It’s 1965 and Anna Treadway is a dresser at the Galaxy Theatre in Soho. When the star of the show, American actress Iolanthe Green, goes missing there is much speculation at the theatre and in the media about her fate.
As the days pass and more interesting articles are making the headlines Anna feels as though Iolanthe’s case is on the back burner.
Taking matters into her own hands, along with a new-found friend, she delves into a side to London she never knew existed. Jazz clubs, prison cells and backstreet clinics will take Anna on a journey she’ll never forget.
But will uncovering Iolanthe’s secrets unravel her own?
I must say I was somewhat disappointed in this book. What I thought was going to be an interesting crime/mystery novel set in 1960’s London almost turned into a long winded racial and social study. The prose itself was very well written, I just prefer reading stories with a captivating plotline.
I found most of the characters to be unlikeable, apart from perhaps Aloysius, which didn’t aid my already ailing will to finish the book. However, I did struggle through to the end only to be left completely dissatisfied at the lack of a conclusion for certain characters.
Emmerson raised many issues within this book, such as homosexuality and illegal abortions, but I felt none of them were served any real justice as they were skirted over rather quickly.
Unfortunately, this novel failed to hold my interest for more than a couple of chapters at a time and therefore I will think twice about picking up another by this author.
** Thank you to HarperCollins, via NetGalley, for this ARC **