Dangerous Women by Hope Adams

Feb 15, 2021 Debra (having surgery will be back in a few days) rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." - Ephesians 4:28

This book blends fiction and history to tell the story of the Rajah convict ship and its voyage in 1841 taking English female convicts to Tasmania - then Van Diemen's Island.

Here is a list of the real convicts aboard:
https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimac...

One hundred eighty Englishwomen board the Rajah in London, 1841. T ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

After finishing this heartbreaking, moving, thought provoking novel which truly shakes you to the core, only thing on my mind is going to National Gallery of Australia for seeing the giant quilt created by these women hanging on the wall.

The book is created based on true stories of 180 women who were convicted mostly from petty crimes and released from prison to set sailed to Rajah/ Tasmania: a historical vessel for starting a new life. There are also 10 children on the board. And in this ficti ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Blaine DeSantis rated it it was amazing

First time author Hope Adams has a real winner in her debut historical fiction/mystery novel, Dangerous Women. This book is set in 1841 and follows the fates of 180 women who are being transported on the boat, Rajah, from jails in England to Van Diemen’s Land, which is present day Tasmania.
The trip takes 15 weeks and is told through the eyes of 3 or 4 main characters, as they recount the trip, as well as a stabbing assault that takes place upon the boat during this crossing. The book begins wit First time author Hope Adams has a real winner in her debut historical fiction/mystery novel, Dangerous Women. This book is set in 1841 and follows the fates of 180 women who are being transported on the boat, Rajah, from jails in England to Van Diemen’s Land, which is present day Tasmania.
The trip takes 15 weeks and is told through the eyes of 3 or 4 main characters, as they recount the trip, as well as a stabbing assault that takes place upon the boat during this crossing. The book begins with the assault and then chapters go back and forth (titled conveniently as Then or Now), telling tales on how and why some of the ladies got to be part of the prisoner transport, as well as trying to solve the stabbing before arriving at Hobart.
What ties so much of this together is a sewing group that Matron Kezia Hayter establishes from Day One. The group is sewing a quilt that will be presented to the Governor of Van Diemen’s Land upon their arrival, and it is through this group of ladies that the stories unfold. None who are transported are supposed to have been convicted of murder, and yet one of these ladies has slipped through onto the Rajah. We can also sympathize with many of these convicts since their life situations placed them in a position that they had to commit criminal acts just to survive.
In addition to the ladies, the book also follows Matron Hayter, the ship’s captain Charles Ferguson, along with the ships physician and priest. These male characters come to the fore during the investigation as to the stabbing, while the victim lies in a coma. Was the attacker one of the ladies of the sewing group, one of the other convicts, or could it have been one of the sailors?
Throughout the book we get to view Matron Hayter as the rock that all these ladies rely upon, and we see the changes brought about due to the sewing circle and Hayter’s belief in forgiveness and compassion.
But first and foremost this is a compelling mystery, all wrapped around a group of lady convicts who are headed to an unknown future in a land they know nothing about. How could someone get ahold of a knife, what drove that person to the attack, and how can such an incident be solved when every woman on the boat is a convict which can lead to many suspects and also many lies and denials of acts on board.
History plays a main focus in this book, as the author has blended historical characters with a group of fictional ladies. There are dangerous women living in cramped quarters for 15 weeks. Nerves fray, alliances form, and love blooms in this fast paced, well written novel. This is a great page-turner that I finished in two days.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free Advance copy of this book in return for an honest review. This review was first posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
...more

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Feb 05, 2021 Darla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery

The Rajah Quilt. It's mere existence is an enduring witness to the sisterhood that was established on this voyage from England to Van Diemen's Island in 1841. Nearly 200 female convicts are being sent to what is now Tasmania. These were women who had all been convicted of petty theft and other crimes not deemed worthy of capital punishment. A young woman named Kezia Hayter volunteers to be a matron on the ship for free passage. The Rajah Quilt was her vision and it was accomplished. An amazing f ...more

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Mar 09, 2021 Whispering Stories rated it really liked it

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Dangerous Women is a fascinating story that blends a wonderful fictional story based on real historical events. In 1841 the Rajah convict ship set sail from London, UK to Tasmania, Australia, or as it was known back then, Van Diemen’s Land with 180 convicted criminal women onboard.

Whilst on their 105-day long journey some of the women began a sewing group and made a quilt, known as The Rajah Quilt which can be viewed online as it is still on show at The Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

Dangerous Women is a fascinating story that blends a wonderful fictional story based on real historical events. In 1841 the Rajah convict ship set sail from London, UK to Tasmania, Australia, or as it was known back then, Van Diemen’s Land with 180 convicted criminal women onboard.

Whilst on their 105-day long journey some of the women began a sewing group and made a quilt, known as The Rajah Quilt which can be viewed online as it is still on show at The National Gallery of Australia.

Author Hope Adams has blended this real-life story and created a murder mystery in which one of the women shouldn’t have been there as she took the place of another passenger and another of the women, young Hattie, is murdered just over half-way through their journey, stabbed to death, leaving a young son behind.

The book is engrossing as no-one knows who the murderer is and an investigation is set up to try to find them, but everyone starts to suspect one another and new friendships become strained. As well as the mystery I loved the factual aspect of the Rajah, a ship I’d never heard of before. I knew about convicts being sent to Australia but nothing more.

The story began quite slowly and at the beginning, I had to make myself stick with it as I knew that the story would pick up. It is also written in two close-together timelines, ‘Then’ and ‘Now’. Both time periods give you the date, with the ‘Now’ also telling you how many days at sea the ship has been sailing. Plus we get to hear from the different women on the ship, including the Matron, the only female not a convict on board, Kazia Hayter, based on a real person of the same name.

The women and their stories all felt so real, so did their sorrow at leaving loved ones behind, knowing that for some of them they would never see their families again as there was no coming back from Australia. It is a remarkable book that once I had gotten through the first few chapters and worked out who each woman was I became engrossed and mesmerised by each of their stories as well as a need to know why Hattie had been murdered and would there be more killings. ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Martie Nees Record rated it liked it

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery and Thrillers
Publisher: Berkley
Pub. Date: February 16, 2021

Mini-Review

Let me start off by saying the Adams mixes the genres in this one. This is not the best nor the worst historical fiction that I have read. I always enjoy reading historical facts that reads like fiction, which you will find in this novel. The author takes us back to the year 1841. The story revolves around a true historical event. Approximately, 200 English women, who have been convicted for m ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Eva K (journeyofthepages) rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, ebook

Dangerous Women by Hope Adams started out so strong and I was initially gripped by the story! But the middle 60% of this book was too long, slow, scenically dark, one dimensional and frankly, boring. This is a classic "who-done-it" murder mystery but the scene and characters, while they are quite unique, were one dimensional. This story takes place during a 100+ day voyage aboard the Rajah, a massive prisoner transport ship traveling from the UK and Australia. The scenes are dark and drab while ...more

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Jan 09, 2021 Rebecca Rowlands rated it it was amazing

YESSS. I love a well researched historical fiction so this was a massive hit for me. I knew nothing of the Rajah quilt before this book and have been thoroughly entranced by the story of it - I cant wait to do my own research into it now!

The story itself is a great page turner, I felt that it moved at a really nice pace and the fictional aspect of the plot was exciting and a great murder mystery that kept me guessing throughout. A real joy to read. 5/5.

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Feb 06, 2021 Jan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, historical-fiction

Bad girls at sea. Dangerous women is fiction based on fact. Set on a convict ship, the Rajah, transporting women convicts from the UK to Australia.
The author creates a claustrophobic feel of being imprisoned on a ship with hundreds of women, and with so many characters I found it extremely hard to tell them apart, even though she narrows it down to a group of fewer than 20 women, who form a sewing group to create a patchwork quilt to teach them sewing skills and to while away their time on the ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Dangerous Women by Hope Adams is an excellent historical fiction that delves into the real-life transport of 180 women that were convicted of an array of crimes from England to, what is now called, Tasmania aboard The Rajah in 1841.

I knew of the transport of female citizens from England to Australia/NZ/Tasmania from prior books and research, but I had not specifically read anything about The Rajah. I found it fascinating to read about some of the actual individuals that traveled on the ship, as ...more

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Dec 31, 2020 Louise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Two hundred women convicts on a ship bound for the other side of the world,and one of them is a murderer.
Biggest locked room mystery ever it seemed,until the cast of suspects was narrowed down considerably.
I really enjoyed this book,,and the fact it was based on mostly a true story. (I've googled and looked at the quilt)

Told over two timelines,the then and now,helps us get to know the characters better.
It was so refreshing not to have 101 plot twists,just a straight forward who dunnit.
The most l ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 Cathy Ryan rated it really liked it

4.5*
Based on the very real 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah and including several historical characters, Dangerous Women is the story of a group of women, convicted mostly of petty crimes, being transported to Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen’s Land. The chapters alternate between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving insights into the women’s individual situations, how and why they found themselves being deported. Many had been forced into petty thievery by controlling husbands or fathers. Others stol 4.5*
Based on the very real 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah and including several historical characters, Dangerous Women is the story of a group of women, convicted mostly of petty crimes, being transported to Tasmania, then known as Van Diemen’s Land. The chapters alternate between ‘then’ and ‘now’ giving insights into the women’s individual situations, how and why they found themselves being deported. Many had been forced into petty thievery by controlling husbands or fathers. Others stole just in order to survive.

A long sea voyage stretches ahead, and as the ship leaves land behind a young mother is fatally stabbed. All the women come under suspicion, along with the ship’s company, and one had a secret she would keep at all costs. The investigation into the stabbing is conducted by Captain Ferguson, the minister, ship’s surgeon and Kezia. Everyone is on edge with the thought of a murderer aboard, especially as none of the women were convicted of that particular crime and, of course, there’s nowhere to run.

The women began to form tentative friendships, several brought closer together as they joined the sewing group organised by Kezia Hayter, one of a group promoting the reformation of female prisoners, who has volunteered to look after the women during the voyage. Armed with a bag full of donated scraps of material Kezia persuades a number of the women to help with the creation of a quilt, with the hope of giving the women a sense of purpose and pride in their work. The end result would be gifted to the governors when they arrived at their destination.

Dangerous Women is a wonderfully fascinating representation of an historical event I knew nothing about. The punishment and treatment the women suffered for the crimes they committed was very harsh, tearing them away from families and everything familiar to send them halfway across the world, into the unknown.

The dialogue is realistic, in keeping with the characters and their situations, and the interaction between the women is just what you would expect, with squabbles and frayed tempers, as well as humorous moments. Chapters from several viewpoints work well and help to flesh out the characters.

Hope Adams has produced an impressive, extremely well written and researched debut, compelling not only because of the truth of the story but also the vivid imagery of the setting.

The Rajah Quilt is now on display in the National Gallery of Australia and the author states she has changed the names of certain convicts because descendants of the real women still live in Australia. ...more

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Feb 28, 2021 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it

London, 1841: One Hundred and eighty English women file aboard the Rajah, embarking on a three month voyage to the other side of the world. They're daughters, sisters, mothers -- and convicts. Transported for petty crimes. Except one of them has a deadly secret, and will do anything for justice. As the Rajah sails further from land, the women forgr tenuous kinship. Until, a young mother is mortally wounded, and the hunt is on for the assailant before he or she strikes again.

There's a dew true H ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 SharleneH rated it really liked it

Dangerous women-Hope Adams
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Nearly two hundred condemned women on board a sailing ship bound for Australia. A novel based on the 1841 voyage of the convict ship Rajah, a novel about hope during confinement, about a murder and the terrible things we will do to survive.
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What a wonderful debut Adams has written! A historical fiction, murder mystery that is both thought provoking, heartbreaking and felt so real. The fates of these women were out of their control and they are flawed, tired, struggli ...more

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Dec 16, 2020 4cats rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In 1841 The Rajah sailing ship was tasked with transporting 180 female convicts from London to Hobart in Tasmania. The Master of the Rajah was Charles Ferguson, the ships surgeon was James Donovan and along with the 180 women there were 10 children and Kezia Hayter who had been sent out to Australia by prison reformer Elizabeth Fry to look after the convicts. One of her duties was to supervise a group of women in the task of creating a patchwork quilt which would become the Rajah quilt.

Hope Adam ...more

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Mar 05, 2021 Bookphenomena (Micky) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: death, grief, lgbtq-characters, 2021-read, all-at-sea, historical, thriller, 2021-march

Headlines:
Suspense on the seas
Desperation
Emotive
Gritty themes

The cover of this book swept me away initally, followed by the synopsis. Reading the book totally lived up to my hopes and expectations. I would categorise this as a historical suspense. Its strengths partially lie in the fact that this story context is reality, the voyage of convicts being transported and occupying themselves by making a quilt. The other strength was the execution, the writing that transported me along with the passen Headlines:
Suspense on the seas
Desperation
Emotive
Gritty themes

The cover of this book swept me away initally, followed by the synopsis. Reading the book totally lived up to my hopes and expectations. I would categorise this as a historical suspense. Its strengths partially lie in the fact that this story context is reality, the voyage of convicts being transported and occupying themselves by making a quilt. The other strength was the execution, the writing that transported me along with the passengers of the ship.

The story was told from the POV of the ship’s ‘matron’ Kezia, a 23 year old women of respectable background, there to oversee the female convicts on their way to Van Dieman’s Land (Tasmania). There were other POVs of some of the prominent convict characters. There was a stabbing some weeks into the journey (this is the the blurb, no spoiler here) and much of the story I spent speculating and getting it wrong.

This was very much a women’s book, about women, for women, understanding women of that era However, these women were ever at the mercy of men and it wasn’t set in a time where women were empowered so I wouldn’t necessarily call this a feminist read. However Kezia did have her moments of assertion among the leading men of the ship.

This was a compelling tale, with twists and turns. Ship life had all the smells, hardship and difficulty you might imagine but the description enhanced your sense of these womens’ existence. I would have loved an epilogue of what happened to these women after they got to their destination. I wanted to know if they really got their new chance.

We’re many small pieces, each of us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls.

If you love historical reads and/or if you love suspenseful reads, Dangerous Women will not disappoint. There are triggers in here for some and please check out other reviews or message me if you want details.

Thank you to Michael Joseph Books for the review copy.

Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog. ...more

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Feb 28, 2021 Jules rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Based on a real life voyage, Dangerous Women tells the story of a group of women who come together to stitch a coverlet (quilt) whilst they are away at sea for 105 days. The women are all convicts who are taken away from their homes & families as a punishment, to start a new life in Hobart. Despite their initial differences, the women come together for this project they have been tasked with, but along the journey there are some heartbreaking moments that they must overcome.

A story of confineme ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Vikki Patis rated it really liked it

Dangerous Women is an excellent example of female-led historical fiction. Based on a true story, it depicts the lives of almost 200 women sentenced to transportation to Tazmania, and the coverlet they created during the crossing under the guidance of Kezia Hayter. Though they lived in a world governed by men, these women, their lives and motivations are in the very centre of this story, accompanied by a fictional murder.

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Oct 02, 2020 Bonnye Reed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aread-2021, arts-and-crafts, historical-british, netgalley, kindle-or-pdf, historical-australian, australian, mystery-australia

I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Hope Adams, and Berkley Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Dangerous Women of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Hope Adams writes a tight tale with compassion and heart. She is an author I will follow.

This voyage of the Rajah, carrying 180+ women prisoners from London to Van Diemen's Land, also known as Hobart's Island (also known as Tasmania) in the Aust I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Hope Adams, and Berkley Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Dangerous Women of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Hope Adams writes a tight tale with compassion and heart. She is an author I will follow.

This voyage of the Rajah, carrying 180+ women prisoners from London to Van Diemen's Land, also known as Hobart's Island (also known as Tasmania) in the Australian Islands, lasted but 105 days, from April 5, 1841, to July 19, 1841. Hope Adams give us those days, packed with details that color our world for the duration. The intersection of the worlds of the prisoners, their support matron, the ship's doctor, and minister, and the crew of the Rajah, the various ladies' attempts to move from life as a prisoner to a place of hope and growth are impressively presented. And the mystery is not obvious, even unto the end. This story is told in a back-and-forth pattern easily followed - chapters are labeled 'Then' and 'Now' for our convenience, Then being before the murder, Now being after. Each chapter is also from the perspective of one of the prisoners or their matron, Kezia Bertie, again named in the chapter heading and clearly outlining the personality and growing independence of these ladies. I am not always a fan of this type of delivery, but it works well in this tale.

Fiction based on historical fact is one of my favorite genres and extensive facts and sources are shared with us at the books ending. Hope Adams also shares with us the websites that feature the Rajah Quilt, the project designed by Kezia to bring these women together with one focus and perhaps a craft they can pursue once in Hobart. And there is such a quilt, displayed now at the National Gallery of Australia. Wikipedia has an excellent photo and details of this crossing as well.

It is hard to believe this is a debut novel. I can't wait for Hope Adams's next work!

pub date Feb 16, 2021
Berkley Publishing
Reviewed at Goodreads and Netgalley on February 6, 2021. Reviewed on February 16, 2021, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, Kobo, and GooglePlay. ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Vikki Patis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Dangerous Women is an excellent example of female-led historical fiction. Based on a true story, it depicts the lives of almost 200 women sentenced to transportation to Tazmania, and the coverlet they created during the crossing under the guidance of Kezia Hayter. Though they lived in a world governed by men, these women, their lives and motivations are in the very centre of this story, accompanied by a fictional murder.

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Jan 04, 2021 Connie rated it really liked it

1841, the Rajah - a sailing ship - is transporting 180 female convicts from England to Van Diemans land, now known as Tasmania.
On board is a young woman called Kezia Hayter. Kezia is the matron charged with the care and improvement of the prisoners and is tasked with teaching the women the art of sewing in the hopes that the making of a quilt will provide a means of employment on the long journey.
As the ship sails away we see friendships blossom between the women, and one lady has a dark secret ...more

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Feb 13, 2021 SiSi O'Driscoll rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

'That's what we too are like us women. We're a patchwork...Here are friends and enemies. We've turned ourselves into something. We're many small pieces, each pf us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls.'

A huge thank you to Penguin Books and Michael Joseph Books for sending me a copy of this. As soon as I read the description, I had to start reading it straight away!

Historical fiction has fast become one of my favourite genres in the last year. I was never a huge nonfiction f 'That's what we too are like us women. We're a patchwork...Here are friends and enemies. We've turned ourselves into something. We're many small pieces, each pf us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls.'

A huge thank you to Penguin Books and Michael Joseph Books for sending me a copy of this. As soon as I read the description, I had to start reading it straight away!

Historical fiction has fast become one of my favourite genres in the last year. I was never a huge nonfiction fan but I find historical fiction is the perfect mix of nonfiction and fiction. You are gaining knowledge from a period that happened in our history but the story is told in a way that doesn't feel like you're in a history or politics lesson. Storytelling is really at the heart of these stories and you finish it relishing in the fact that you got to experience a piece of history that you may never have appreciated or given much thought to before.

Upon reading the description of the book, you assume that the story will focus on the murder but you quickly learn that there is a lot more to this story. Of course, the crime does shape much of the story but Adams also gives us an eye opening account of what these women lived through and how they were forced to act in ways that resulted in them being on the Rajah. We experience this long sea adventure with them and get to know some of the characters on a deep level as they draw nearer to their end destination. And the crime itself serves as a great way for the reader to uncover certain secrets that many of the women never want to see the light.

Dangerous Women is the emotional and captivating story of what it meant to be a woman in the 1840s and you can find similarities to how many women face similar trials and tribulations today. Adams does an amazing job of depicting how difficult life was back then for everyone. However, I like how she shines a light on women and their untold, but equally important, stories. There is a great sense of friendship and comradery that develops between many of these women and you, the reader, feel like you have been welcomed into this group of brave and unfortunate souls.

Throughout the book, there is very little focus put on male characters. Apart from necessary interactions with the Captain, the doctor and clergyman, there is very little mention of other men. We learn the names of 2 other members of the crew but apart from that, Adams gives her full attention to spotlighting the 180 women on this ship and their journey. We get to hear their stories, learn about their sorrows and their hopes for redemption on the other side of the world.

I loved the idea of the coverlet and I googled what it looked like and it's so beautiful! It's amazing how these women managed to create something like that on a perilous journey from England to Australia. I would love to see it in real life!

One thing I did find was that it was hard to differentiate some of the characters. The main few you got to know very well but the rest seemed very similar in personality and also had very similar names (like Rose, Ruth, Beth, Becky) which made it hard to tell them apart. That's the only real flaw that I can pick at however, the writing and pace is excellent and I couldn't put it down. I didn't guess who the killer was, so that was a nice surprise at the end! Sometimes it's so easy to see through the clues early on and have guessed who the culprit was but I didn't have this person in mind.

If you're into historical fiction, then this is definitely worth a read. The writing is lovely and atmospheric and it's an amazing story that gives you an insight into what so many women experienced and how they survived it. The book is coming out on 4th March 2021, so keep an eye out! ...more

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Feb 28, 2021 Cathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reading-challenge, advance-review-copy, historical-fiction, publisher-review-copies

I first heard about this book at Henley Literary Festival in 2019 when it was one of the debut novels featured at the Michael Joseph Proof Party, alongside Stephanie Wrobel’s The Recovery of Rose Gold (which I’ve since read and reviewed). At the time, Dangerous Women was due to be published in 2020 under the title Conviction. For various reasons, publication was delayed but the plot of Dangerous Women is largely unchanged from that which the author described at the time. Indeed the passage from I first heard about this book at Henley Literary Festival in 2019 when it was one of the debut novels featured at the Michael Joseph Proof Party, alongside Stephanie Wrobel’s The Recovery of Rose Gold (which I’ve since read and reviewed). At the time, Dangerous Women was due to be published in 2020 under the title Conviction. For various reasons, publication was delayed but the plot of Dangerous Women is largely unchanged from that which the author described at the time. Indeed the passage from the book which Hope read at the event can be found in the final version.

Dangerous Women is inspired by the real life voyage of the Rajah from London to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in 1841 during which many of the women prisoners, as in the book, worked on the embroidery of an elaborate quilt – now held in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia.

Although technically sentenced to transportation for a set number of years, for many of the women aboard the Rajah, it will be the last time they see England, leading to heartbreaking scenes as the ship departs. “The ones who have children will yearn for them. The ones who have living parents will fear their deaths, their sicknesses, and being unable to help them.” But it’s not the same for all the women. For Kezia Hayter, who her whole life has felt underappreciated by her mother compared to her sister Henrietta, it’s a chance to forge an independent path in life. Her appointment as Matron on the voyage is also an opportunity to contribute to a cause about which she feels strongly: the welfare and rehabilitation of female prisoners. From the outset Kezia feels sympathy for and a sense of responsibility towards those in her charge, coming to think of them as her women. She goes out of her way to encourage them and to defend them where necessary.

The convicts are perhaps fortunate in that both the captain of the Rajah, Charles Ferguson, and the ship’s surgeon, Mr. Donovan, hold relatively enlightened views. Like Kezia, they are prepared to recognise that circumstances – poverty, abuse, coercion – may have led the women to commit the crimes they have. Clergyman Mr. Davies, on the other hand, subscribes to the less generous view that the cause of the women’s crimes is sinfulness.

For the women chosen by Kezia to work on the patchwork quilt she has designed, it’s not only a means of learning a skill that may benefit them in their new lives but a chance to leave the confines of below decks where the other less fortunate convicts spend their days. It also becomes a shared endeavour. Despite their different backgrounds and life experiences, by the end of the voyage they have become, as the author so imaginatively describes it, “a patchwork of souls”.

Although we’re told the Rajah is transporting one hundred and eighty women, for narrative reasons the reader only really gets to know the eighteen women chosen by Kezia to work on the quilt, and even then only to varying degrees. The plight of the remaining women and the cramped and claustrophobic conditions that must have existed below deck remain largely in the background, except for a vivid scene in which the Rajah encounters a storm. However, within the circle of women working on the quilt, the reader gets to see friendships formed and severed, stories shared and secrets revealed.

A vivid account of an epic voyage, Dangerous Women is also a cleverly constructed “locked room” mystery. As well as trying to work out who might have carried out the vicious attack that takes place early on in the voyage, I enjoyed looking out for clues to the identity of the individual onboard who is not entirely what they seem. To be truthful, the answer to the latter was revealed a little earlier than I expected but that still leaves plenty of dramatic events to unfold. There are revelations that bring redemption for some and unexpected possibilities for others. ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Hayley rated it really liked it

Thank you to Hanifa Frederick at Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡 by Hope Adams
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𝐎𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲... 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?
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I highly enjoyed Dangerous Women. Although it is clearly Historical Fiction, it felt like it spanned multiple genres with the story aboard The Rajah being a Classic Murder Mystery but with a feminist twist.
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𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤, 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨'𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐫 ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Val Robson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I’m in two minds about this book. I chose to read it as I thought it was going to be historical fiction but it is actually more mystery fiction. The book is set aboard HMS Rajah from April-July 1841 during a voyage from Woolwich, London to Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) transporting 180 women convicts as their punishment for petty crimes. Back in 1816 Elizabeth Fry, a famous prison reformer, had set up a Quaker group ‘British Ladies Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners’. This group I’m in two minds about this book. I chose to read it as I thought it was going to be historical fiction but it is actually more mystery fiction. The book is set aboard HMS Rajah from April-July 1841 during a voyage from Woolwich, London to Van Dieman’s Land (now Tasmania) transporting 180 women convicts as their punishment for petty crimes. Back in 1816 Elizabeth Fry, a famous prison reformer, had set up a Quaker group ‘British Ladies Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners’. This group donated sewing supplies to every woman on the ship in an effort to give them something positive to focus on and to encourage friendships by working communally. By the end of the voyage the woman had completed a large quilt [which is now on display in the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra]. The only female on board the ship who was not a convict was Miss Kezia Hayter who has embarked on the voyage on behalf of the British Ladies Society. She was the one who came up with the idea of the quilt and organised its creation from start to finish..

The voyage, British Ladies Society and Kezia Hayter are all based on historical fact but the book soon becomes a ‘whodunit’ as one of the women convicts is attacked. The captain, ship's surgeon, chaplain and Kezia seek to find the person who did this, presumed to be one of the women convicts. I didn’t find this aspect of the story so interesting as I was expecting to learn more about the creation of the quilt and how it was bringing the women together after their previous tragic lives, often through no fault of their own. Instead the plot moved into a long section of questioning many women about the attack which soon got dull as they all said the same.

The best sections were the women chatting to one another as they sewed and generally survived in very cramped quarters onboard the Rajah. We learned about the pitiful circumstances that forced most to commit a crime and also about their embryonic friendships and acts of kindness towards one another during the voyage. The relationship between the four main professionals onboard - captain, surgeon, chaplain and Kezia - was also interesting as Kezia's voice was often consciously and subconsciously ignored due to being a woman.

The ending was a little rushed. I would have liked it to continue on to the lives of the women once in Australia. I'd certainly read a a follow up book if ever that was written by Hope Adams..

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 21, 2021 Chantelle Hazelden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you to Netgalley and Michael J Books for my copy.

I liked this story from the get go, being about women it felt as though it had a certain power behind it.

This is a book that blends history with fiction, bringing us a moving and thought provoking tale of love, betrayal and danger.

Set in 1841, we follow the fates of 180+ convicted women who are being transported on the boat, Rajah, from their jail cells in England to Van Diemen’s Land, which is present day Tasmania, in the hopes of beginning ...more

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Dec 23, 2020 Lucy-May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, owned, mystery, netgalley, reviewers-copies, adult

Rating: 4.5

It’s been a while since I read a historical mystery & I really, really enjoyed this one. I requested the book as I loved the concept of the ship/journey & I was excited to learn a bit more about this (not so nice) part of British history... in the end though, it was the mystery that really kept me interested - the “who done it” approach taken in the book was fantastic; I loved having chapters from the perspective of the most likely suspect, whilst still not actually knowing who she wa ...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Sarah Hudson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a fabulous example of historical fiction meeting a locked-room whodunit! This intriguing tale is based in 1841, aboard the real-life transportation ship the “Rajah” and follows the journey of the crew, the matron and c. 180 female convicts leaving London and heading to Australia. The events that unfold, such as the blossoming romance between the captain and Kezia, our protagonist who is assigned to oversee and care for the women aboard, and the creation of a hand-crafted coverlet by Kezi ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Kelly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

A fantastic concept, perfectly executed. This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction: it centres around a real historical artefact, known now as the ‘rajah quilt’, which was made by women aboard a convict ship bound for Tasmania, where they were being transported for petty crimes. This quilt was lost into obscurity for a long time, so it seems a lovely idea to shed more light on it now with a fictional story which it has inspired. While the ship, the quilt, and a few of the characters are al ...more

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Feb 15, 2021 Catalina rated it it was ok · review of another edition

The historical events behind this book sound quite interesting. Plus the cover is gorgeous!! But I am afraid I've found the story told in Dangerous Women boring. Ups :p

Dangerous women is primarily the story of Kezia Hayter: a genteel women involved with the Ladies Committee and their role in improving prison conditions for women. Kezia is portrayed in her many roles: as a matron - helping the convict women learn a useful skill and to bond in a hard situation: being transported to Tasmania; bein ...more

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