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The Peacock Room
by
literary obsession.
An angry young man with a gun.
And one woman trying to foil his deadly plan.
When Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English literature, she’s hoping for a quiet life after the trauma and loss of her recent past. But trouble knows where to find her.
There’s something wrong with her new students. Their unhappiness seems to be linked to their flambo ...more
An angry young man with a gun.
And one woman trying to foil his deadly plan.
When Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English literature, she’s hoping for a quiet life after the trauma and loss of her recent past. But trouble knows where to find her.
There’s something wrong with her new students. Their unhappiness seems to be linked to their flambo ...more
ebook
Published
October 2020
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I was very excited to be invited to be part of the blog tour for The Peacock Room, Anna Sayburn Lane’s follow up to 2018’s Unlawful Things. The first Helen Oddfellow mystery was a surprising hit for me – one of those books that you know you’ll enjoy but don’t expect to like quite as much as you do!
There’s always a worry when you’ve been anticipating a book that the reality won’t live up to the expectation. Fortunately The Peacock Room is a more than worthy successor to Unlawful Things, offering ...more
There’s always a worry when you’ve been anticipating a book that the reality won’t live up to the expectation. Fortunately The Peacock Room is a more than worthy successor to Unlawful Things, offering ...more

Title: The Peacock Room
Author: Anna Sayburn Lane
Rating: 3/5
A huge thank you to Anna Sayburn Lane and Random Things Tours for letting me be part of the blog tour!
Synopsis:
Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English Literature, all she wants is to get on with her life and job as peacefully as possible after a rough past, however trouble seems to follow Helen even when she isn’t looking for it. There is something off with her students, most of them seem moody or unhappy and the reasons fo ...more

Literature can be a dangerous thing, at least in the life of English literature lecturer Helen Oddfellow in this, her second literary appearance. In this exciting and tense novel with much to say about the exploitation of young women, William Blake’s poetry and illustrations provide the inspiration for much of the action. Not that this is a dry book of literary history; this is a contemporary thriller which goes further than “woman in peril” and maintains a fierce pace. The settings, in a univer
...more

I am on still on an aderaline high after reading this book and its been two whole days of reading this book. The setup, the secrets of the past and the description of the city London.
The book starts on an unknown harbor where a homeless man runs away on hearing the sound of a gun being shot. This is the opening that then transcends into the new world of Helen Oddfellow who has to cooperate with the officials of the university she is going to work in.
Then she runs into her old journalist friend ...more
The book starts on an unknown harbor where a homeless man runs away on hearing the sound of a gun being shot. This is the opening that then transcends into the new world of Helen Oddfellow who has to cooperate with the officials of the university she is going to work in.
Then she runs into her old journalist friend ...more

Some books are more difficult to make reviews than others, not because I don’t like them but because it’s quite tricky not to spoil too much information of the plot.
This is a mystery book, with a complex plot with multiple characters involved in the story, the main character Helen Oddfellow, is starting a new job as a lecturer in English literature, but if you are not aware, the University jobs are not as “placid” as you can imagine. She will have to take the teaching class of one of the stars o ...more
This is a mystery book, with a complex plot with multiple characters involved in the story, the main character Helen Oddfellow, is starting a new job as a lecturer in English literature, but if you are not aware, the University jobs are not as “placid” as you can imagine. She will have to take the teaching class of one of the stars o ...more

This is the second book in the Helen Oddfellow Mystery series, both can be read as standalone novels. This time Helen is drawn into a disturbing world where fantasy and art collide.
Her allegedly firm career foundations are being jostled in favour of a colleague who is more accomplished, but is there more to the man than meets the eye. Is he just playing a role and secretly harbouring resentment and cruel thoughts. Thoughts and fantasies he has found a place to live out with like minded creature ...more
Her allegedly firm career foundations are being jostled in favour of a colleague who is more accomplished, but is there more to the man than meets the eye. Is he just playing a role and secretly harbouring resentment and cruel thoughts. Thoughts and fantasies he has found a place to live out with like minded creature ...more

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars! Thanks to Random Tours & the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
A literary obsession.An angry young man with a gun.And one woman trying to foil his deadly plan.When Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English literature, she’s hoping for a quiet life. But trouble knows where to find her.There’s something wrong with her new students. Their unhappiness seems to be linked to their flamboyant former tutor, Professor Petrarch ...more
Synopsis:
A literary obsession.An angry young man with a gun.And one woman trying to foil his deadly plan.When Helen Oddfellow starts work as a lecturer in English literature, she’s hoping for a quiet life. But trouble knows where to find her.There’s something wrong with her new students. Their unhappiness seems to be linked to their flamboyant former tutor, Professor Petrarch ...more

I do love a literary mystery and one which involves William Blake and Christina Rossetti adds the icing to the cake as far as I am concerned. The Peacock Room seems to tick all my boxes, with the added interest of female academics and University politics thrown in. This is a novel with several layers. Helen has her own insecurities in her work at the University but has a feeling of responsibility towards her students. The students seem naive and vulnerable, such a contrast to the flamboyant Prof
...more

Thanks to Anna and Random things for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
When I first read the synopsis I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but you could tell that the book was going to be full of action. I didn’t think it would be as full as it actually turned out to be though.
It did take me a little while to get into the book and the story took a few chapters to really pull off. I really liked the character of Helen and feel that she’s got plenty more adventures yet! She’s determined t ...more
When I first read the synopsis I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but you could tell that the book was going to be full of action. I didn’t think it would be as full as it actually turned out to be though.
It did take me a little while to get into the book and the story took a few chapters to really pull off. I really liked the character of Helen and feel that she’s got plenty more adventures yet! She’s determined t ...more

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I’d never heard of the author before so didn’t know what to expect. The blurb sounded intriguing and I’m a fan of William Blake. I loved this book. It’s was a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I’ve read a murder mystery set in the literary world before so it was refreshingly different. I loved the setting and the characters, brilliantly written and brought to vivid life. I loved the author’s use of literary illusions and imagery, especially of William Bla ...more
I’d never heard of the author before so didn’t know what to expect. The blurb sounded intriguing and I’m a fan of William Blake. I loved this book. It’s was a breath of fresh air. I don’t think I’ve read a murder mystery set in the literary world before so it was refreshingly different. I loved the setting and the characters, brilliantly written and brought to vivid life. I loved the author’s use of literary illusions and imagery, especially of William Bla ...more

#2 in the Helen Oddfellow mystery series, but can also be read as a stand-alone.
Here, Helen Oddfellow is asked to take over a class who are studying the romantic poets. This is not her usual area of expertise, but she is soon drawn into the world of William Blake. When some dark art surfaces, all using Blake’s imagery things take a dark and dangerous turn for Helen.
Can Helen stop a planned massacre?
This is a clever, slow burn of a thriller that builds the tension gradually up to a nail biting en ...more
Here, Helen Oddfellow is asked to take over a class who are studying the romantic poets. This is not her usual area of expertise, but she is soon drawn into the world of William Blake. When some dark art surfaces, all using Blake’s imagery things take a dark and dangerous turn for Helen.
Can Helen stop a planned massacre?
This is a clever, slow burn of a thriller that builds the tension gradually up to a nail biting en ...more

A second outing for Helen Oddfellow, now an English lecturer at a fictionalised Central London university. A pacy thriller centred on the works of William Blake. A very enjoyable and tense page-turner. Once again, the author’s experience as a journalist and her threading of the story with convincing contemporary issues (this time including #meToo, extremism and the Dark Web) as well as smart, but accessible, literary references and historical sources make this a satisfying, relevant and well-inf
...more

A great blend of modern day thriller and historical mystery. I loved how this book had me engrossed in both the main thriller element of the book and equally, on the story surrounding the artists and writer William Blake.
This is the second book in the Helen Oddfellow series, but can be read as a standalone novel.
Helen is a junior lecturer of English Lit at a university in London. Her topic of expertise is sixteenth century playhouse, so when she is told, by her boss, that she is going to have t ...more
This is the second book in the Helen Oddfellow series, but can be read as a standalone novel.
Helen is a junior lecturer of English Lit at a university in London. Her topic of expertise is sixteenth century playhouse, so when she is told, by her boss, that she is going to have t ...more

I loved this - and I read a LOT of novels I don't usually rate. Compelling characters, great plot, enough to leave me wanting more...I'm waiting for the next one now!
...more
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