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Black Lily
In late seventeenth century London, two women, one white, one black, stake everything to prevent a manipulative mogul from destroying them. Zenobia, born into poverty, grasps that her only hope of controlling her own life is to capitalize on her looks; Lily, brought to London on a sugar and slave ship as a "toy," educated alongside her mistress but used by her master, lives as a kept woman.
As their story weaves and folds through a murky and merciless London, both find themselves pitted against a ruthless man the world knows as John Crace. London's rich but festering possibilities as a rapidly changing multinational city are breathtakingly painted, and pungent milieux ranging from plague pits to prisons to pastry kitchens—and Pickled Herring Stairs—are vividly brought to life.
As their story weaves and folds through a murky and merciless London, both find themselves pitted against a ruthless man the world knows as John Crace. London's rich but festering possibilities as a rapidly changing multinational city are breathtakingly painted, and pungent milieux ranging from plague pits to prisons to pastry kitchens—and Pickled Herring Stairs—are vividly brought to life.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2018
1 person is currently reading
1312 people want to read
About the author
Philippa Stockley
12 books19 followersPhilippa Stockley is a novelist, author, award-winning journalist, reviewer, painter and designer. She took a scholarship to Oxford (English) then to the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, studying art-historical clothing history, with an 18th century speciality. Following her debut novel, The Edge of Pleasure, her previous novel, Murderous Liaisons, first published as A Factory of Cunning, is an epistolary sequel to Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Her new novel Black Lily, a fast, suspense-filled 17th century story set in London, full of murky characters and pungent settings. Due out with Pimpernel Press on September 6: http://www.pimpernelpress.com/ Stockley lives in London and is completing an interiors book on old London houses for 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 12, 2018
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Meh, it was ok. If you want a longer and much more detailed review, you can check my blog in a few weeks, once HNS posts their official review of it. My blog reviews are more detailed than what I can send to them anyway.
Meh, it was ok. If you want a longer and much more detailed review, you can check my blog in a few weeks, once HNS posts their official review of it. My blog reviews are more detailed than what I can send to them anyway.
September 26, 2019
Omg! I love Philippa Stockley! I wish she wrote more but man, the plots she comes up with are so delicious! Thank you so much! I hope you are working on another one!
July 5, 2019
FYI: I won this book on goodreads.com.
I enjoyed reading this book, but found the jumping around in time slightly confusing. I am not sure why it was written this way. There was plenty of deceit and romance to keep me interested. Nice summer read.
I enjoyed reading this book, but found the jumping around in time slightly confusing. I am not sure why it was written this way. There was plenty of deceit and romance to keep me interested. Nice summer read.
February 13, 2019
Really enjoyed the intertwined storylines. It definitely kept me interested.
December 2, 2020
Loved this book. The writing is really good and would recommend
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews