Book Review ~ Nocturne with Gaslamps by Matthew Francis | #Mystery @The_WriteReads @
A book blog tour from The Write Reads.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Dave & the Gang at The Write Reads for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Nocturne with Gaslamps by Matthew Francis Published by Neem Tree Press on September 5, 2024 in the UK; April 2025 in the US
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 274
Source: The Write Reads ToursA historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London's gaslit theatre scene, where ghosts lurk in the shadows and murder takes centre stage.
Gaslight. Ghosts. Murder.
Hastings Wimbury has always dreamt of playing Hamlet, but for now he works as a theatre gas-boy. Here, he tends to a gas chandelier so powerful it creates its own weather, and limelight machines that can throw a shadow onto a wall ten miles away.
When Hastings suddenly disappears, his fiancée Flora sets out to find him with the help of Cassie, her rival in love who is more preoccupied with the ghosts terrorising the streets of London. Soon total darkness is imposed upon the city, and they realise that something far more sinister is at hand…
Ladies aren't supposed to solve mysteries, but this is a matter of life and death.
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Purchase Links for Nocturne with Gaslamps
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Francis, Matthew (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 274 Pages - 04/01/2025 (Publication Date) - Neem Tree Press (Publisher)
Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a small amount from their share.
Purchase Nocturne with Gaslamps online from a local bookstore.
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My thoughts on Nocturne with Gaslamps
A Victorian Mystery with a Gothic Twist
There’s something about the Victorian era that always draws me in—add a Gothic atmosphere, and I’m completely hooked. When I heard about Nocturne with Gaslamps, I knew I had to get my hands on it. That’s why I jumped at the chance to join this Write Reads book tour—early access to a book like this is one of the perks of being a reviewer.
Nocturne with Gaslamps is perfect for fans of quick-read mysteries with a dash of the supernatural. The story is steeped in intrigue, secrets, and hidden truths, all set against the evocative backdrop of a theater and the shadowy, gaslit streets of Victorian London.
At the heart of the tale is Hastings Wimbury, a young man with dreams of playing Hamlet. But for now, he’s a gas boy at the theater, tending to a chandelier that seems to have a life of its own and limelight machines that cast shadows that stretch impossibly far. It’s clear that something isn’t quite right here.
When Hastings suddenly vanishes, his fiancée Flora, determined to find him, teams up with Cassie—her rival in love, who’s more concerned with the ghosts haunting London’s streets. As darkness descends on the city, they soon realize that there’s something much more sinister at play…
In Victorian society, ladies weren’t expected to solve mysteries, but Flora and Cassie have no choice—this is a matter of life and death.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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About Matthew Francis
Matthew Francis is a poet, novelist and Professor Emeritus in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. He is the author of seven poetry collections, three novels and a collection of short stories. He is also the editor of W.S. Graham's New Collected Poems, and author of a study of Graham, Where the People Are. He lives in West Wales with his wife, Creina.
His third novel, Nocturne with Gaslamps, is published by Neem Tree Press on 5 September 2024. It's a historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London’s gaslit theatre scene, where ghosts lurk in the shadows and murder takes centre stage.
Nocturne with Gaslamps arose out of his lifelong fascination with night, darkness and sleep. His starting point was the legend of a land of perpetual darkness, mentioned by Homer and by the writers of the Middle Ages. Putting that together with his love of the Victorian novel, particularly Anthony Trollope and Wilkie Collins, he came up with the idea of a story in which the forces of - literal - darkness were pitted against the extraordinary Victorian technology of gaslamps, which introduced light pollution to the modern world. Other elements, the female detectives, the theatre-obsessed young man, the manipulative Count and the prowling ghosts, arose naturally from the theme. The book aims to capture the atmosphere of late nineteenth-century London, the setting for Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper, and to combine suspense and entertainment in the way that the best Victorian novelists do.
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What’s your favorite type of mystery book to read?
For me, anything set in Jack the Ripper’s time is an instant addition to the “To-Be-Read” list.
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