The Secret Photographs

'What a sumptuous, evocative triumph of a novel!' Jenny Ashcroft

A picture can tell a thousand words. And hide as many secrets...

England, 1895: In the bustling seaside town of Brighton, Ellen Harper assists her brother running their photography studio, where fashionable ladies and gentlemen pose in all their finery. Behind the facade of a respectable business, the siblings hide a dark and shadowy secret. One that if exposed to the light of day could destroy them all.

When newly married Clementine comes to sit for a portrait, Ellen learns she is looking for a lady's companion. Longing for a life of her own choosing and freedom from the deals her brother has made, Ellen accepts the post. The new position transports her to a sweeping white-fronted townhouse on one of Brighton's most prestigious crescents, full of every luxury imaginable.

But Clem's gilded world hides as much darkness as Ellen has hoped to escape. And what will happen when Clem discovers the truth about the young woman she has welcomed into her home?

Perfect for fans of The Clockmaker's Daughter, The Doll Factory and Sarah Waters. This is richly atmospheric and gripping historical fiction shining a light on the role of women in a world dominated by men.

This book was first published as The Golden Hour.

Praise for The Secret Photographs:

'I was instantly hooked into the story, it has vivid descriptions of the times and places, and a plotline that kept me guessing. Ellen and Clem are particularly strong and fascinating characters, I very much enjoyed sharing their battles and endeavours during such unfair times for women' Reader review ?????

'I could not put it down... Fantastically researched. Got to be a 5-star rating from me' Reader review ?????

'A divine and sumptuous portrait of Victorian Brighton, written in gloriously seductive prose, I was enthralled' Amanda Geard

'A glorious and sumptuous feast for the senses and it drew me in from the start, wanting to find out more about these women's stories and their struggles for freedom and change. It's an absolute joy. I couldn't put it down' Rosanna Ley

'Beautifully atmospheric' Gill Paul

'Beautifully written book with fabulous characters and plot, hard to put down!' Reader review ?????

A compelling Sapphic novel in which subjugated women defy society's expectations . . . Atmospheric, dark, and daring Essie Fox, author of The Fascination
A delicious peep into the world of 'what the Butler saw', contrasting the drudgery of the steamy laundry with the sordid cigar smoke of the gentlemen's clubs. The characters and the setting were all portrayed with such vivid colour and conviction . . . there was also a strong element of defying the patriarchy, which resonates with issues today Suzanne Goldring, author of The Girl Who Never Came Back
A captivating panorama of late-Victorian Brighton, where beauty and seediness coexist in the shadowy alleyways behind the seafront. The story highlights the hypocrisy of a society where women are expected to be angels, while the men think nothing of buying titillating photographs for their private entertainment. All the characters are vividly drawn . . . and the writing is beautifully atmospheric Gill Paul, author of A Beautiful Rival
An absorbing novel of secrets and survival that exposes darker aspects of Victorian life, as three women seek to defy societal conventions in order to determine their own destinies. A gutsy tale that is sure to please! Anita Frank, author of The Good Liars
A divine and sumptuous portrait of Victorian Brighton, written in gloriously seductive prose, I was enthralled. Jacquie Bloese writes so evocatively, truly drawing on all the senses. A stunning writer and such an absorbing novel Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House
I adored it. It's a glorious and sumptuous feast for the senses and it drew me in from the start, wanting to find out more about these women's stories and their struggles for freedom and change. It's an absolute joy. I couldn't put it down. Rosanna Ley
Compelling and beautifully drawn characters, an intriguing setting and tons of atmosphere - I felt I was right there, seeing, hearing and even smelling the sea in fin-de-siecle Brighton. I loved this book and want to read more by Jacquie Bloese Frances Quinn
Engrossed to the last page. Opens with a mystery and pulls the reader through a labyrinth of plot twists, its key character Ellen shining in her struggle to assert her right to define her own life and loves Natalie Meg Evans, author of The Dress Thief, The Italian Girl’s Secret and The Locket
Beautifully written . . . captures how these women's lives unravel at the mercy of their men. A passionate, enthralling and historically rich book. Hard to put down Georgia Kaufmann
Jacquie Bloese's pitch-perfect prose draws us powerfully into late Victorian Brighton, and the shadowy world of illicit photography. I loved this novel: its fascinating narrative, its strong themes of female empowerment, its mesmerising characters. It's a novel to be savoured, and I whole-heartedly recommend it. Gill Thompson
Luminous - a sensitive and moving portrayal of women caught up in the perilous world of erotic photography in late Victorian Brighton. Jacquie Bloese brings the period and characters vividly to life. Perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry Sean Lusk, author of The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley

Jacquie Bloese is a writer of historical book group fiction, originally from the Channel Island of Guernsey. She draws her inspiration from atmospheric locations with intriguing histories, and people - both real and imaginary - whose stories are calling out to be told.

Her first novel The French House, set during the German Occupation of Guernsey in the second World War, was a Richard and Judy Winter 2022 book club pick, and a finalist in the Mslexia Novel Award. Her second novel The Golden Hour is inspired by the seaside town of Brighton, where Jacquie currently lives, and tells the stories of three women from different classes who become caught up in the underground world of erotic photography in 1890s Victorian England.

Jacquie began her professional life teaching English, in Turkey and Spain, before returning to the UK to work in ELT publishing for a number of publishers, including Scholastic, Oxford University Press and Penguin Random House. She now works freelance as an educational consultant, writer and editor.

In her spare time, Jacquie loves reading, walking, socialising, travel, theatre, cinema and daydreaming!

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