Imogen Hermes Gowar
2018
4/5 stars
When the captain of one of Jonah Hancock's ship returns bearing the skeleton of a mermaid, Hancock is catapulted into fame, with all classes being eager to view his treasure. A famous madam arranges a lavish party at her brothel to feature the mermaid, and while there, Hancock meets a well-known courtesan, Angelica Neal, just returning to society after the death of her patron. The lives of Mr. Hancock and Mrs. Neal become entwined due to the mermaid, leading them to an interesting future, which may be blighted by the power of a mermaid's curse.
This is an amazingly well-written novel, filled with details about the Georgian age, believable characters, and a hauntingly engaging plot. It is witty, interesting, intelligent, and engrossing.
The reason for four stars instead of five, however, is the addition of the story of Polly, a black teenager, training to be a high-class prostitute. Her story was no less intriguing, but did not mesh well with the stories of Mr. Hancock and Mrs. Neal. Each time she interrupted, the flow of story stalled. Polly deserved a novel of her own, instead of a throw-away filler.
Other than that, this is stunning debut novel and I look forward to following Gowar's career.
