Dangerous by Essie Fox
Fiction can be fatal…
Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city. But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…
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As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…
Rich in Gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron’s life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…
My Review
Once I’d finished the book and read the historical context at the end about the real characters and the fictional ones, I went online and did my own research. I never realised Byron was the father of Ada Lovelace or that Polidori’s sister was the mother of Christina and Dante Gabriele Rosetti (the latter of which I was a bit obsessed with after watching the TV programme Desperate Romantics in 2009). Polidori is also an interesting character, I’ve researched him as well. Polidori’s father worked as a secretary for the ‘tragic’ Italian playwright Count Vittorio Alfieri.
Dangerous is a very entertaining read, though Lord Byron is hard to like. He is ultimately a selfish, self-absorbed, narcissistic philanderer. He spreads it about without consequence, but the one that upset me the most was his poor little daughter Allegra (her fate is well documented though I won’t print a ‘spoiler’ – you can look it up). And I did worry about the menagerie, especially Mutz the dog (again real and well documented).
When a prostitute is murdered in the street and then another is found dead in Byron’s bed at a brothel, the fingers point at him as he was there on both occasions. But is he a murderer or is he being framed? And why would anyone wish to discredit him? I could probably give a few reasons, his treatment of his ‘women’ being one, or being named as the author of Polidori’s The Vampyre. But nothing is ever that simple and we have a long way to go before the web is untangled.
I think it’s the mix of fact and fiction that makes this book so interesting. I hope Netflix (other production companies are available) will take it up as it would make a fantastic series. And who wouldn’t want to play Lord Byron?
Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours
About the Author
Essie Fox was born and raised in rural Herefordshire, which inspires much of her writing. After studying English Literature at Sheffield University, she moved to London where she worked for the Telegraph Sunday Magazine, and then book publishers George Allen & Unwin, before becoming self-employed in the world of art and design. Essie now spends her time writing historical Gothic novels. Her debut, The Somnambulist, was shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and featured on Channel 4’s TV Book Club. The Last Days of Leda Grey, set in the early years of silent film, was selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month. Essie’s Victorian Gothic novel, The Fascination, debuted at number 10 on the Sunday Times bestseller list, and was widely acclaimed. Essie is also the creator of the popular blog: The Virtual Victorian. She has lectured on this era at the V&A, and the National Gallery in London. She lives in Windsor.
About Orenda Books
Orenda Books is a small independent publishing company specialising in literary fiction with a heavy emphasis on crime/thrillers, and approximately half the list in translation. They’ve been twice shortlisted for the Nick Robinson Best Newcomer Award at the IPG awards, and publisher and owner Karen Sullivan was a Bookseller Rising Star in 2016. In 2018, they were awarded a prestigious Creative Europe grant for their translated books programme. Three authors, including Agnes Ravatn, Matt Wesolowski and Amanda Jennings have been WHSmith Fresh Talent picks, and Ravatn’s The Bird Tribunal was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award, won an English PEN Translation Award, and adapted for BBC Radio Four ’s Book at Bedtime. Six titles have been short- or long-listed for the CWA Daggers. Launched in 2014 with a mission to bring more international literature to the UK market, Orenda Books publishes a host of debuts, many of which have gone on to sell millions worldwide, and looks for fresh, exciting new voices that push the genre in new directions. Bestselling authors include Ragnar Jonasson, Antti Tuomainen, Gunnar Staalesen, Michael J. Malone, Kjell Ola Dahl, Louise Beech, Johana Gustawsson, Lilja Sigurðardóttir and Sarah Stovell.
