Shrines of Gaiety
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- Create Date：2022-09-28 04:52:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kate Atkinson
- ISBN：0857526561
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Summary
1926， and in a country still recovering from the Great War， London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife。 In the clubs of Soho， peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets， foreign dignitaries with gangsters， and girls sell dances for a shilling a time。
The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker， ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children， including the enigmatic eldest， Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme。 But success breeds enemies， and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within。 For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety， there is a dark underbelly， a world in which it is all too easy to become lost。
With her unique Dickensian flair， Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems。
The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker， ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children， including the enigmatic eldest， Niven whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme。 But success breeds enemies， and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within。 For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety， there is a dark underbelly， a world in which it is all too easy to become lost。
With her unique Dickensian flair， Kate Atkinson brings together a glittering cast of characters in a truly mesmeric novel that captures the uncertainty and mutability of life; of a world in which nothing is quite as it seems。
Reviews
Zoe Adams
，
3。75 stars。 This was really well-written， and i was absolutely hooked throughout。 However， I did feel it got a bit extreme and extravagant towards the end， and I think the author got lost in trying to go for 'thrills' rather than perhaps developing a slightly less thrilling， but more insightful， story。 Either way， I can appreciate the quality of Atkinson's writing here， and I certainly enjoyed reading about the London 'underworld' in the lead up to the General Strike。 3。75 stars。 This was really well-written， and i was absolutely hooked throughout。 However， I did feel it got a bit extreme and extravagant towards the end， and I think the author got lost in trying to go for 'thrills' rather than perhaps developing a slightly less thrilling， but more insightful， story。 Either way， I can appreciate the quality of Atkinson's writing here， and I certainly enjoyed reading about the London 'underworld' in the lead up to the General Strike。 。。。more
Janet Honnoraty
，
It is 1926 and Nellie Coker， matriarch of her large family， is released tomorrow prison having served her time or numerous dubious activities a the strain of Soho clubs that she owns and runs。 Her phenomenal success in London is astonishing considering that she started her married life in Edinburgh with aa doctor who not only drinks heavily but gambles and it is not long before they are penniless。 She cuts her losses and flees to London with her children where they start to make a new life by ta It is 1926 and Nellie Coker， matriarch of her large family， is released tomorrow prison having served her time or numerous dubious activities a the strain of Soho clubs that she owns and runs。 Her phenomenal success in London is astonishing considering that she started her married life in Edinburgh with aa doctor who not only drinks heavily but gambles and it is not long before they are penniless。 She cuts her losses and flees to London with her children where they start to make a new life by taking rooms with a friendly old landlady。 However， her sudden death， discovered by Nellie， sees them move on once again and from that time life starts to change for the better， but how？The debauched late 1920’s saw the rise of sleazy night clubs that offer jobs as hostesses to young girls， most of whom have felt the need to head to London to seek fame and fortune。， but very few succeed。 As the years pass corrupt police officers arrear on the scene as well as criminals， but life continues， or does it？Kate Atkinson has written another fast-paced and exciting page turner and I was sorry to reach the end！ 。。。more
Vicki
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“Shrines of Gaiety，” by Kate Atkinson， Doubleday， 416 pages， Sept。 27， 2022。It is 1926。 England is still recovering from World War I。 In clubs in Soho， London， there is a new nightlife。 Nellie Coker is being released from prison after serving six months for liquor law violations。 She is known as a notorious nightclub owner。 She owns five， with the jewel in the crown called Amethyst。Nellie is the mother of six。 The eldest， Niven， served in the Somme in World War I。 Ramsay is her second son。 He is “Shrines of Gaiety，” by Kate Atkinson， Doubleday， 416 pages， Sept。 27， 2022。It is 1926。 England is still recovering from World War I。 In clubs in Soho， London， there is a new nightlife。 Nellie Coker is being released from prison after serving six months for liquor law violations。 She is known as a notorious nightclub owner。 She owns five， with the jewel in the crown called Amethyst。Nellie is the mother of six。 The eldest， Niven， served in the Somme in World War I。 Ramsay is her second son。 He is trying to write a novel。 She also has four daughters: Edith， Betty， Shirley and Kitty。 Edith ran the business while Nellie was in prison。 Each of the siblings is in charge of one nightclub。Meanwhile， Scotland Yard Detective Chief Inspector John Frobisher is investigating the disappearance of five teenage girls over the last few weeks。 He thinks their disappearances are linked to Amethyst。Freda Murgatroyd and Florence Ingram， both 14， are among the missing。 Librarian Gwendolen Kelling goes to Frobisher to report their disappearance。 Gwendolen is friends with Freda’s half-sister， Cissy。 Gwendolen was an Army nurse during the war。 Frobisher asks Gwendolen to go into the Amethyst for one evening to see if the girls are working there。This is an excellent， complex novel with diverse characters and plots。 In addition to the characters， Kate Atkinson does an outstanding job of recreating 1920s London。This is part literary fiction and part police procedural。 I thoroughly enjoyed “Shrines of Gaiety。” It is one of her best novels。 In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Kathryn
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Shrines of Gaiety is a lovely read， a sweeping saga told with wit and a keen eye for historical detail。 It is a very satisfying read with all threads of the narrative equally followed and resolved。 From a matriarch in 1920s London to a Yorkshire librarian， a world-weary policeman and a few runaways there is a wonderful array of characters here。 It brings the events to life in vivid detail and will look wonderful on screen。 Kate Atkinson is on top formThank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Vicuña
，
What a triumph。 Kate Atkinson has brought the demi monde of mid 1920s London vividly to life。 I’ve raced through this stunning tale of seedy nightclubs， crime lords， disenchanted police officers， a Yorkshire librarian and a couple of runaways and my only disappointment was that it finished too soon。This is a tale of life。 There’s a large cast of characters with nightclub owner Nellie Coker and her children at the heart of the story。 She’s larger than life， full of aphorisms and her pithy observa What a triumph。 Kate Atkinson has brought the demi monde of mid 1920s London vividly to life。 I’ve raced through this stunning tale of seedy nightclubs， crime lords， disenchanted police officers， a Yorkshire librarian and a couple of runaways and my only disappointment was that it finished too soon。This is a tale of life。 There’s a large cast of characters with nightclub owner Nellie Coker and her children at the heart of the story。 She’s larger than life， full of aphorisms and her pithy observations give her real substance。 She owns a string of nightclubs and her success has caused jealousy in the underworld。 Her children are a diverse bunch， some university educated， others struggling after surviving the Somme。 Into this eclectic mix add a Yorkshire librarian who comes to London to look for two teenage girls who’ve run away from home to find success on the stage。 It’s a complex multi layered saga， very difficult to define but it’s truly glorious。 Captures the essence of the period to perfection and I was immersed in a different place。 There’s humour on every page; sharp observational writing and snappy dialogue make this an engaging story。 Kate Atkinson is a remarkable and gifted storyteller and Shrines of Gaiety showcases her talent to perfection。 I absolutely loved this and only wish I could give it more stars。 My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley。 。。。more
Mary Picken
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It’s 1926 and Nellie Coker is just out of Holloway after spending 6 months doing time。 While she has been away， her six children have been looking after her network of London nightclubs， with varying degrees of success。London is buzzing with a post war enthusiasm for anything that is bright and glittery and helps to blot out the pain of the recently ended war。 Dancing girls， drugs and lounge lizards abound。 All of this is Nellie Coker’s bread and butter。 Her nightclubs include the elite ‘The Ame It’s 1926 and Nellie Coker is just out of Holloway after spending 6 months doing time。 While she has been away， her six children have been looking after her network of London nightclubs， with varying degrees of success。London is buzzing with a post war enthusiasm for anything that is bright and glittery and helps to blot out the pain of the recently ended war。 Dancing girls， drugs and lounge lizards abound。 All of this is Nellie Coker’s bread and butter。 Her nightclubs include the elite ‘The Amethyst’ where royalty and film stars gather to party， though her personal favourite is ‘The Crystal Cup’ with its pristine pink palace rooms above the shop。Criminals and dignitaries mingle and Nellie’s empire runs smoothly with the help of cops on her payroll and her sharp instincts for any sense of betrayal。 She brooks no opposition and her intelligence network is formidable。 In her quieter moments she reads the future through her playing cards and is haunted by a ghost– a young girl named Maud who used to work for her – just one of the recent young women who drowned in the Thames but this one comes back to visit her。As well as Nellie and her children， most notable of whom are the debonair Niven， dashing and devil-may-care and the scribbler Ramsay， a hopeless incompetent who dreams of writing a successful novel but lacks both application and ability and has an unhelpful cocaine dependence。 Her daughter Edith is bright but not handsome; Betty and Shirley have half a brain between them and poor Kitty is the runt of Nellie’s litter。Freda and Florence have run away to London from Yorkshire。 Freda has dreams of making it on the London stage and Florence just wants to be away from her dreary life。 It won’t be long before both girls realise that the streets of London are not paved with gold or dream employment opportunities。As more young women go missing， what’s in store for Florence and Freda in their run down lodgings which double as a dubious refuge for girls in a particular kind of trouble。Chief Inspector Frobisher is an honest man， which makes him a poor one。 His marriage to a French woman， Lottie， is not easy， for Lottie suffers badly from depression and is not in the least interested in him or the rest of the world。When librarian and former war nurse， Gwendolen Kelling comes to London to look for Freda and Florence at the behest of her friend Cissie， she finds herself in a difficult position – wanting to help Inspector Frobisher as an aide to finding the two young women but also finding herself captivated by Niven Coker， despite herself。 She is divided between the devil and the deep blue river。Added to this cast of characters are a bunch of even more unsavoury characters， some of whom have designs on Nellie’s Soho empire which was weakened by her absence。Kate Atkinson presents a dazzling portrait of 1920’s London as a place where glitter is everything， living life to the max is all that matters and where young women are likely to be eaten up by a culture of brutal sexism， hedonism and debauchery， wrapped up in a gangland culture that is nothing more than brutal exploitation dusted with sparkle as a shoddy disguise。Atkinson’s London is a heady mixture of life lived to the max and that goes hand in hand with corruption， exploitation and drug running。 These are people struggling to find their place again in the aftermath of a horrible war and finding themselves in the grip of an equally vile culture dressed up as entertainment。And yet Kate Atkinson makes all her characters irresistible; these are people you warm to， in the main and can even feel sorry for。 These are vivid， sometimes rough， but often appealing characters and so you become fascinated by what their fate has in store for them。Atkinson has used a broad canvas for this work and painted it in dazzling colours overlaid with some gold leaf and sparkles and it really works。 Underneath though， the Thames is just as murky as ever it was and the deaths of so many young women are more than just collateral damage on the battlefield of gangland corruption and betrayal。Verdict: It’s a brilliant， captivating read and well researched – some of it based on characters of the time。 The tone is spot on， an omniscient narrator offers a witty and warm overview to this cast of disparate and often dissolute characters。 It’s easy to see why it has been described as Dickensian。 This book is teeming with larger than life characters in a chiaroscuro painting that is brimming with exuberance。 I really loved it。 。。。more
Mel Pretorius
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"Shrines of Gaiety" by Kate Atkinson has a real colourful cast。 Nellie Coker is the Matriarch in this book and manages to run several nightclubs and juggles all that is associated with it: rival gangs， dancing girls， spies， betrayal and family。 It is all packed in。 At times it was a little bit too much to take in， with so many characters， but on balance it was done like this deliberately。 I had a soft spot for Freda。 "Shrines of Gaiety" by Kate Atkinson has a real colourful cast。 Nellie Coker is the Matriarch in this book and manages to run several nightclubs and juggles all that is associated with it: rival gangs， dancing girls， spies， betrayal and family。 It is all packed in。 At times it was a little bit too much to take in， with so many characters， but on balance it was done like this deliberately。 I had a soft spot for Freda。 。。。more
RMazin
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Welcome to a world of crime， hard-partying， intrigue and sudden freedom。 World War I is over and London and its inhabitants are finding ways to make money， spend money and celebrate being alive。 Only sometimes， this hedonistic streak may have dire consequences when the wrong choices or wrong people enter the lives of these men and women。 This book has a cast of people that starts with Nellie Coker， a nightclub owner of questionable and criminal character。 Her six adult children are in line to ca Welcome to a world of crime， hard-partying， intrigue and sudden freedom。 World War I is over and London and its inhabitants are finding ways to make money， spend money and celebrate being alive。 Only sometimes， this hedonistic streak may have dire consequences when the wrong choices or wrong people enter the lives of these men and women。 This book has a cast of people that starts with Nellie Coker， a nightclub owner of questionable and criminal character。 Her six adult children are in line to carry on her enterprises， not all are suited to fill her shoes。 An emotionally damaged police officer is trying to make a case against Nell。 A young woman， formerly a librarian of sorts， sees an opportunity to assist the officer。 This complicates both their lives。 Meanwhile， two young girls dream of fame and perhaps fortune in London。 They are runaways who learn London is not what they expected。 Kate Atkinson has given the reader a kaleidoscope of characters and places。 It is a wonderful place to catch the vibes of the post war period。 The only thing that would make this book better would be a soundtrack （some period songs are mentioned。） There is mystery， romance， history and brilliant dialog。 Makes me want to read it again。 Highly recommended。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title。 。。。more
Joyce Hamel
，
Soho’s Underworld after the War to End All WarsThe book opens in 1926 and Nellie Coker is getting out of prison。 She is the owner of an empire of sorts。 In addition to her five children， Nellie’s domain includes five nightclubs。 Think of the roaring twenties， except in London， where these flashy clubs are dens of wickedness and fun。 Nellie doesn’t trust anyone to manage her clubs， the main one called Amethyst。 Instead of hiring， her offspring manage the clubs: Niven， Edith， Betty， Shirley， Ramsa Soho’s Underworld after the War to End All WarsThe book opens in 1926 and Nellie Coker is getting out of prison。 She is the owner of an empire of sorts。 In addition to her five children， Nellie’s domain includes five nightclubs。 Think of the roaring twenties， except in London， where these flashy clubs are dens of wickedness and fun。 Nellie doesn’t trust anyone to manage her clubs， the main one called Amethyst。 Instead of hiring， her offspring manage the clubs: Niven， Edith， Betty， Shirley， Ramsay and Kitty。 She is not motherly， but she is a good teacher of survival and management。 Nellie’s nightclubs offered a safe haven and a place to hide secrets。One of the most interesting characters is John Frobisher， a detective， who is married to a grieving French widow who seems to be in active mourning day and night。An important secondary character is Gwendolen， a survivor of World War I， and a nurse。 She is helping the good detective find two runaway girls: Freda and Florence who have no clue that London is seedy and dangerous。 They are entering bedlam and tawdry havoc。 It is not a place for young， innocent girls。This is an historical fiction that is flooded with odd and lively characters， too many to name， but they all have a place in the novel。 The story moves fast but it has some interesting scenes， like the one with Freda and Mr。 Birdwhistle， her mother’s boyfriend。 Atkinson seems not to miss a type or manner of those who were existing in post Great War London – a century ago。 The novel is packed with allusions and quirky characters。My Gratitude to NetGalley for this pre-published book。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Stephen Dilley
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'Shrines of Gaiety' is an intricately plotted and meticulously researched romp through 1920s Soho which is one of the most purely enjoyable novels I have read recently。 Kate Atkinson deftly alternates between perspectives to build intrigue and suspense as rival gangs battle for supremacy in London's clubland， introducing us to an almost Dickensian gallery of characters， including matriarch and night-club owner Nellie Coker， recently released from six months in prison for breaking licensing laws; 'Shrines of Gaiety' is an intricately plotted and meticulously researched romp through 1920s Soho which is one of the most purely enjoyable novels I have read recently。 Kate Atkinson deftly alternates between perspectives to build intrigue and suspense as rival gangs battle for supremacy in London's clubland， introducing us to an almost Dickensian gallery of characters， including matriarch and night-club owner Nellie Coker， recently released from six months in prison for breaking licensing laws; Inspector Frobisher who is investigating police corruption， vice and the disappearance of numerous young women; and enterprising librarian Gwendolen Kelling who has travelled down to London from York to track down two missing teenage girls。 The novel is also bursting with evocative period detail， from sumptuously described nightclub interiors to the hysteria around the curse of Tutankhamun and the long shadow cast by the Great War which continues to affect many of the characters。 There is no doubt that this novel will make a brilliant TV adaptation！ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this novel to review！ 。。。more
Jodi Golis
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This was a DNF for me。 Too wordy and not enough action。 At 10% in I didn’t know or care what was happening。
Steph
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Before I jump into the review， I have to give this cover some love - it is absolutely stunning！ This was my first book by the author and I can see why so many love her writing - its descriptively poetic and beautiful。 I loved the 1920’s London setting and the vivid atmosphere， it’s one of my favorite time periods to read about and I thought it was remarkably well done here。 I did struggle a bit to get into this one， there were so many characters that are all introduced at once， and some with sim Before I jump into the review， I have to give this cover some love - it is absolutely stunning！ This was my first book by the author and I can see why so many love her writing - its descriptively poetic and beautiful。 I loved the 1920’s London setting and the vivid atmosphere， it’s one of my favorite time periods to read about and I thought it was remarkably well done here。 I did struggle a bit to get into this one， there were so many characters that are all introduced at once， and some with similar names。 I did the physical book for the first 25% and once I finally had a better grasp on who was who I began to alternate between the audio and physical books。 The timeline often skipped back and forth and between that and the numerous POVs it was easy to get lost if you weren’t paying very close attention。 This is a slow moving character driven story that I think historical fiction fans will enjoy， but I recommend reading it when you can concentrate your full attention on only it to keep from getting confused。 。。。more
Devran
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https://www。arahizmetal。net https://www。arahizmetal。net 。。。more
Georgie
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Kate's prose transports you to 1920's London。 The seedy back streets， the gangsters and nightclubs， and the moneyed and poor。 Part historical fiction， part detective drama we are handheld through Soho by an array of characters， my favourite being Gwendolen！ Portraying the relief and 'gaiety' that Londoners were feeling after the first world war and the crime that was rife within the streets。 I devoured this book and it will stay with me for some time。 Kate's prose transports you to 1920's London。 The seedy back streets， the gangsters and nightclubs， and the moneyed and poor。 Part historical fiction， part detective drama we are handheld through Soho by an array of characters， my favourite being Gwendolen！ Portraying the relief and 'gaiety' that Londoners were feeling after the first world war and the crime that was rife within the streets。 I devoured this book and it will stay with me for some time。 。。。more
Annette Jordan
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Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson is an intricately crafted work of historical fiction filled with charismatic characters and set in the London of the "Roaring Twenties"。 After the Great War London is recovering and the queen of the new nightclub scene is Nellie Coker， who has built up her empire on somewhat shaky foundations， She is determined to build a better future for her six children ， but it will not be easy because she faces threats from all sides。 Rival criminal gangs are determined to Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson is an intricately crafted work of historical fiction filled with charismatic characters and set in the London of the "Roaring Twenties"。 After the Great War London is recovering and the queen of the new nightclub scene is Nellie Coker， who has built up her empire on somewhat shaky foundations， She is determined to build a better future for her six children ， but it will not be easy because she faces threats from all sides。 Rival criminal gangs are determined to wrest her empire from her and she is under the watchful eye of the police， most notably DCI Frobisher， recently brought in to root out corruption in the force。 The book is told from multiple points of view including Nellie's and DCI Frobisher's ， but also Gwendolyn， a former librarian who seems like an unlikely candidate to work undercover and infiltrate the nightclub scene， and Florence a young girl determined to become a star who runs away to London but soon discovers that the streets are certainly not paved with gold， and the city can be a very dangerous place indeed。 The real skill and charm of this book is how Atkinson weaves these stories together incredibly cleverly ， the story is wonderfully layered and it takes a lot of skill to handle such a large cast of characters so deftly， making sure they each have a distinctive voice I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Adam
，
This was one of the best books I have read in the past several years。 Atkinson does a lot very well in this novel， including an amazing， vivid setting， a plot that propels you to the end， and prose that feels effortless， but it’s her characters that shine through it all。 She seems fascinated by each person in the story， no matter how small a part they play， and she creates compelling， complex， and well-rounded characters we （and she） can’t help but love; even （and sometimes especially） the chara This was one of the best books I have read in the past several years。 Atkinson does a lot very well in this novel， including an amazing， vivid setting， a plot that propels you to the end， and prose that feels effortless， but it’s her characters that shine through it all。 She seems fascinated by each person in the story， no matter how small a part they play， and she creates compelling， complex， and well-rounded characters we （and she） can’t help but love; even （and sometimes especially） the characters who are doing terrible things。 I honestly wanted to get a hold of the physical copy as soon as I finished so that I could read it， again。 I would recommend this to readers who enjoy historical fiction， brilliant prose， and compelling characters。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who supplied me with this digital ARC in exchange for a fair review。 。。。more
Felice
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Another fastidiously plotted， expertly researched novel from Kate Atkinson。 Seemingly a departure from her usual setting， we are quickly drawn in to the demimonde of 20's London coppers， pickpockets and nightclub owners and clients。 The Coker family are colorful and intriguing characters I hope to see more of！ Another fastidiously plotted， expertly researched novel from Kate Atkinson。 Seemingly a departure from her usual setting， we are quickly drawn in to the demimonde of 20's London coppers， pickpockets and nightclub owners and clients。 The Coker family are colorful and intriguing characters I hope to see more of！ 。。。more
Claire Turkington
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I love， love loved it！ A beautifully written book， the characters and the setting of the scenes， just brilliant。 There are lots of characters but their lives intertwine and connects it all together nicely。 It’s very well written。 Set in 1920’s London， full of corruption， deceit and debauchery， what’s not to love。 I particularly liked the librarian Gwendolyn Kelling。 I couldn’t put this one down， highly recommend。Thanks to NetGallery RandomHouse UK for an arc of Shrines of Gaiety in exchange for I love， love loved it！ A beautifully written book， the characters and the setting of the scenes， just brilliant。 There are lots of characters but their lives intertwine and connects it all together nicely。 It’s very well written。 Set in 1920’s London， full of corruption， deceit and debauchery， what’s not to love。 I particularly liked the librarian Gwendolyn Kelling。 I couldn’t put this one down， highly recommend。Thanks to NetGallery RandomHouse UK for an arc of Shrines of Gaiety in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jaffareadstoo
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Any new standalone novel from Kate Atkinson， this is the fifth， is always eagerly anticipated so it was with great excitement that I settled down to read Shrines of Gaiety which is set in London in 1926 when the country was just about coming out of the deprivation of the Great War。 However， with so many young men lost in the trenches of northern Europe， there is still the burden of loss。 To compensate， Nellie Coker， doyenne of the burgeoning London nightclub scene rules her domain with an iron f Any new standalone novel from Kate Atkinson， this is the fifth， is always eagerly anticipated so it was with great excitement that I settled down to read Shrines of Gaiety which is set in London in 1926 when the country was just about coming out of the deprivation of the Great War。 However， with so many young men lost in the trenches of northern Europe， there is still the burden of loss。 To compensate， Nellie Coker， doyenne of the burgeoning London nightclub scene rules her domain with an iron fist and even though she has a large family， their hapless antics leave much to be desired。With success comes power but also the ability to ruffle feathers and make enemies and Nellie is good at both but when the enemies start encroaching on her personal world， well， things start to heat up。 Into the mix comes Gwendolen Kelling， a librarian， from the North of England who is searching for two young runaways who have come to London in search of their fortune。 However， with the lure bright lights and the promise of a city paved with gold， Gwendolen has a difficult job in tracking down the young women for whom she so desperately searches。 The story glides through the city of London and is as bright and shining as the jewels for which Ma Coker names her nightclubs。 From the glitz of the Savoy， to a desolate boarding house for distressed females， and from the inside of a Bow Street police station， to the casting couches of theatre land， the story bounces along introducing a wonderful array of characters who are at times as devious as a basket of snakes。 Without doubt this is Kate Atkinson writing at her absolute best as London in the late 1920s comes beautifully to life， with its shady corners and riotous nightlife and with 'Ma' Coker in charge there is never a dull moment but what really shines through is the attention to all the quirky little details which make the story such an entertaining read。 Shrines of Gaiety is bright and witty， sharp and downright evil， and would， given the right direction make an absolutely wonderful TV drama。 Think Charles Dickens， crossed with Peaky Blinders。 I loved it。 。。。more
Jennifer
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This novel is set in London in the 1920s， covering a sprawling cast of characters - seriously， j lost count of how many third person POVs we saw somewhere after 8 or so。 There’s Nellie Coker， a slightly shady nightclub impresario just out of jail， a bunch of her adult children （and young daughter）， a policeman trying to take Nellie down and solve the disappearances of a number of young girls， a girl named Freda who has run away to London with her friend Florence， a woman named Gwendolyn who has This novel is set in London in the 1920s， covering a sprawling cast of characters - seriously， j lost count of how many third person POVs we saw somewhere after 8 or so。 There’s Nellie Coker， a slightly shady nightclub impresario just out of jail， a bunch of her adult children （and young daughter）， a policeman trying to take Nellie down and solve the disappearances of a number of young girls， a girl named Freda who has run away to London with her friend Florence， a woman named Gwendolyn who has come to London searching for Freda， and more！Oh， and in addition to switching POVs， the chapters don’t always proceed in chronological order - you’ll see a scene， and then you’ll see a scene from another character’s point of view that took place before and explains something that happened in the other scene。 So， I can’t lie - I spent the first quarter or so of this book feeling pretty confused。 But after that， I finally got the hang of who everyone was and somewhat of what was going on， and then I started really getting into it。 And as more and more of the characters and plot strands intertwined， I got invested！ Only to then have the book end kind of abruptly， with certain plot strands very quickly wrapped up， and others left dangling。 So， mixed feelings！It’s interesting， the early Goodreads reviews for this one are quite glowing， so allow me to interject a little reality into it， even though I’m going to give it 3。75 stars， rounded to 4 for Goodreads purposes。 I’m just going to say it - this a complicated and confusing book， best read as quickly as possible in both days and chunks of time spent reading。 I’m going to predict that there are going to be A LOT of DNFs of this one。 It’s also definitely not well-suited to audiobook form， so read it rather than listen for sure。 （Indeed， I was doing a buddy read of this one and 3 of the other 4 beside me gave up on it， and 2 of them were listening to the audiobook。）All that being said though， I did enjoy it！ It was very atmospheric with a great sense of place and time， and the characters and little mysteries were all really interesting。 It just was not up there for me with her 5 star masterpieces Life After Life and Case Histories。 3。75 starsThanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free advanced copy （out 9/27/22） in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carolyn Guy
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I'm not sure what to think of this novel。 Since it was an ARC it's possible that changes were made that would improve it。 I found it poorly edited - the time lines clunky in places and the writing needed polishing。 Only the vocabulary and the asides let me know this was indeed a Kate Atkinson book as it is quite different from her others。 Not sure yet if I'll staff pick this one when it comes in， but at this point I'm leaning towards not。 I'm not sure what to think of this novel。 Since it was an ARC it's possible that changes were made that would improve it。 I found it poorly edited - the time lines clunky in places and the writing needed polishing。 Only the vocabulary and the asides let me know this was indeed a Kate Atkinson book as it is quite different from her others。 Not sure yet if I'll staff pick this one when it comes in， but at this point I'm leaning towards not。 。。。more
Mikaela （Booklover1974）
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I really don't want to write this review because I was sooooo excited when I got approved for the arc and it feels awful to give a not positive review。 "Life After Life" is a favorite book of mine and "Gods in Ruins" was really good so my hopes where high。 They fell flat to the ground。 It was way too many characters and so many side stories that I started to skim rather early in。 Not a good sign。 Kate Atkinson is a terrific author that certainly knows how to write but this one was a miss for me。 I really don't want to write this review because I was sooooo excited when I got approved for the arc and it feels awful to give a not positive review。 "Life After Life" is a favorite book of mine and "Gods in Ruins" was really good so my hopes where high。 They fell flat to the ground。 It was way too many characters and so many side stories that I started to skim rather early in。 Not a good sign。 Kate Atkinson is a terrific author that certainly knows how to write but this one was a miss for me。 I'll definitly read her next one。Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy Louise
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I’ve adored Kate Atkinson’s writing ever since I first read Case Histories for an undergraduate crime fiction module at university， so I absolutely leapt at the chance to be part of the blog tour for her latest novel， Shrines of Gaiety。 And let me tell you right now that it did not disappoint！Set in 1926， Shrines of Gaiety， follows Nellie， ambitious matriarch of the notorious Coker family， ruthless owner of several of London’s hottest clubs， and perpetual fly in the ointment for Detective Chief I’ve adored Kate Atkinson’s writing ever since I first read Case Histories for an undergraduate crime fiction module at university， so I absolutely leapt at the chance to be part of the blog tour for her latest novel， Shrines of Gaiety。 And let me tell you right now that it did not disappoint！Set in 1926， Shrines of Gaiety， follows Nellie， ambitious matriarch of the notorious Coker family， ruthless owner of several of London’s hottest clubs， and perpetual fly in the ointment for Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher。 Nellie might have done her time for one criminal enterprise， but Frobisher suspects she has fingers in many more pies – and that at least one of his colleagues on the force is helping her to avoid further prosecution。Nellie， meanwhile， has problems of her own。 During her time in prison， her six children have got far too used to enjoying the glitz and glamour of the Coker’s club empire without her at the helm。 And that’s before she has to think about the spy in her midst， the crooked cop with sights on her fortune， two missing teenage girls， a ghost from her past， and the persistent dogged presence of Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher。Shrines of Gaiety is a layered narrative， alternating between several perspectives and storylines to immerse the reader in the vibrant world of 1920s London。 At first， the frequent changes in perspective and the large cast of characters felt somewhat overwhelming but Atkinson’s command over her narrative， and her ability to create distinct voices for each character， meant that I never lost track of who was who。 And whilst it did take quite a while for the various plot strands to weave together， I was enjoying each piece of the jigsaw so much that I didn’t mind not being able to see the full picture from the outset！I also really loved the way in which Atkinson has portrayed 1920s London。 On one hand， there is the glitz of the resurgent post-war nightlife scene。 Beneath that， however， there is the seedy underbelly: the dance hostesses who accidentally overdose， the gangsters trying to muscle in on each other’s turf， the bodies being quietly （and not-so-quietly） rolled into the Thames， and the teenage runaways seeking stardom but at risk of getting sucked into less salubrious line of work。 As Atkinson makes clear， there’s a lot of grime beneath all that glamour。 And whilst it is clear that Atkinson has done her usual meticulous level of historical research， the novel wears its learning lightly and never becomes over-burdened as a result。Despite this， I found myself rooting for Nellie and her clan whilst， at the same time， also rooting for Frobisher in his quest to bring her empire to an end！ Even though the moral compass of many of the characters is heavily skewed， they remain relatable products of both their lives and of the times in which they live。 The sharp and witty dialogue， peppered liberally with dashes of dark humour， meant that each character really came to life， and it was impossible not to be drawn into their world and their stories。 With murder， mystery， and romance all on menu， there really is something for everyone in this richly textured read！Alternating between the lighter and darker sides of 1920s London， Shrines of Gaiety is a wonderfully evocative novel that， given a little time and patience， will utterly immerse you into its world。 Combining a dash of The Great Gatsby with a good dose of Peaky Blinders and a side of Boardwalk Empire， this beautifully written and richly detailed read is perfect for historical fiction fans to curl up on the sofa and while away a weekend with this autumn。NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks。wordpre。。。 as part of the blog for the book。 My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Emma Shaw
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"There was a reckoning coming for Nellie。 Could she outrun it？" Shrines of Gaiety is a fictional insight into the seedy underbelly hiding beneath the glittering nightlife of 1920s London。 It follows Nellie Coker， the scene’s undisputed queen， who has built an empire for herself and her children。 At her clubs aristocrats， royals， stars and foreighn dignitaries mingle with gangsters and pay a shilling at a time to dance with girls。 But success comes at a price and Nellie’s enemies are now plotting "There was a reckoning coming for Nellie。 Could she outrun it？" Shrines of Gaiety is a fictional insight into the seedy underbelly hiding beneath the glittering nightlife of 1920s London。 It follows Nellie Coker， the scene’s undisputed queen， who has built an empire for herself and her children。 At her clubs aristocrats， royals， stars and foreighn dignitaries mingle with gangsters and pay a shilling at a time to dance with girls。 But success comes at a price and Nellie’s enemies are now plotting her downfall and she must fight to keep what she built。 Can Nellie triumph once again or will her enemies finally succeed？What。 A。 Book。 Mesmerising and exuberant， it is not only a work of art on the outside but between its pages too。 But this is a book where the beauty lives alongside the darkness。 For behind the dancing， drinking， respectability， sparkle and splendour is a cesspit of morality; an intricate and tangled web of deception， lies， debauchery， drugs， murder and sex trafficing。 A gritty and menacing underworld that is actually behind the glittering nightlife patrons enjoy。"The delinquent Coker empire was a house of cards that Frobisher aimed to topple。 The filthy， glittering underbelly of London was converged in its nightclubs， and particularly the Amethyst， the gaudy jewel at the heart of Soho's nightlife。" An example of historical fiction at its finest， Kate Atkinson has once again shown why she is a must-read for any fan of the genre。 A masterclass in storytelling， this exquisitely crafted novel had me transfixed as the roaring twenties， glamorous nightlife and seedy underworld were brought to life in vivid technicolour。 It was impossible to put down and I devoured in just two sittings as Nellie’s world consumed me and the real world surrounding me fell away。Nellie Coker is an ambitious， strong， powerful， ruthless and notorious character who demands loyalty and is fiercely protective of her family and what she’s built。 She is someone you can’t help having a soft spot for despite the fact that she is actually quite unlikeable。 She has that spark that draws you to her and makes you want to be in her orbit even if you know she’s someone you should stay away from。 It was easy to see why she was so successful。 "Girls like Freda are meant for the Nellie Coker's of this world。 She devours them。"But Nellie is not our only narrator and this is a saga told by an ensemble cast of richly drawn and charismatic characters such as Nellie’s six children， spiky Chief Inspector John Frobisher， former librarian Gwendolen Kelling and young Freda Murgatroyd。 Gwendolen was my favourite character while Freda brought out my maternal side as I worried about the vulnerable young runaway falling victim to the nefarious people waiting to pounce on naive young girls。 There was also an array of compelling background characters that were equally as well written。 Dazzling， evocative and consuming， this glorious romp is one of my favourite books this year。 If you enjoy historical fiction then this is an absolute must-read。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Chloe
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Happy publication day to Kate Atkinson！ Shrines of Gaiety is out now， and thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the early copy to review。 Life After Life is one of my all time favourite books so I was really excited to read this。 Set in 1926， post WW1 London， we meet Nellie Coker， just getting out of prison and ready to be reinstated as the undisputed queen of the London nightlife。 Nellie owns several upmarket clubs， where all sorts take place， most of which is not completely above bo Happy publication day to Kate Atkinson！ Shrines of Gaiety is out now， and thanks to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the early copy to review。 Life After Life is one of my all time favourite books so I was really excited to read this。 Set in 1926， post WW1 London， we meet Nellie Coker， just getting out of prison and ready to be reinstated as the undisputed queen of the London nightlife。 Nellie owns several upmarket clubs， where all sorts take place， most of which is not completely above board。 She’s been training her six kids in but only a couple of them are really capable of taking over from her， and she finds her position has been weakened after her prison stay。 Other notorious gang leaders are out to take her down and steal her empire。 Added to that， local detective Frobisher is determined to rid London of gang crime and the Coker’s are number one on his list。 He involves plucky librarian/war nurse; Gwendolyn Kelling in his plot， and she gladly becomes his spy， infiltrating the Coker clan。 There’s a lot of characters in this one， with each chapter told from a different perspective。 The true grittiness of London in that era is fully revealed and is a great character in itself。 As with all of Atkinson’s work， there’s so much attention to detail; she’s a real master of world building and I felt fully immersed in this story。 It’s a long enough read and definitely one to curl up with during the colder weather and get stuck into！ Another triumph！ If you’re a Kate Atkinson fan， I think you’ll absolutely love this one！ I was hooked， and would love to read more from some of these characters。 。。。more
Anne O'Connell
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In Shrines of Gaiety， Kate Atkinson plunges us into 1920s London， from the police in Bow Street to the nightclubs of Soho and seedy boarding houses。 I found it a light read but mean that as a compliment。 It’s bright and light-filled， with a lightness of spirit and enthusiasm。 But the writing is not without sophistication: a knife is likened to Chekhov’s gun and there are plenty of classical and literary references。The story could easily have felt overcrowded with the detective Frobisher， the Cro In Shrines of Gaiety， Kate Atkinson plunges us into 1920s London， from the police in Bow Street to the nightclubs of Soho and seedy boarding houses。 I found it a light read but mean that as a compliment。 It’s bright and light-filled， with a lightness of spirit and enthusiasm。 But the writing is not without sophistication: a knife is likened to Chekhov’s gun and there are plenty of classical and literary references。The story could easily have felt overcrowded with the detective Frobisher， the Croker family， Gwendolen and the runaway girls， but it doesn’t as the vibrant and realistic characters all fit together so well。 Frobisher is an ostensibly dour detective with a rich intellect， Gwendolen a librarian （with a monstrous mother who wore her bereavement as a weapon） whom he finds quietly magnificent。 And would that we all had a measure of Freda's gumption。Elder Croker son Niven is particularly intriguing， lying coming easy to him as he thinks of it as a means of protecting the truth。 The efforts of his younger brother Ramsay to write a novel gently mock the writer’s process （‘Did people really do this for a living？ Every day？’）。 The characters’ internal monologues are spot on， Freda’s especially reflecting her youth and attitude。 I loved some of the conclusions and others were a slap in the face but to care about the fate of a character is to have been carried away by good writing。I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Caroline Hedges
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I think Atkinson is a superb writer and her skills in this novel are as strong as others。 I just couldn’t get into the story。 I was skim reading chapters and gave up half way through as the story just didn’t interest me enough。 I will usually try to finish all books I start and I tried to keep going。 I would recommend all her other books！ And the writing was sharp and deserved the three stars。
Bookwormbadger
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I have read and loved most of the author's previous books， including the wonderful Jackson Brodie series， so I was very much looking forward to this one。I felt it was a mixed bag though。 It has a lot going for it - interesting characters， clever plot twists and sparks of humour throughout。 However it just didn't really gel for me。 I found myself getting muddled up about what was going on， as it skipped back and forth in time， and there were so many characters and interweaving plots that overall I have read and loved most of the author's previous books， including the wonderful Jackson Brodie series， so I was very much looking forward to this one。I felt it was a mixed bag though。 It has a lot going for it - interesting characters， clever plot twists and sparks of humour throughout。 However it just didn't really gel for me。 I found myself getting muddled up about what was going on， as it skipped back and forth in time， and there were so many characters and interweaving plots that overall I struggled to make sense of it as a whole book and ended up not feeling I had fully grasped it。Kate Atkinson is a fantastic writer， of that there is no doubt。 In my opinion though， this book is not her best work。With grateful thanks to NetGalley， Random House UK and Transworld for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Veronika Jordan
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I adored this book more than I can even put into words。 Everything about it， everyone in it and there’s even a cute terrier called Pierrot （I hope the name isn’t a spoiler but I think I need a dog called Pierrot）。Nellie Coker is the head of an empire。 She runs five somewhat dodgy nightclubs with the help of her children – Niven， a romantic figure who fought in the Great War， the enigmatic and clever Edith， glamorous Shirley （I can’t read about Shirley without imagining someone I work with who sh I adored this book more than I can even put into words。 Everything about it， everyone in it and there’s even a cute terrier called Pierrot （I hope the name isn’t a spoiler but I think I need a dog called Pierrot）。Nellie Coker is the head of an empire。 She runs five somewhat dodgy nightclubs with the help of her children – Niven， a romantic figure who fought in the Great War， the enigmatic and clever Edith， glamorous Shirley （I can’t read about Shirley without imagining someone I work with who shares her name and is about as glam as it gets）， equally glamorous Betty， and budding author Ramsay。 We also have 14-year-old Kitty but she’s a pain in the neck， though it’s not really her fault。 Where Nellie got the money to start up her business remains shrouded in mystery， but we can guess it wasn’t legal。In the meantime， 14-year-old Freda runs away to London with her friend Florence， to seek their fortune as dancers on the stage， along with the hundreds of other girls their age。 Freda is quite talented for a girl from the provinces， while poor Florence is better at eating humbugs than performing。 However， to make it as a dancer in the metropolis is less about talent and more about what you are prepared to trade for fame and fortune。Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher is a man on a mission – he is determined to bring the Coker Empire crashing down and reveal the police corruption that allows Nellie to continue running her shady clubs。 However， he has also been tasked with finding Freda and Florence by Gwendolen Kelling， a friend of Freda’s sister。 Gwendolen is a librarian， who has inherited what was a lot of money in 1926， so she takes a sabbatical from the library and heads off to London。 There’s also a romantic love interest， but with whom （and there’s more than one） is one of the delights of the story。I could go on and on。 Everyone is so well written – I loved them all， though I have my favourites， particularly Gwendolen。 There is sadness， joy， murder， romance， a haunting， 1920s excesses， and humour。‘”I know Pamela，” Betty said。 “She’s not in the least bit bright。” All of the Cokers poured scorn on the so-called Bright Young Things。 “She’s not even that young，” Shirley said。 “Just a thing then，” Betty said。’I must now start reading Kate’s other novels， but which one to start with？Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours 。。。more
Maureen
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It’s 1926， and eight years after the end of the Great War， England is still recovering。 However， in London， the dazzling nightlife has become a magnet for a diverse range of people， from peers of the realm to gangsters， to corrupt cops， and everything in between。In Soho， London， Nellie Coker is queen of all she surveys - successful owner of a string of nightclubs， she’s a ruthless character - knows what she wants， and also gets what she wants！ She’s extremely shrewd， has a good business head， an It’s 1926， and eight years after the end of the Great War， England is still recovering。 However， in London， the dazzling nightlife has become a magnet for a diverse range of people， from peers of the realm to gangsters， to corrupt cops， and everything in between。In Soho， London， Nellie Coker is queen of all she surveys - successful owner of a string of nightclubs， she’s a ruthless character - knows what she wants， and also gets what she wants！ She’s extremely shrewd， has a good business head， and is determined and ambitious enough to want the best education that money can buy for her six children - her nightclubs provide the means for those ambitions。Of course， the world in which Nellie Coker exists is a very dangerous one， there’s always someone wanting to take the very lucrative crown， and so it is， that Nellie’s empire comes under threat from various sources， including enemies at the gates and also within the walls！Well written， well researched ‘The Shrines of Gaiety’ is simply outstanding。 A huge cast of characters （which I’m not always fond of）， but in this case they were all so wonderfully drawn， each of them compelling and memorable in their own right。 The storyline is completely absorbing， very difficult to put down， so much so， that it was with great sadness that I turned the last page！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Shrines of Gaiety
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Shrines of Gaiety&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Shrines of Gaiety&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0