ClareR (6256 KP) rated The House of Fallen Sisters in Books
Feb 18, 2026 (Updated Feb 18, 2026)
I’ve loved all of Louise Hare’s books, and she’s fast becoming an insta-read author for me. Every book has been distinctly different from her others. Books have been set in: 1950’s London, 1930’s London and Harlem, and now this book is set in the brothels of 1760’s London (London seems to be a key place in all of her books so far - and that’s OK with me!).
In trying to escape her inevitable life as a prostitute in a Covent Garden brothel, Sukey finds a young black man in a side street, almost beaten to death. Whilst trying to save him, she’s captured and returned to the brothel. There’s a lot going on in the underbelly (and brothels) of London: slavery, double dealing, and cheating those who think they’re a friend.
I really enjoyed this - I got a real sense of the hustle and bustle of London. The danger, the community, friendships, hardships and the rules of the game Sukey and her Fallen Sisters must adhere to. They’re all fabulous characters - even the more untrustworthy people!
I can’t wait to see where Louise Hare takes us next!
Inji works for a secret branch of a well-known matchmaking agency. Men who would like a wife without the long term commitment, hire a Field Wife. She fulfils their every wish, be it domestic or sexual. Inji’s current husband is a repeat contract. He’s not very good at being a husband, and reinforces Inji’s opinions on marriage: unnecessary and unfulfilling. And then there’s the possibility of domestic violence and exploitation.
To be fair, this doesn’t paint a great picture of marriage in (this case) Korea. Inji doesn’t even refer to her husband by name. He’s just “husband”, which makes him almost incidental to the story.
There’s a lot going on in this novel: family dynamics, exploitation, modern slavery, death (by suicide?), prostitution.
And what is the trunk in the title? I personally think it’s Inji’s personal baggage: the emotions, feelings and responsibilities that she carries around with her all the time. This trunk goes with her between field husband, her family and her flat. She’s never without it.
Is it the thriller that it’s sold as? I don’t think so, but it is a very interesting glance into life in Korea, and I really enjoyed it.
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David McK (3854 KP) rated Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy #1) in Books
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Still as good as ever. I've yet to find someone to match Gemmell for this style of work.
<<2011 review>>
While perhaps more famous for his Drenai series of books (that began with 'Legend'), throughout his life David Gemmell wrote many other books as well.
At the time of his death in 2006, he was working on a novel called "Fall of Kings": the final part of a trilogy that began with with this novel. The trilogy, as a whole, was a re-working of the story of Troy: set during the early bronze age and with some famous (as well as some not-so-famous) characters from that legend all making an appearance. This first novel introduces us to some of those characters and sets the scene for what is to come ...
As it's a Gemmell book, it's a pretty safe bet what to expect: the man was famous for writing heroic fantasy, with his characters as (nearly always) flawed in some respect: the main characters in this book (particularly Helikaon) are no exception to that rule. While it could be argued that the novel could do with a bit of trimming in some of the slower sections, this is still an impressive piece of work.
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