Kitty Peck and the Child of Ill-Fortune

Kitty Peck #2

by Kate Griffin

Kitty Peck, the young music hall artist, inherits her grandmother's criminal network in this, her second adventure. Set in Belle Époque Paris and Victorian London, Kitty takes a child into her protection, a child who someone badly wants dead.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

I've always loved getting lost in a good book. It's why I studied English Literature at university.
What a luxury to read novels for three years!
After a few false starts, I was taken on as a trainee reporter by a local newspaper where I worked very happily for several years.
I love old buildings and the stories they tell. I'm very lucky that my current work as press officer for a heritage charity allows me to visit and explore some amazing, inspiring places, including the wonderful Wiltons Music Hall in the East End.
Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders (published by Faber and Faber) is partly based on that building. 'Kitty' is my first book and later this year Templar will publish my first first book for children The Jade Boy , written under my maiden name Cate Cain
As I hope you can tell, I am passionate about history and about London in particular.
I was born in the City at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, within the sound of Bow Bells - so I really am a true-born cockney!
One of my earliest memories is being taken to the top of The Monument by my father when I was about four years old. Clearly, the story of the Great Fire made an impact on me as that's what The Jade Boy is all about...

Reviews

[F.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, bloomin’ ‘ell, I’ve only made my way back to Victorian England to catch up with the Limehouse Linnet herself, that bricky of a gal, Kitty Peck. Her first adventure, you might well remember, was right bang up to the elephant. A real treat it was, a tale of skulduggery and crime at the heart of the Empire. Although a long way down from the Empress’s cotton socks. The star of the piece was of course Kitty, glamorous derring-do songstress who found herself caught up in a right palaver.

Well, this time around – you could have knocked me sideways with a feather – but the opening bit of this tale is more like one of them classy character pieces. Y’know, like old Dickens used to write – orphans an’ all. We follow Kitty and her friend Lucca on a fancypants tour to Paris and – a different pace it might be – but it really is most interesting. It isn’t long before the mystery begins though, and it’s a full fifteen puzzle too. Right head-scratching stuff it is at times, but carried along with danger, adventure and even a bit of penny dreadful horror. Once again Kitty proves herself to be the jamiest bits of jam, and the most perfect company. I’m already looking forward to the next time she crosses my path. What will she be up to then? I can barely bloomin’ imagine!

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following Kate Griffin’s debut Victorian crime thriller, Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders, we once again find ourselves transported back to the 1880s to the gaslit alleyways of Limehouse. Kitty has now inherited Paradise, a criminal network previously ruled by the fearsome Lady Ginger. Though she’s a teenage girl, Kitty finds herself head of this criminal empire and is desperate to assert her authority in the face of her fellow Barons, who run London’s other criminal organisations.

Due to events in the first book, Kitty is estranged from her beloved brother, Joey, and travels to Paris with her loyal Italian sidekick Lucca to seek him out. When she tracks him down, he asks her to help him by smuggling a baby of uncertain background back to London. They do this but within days of her return to England, attempts are made to find and murder the child by perpetrators unknown, for reasons unclear. Just what is the importance of this baby, and how is he linked to a secret at the heart of the British Empire?

It’s always a good sign when, having missed the first of the series, the second inspires you to seek it out forthwith. Due to Kate Griffin’s authentic depiction of both the period and environs of Victorian London, you cannot help but be completely immersed in the penny dreadful atmosphere of the novel. By re-imagining the theatrical world that Kitty operates her businesses within, both legal and illegal, Griffin gives us a real sense of day-to-day life in the Victorian entertainment scene. Mirroring the attention to period detail shown by other Victorian crime fiction writers such as Lee Jackson, the world of the music hall sings from the page. Equally, Griffin captures perfectly the overall look and feel of the less salubrious aspects of both London and Paris from graveyards to sewer sytems, and the befouled streets that lie between them.

The author balances the more natural characters in The Child of Ill Fortune with a random cast of grotesques in the true spirit of the penny dreadful. Kitty is charming throughout, and is quickly growing into her new responsibilities, feeling her way inch by inch into this unknown world that Lady Ginger has bequeathed to her. There is a wonderful balance between the more girlish aspects of her personality and the maturity she assumes as the book progresses. Aided by her stalwart companion Lucca; the air-headed Peggy, who is entrusted with the care of the baby; and the sinister figure of Tan Seng, her Chinese protector, Kitty has a solid group of good guys. And with good guys come bad guys, some obvious and some not so, particularly the Machiavellian figure of the odious Lady Ginger herself, who keeps Kitty on her toes and sometimes completely in the dark. All of the characters, whether centre stage or passing through, are beautifully realised and more importantly, believable.

Although the plot is a little patchy in places, this shouldn’t impede your enjoyment of the book as a whole. Read in the spirit of a traditional Victorian entertainment, Kitty Peck and the Child of Ill Fortune is full of rum doings, pantomime villains, passion and violence, interspersed with colourful colloquialisms and bawdy language. A few too many similes make their appearance, which gets a little irritating, but in the grand scheme of things that matters not a jot. Tremendous fun.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, Kitty, no don't do it!!!!

[Yuckamashe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Kitty Peck series. I really liked both books. The first is a little better than the second in my opinion. The characters and the detailed atmosphere are the best part of this series. I was unhappy with the ending. However, it left a lot of unanswered questions so I assume a third installment will follow. The dark and disturbing climate continues in this book. It covers child murder, interracial love affairs, transgender issues, gambling, drug addiction, etc. Paradise is a really fucking ironic name for this fictional town!

[Eibhilin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book on a recommendation from a friend: it's the second book in the series, but there's enough explanation of previous events that you can pick up what's going in. The characters are well drawn, especially Lucca and Kitty, and the writing style is really good: you can hear Kitty's voice in your head when you're reading it.

The mystery was well done, with all the clues throughout the book, and it really kept me guessing. The story does get darker as the book goes on, and it's one that stays in your mind when you've finished it.

I really recommend this! Lucca is one of my favourite book characters so far.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical mystery set in Victorian London. The start was enjoyable with a visit to Paris where Kitty agrees to bring a child back to London without realising the danger she’s walking in to. The settings are brilliantly described and Kitty is an interesting mixture of tough and naive, but overall this was a bit too melodramatic for me.

[Jen Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second Kitty Peck book, you may know. The twists and turns were well worth the difficulty I had “getting in to” the first book. It was brilliant. Read it.

[Book Jester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Kitty Peck series and as much as I enjoyed the first one I think this one was even better. The story picks up a few months after the end of the first book and so it was great to be plunged back into Kitty's world (although I sure am glad that I don't live in Paradise!).

These books are so atmospheric and weirdly both realistic and dream-like at the same time; I'm sure I could almost smell the rain-soaked grimy streets and sewers as I was reading. There were some great action pieces in this as well as a thoughtfully written plot device regarding gender identity.

As with the first book, it did take me a while to really get into the book but it was definitely worth doing so. I do think you need to read these books in order as I don't think some of this one would've made sense had I not read the first in the series quite recently. This one ends quite abruptly which was a bit disappointing but it has definitely made me want to read the next two Kitty Peck books.

[Gnome Claire *Wishes she was as cool as Gnome Ann* · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was real struggle to finish, I hadn't read the first book so that might have been some of the problem but I just wasn't that interested in the characters or the story line. The story line felt contrived and full of mysterious plot holes, it relied a lot on Kitty storming around and making big speeches and promises but then never actually following through, I felt like she was a pretty weak character. The barons loom large but make a brief appearance at the end and don't actually show any real power.

That David turned out to be Della really annoyed me, Haemophilia is a recessive gene and it's carried on the x gene, girls have two (one from each parent) and boys get one (one from their mother) so if Robbie (a male) was a haemophiliac he got it from his mother- Della i.e. he didn't get it from his royal Russian father. It's just annoying, the author clearly did a bit of research but that it's carried on the x gene is pretty basic.

[Elizabeth Hazlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book at random never having heard of the author and thought it would be a pleasant enough read! I prefer medieval/renaissance fiction so wasn't expecting to enjoy a Victorian novel as much as I did. I quickly surmised this was a sequeal to another book which I wish I'd read first but I read between the lines, and this book is excellent. The twists and turns and the page turning thrills are well written. Also the cockney dialect is perfection without being overbearing. I thought I'd guessed the majority of the plot and was dissappointed until the ending-wow! Amazing and sad twist! Kitty Peck is a very likeable character, strong,kind, fierce and the ending is mind-blowing. I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers. Also as former drama and Literature student the descriptions of Victorian theatre is brilliant.

[Brittany Wouters · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Could care less about her brother, and/or his crossdressing: so he likes to dress like his sister, so what...
1.5 He also needs a better taste in friends, ffs.
2. I didn't see the villain coming until the last moment, which was a nice surprise :) Also the whole mystery about the baby was frustrating; no one bothered to adequately prepare Kitty for the burden she was taking on, damn it!
3. I think the Order of St. Bartholomew are going to be a problem in the future...what has Kitty's grandmother tumbled her into?? This is not the world for a kind-hearted 18 year old.
4. Daniel was a flaming idiot; Peggy's better off without his foolish gambling arse.
5. That having been said...what sort of ancient council of British mobmen has Kitty found herself involved with?? GAH.

Looking forward to the next instalment!!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am loving this series. I cannot believe that I now have to wait until July 2017 for the next instalment.

This book is stuffed to the gills intrigue and menace, and is an all together much more gritty and darker book than the first in the series, with Kitty realising what it means to join the Barons and rule over Paradise.

[Alice Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

There were times where my interest was not particularly engaged however these did not last long. I could not put it down when I came to the last 4 chapters and I am so excited to read more. I saw the characters develop and become so 3D and I can't wait to read he next instalment.

[Ben Bergonzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a rather slow exposition of the immense changes to Kitty's life since the first book - she is now a 'Baron' and also drawing ever closer to her elusive brother Joey - the story resolves itself into an exciting conspiracy thriller with vivid and bloody action scenes, sparks of humour, but a very dark ending. Highly recommended.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know when I last hoovered up a series of books so quickly. The Kitty Peck books are the very definition of a page turner; exciting, well-plotted, and made even more enjoyable by authentic historical detail and a glimpse into the seamier side of Victorian London. The narrative voice is that of the central character: the bold, sharp witted Kitty Peck, at once charming, engaging, and convincingly flawed.

I don't want to spoil your fun by giving away anything of the unfolding plot - I'm just going to give five stars and my wholehearted recommendation for the whole series (one more to come, hooray!).

While it's not absolutely essential to read these books in order, I'd strongly recommend that you do.

[Vanessab · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another cracking read. It is darker than the first, but is a real page turner. I love the heroine, her courage and determination, and her flaws. It's a 4.5 star novel. I've ordered the next one!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant world building. You can almost smell the streets of London on every page

[Barbara Monajem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in this series, but be warned, it gets quite dark toward the end. I will definitely go on to read the next installment.

[Brooke, · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters feel more developed this time. I really enjoyed this. The only irritant is the constant “tell truth”. Fewer of those would go along way.

[Helen Pakpahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as first primarily as it fades towards end and meeting of the barons is a bit Dan Brown ridiculous.
Enjoyable overall though and will definitely read on in series.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent series! 4 books is not enough!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the first in the series. This girl is dead unlucky.

[Patrice Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very exciting--3.5 stars.
Can't say that I identified much with any of the characters, & unsure if Kitty will change her environment as much as her environment changes her.

[MS · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 starzz

[Emilie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. I finally gave up at page 112.

[Angela Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well written and I enjoyed the plot and the characters, however the ending was what you would have expected, enjoyed though

[Elaine Maul]

07/12/24: I picked this up from a charity shop as it looked interesting. I've already started reading (and quite a way in!) but can't tell if I should have read the one that comes before it first?
Quite enjoyed this one :)

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this second Kitty Peck story, which takes up from pretty much exactly where the first left off. Kitty is not to be a 'Baron', the owner of not only three theatres but an intimidating portfolio of brothels, wharves, opium dens and the house in Paris where her brother Joey is hiding out. I won't say anything about the plot because it's so twisty turny I don't want to give anything away, but it's a fantastic romp. Witty, dark, stuffed full of ambiance, brilliantly colourful characters and at the heart of it, Kitty herself - oh, and let's not forget Lucca. It's melodrama, it's farce, it's a fantastic read, and it's just really different. I loved it. So why 4 stars and not 5? Well, for me it was a 5, but I couldn't help feeling if you hadn't read the first book you'd not only be missing out on a lot, but you'd be pretty confused about Kitty and her world. So that's my only gripe - and it's a grip on behalf of others, not me. I LOVED it.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Kitty Peck series, and like the first it is a twisty turning mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. There is a lot to enjoy here - the new challenges Kitty must face having inherited her grandmother's position, the mystery surrounding the titular 'Child of ill-fortune' and Kitty's relationships with her friends, family, and particularly Lucca, which continues to develop nicely. However, by the ending I wasn't sure the mystery entirely made sense, and one thing that really irked me was the author's chronic overuse of the phrase 'of an instant' - once you've spotted it twenty times you can't seem to escape it!

Overall this was very enjoyable and fast paced, but probably best enjoyed if you don't think about it too deeply or look too closely.

[Rosie Claverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the cover of Kitty Peck and the Music Hall Murders is gay and bright, so the darker, brooding cover of The Child of Ill Fortune should signal the series' turn into something much more sinister.

Kitty's assent to the role of Baron is marked by mistakes - painful mistakes, each of which haunts her. While there are moments of joy in this book, most of the outlook is bleak. Griffin does an excellent job of fleshing out the work with details and anecdotes, but that does not take away from the darkness.

It is an excellent book, but it is not a happy one. I await the third book with trepidation...