Title: Dangerous

Author: Essie Fox

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication Date: 24th April 2025

Rating: 4.5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Fiction can be fatal…

Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city.

SCANDAL

But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…

MURDER

As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…

MYSTERY

Rich in gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron’s life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…

Review:

I love a bit of gothic historical fiction so Dangerous, a darkly captivating thriller set in Venice and featuring a fictionalised, but very convincing Lord Byron sounded right up my street – and it totally lived up to my high expectations. Dangerous is gorgeously written, with a seductively decadent darkness to it that works perfectly for the setting and for its leading man, Byron himself. Fox captures what we know of Byron’s enigmatic charisma and wit in a way that brings him to life with an impressive ease. Fox also manages to paint a picture of his complexity and less appealing qualities which often led him to scandal and danger. His own words are woven in occasionally throughout Dangerous and it melds beautifully with Fox’s own prose and pitch perfect dialogue. The evocative setting of Venice heightens the atmosphere even more – there is always a sense of seduction, decadence and threat inherent to Venice, especially in historical narratives and the mystery that Byron finds himself entangled in is thrilling, macabre and full of intensity. I was completely sucked in to the world Essie Fox has created which blends fact and fiction with an impeccable sense of nuance. Highly recommended for any fans of gothic historical suspense. I loved it. 

★★★★.5 

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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