Shrines of Gaiety, by Kate Atkinson

Kate Atkinson’s latest is another straightforward historical novel in the vein of A God in Ruins or Transcription, set in 1920s London. The Twenties are indeed roaring in this story of nightclubs, crime, drugs, and young girls who mysteriously disappear from the streets of London. The central character of Nellie Coker, owner of a string of nightclubs, is loosely based on a real-life woman, but Nellie is only one of a huge cast of characters, including the large brood of children who will inherit her empire, a policeman who wants to bring down the criminal aspects behind Nellie’s business, a former war nurse who goes undercover to explore the world of Nellie’s clubs and search for two missing girls, and a teenaged dancer who runs away from home to seek fame and fortune on the London stage. I found this very immersive and vivid, and while it’s not going to rival Behind the Scenes at the Museum or Life After Life as my favourite Atkinson novel, it’s a solid entry in her catalogue.