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BOOK TOUR STOP x RANDOM THINGS TOURS: The Betrayal of Thomas True by AJ West


It is the year 1710, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's silent guard. When the queen of all 'he-harlots', Mother Clap, confides in him about a deadly threat, he realises his friends are facing imminent execution.

To the horror of all mollies, there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices, hell-bent on punishing sinners with the noose.

Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before it's too late? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own impossible love?

Oh Mr West I have been waiting impatiently for you to grace my bookshelves again and it was so worth the wait.

Thomas True is an enthralling, gothic and beautifully dark tale that transports us to the old days in London, showing us the hidden underbelly of the Molly Houses where queer people celebrated, mourned and existed together from the shadows. Set some hundred years before James Pratt and John Smith became the last people to be executed in the UK for falling in love with a man, this book transported me back to the years gone by in such vivid and richly descriptive ways that I could feel the cobblestones underfoot.

The prose was lyrical, poetic - almost spell-like in the way it seduces and invokes both a sense of glittering decadence and crushing despair. It brings old English speech styles in a way that’s so easy to follow and short chapters that keep an electric, exciting pace jumping between places and people without getting lost. From the first line creates a sense of wonder and anxiety, giving a magical spark to even the most mundane of moments.

Each voice was so distinct even with a third-person narration style, our cast taking the time to meander curiously through their thoughts, take in the surroundings and really let us into their thoughts. I fell in love with Thomas; a young boy, almost naively hopeful, full of goodness and love in a world of darkness and loss and desperately wanted his story to be a good one as he finds himself amongst a world of murder, mollies and magic.

A devastating tale of mystery, love and betrayal that is entirely broke my heart into countless pieces and made me curse AJ’s name multiple times for making me feel things. Absolutely stunning.

“Whoever you love, whoever you are, we will always be righteous … always be free and always together.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

You can still catch Thomas True on tour: 


I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title - thank you to Anne at RTT and the Orenda Books team for inviting me to take part in this tour. 


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