaky Blinders" and Beatrix William's Gin Kelly will sip their gin， humming Ain't We Got Fun and read the night away。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Kate
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Kate Atkinson writes so beautiful， with her characters and in the way that she sets the scene。 This time we're in London's underworld in the 1920s。 There are a large number of characters， which I did find challenging， but their lives interact beautifully and it all connects。 review t0o follow on For Winter Nights closer to the publication date。 Kate Atkinson writes so beautiful， with her characters and in the way that she sets the scene。 This time we're in London's underworld in the 1920s。 There are a large number of characters， which I did find challenging， but their lives interact beautifully and it all connects。 review t0o follow on For Winter Nights closer to the publication date。 。。。more
Diana
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This is a good work of historical fiction， full of lively characters and full of Atkinson’s sense of fun。 What it’s not is a masterpiece like God in Ruins， and I can’t help being disappointed in that。 I felt like I never quite got inside this story。 There are a lot of characters， maybe 15 or 20 different narrators。 Which was maybe too many。 If we’d stuck with Gwendolen， the librarian turned detective turned nightclub manager， I might have been more invested， because she was delightful and full o This is a good work of historical fiction， full of lively characters and full of Atkinson’s sense of fun。 What it’s not is a masterpiece like God in Ruins， and I can’t help being disappointed in that。 I felt like I never quite got inside this story。 There are a lot of characters， maybe 15 or 20 different narrators。 Which was maybe too many。 If we’d stuck with Gwendolen， the librarian turned detective turned nightclub manager， I might have been more invested， because she was delightful and full of surprises。 I also got a little attached to Frobisher， the police inspector whose mission was to root out corruption in the police department and in the city， both jobs that desperately need to be done。The person at the center of the novel， Nellie Coker， is maybe the person you （or any of the characters in the story） get to know the least。 She has more nightclubs than she even has children， and she has a bunch of kids， so that’s saying something。 She’s not a soft， fuzzy mother- she’s merciless， unsentimental， avaricious， and always has a plan to win。 It’s the 1920s， and people are desperate to have fun， but London is no place for the innocent。 Nellie gets out of prison for something about a liquor license， and her release is like that of a cue ball breaking the rack in billiards， setting in motion all the characters around her。 Two different men- at least- are seeking her demise。 Her oldest daughter， the one she trusts， has a big secret。 Her younger son is （hilariously） trying to be a novelist。 A young girl is trying to get a job as an actress or dancer， but winds up being a dance hostess in one of Nellie’s clubs。 It’s a scary time to be a young girl in London- their bodies keep getting pulled out of the river。 A lot of dark things happen in this book， but it’s still mostly a romp。 。。。more
Cassie Holland
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An enjoyable read about the underbelly of London life in the 1920’s。 Perhaps it’s my age but all I could think was “how like a Catherine Cookson or Barbara Bradford Taylor”。 Written in a more modern idiom than those books the story lines are very similar。 An intricate， well plotted novel that is a good read。I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review。
Emma L
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Shrines of Gaiety is a mesmerising book set amongst the clubs and gangsters of London after the First World War。 Nellie Coker is a force of nature。 Owner of several successful clubs and mother to six children who work with her。 The novel has several strands that all link together beautifully， from runaway girls leaving York to find fame in London， to corrupt police and the underworld。 Kate Atkinson produces well researched novels with captivating storylines and dark humour that keep you enthrall Shrines of Gaiety is a mesmerising book set amongst the clubs and gangsters of London after the First World War。 Nellie Coker is a force of nature。 Owner of several successful clubs and mother to six children who work with her。 The novel has several strands that all link together beautifully， from runaway girls leaving York to find fame in London， to corrupt police and the underworld。 Kate Atkinson produces well researched novels with captivating storylines and dark humour that keep you enthralled。 I also live near York and love hearing familiar place names and locations mentioned in her books。 This book won’t disappoint， but may make it hard to find a novel to read afterwards that can compare。 。。。more
Jackie Murrell
，
Between the World Wars， London came alive with a public starved of fun seeking out distraction at pubs， nightclubs and dance halls。 Several of these are run by the notorious Nellie Coker and her offspring， and are the haunts of gangs and criminals as well as nobility。 The police are after her， but corruption in the ranks ensures her survival。 When two young girls seek fame and fortune as dancers in the city， they are pursued by undercover librarian（！） Gwendolen， but meanwhile a murderer is on th Between the World Wars， London came alive with a public starved of fun seeking out distraction at pubs， nightclubs and dance halls。 Several of these are run by the notorious Nellie Coker and her offspring， and are the haunts of gangs and criminals as well as nobility。 The police are after her， but corruption in the ranks ensures her survival。 When two young girls seek fame and fortune as dancers in the city， they are pursued by undercover librarian（！） Gwendolen， but meanwhile a murderer is on the loose。 I am a big fan of Atkinson’s， particularly the Jackson Brodie books and Behind the Scenes at the Museum， but this is not one of my favourites。 As always， she captures a strong sense of period and atmosphere， but I found it too sleazy and exploitative， with little sense of optimism or basic decency。 There were too many leading characters and switching stories， and I felt there were gaps in the narrative that were never explained or were concluded too randomly。 I think my main issue was that I don’t like gangster style stories or hard-as-nail characters， so could not engage with this one。 I have seen rapturous reviews elsewhere， but this wasn’t my glass of gin。Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook proof in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jessica Woodbury
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Ah Kate Atkinson。 One of the most reliable writers around。 This is my TENTH novel by Atkinson and I have yet to be disappointed。 This has a nice combination of Atkinson's biggest themes--crime and war--while it also has a light touch。 An awful lot of terrible things happen but this doesn't bring you down the way a Jackson Brodie novel does， it's got some of that Roaring 20's energy。I warn you: this one takes a while to get going。 Which is not such a surprise once you realize there are approximat Ah Kate Atkinson。 One of the most reliable writers around。 This is my TENTH novel by Atkinson and I have yet to be disappointed。 This has a nice combination of Atkinson's biggest themes--crime and war--while it also has a light touch。 An awful lot of terrible things happen but this doesn't bring you down the way a Jackson Brodie novel does， it's got some of that Roaring 20's energy。I warn you: this one takes a while to get going。 Which is not such a surprise once you realize there are approximately 15 main characters。 There's at least 5 plots， probably more like 8 or 10， which sounds unmanageable but it's surprisingly breezy。 Reading it felt a lot like an extremely well plotted prestige tv series， where you spend the first two episodes planting a lot of seeds and learning who everyone is， then you get to just watch it go from there。 It's not long after The Great War。 Nellie Coker， the proprietress of several of London's most popular clubs， has just been released from prison after serving a few months for minor crimes。 We also meet Nellie's 6 adult children， who have been running the clubs while she was out。 Nellie's imprisonment seems a potential sign of worse to come and they all worry her empire is under threat。 There's a Chief Inspector who sees Nellie as a moral danger and is determined to bring her down。 There's a teenage girl who's left home seeking fame on the stage。 And there's a country-librarian-turned-war-nurse who has come to London to look for her friend's absconded teenage sister， who finds herself agreeing to go undercover for the Chief Inspector。There are more characters I haven't even mentioned yet！ I didn't find this hard to take in， really， but you do jump around quite a bit。 Atkinson likes to move you forwards and then backwards， but it's all done with a firm hand making sure you get all the bits you need to know。We see how run down everyone is after the war， while most of the characters didn't serve at the Front， the ones left behind still feel the pain of it。 And we see how the clubs bring a gaiety and a release after so much grief。 Truly this made me wish we had clubs like this now。 They are lush and lavish， even the rundown ones give the appearance of luxury。 I loved all the descriptions， I would have loved to sit down and have one of those cocktails in Gwendolen's blue silk gown。The combination of light and dark has always been an Atkinson specialty but it's better than ever here。 This may be， in many ways， her lightest book in ages， even though the central crimes are not actually Nellie's but the string of unidentified young women who keep getting pulled out of the Thames， many of them killed elsewhere and dumped。 There are attempted sexual assaults and back alley abortions and sex workers and pickpockets and homophobia and suicide and plenty of cocaine， too。 Once I hit my stride with this book I was always so excited to pick it up。 It also has a pretty great climax， too。 Even with so many threads， it takes the time to tie up almost every one。 （And the one it leaves rather loose is quite the gut punch。）You can really feel the grime and the sparkle in this book， I am extremely picky about historical fiction， but you can't really go wrong with this one。 。。。more
Faith Hogan
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Where to start！ I have loved every single one of KA's books to date。 I will add Shrines of Gaiety to one of my favorite reads to far this year， I was very much looking forward to it and it did not disappoint。 As usual， the characters， setting and pace were brilliant， but of course， the highlight is the language， the references， the depth and the reeling emotion - Shrine of Gaiety has it all。 Where to start！ I have loved every single one of KA's books to date。 I will add Shrines of Gaiety to one of my favorite reads to far this year， I was very much looking forward to it and it did not disappoint。 As usual， the characters， setting and pace were brilliant， but of course， the highlight is the language， the references， the depth and the reeling emotion - Shrine of Gaiety has it all。 。。。more
Nancy
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There were the shrines to memorialize the men lost in the war， and there were the shrines of gaiety were people could lose themselves in wild pleasure and excess to forget the war。1920s London drew the rich and the powerful to the nightclubs in Soho。 And from the suburbs and countryside， young women came to the city dreaming of the stage and fame， only to be reduced to living by their wits， or beds， or if they were lucky， as paid dancers at a night club。 The money and tips were good。 The recent There were the shrines to memorialize the men lost in the war， and there were the shrines of gaiety were people could lose themselves in wild pleasure and excess to forget the war。1920s London drew the rich and the powerful to the nightclubs in Soho。 And from the suburbs and countryside， young women came to the city dreaming of the stage and fame， only to be reduced to living by their wits， or beds， or if they were lucky， as paid dancers at a night club。 The money and tips were good。 The recent epidemic of missing dancing girls is not。Upon the death of her mother， Gwendolyn the librarian discovers she is wealthy。 She leaves her quiet life to search for her best friend’s missing daughter who ran off to London with her best friend， sure they would be dancers on stage。 Gwendolyn is plucky， an optimist， a risk taker。 She has no fear。 She was a nurse during the war， already she has seen the worst。 She has freedom and money and is keen to embrace life。Searching for the missing Florence and Freda， Gwendolyn becomes entangled with two men。 The proper， melancholy Chief Inspector Frobisher who enlists her to infiltrate Nellie Coker’s clubs。 And Niven Coker， war veteran and Nellie’s eldest son。 Frobisher is married to a woman bearing the scars of war， and Niven has no plans to settle down。The delinquent Coker empire was a house of cards that Frobisher aimed to topple。 The filthy， glittering underbelly of London was concentrated in its nightclubs…from Shrines of Gaiety by Kate AtkinsonNellie is a self-made woman who has built an empire of nightclubs， from the low-life， drug-addled dens of inequity to the Amethyst where the Prince of Wales and film stars hang out， sometimes joined by local street gangs。 She loves sweets and wears furs in all weather， matronly and plain。 Her appearance belies her iron will and shrewd business sense。 Also， she isn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty， especially when protecting her empire。The Coker children are rich in things and poor in parental love。 Edith， her eldest， is the family business bookkeeper， her mother’s second in command。 She is entangled with a police officer who gets kickbacks from Nellie， but is up to no good。 The younger daughters Betty and Shirley may be Cambridge educated， but they are vacuous and vain。 Nellie most despairs of the youngest， Kitty。 Then there is Ramsey， an addict with plans to write a novel， confused about his sexual orientation。 The eldest of the clan， Niven was a sniper during the war。 Like Gwendolyn， he is sick of death and war。Freda discovers that fame comes with a price， and the naïve Florence disappears。 Meanwhile， Gwendolyn searches for the girls。“You don’t need to go on the stage to act…Life is just one play。” Comedy or tragedy， it depended on how you looked at it， didn’t it？from Shrines of Gaiety by Kate AtkinsonBased on real people and places， capturing a society reeling from a devastating war and seeking oblivion in living in the moment， Shrines of Gaiety has a Dickensian scope， delving into a criminal underworld that takes advantage of starry-eyed girls and the world-weary。 It’s filled with wit and humor， mystery and suspense， betrayals， and plot twists。 It’s a ripping good read。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Georgette
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I don't think she has written a crappy book。 She's written another winner here。 I don't think she has written a crappy book。 She's written another winner here。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Untitled 7970
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Untitled 7970&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Untitled 7970&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0