To Find a Penny: Everyone has secrets, some are darker than others.

by Lillian Maddison, Mrs Sarah Jane Rees

London, 1888. Ruby Myers won’t let anyone step on her. After fighting her way to the top of a thriving underworld, the bisexual gangster protects her brothel workers at any cost. So the twenty-three-year-old madam sees red when her female lover is found dead with her throat slashed. As the local constabulary flounders to unearth a concrete lead, Ruby learns the murderer hasn’t stopped with one corpse and his choice of victims all link back to her. And even after partnering with the police to dig up clues, the bold young woman fears she’ll only discover the culprit’s identity when he comes for her… As secrets and scandals multiply, can Ruby avoid a grisly fate? To Find a Penny is a dark and gritty historical crime story. If you like strong-willed women, fast-paced mysteries, and disturbing twists, then you’ll adore Lillian Maddison’s trip into the dangerous past. Buy To Find a Penny to pay for justice today!

419 pages, Paperback

Published October 18, 2023

Reviews

[Sharon Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a debut book.

This book is so descriptive and you really do feel like you are there while everything is happening. At times it can get quite gruesome as murders are described.

Ruby may well run a house with lady prostitutes but she looks after them so well no one is allowed in unless she knows who they are and they all need to be clean. She really does look after her girls and cares.

But when murders start to happen to people that she knows including a very close friend Elsie. Her and Arthur get asked by inspector Abberline to work with him and try to get to the bottom of what is happening.

I really did not see what was going happen I was shocked by the ending.

I cannot wait for another book.

[Eva Lauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the opening paragraph of To Find a Penny, I knew that this was going to be a gripping read—and I wasn’t disappointed. Very well written, enough description without going overboard and a storyline with subplots that all link to the main crux of the story. The author has touched on sensitive subjects with respect and empathy, something that takes great writing to execute without causing upset. Based in the East End of London during the Victorian era, the story takes you through the tricky days of aristocracy in search of prostitutes to fulfil their depraved needs but one man takes it too far and soon the people of Whitechapel are living in fear. Just when I thought I had it sussed, the story takes another turn and I found myself trying to figure out who and why the perpetrators are doing what they are doing. A definite recommended read.

[Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story is loosely based on the Jack the Ripper crimes that haunted Whitechapel in London towards the end of the 19th century. Apparently this is the first of an intended series of books featuring the two main characters. While I enjoy Victorian Police Procedural fiction, I do like to have some excitement in the storyline which I found lacking in this novel. I also found the actual story to be slow and overly descriptive and not to my liking.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, jack the ripper retelling, made me feel like I was in that era, so well written, enjoyed every page 👏

[C J S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did an ARC for this book and I thought it was so well written it kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m not normally into historical fiction but this book was so well written it kept me interested