Ace, King, Knave
Sophia, a soon-to-be-married young Georgian heiress, and Betsy-Ann, a dealer in stolen goods and former whore, lead such different lives it seems impossible they should have anything in common. Sophia, from Somerset, is engaged to the handsome and charming Mr. Zedland while Betsy-Ann lives in a down-at-heel London district with Harry Shiner, a maimed card sharp whose injuries have forced him to turn to grave robbing in order to make a living.
Arriving in London, Sophia finds that married life may not quite be the romantic idyll she always dreamed about. After all, how well does any woman know her husband? Their arrival also sparks a crisis in Betsy-Ann’s life that brings back painful memories of loss and betrayal and sets in motion events that sees both women caught up in a world of gambling, whores and lies as they seek to discover the truth behind their men.
Maria McCann’s commendable novel brings to life the seedier side of Georgian London. Ranging in topics from prostitution to card sharks to resurrection men, the book has two strong, contrasting female leads with very different experiences of life and knowledge of the city. Intelligently written and by turns savage, sad and occasionally rather funny, the author’s colourful use of language and believable characters carry the reader easily through its near five-hundred pages to a conclusion that is neither trite nor sentimental.
