The Newgate Jig

A hanging always draws a crowd. But not everyone there has come to jeer at the condemned man. George Kevill's young son Barney is in the front row, and he knows his father is innocent. There are others there who know George is innocent, too - and the men who set him up have every reason to want to silence his boy . . .

Narrowly escaping the clutches of the sinister Nasty Man, young Barney finds sanctuary at the London Aquarium amongst his father's bohemian friends: Bob Chapman, whose performing dogs Brutus and Nero astonish audiences every night, the exquisite doll-lady, Princess Tiny, and her admirer, the giant Herr Swann. Together with Fortinbras Horatio Trimmer, aspiring novelist and meantime author of penny dreadfuls and popular plays, they will protect Barney and seek to uncover the conspiracy behind a dark secret that lies at the heart of the Victorian establishment.

“'Smacks of period authenticity . . . written in a literary style that is of a far greater quality than the genre normally attracts . . . a compelling plot.Walking in Pimlicois an excellent debut novel'”

'Drama both on and off stage that is blood red in tooth and claw.... a first rate crime novel that rises high above the normal standards of the genre' - British Theatre Guide

'Measured, wonderfully memorable, bona fide without ever feeling painstakingly so, and a rollicking good time from end to end, The Newgate Jig is a delight' - Speculative Scotsman

'Excellent . . . Ann Featherstone's skilful hand dances a jig of its own in this fine novel, set in the darker side of Victorial London' - Shots Magazine

'Fans of Sarah Waters will immediately be attracted to this latest offering from Ann Featherstone . . . beautifully written, highly literate but terribly sad' - Historical Novels Review

'Reminiscent of Sarah Waters in style and feel, and full of vibrant characters . . . Very much recommended' - Historical Novels Review

Ann Featherstone is Lecturer in Performance History at Manchester University. She is the author of several non-fiction books about the Victorian entertainment industry including The Victorian Clown, with Jacky Bratton. Her first novel Walking in Pimlico is also published by John Murray.

A hanging always draws a crowd. But not everyone there has come to jeer at the condemned man. George Kevill's young son Barney is in the front row, and he knows his father is innocent. There are others there who know George is innocent, too - and the men who set him up have every reason to want to silence his boy . . .Narrowly escaping the clutches of the sinister Nasty Man, young Barney finds sanctuary at the London Aquarium amongst his father's bohemian friends: Bob Chapman, whose performing dogs Brutus and Nero astonish audiences every night, the exquisite doll-lady, Princess Tiny, and her admirer, the giant Herr Swann. Together with Fortinbras Horatio Trimmer, aspiring novelist and meantime author of penny dreadfuls and popular plays, they will protect Barney and seek to uncover the conspiracy behind a dark secret that lies at the heart of the Victorian establishment.

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