Shrines of Gaiety
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- Create Date：2022-08-29 18:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate Atkinson
- ISBN：0385547978
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Meredith （Slowly Catching Up）
，
Glitz， Glamor， and Gangsters！ Shrines of Gaiety is a witty romp of a novel that takes place in the dark underbelly of London during the Roaring 20s。 Nellie Coker is at the forefront of the story。 She isa cut-throat nightclub owner recently released from prison who finds her hands full battling with her 6 duplicitous children， a librarian， a detective， and two missing teenage girls。The narrative alternates primarily between Nellie， night club proprietress; Detective Frobisher investigating the Co Glitz， Glamor， and Gangsters！ Shrines of Gaiety is a witty romp of a novel that takes place in the dark underbelly of London during the Roaring 20s。 Nellie Coker is at the forefront of the story。 She isa cut-throat nightclub owner recently released from prison who finds her hands full battling with her 6 duplicitous children， a librarian， a detective， and two missing teenage girls。The narrative alternates primarily between Nellie， night club proprietress; Detective Frobisher investigating the Coker family; former librarian Gwendolen Kelling; and Freda， a 14-year-old runaway searching for stardom。 There are a few more voices mixed in。 There are many characters to keep track of， but each has a distinct voice making it easy to not get confused。 What is a little confusing in the beginning is how the characters connect。 All of the characters are multilayered and unique。 Gwendolen was my favorite， but I could have used more chapters from ruthless Ma Coker’s POV。 It isn’t often that one reads the portrayal of a female gangster in the 1920s。 I loved the setting， as Atkinson captures the feeling of 1920s London。 From the gritty streets to the posh clubs to the dirty underbelly of the elite， I was transported。 In addition， there are drugs， mob wars， the sex trade， the chase of fame and fortune， and murder to contend with。I loved everything about this book。 The dialogue is sharp， quick-paced， and witty。 There are a ton of subtle literary references mixed in。 I would describe Shrines of Gaiety as a bit of Peaky Blinders combined with Gatsby。 Atkinson brings to the table exquisite writing and captivating characters。 I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Doubleday Books。 。。。more
Diana Puckett
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An atmospheric historical fiction set in turn of century England。 The story takes place during the roaring 20s against the backdrop of London's gritty underworld and glitzy nightclub scene。 A family saga told through multiple POVs， the pacing can be a bit slow at times and the characters difficult to follow。 Beautifully written。 Overall this novel will appeal to lovers of historical fiction that enjoy character driven narratives。 An atmospheric historical fiction set in turn of century England。 The story takes place during the roaring 20s against the backdrop of London's gritty underworld and glitzy nightclub scene。 A family saga told through multiple POVs， the pacing can be a bit slow at times and the characters difficult to follow。 Beautifully written。 Overall this novel will appeal to lovers of historical fiction that enjoy character driven narratives。 。。。more
Leanne
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A great read。 Kate's books are always so well written and I think this one is heartbreaking and I loved the characters。 Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 A great read。 Kate's books are always so well written and I think this one is heartbreaking and I loved the characters。 Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jackie
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Shrines if Gaiety by Kate Atkinson is a novel set around the notorious Nellie Coker and her family who ran some of London’s most seediest nightclubs in the 1920’s…lots of dodgy dealings to feast upon！ This is the first book I’ve read by Kate Atkinson and although the basis of the story was good there was just too much overloaded information at times which I found myself drifting off and having to refocus， which wasn’t helpful as there is a lot going on in the storyline。 If you’re looking for a t Shrines if Gaiety by Kate Atkinson is a novel set around the notorious Nellie Coker and her family who ran some of London’s most seediest nightclubs in the 1920’s…lots of dodgy dealings to feast upon！ This is the first book I’ve read by Kate Atkinson and although the basis of the story was good there was just too much overloaded information at times which I found myself drifting off and having to refocus， which wasn’t helpful as there is a lot going on in the storyline。 If you’re looking for a thrill which transports you into the dark world of ruthless Soho in the twenties you will enjoy this tale。 Big thanks to Kate Atkinson， Random House UK and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Katrina
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https://piningforthewest。co。uk/2022/0。。。 https://piningforthewest。co。uk/2022/0。。。 。。。more
Mary Lins
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I am a HUGE Kate Atkinson fan， and “Shrines of Gaiety” does not disappoint; it’s a wonderfully wild ride！Helpfully， Atkinson herself describes this novel perfectly via a quote from a character who says he is writing a novel that is “a razor-sharp dissection of the various strata of society in the wake of the destruction of war。” Spot on！Set in London during the “Roaring Twenties”， the novel is teaming with characters of all ilk。 Atkinson’s wonderfully writing and her gift for witty dialogue deli I am a HUGE Kate Atkinson fan， and “Shrines of Gaiety” does not disappoint; it’s a wonderfully wild ride！Helpfully， Atkinson herself describes this novel perfectly via a quote from a character who says he is writing a novel that is “a razor-sharp dissection of the various strata of society in the wake of the destruction of war。” Spot on！Set in London during the “Roaring Twenties”， the novel is teaming with characters of all ilk。 Atkinson’s wonderfully writing and her gift for witty dialogue delivers each deliciously vivid character on a silver platter and it’s a feast！ Whether it’s recently released from prison， matriarch and club-owner， Nellie Coker， and her six children， or precocious teen runaway， Freda， or the straight-out-of Dickens， Chief Inspector， Frobisher: these characters captivate and delight。 Though I was reluctant to leave the characters behind， Atkinson served up a perfect bittersweet ending。Young girls are going missing and many are washing up in the Thames。 Gwendolen Kelling， a former battlefield nurse， comes to London to find two of the missing girls。 She makes a deal with Frobisher to help him spy on the corrupt dealings of the Coker family and he will help her look for the missing girls。 In addition to murder and mystery， romance is also on the menu。 The first part of the novel sets up the cast of characters but soon the plot kicks in and plenty of twisty action ensues。The omniscient entre nous-style narrative voice weaves all these disparate characters into a tapestry of mystery， comedy， and history。Dear BBC， this novel would make a WONDERFUL series！ The characters from all walks of life！ The glorious dialogue！ The costumes！ The post-war London setting！ The gristly murder mysteries！ Just PLEASE make sure to keep the devilishly witty/satiric/ironic voice-over narration！ 。。。more
Sarah
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Shrines of Gaiety is set in 1920s London， following the lives of the Coker family and their nightclubs in the capital。I struggled with this book from the start。 So many characters are introduced very quickly， and I got completely lost as to who most were。 As such， by the time I'd got them straight in my head， I'd actually lost interest in most of them and really didn't care about what happened。 I found myself skim reading sections about certain characters who just seemed surplus to the main stor Shrines of Gaiety is set in 1920s London， following the lives of the Coker family and their nightclubs in the capital。I struggled with this book from the start。 So many characters are introduced very quickly， and I got completely lost as to who most were。 As such， by the time I'd got them straight in my head， I'd actually lost interest in most of them and really didn't care about what happened。 I found myself skim reading sections about certain characters who just seemed surplus to the main story。That said， the author is very good at weaving amusing situations into what is actually a serious tale about murder， corruption， drug abuse and gang crime。 I liked the characters of Freda and Grace， and the description of the pink flat above one of the clubs definitely provided an interesting vision！ 。。。more
Laurie
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Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite authors for good reason。 Her books never fail to entertain and sometimes educate。 This historical novel does both。The story unfolds over several days in 1926 London as seen through the adventures of four main characters: Nellie Coker， newly freed from prison and eager to restore her nightclub empire; Freda Murgatroid who has run away to London with her friend Florence， bent on finding stardom; Gwendolen Kelling a friend of Florence's family who has promised to Kate Atkinson is one of my favorite authors for good reason。 Her books never fail to entertain and sometimes educate。 This historical novel does both。The story unfolds over several days in 1926 London as seen through the adventures of four main characters: Nellie Coker， newly freed from prison and eager to restore her nightclub empire; Freda Murgatroid who has run away to London with her friend Florence， bent on finding stardom; Gwendolen Kelling a friend of Florence's family who has promised to find and return Florence; police inspector John Frobisher who is determined to clean up police corruption and put Nellie Coker back in prison。 How their lives intertwine as they each pursue their goals is what turns this book into an engrossing story， Basing Nellie Coker on a real life female nightclub owner in post WWI London added to the realism of the story。 A tough business woman， Nellie is ever protective of her brood of six children with ambitions for them as well as her business ventures。 I did find the book a bit confusing at the beginning as the narration slips back and forth in time with little warning。 Once the characters and their background are fleshed out， however， the book moves along as the characters interact and their plans and plots change in relation to their circumstances。 Atkinson's light touch of humor throughout keeps the characters and their situations palatable even during some not so savory situations。 All-in-all， this is a very enjoyable read。Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advance copy of this book。 The publication date is September 27， 2022。 。。。more
Annie
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I know Dickens isn’t to everyone’s taste。 All those characters and all those crisscrossing plots and， yikes， the coincidences！ But I love his style and I am a sucker for Dickensian books like Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety。 I love the sprawl of these books， how they seem to contain entire worlds。 Most of all， I love the fully realized characters in settings that are rich enough to climb into and walk around in。 Shrines of Gaiety takes us into London， 1926， and a collision of characters who ar I know Dickens isn’t to everyone’s taste。 All those characters and all those crisscrossing plots and， yikes， the coincidences！ But I love his style and I am a sucker for Dickensian books like Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety。 I love the sprawl of these books， how they seem to contain entire worlds。 Most of all， I love the fully realized characters in settings that are rich enough to climb into and walk around in。 Shrines of Gaiety takes us into London， 1926， and a collision of characters who are plotting with and against each other。 This book is absolutely stunning。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
karen
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if a new book by kate atkinson can't cheer me up outta this post-covid blues， write me off as a lost cause， kids。。。 if a new book by kate atkinson can't cheer me up outta this post-covid blues， write me off as a lost cause， kids。。。 。。。more
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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