This is a well written complex mystery which is part of a series
It has a great cast of well developed characters. A dark, gripping and emotional read

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Kitty is kidnapped by her own dead mother with only her lover aware of what has happened.

I dont typically like male led books but thoroughly enjoyed this. Part of a series but I havent read the previous books and did not feel like I was missing anything. Fun tone of writing and generally a great read.

This book was not what I expected it. The content and the descriptions within the first few chapters were a little to 'risque' for me. I was unable to continue reading the book. The story seemed complicated and interesting but the style of narration and the language used was not my thing. I gave it a couple of chances but was unable to finish it
If you are not as sensitive as I am, you could try this book out!
I will not be able to put up a full review on social media because I did not finish the book.

Thomas Hawkins lives with Kitty Sparks in her notorious book shop in the middle of 1700s London. Life is full of happiness for the two who live rather unconventionally for the times, until the local magistrate sets his sights on Kitty and wants to ‘save her soul’ as well as make her into his meek & obedient wife. With this, the search for the missing daughter of a runaway former slave, kidnap and a truly evil villain the pages flew by.

I hadn’t read any of the other books in the series but luckily this read well as a standalone novel and now I want to read the others & recommend this book to lovers of mystery and historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher for my free advance copy in return for an unbiased review.

Great fun. Historical romp with worthy villains and disgraced heroes. Best in series so far, and works as a stand-alone read though probably more fun if you know the full back stories

1728 London a place for only the brave and the spirited. Thomas Hawkins and Kitty Sparks have found their peace with each other, running a rather unusual shop - selling condoms and dildos (allowed) and bawdy tracts and books (not allowed). It is a roaring success and Kitty is the sole owner and a rather wealthy woman.

Enter Gonson a puritanical (supposedly) man who is out to close the shop and get rid of Thomas with an eye to the main chance Kitty. Thomas has a fiery temper which does not bode well for either of them whereas Kitty hopes to handle the situation diplomatically for the benefit of both.

They did not envisage Kitty's sordid past history to come into the scene. When Thomas is attacked on the streets and discovers a price on his head, the puzzlement leads to an investigation and to the Lady Vanhook and an escaped slave Jeremiah.

The lady seeks to destroy anything which is of import to Kitty and then Kitty herself.

Strands of historical crime fiction, history and detection all woven into a story of interest.

I’ve been a fan of this series for a while now so jumped at the chance to take part in the blog tour for the newest instalment. Set in the early eighteenth century, each story is a mystery centred around the protagonist, Thomas Hawkins. You don’t have to have read the previous three books to enjoy this one as each is a standalone and works well if read in isolation. Twenty-six-year-old Thomas is a luckless gambler and disreputable gentleman who is nevertheless intelligent, sharp, and caring. His partner Kitty is independent, fiery and wealthy in her own right and I love the relationship between Tom and Kitty as it’s one of healthy mutual respect based on love. This mystery ends up testing their love more than they ever expected and I was invested in their emotional journey and rooting for them to conquer all.

Another fantastic element of this series is the evocative London setting. The author really captures the essence of this slice of history and creates an authentic portrayal of everyday life. She also touches on the wider issues prevalent during this time period such as slavery and women’s rights. I thought both were handled well, especially slavery which was explored via the character of escaped-slave Jeremiah Patience; Jeremiah’s history is recounted in part four and makes a horrifying read. Through the character of Kitty, the author also explores the impact of a patriarchal society on women and their curtailed freedoms.

The villain of the story was probably one of the most complex and terrifying antagonists I’ve ever read. Their intelligence and ruthlessness combine to create a truly formidable opponent. From the very first page, I was gripped by this well-written mystery. The evocative setting was wonderfully authentic and the nuanced explorations of slavery and women’s rights were handled skilfully. The best element, as ever, was the characters. Each one is fully-rendered and fleshed-out, remaining memorable in the reader’s imagination long after finishing. If you’re looking for a new series to start then I’d highly recommend this one as it’s sure not to disappoint.

London in the 1720s, Thomas Hawkins is still living with Kitty but has decided that he needs to make his own money and starts to 'help' people. Kitty is being pressured to close her booksellers by Gonson the magistrate but one evening she is kidnapped. Her supposedly dead mother has returned from Antigua and is hellbent on taking Kitty's money by claiming she is mad. Thomas tried to find Kitty, his search even more desperate as he knows Kitty is pregnant.
Hodgson's books are always brilliant but I loved this one especially. Focusing in on two abuses of liberty - slavery and asylums - she educates the reader whilst they are enjoying an exciting plot. Here the anti-hero Hawkins develops some maturity and a strong conscience. As ever the sense of time and place is superb.

A very enjoyable book though it wasn't as good as I expected. I really didn't get a sense of the period; only the slavery element set the time to the early eighteenth century. Maybe if I had read the previous 3 books I might have been able to relate to it better. Hodgson does fill in the background to Tom Hawkins during the book, quite often repeating it especially the fact he survived being hanged.

This is the first book i read in this series and won't surely be the last as it's brilliant.
Great character development and storytelling, a vivid and well researched historical background, a mystery that kept me on the edge and guessing till the end.
An excellent and gripping read the I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Dark, thrilling and totally captivating!

Being immersed into Kitty and Tom’s world (despite having not read any of the previous novels where these characters are featured), where love, friendship and betrayal are so fierce makes the pages seemingly turn themselves!

I love the richness of the settings, they are impeccably described and draw you into the story completely.

The electric passion between the characters and the racy And risqué encounters they have is tastefully done, and adds to the drama of their lives.

Whilst I Would usually choose a Plantagenet / Tudor Historical fiction novel, this certainly did not disappoint!

The Silver Collar is the fourth book in the series, but despite that fact, this can definitely be read as a standalone. I was able to follow the plotline easily, and the little hints that were dropped from previous books made me even a little curious! I absolutely enjoyed this installment, and I am looking forward to reading the previous and next books.

The Silver Collar is the first novel I have read by Antonia Hodgson and it will most definitely not be the last. We are in 1728, at The Cocked Pistol, the (not so reputable) bookstore run by Kitty Sparks, who lives there with our hero Thomas Hawkins. They are doing fine but things get complicated when Thomas learns someone wants him dead. Who and why we discover as we follow him through this well written thriller, and I don’t want to say more.
We meet many interesting characters on our heroes’ way: the preacher of good manner Sir Gonson, the former slave Jeremiah, many characters of the underworld especially the Fleet family, the unbearable Lady Vanhook, and many others. They experience love, friendship, hate, and so many others on the rainbow of emotions. The description of these characters, their thoughts and opinions is a real delight to read: beautiful choice of words, depth and wit.
The plot is very good and the author has found a very nice way to include the historical context, which she clearly researched, while keeping the story flowing and entertaining.
I loved this book and, in particular, the great writing. It is a book to enjoy slowly. Looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and to the author Antonia Hogsdon for giving me the privilege of an advance reader copy of this book.

#TheSilverCollar #NetGalley

Antonia Hodgson really is the mistress of her craft. She's lived previous lives in the past, I'm sure of it and she takes you on a guided tour of the streets of London. ALL the feels and then some.

This book is part of a series but it can be read alone. However your enjoyment will multiply if you read the others first. As then you will realise just how fantastic this book is. It's even grittier, darker and more immersive than the others. The stakes have been raised.

A real character led series too so its' great to see how old faviourites are getting on. Sam really comes into his own here and steals the show. The relationship between Sam and Thomas is a great highlight of the book. Very nicely done.

This is a series that should really be out there and on your reading radar!

It’s been a four-year wait but The Silver Collar, the fourth book in Antonia Hodgson’s wonderful Thomas Hawkins series, is here at last. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting ‘Half-Hanged’ Hawkins and Kitty Sparks, this book does work as a standalone, but I would recommend going back to the beginning and starting with The Devil in the Marshalsea.

The Silver Collar is set in 1728. After their adventures in Yorkshire in the previous novel, Tom and Kitty are back in London running Kitty’s bookshop, The Cocked Pistol – ‘an establishment of such ill repute that a brief glance through its window could tarnish the soul‘. The couple still aren’t married and their relationship is still affectionate but stormy – and there are those who seem to want to drive them apart, such as Sir John Gonson, Tom’s old enemy, and the sinister Lady Vanhook.

When Tom is attacked in the street one day by men who appear to be intent on killing him, he is saved only by the intervention of his young ward Sam Fleet, son of an infamous underworld villain. With Sam’s help, Tom begins to investigate, determined to find out who was behind the attack, but while he is preoccupied, Kitty is facing problems of her own and has become reacquainted with a very unwelcome face from her past.

The Silver Collar also introduces another intriguing character by the name of Jeremiah Patience. Jeremiah’s story unfolds in the middle of the book, incorporating escaped slaves, a plantation in Antigua and a little girl forced to wear a silver collar – this was interesting, sensitively written and certainly very topical, but I felt it was a bit too similar to other storylines I’ve been coming across in historical fiction recently. I did like Jeremiah, though, and had a lot of sympathy for his situation.

It was also lovely to meet Tom and Kitty again after such a long wait. Tom, who narrates most of the novel in the first person, is such a great character – a lovable rogue who is always trying his best to reform himself but never quite managing it. In this book, though, his associations with other disreputable figures such as Sam Fleet and his mother Gabriela prove to be very helpful! Kitty is another strong character; I’ve enjoyed getting to know her over the course of the four books and I keep forgetting how young she still is. I didn’t think the parts of the book written from her perspective worked as well as Tom’s, though; they are written in the second person, which always feels a bit strange, I think.

This book is less of a mystery novel than the previous one (A Death at Fountains Abbey); historical thriller is probably a better description. However, we do see Tom keen to put the mystery-solving skills he gained in Yorkshire to good use by establishing a sort of Georgian-style detective agency. Sadly, he becomes too distracted by his own problems to spend much time worrying about other people’s, but maybe this is something that will be returned to in a future book.

I’ve enjoyed all four books in this series, including this one, but I still think The Devil in the Marshalsea was the best. Such a high standard was set with that book, it was always going to be hard for the others to live up to it. They are all entertaining reads, though, and I will look forward to a fifth book and finding out what the future has in store for Tom and his friends.

I was drawn into the world of Thomas and Kitty and quickly adored both characters. I loved how initially the story was told from Thomas' perspective, but then changed to include the world from Kitty's view. A woman's view of 18th Century Britain was an interesting add to the storyline. The other characters were richly described and added hugely to the story, especially Sam.
The many twists and turns of the story were intriguing and kept the plot moving, with the love of family a recurring theme throughout the many subplots.

I have read all of the books in this series and although i enjoyed this one in my opinion it was not as strong a story as the previous ones. That said i did enjoy the story however i was left thinking this was too different a way to the behaviour of the main characters than was expected. I would still recommend the books and am looking forward to the next in the series. Hopefully the old fashioned violence will return.

The quiet life is all Thomas Hawkins and Kitty Sparks have ever wanted, and it seems that’s what they’ve got. Kitty’s disreputable shop, The Cocked Pistol, is thriving and Thomas is living off his celebrity name ‘Half Hanged Hawkins’. Life is great, but as usual life is never simple for Tom and Kitty.
When Tom gets jumped by a street gang and a price is put on his head, Kitty receives a visit from a man who shuts her shop down and wants to save her soul. Tom starts to make enquiries with the help of his long time friend, Sam Fleet, and Sam’s shady underground connections.
Things start to escalate quickly after a visit to meet Lady Vanhook and a chance meeting with an ex slave by the name of Jeremiah Patience.
Soon after Kitty is taken and Tom must move Heaven and earth to find her before she is lost to him forever.
Antonia Hodgson has created another stunning novel. With her portrayal of London in the late 1720’s and with strong characters, wonderful language and incredibly creative writing, this is just sublime. Thomas Hawkins is a creation that rivals any character in historical fiction and Antonia Hodgson’s writing is nothing but five star. I absolutely loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Silver Collar is the fourth book in a series which I admittedly have not read the first three books of, that follows Thomas Hawkins in eighteenth century Britain. We find him living with his long-term girlfriend, Kitty, who owns her own shop in which she sells all manner of items relating to sex. This is obviously frowned upon, and we find the couple experiencing many issues relating to the business.

I found the writing style of this book really capturing and I constantly wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to Tom, Kitty, Sam and Jeremiah. It is quite comedic in style at times, which made the story very light as a whole but also seemed quite jarring occasionally when it seemed to require more serious attention. The changing 'persons', i.e. from first to third and even second in some later chapters was very different for me. It shows the reader a real variety of experiences and makes you view each scene differently. My favourite perspective other than Tom's first person throughout most of the book, was Jeremiah's first person in Antigua. It was in this part of the book I felt most engrossed.

I found the last third of the book quite slow as the story line, without giving any spoilers, mostly came to a halt. I didn't see the point in the part where Thomas goes to see a woman who accused her servant of stealing when it was in fact her young son stealing from her. It felt very metaphorical, perhaps linked to Kitty and Lady Vanhook, but other than that I found it quite frustrating as I wanted the search for Kitty to continue. Overall, I found the book a very easy read despite not loving every aspect of it. I would love to read the first book in the series and perhaps continue following Thomas Hawkins then reread this book to see if I get more from it.