Thank you Netgaley, Berkley Publishing Group and Hope Adams for free e-ARC in return of my honest review.

One hundred eighty Englishwomen are aboard the Rajah, all convicts for petty crimes. They all are sailing toward new life far away from England. Some left all families, some were allowed to take their children to take. Hatty had her son Bertie, her love and treasure in life, everything she has done was only for him. She is looking forward to her new life. Matron Kezia escapes her own troubles, her mother in particular. There is one woman who is not the one she tells she is. One day Hatty is stabbed, and the crew and matron has to figure out why and who did the horrendous act of stabbing.

In terms of historical context, I think Dangerous Women is amazing. I learned about Rajah quilt, the work that some women did aboard the ship during their trip. Hope Adams did a great job in building that part of the story - creating women' camaraderie and describing obstacles they had to overcome. For mystery - I think it was fine, interesting twist about the actual stabber.

Overall, good solid read. It did push me to do more research for Rajah quilt. I always appreciate book that broaden my horizons and let me learn something new.

As 200 convicted women board the ship Rajah for their sentencing to Tasmania, no one is aware there is a murderer aboard. This historical novel is based on the actual 1841 voyage of the Rajah. Sewing on a quilt allows the women to bond, and through this bond they are able to work out who the murder may be and may be able to stop her. Recommended historical fiction.

Captivating adaptation, stunning historical fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Dark and atmospheric, this page turner is a must read.

I'm not one to read historical fiction, but this story captured my attention right away! It's based on the true story of almost 200 women set sail on a ship from being jailed for various crimes. There is an assault on board and we look at the situation of their voyage through the eyes of a few on board. I loved the part historical fiction part thriller suspense put into this. It's a great novel for someone like me who loves mysteries but doesn't reach for historical fiction often. What a whirlwind of emotions!

Dangerous Women by Hope Adams started out so strong and I was initially gripped by the story! But the middle 60% of this book was too long, slow, scenically dark, one dimensional and frankly, boring. This is a classic "who-done-it" murder mystery but the scene and characters, while they are quite unique, were one dimensional. This story takes place during a 100+ day voyage aboard the Rajah, a massive prisoner transport ship traveling from the UK and Australia. The scenes are dark and drab while taking place below deck or within the confines of a ship. The prisoners are all women and as such the character list is predominantly women - which was great - there was a solid portrayal of strong independent women in a world where that was rare. Many important women's issues were addressed. The back stories were moving and interesting and I loved the unique historical events that this story was built on and this was truly like nothing I've read before. But as a thriller/suspense/murder mystery, it fell flat and moved too slowly. 

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a copy of this book for review!

This historical novel is based on a true story of the voyage of the Rajah as it transported roughly 200 women from London in the 1840's to the penal colony in what is modern-day Tasmania . There is a murder that takes place during the voyage and a big part of the plot involves finding out who did it and why. What triggered the author's interest in this particular voyage was the quilt that the women made during the voyage, under the direction of Kezia Hayter, a woman involved with a Ladies' Society attempting to teach needlework to the women being transported by making a patchwork quilt during the voyage--a quilt that actually exists in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The chapters alternate between Now (after the murder) and Then (before the murder) and as a whole, this works well, although the story drags a bit in places. The characters are very well drawn and interesting individuals, as is the sense of what they endured during the voyage. On the whole, this is a nicely done story of a bit of history that is not very well known.

This book is the reimagining of Hope Adams for the transport of women convicts aboard the Rajah from England to Tasmania, off the Australian coast, in 1841. The foundation of this novel is accurate, as are many of the main characters who sailed aboard the Rajah on that journey. The convicts, however, and their experiences beyond the quilt making, is fictional, but nonetheless feels very well crafted. As a woman born halfway through the twentieth century, I have often felt that life was often not entirely fair to us, that we were not treated as equals, that we were subjected to unfair laws and treatment under the laws. This novel is set more than a century before my own birth, and offers a glimpse of women shaped by disparate treatment under the law, and parents who supported that harsh treatment. Their actions were shaped by an unjust society, that of course, made our society look quite benevolent in comparison. I have to say this novel is well written from a historical standpoint, and reflects a time that few of us today can really appreciate what it meant to be a woman of that era. The mystery of Adams’ debut novel is handled well, and you, as a reader, will not fully see the outcome until the mystery is solved right before your eyes. Then, of course, you will think back to the seemingly meaningless behavioral clues that were scattered throughout the novel. Well written, and a good mystery, is Adams’ entry to the publishing world.a

In 1841, a ship set sail from London to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). The passengers on board this ship were no regular passengers. They were women who had all been convicted of petty crimes. But when one of their own is attacked, it becomes clear that someone on board is guilty of something much more dangerous than petty theft.

As the ship sails to its destination, an investigation is underway to find the culprit. But which of the women is responsible for such a violent assault, and why?

This debut from Hope Davis is a captivating historical mystery!

I found it particularly interesting that this book is based on a very interesting bit of history. The Rajah was a very real ship and this voyage and at least some of the passengers are very real. As is the quilt!

The attack happens fairly early on and the narrative switches between points of view quite frequently, introducing readers to various passengers along the way. I appreciated getting the perspectives of so many different characters because I felt like it really gave us a chance to get to know so many of the women and what motivated them—both in their past and in their present (when the book takes place, of course).

Dangerous Women is a bit slower in pacing, much more character driven than it is plot driven. So even though there is a mystery aspect to the book, it leans more on the historical aspects than it does on the crime itself.

Overall, I found this a really interesting read. I'm not sure it was exactly what I was expecting, based on the description, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Debut author Hope Adams puts one hundred and eighty condemned women on the Rajah, a convict transport ship leaving London in 1841 and heading to Australia in her novel, Dangerous Women. All are convicts, but their crimes tend to be stealing food because their children are hungry or some other petty offense. This background is based on an actual ship and real happenings, but she weaves a fictional mystery into the story. The women don’t appear to be threatening until one of them is stabbed with a knife, putting her at risk of losing her life. Then comes the search for the dangerous woman capable of murder.

The backstory of the suspects comes out in a “Now” and “Then” format with the “Now” chapters relating the present of the voyage as the women follow the lead of the matron on the ship to produce a special quilt. Each of the women carries a secret of how she came to this point and some hope of making a better life in a new setting with their old circumstances related in the “Then” chapters. The “Then” chapter introductions give a nod to the quilt by describing a fabric and its shape in the quilt, such as “Cotton piece: geometric groups of four squares in dark blue and red on a drab ground, each set of four squares arranged to form another square.”

Each woman comes individually to be questioned about what she may have seen or heard. Is it one of them or could it have been someone else? What was the meaning of the words stitched on Hattie’s blue cotton piece, “Speak & you die”? And who was “not Freddie” that Hattie mentioned just before she passed out? Could the suspicions that it was one of the women be wrong and some shipmate actually did the deed?

This new novel is a good read with an especial appeal to those who like a historical background, a mystery, and quilts.

In April 1841 London, nearly two hundred women board The Rajah for a three month voyage to Australia. But this is no vacation: these women, are prisoners, most convicted of petty crimes, being sent to the colony. However, an imposter embarks with them. To save herself from the gallows, she drugged a woman on the manifest and took her place—and she vows to do anything to keep her secret.

Two months into the voyage, one of the women is brutally and fatally stabbed while on deck. Only a handful of other women were in the vicinity, and a tribunal made of the ship’s captain, doctor, Reverend, and matron question them. But these are women accustomed to and distrustful of authority, and finding the truth, especially when one passenger wants it buried, may be impossible.

Hope Adams was inspired to write Dangerous Women, based on an actual voyage, after seeing the Rajah Quilt, a coverlet matron Kezia Hayter designed for the Ladies Committee who organized a gift of basic goods, including sewing items, for the women sent to Australia. (Check out the Readers Guide or Google it for amazing pictures.) Although Kezia, Captain Ferguson, and the priest and doctor are based on historical figures, the women are fictional.

Adams writes with compassion about the women’s crimes, contextualizing them by creating a picture of the socioeconomic and familial factors that might have driven them to crime.

In most historical fiction, the women, protagonists, as products of their time, are often prim and proper. Kezia fits this mold to some extent, though she is headstrong and independent, but the convicts do not, and I loved having this different segment of women—street tough, bawdy, vulgar, and rowdy, while loyal and protective—represented.

Organized around a mystery yet extensively researched, this historical novel is a compelling read covering a little known and interesting area of history. It would also be an excellent choice for book clubs!

This book has hook that pulls you in, "Nearly two hundred condemned women board a transport ship bound for Australia. One of them is a murderer. "

I'm not certain that this book succeeds as a thriller, but it does succeed in bringing to light the plight of women in the early 1840s and I did enjoy those bits of the story the most. I felt the pivots in time were too close together and the voices of the different women were too similar at time which led to some confusion. (I thought Sarah was Hattie for a good portion of the book.) Overall, the book was enjoyable, if not confusing at points, and I did enjoy learning about this time this time in history.

I loved reading “Dangerous Women” and found it a fascinating historical mystery thriller.

Firstly, I had no idea that actual events inspired the story! While the mystery element is the author’s creativity, I was fascinated to further research on the “Rajah Quilt” and the convict women on board. It is clear that the author researched the events and thought she did an excellent job in paying homage to the Rajah. The author also tells the story in a gripping manner by alternating between the past and present. She also shifts the perspectives between various characters to keep the story fresh.

Speaking of the characters, I enjoyed the leads! Clara, Hattie, and Kezia are mesmerizing in their way, and I enjoyed the various twists and turns. Each of them stands apart with their distinctive personalities, and I wanted to know more about them. Kezia is a timid, religious woman who tries to be confident. Meanwhile, Hattie is a strong character who will do anything for her son, and Clara is the mystery character that everyone wants to know. Moreover, the author maintained the suspense element very well. On a side note, I also enjoyed the scenes between Kezia and the Captain.

Probably the only thing which I would have liked is to focus on the mystery. The book markets itself as a mystery thriller, but I think it is primarily a historical, women’s fiction novel. However, I am not complaining, as I still enjoyed the story a lot! I loved how the author personalized all the inmates, and by the end, I felt Phyllis, Tabitha, Joan, Izzy, and the others were my friends..

Overall, “Dangerous Women” is a beautiful historical novel with a touch of mystery worth reading.

The author did what I love the most in historical fiction - provided me with a great story that is based on real events that made me want to look further into them. I actually had never heard of the Rajah ship and the convicted women that were on board. It is fascinating that these women that were found guilty of petty crimes were put on a ship together. I cannot even imagine what that was like. It is hard to believe that this is the author's debut novel, as the writing was topnotch.

I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book as it takes place for the most part on board a ship, but I absolutely loved it. The book follows a group of female convicts as they make their way from England to Australia (or an island around Australia?). While on the ship, a terrible crime is committed and we spend the book reading back and forth from the time they leave to the time of the crime, piecing together the pieces.
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I really appreciated the overall message of the book; that female criminals that were being transported were criminals because of the circumstances they were either forced into, or born into, and not because they were bad people. I also really liked the mystery element of the book.
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Finally, I really liked the character of Kezia. She is on board to look after the women, and throughout the trial, she seems to really care about the women. She starts a sewing project to keep the women occupied, which was cool.
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Overall, an enjoyable story.

Kezia, a young religious woman, has signed on as matron for a convict ship. The women aboard are being transported to Van Diemen's land, to serve sentences for thievery, prostitution, and other crimes. Three months into the journey, Hattie is found stabbed, and Kezia and Captain Ferguson begin investigating the crime.

This book was extremely slow moving. All of the characters seemed stereotypical, lacked personality, and blended together. The love story between Kezia and Captain Ferguson was extremely predictable. Overall, this one was a bust.

“That’s what we, too, are like, us women. We’re a patchwork. One person next to another, then her next to a third, and on and on, different people pushed together...and near on two hundred of us on this ship and taken far away, existing side by side, sleeping together, eating together...We’ve turned ourselves into something. We’re many small pieces, each of us different but now stitched together. A patchwork of souls.”

A patchwork of souls 💞. How beautiful is that ?!? 😌

London. 1841. 180 convicted women. 1 murderer. And the story of the Rajah quilt *promptly searches google images for said quilt*. When a young mother is stabbed to death on the voyage, the crew struggle to find the culprit amongst 180 previously convicted women.

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction lately and wow, women have had it rough. Convicted for stealing to feed your children? Being raped, blamed, and then told you should have just let the man finish because it’s quick?? 🤦🏼‍♀️ For as far as we’ve come in society, it’s almost as if we haven’t come far at all 😞.

This was a great, albeit difficult, read. There is hope in the power of a strong woman, and I am in awe of what these women have risen above and survived. Although I know this is not a true story, you would be hard pressed to believe it is not. It is that good.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dangerous Women (Hope Adams) is a fictional story based on some history. There was a convict ship with women aboard who together made a quilt. The Rajah was taking the women to Vandiemen's Land, Australia (Tasmania today) and sailed from April 1st to July 19th. Ms Adams gives us a glimpse of how life might have been on the ship and a fictional murder to solve. I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an early copy to review.

Dangerous Women is absolutely fascinating. Historical fiction is absolutely one of my go-to genres, but there are some topics out there today that are just overdone. Hope Adams has done an amazing job of taking the reader inside the transport ships taking convicted women from England to Tasmania in the mid 1800s. The mystery of who stabbed Hattie and the creation of the Rajah quilt make this an absolute must read. Dangerous Women is the best kind of historical fiction - the kind loosely based on actual facts that makes you curious and sends you to the internet to learn more. Thanks to Berkley and Hope Adams for my advance copy of this gem!

It’s 1841. A couple hundred female convicts are being transported by boat to the other side of the world. During the voyage, cliques of ladies find themselves congregating. Also, eighteen women are gathered to assist the Matron in stitching a coverlet for their arrival in Australia from England.

I’ll admit this book was a bit slow to get moving. For me, it wasn’t until nearly halfway through that the plot picked up its pace. What normally takes me two days to read to me nearly four.

There’s a stabbing on board three ship. Will Hattie survive? Who will watch over her dear son, Bertie? Will the coverlet come together and be presentable before they arrive in Australia?

A digital ARC of Dangerous Womens by Hope Adams was provided by Berkeley Publishing Group via NetGalley. I give this book 4 out of 5 tiaras because it was slow going, but once it did, it almost made up for it. I am thankful readers don’t need to track all two hundred passengers.

"Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." - Ephesians 4:28

This book blends fiction and history to tell the story of the Rajah convict ship and its voyage in 1841 taking English female convicts to Tasmania - then Van Diemen's Island.

Here is a list of the real convicts aboard:
https://www.hawkesbury.net.au/claimac...


One hundred eighty Englishwomen board the Rajah in London, 1841. The women have committed petty crimes and are on a three-month voyage to Australia (Tasmania) where they will now reside. Most of their crimes were a result of doing what they needed to do to survive, to pay the bills, to defend themselves and feed their children. But there is one among them who has committed a more serious crime. One who will do anything to survive.

While on board the ships matron, Kezia Hayter has the women make a quilt called the Raja Quilt. It is now housed in the National Gallery of Australia. Can you imagine doing needlework on board a ship? I can barely put needle to thread on solid ground, I cannot imagine doing it while the ship rides the waves but that is what they did.

Toward the middle of the voyage Hattie, a young mother is mortally wounded. Someone on the ship is responsible, but who? As the women begin to be questioned, they also have questions themselves about their own safety, who might have reason to harm Hattie, and what will happen when they reach shore.

Hope Adams does a good job showing what life was like for the women onboard: cramped uncomfortable conditions, bad food, unhygienic conditions, seasickness, having to get along with others, secrets, missing their family and homes, being suspicious of their fellow convicts and unwanted attention (and sometimes wanted attention) from the sailors.

I appreciated that she gave the chapter headers, so we knew what character's POV was being given and when. Through the various POV's we learn more about the characters, their pasts, what lead them to be on board the Rajah and what they are doing in their present time of 1841.

Some of the characters in this book are based on the real-life people on board the Rajah, the author changed some of the convict’s names and others are a work of fiction. I enjoyed the story but also felt it could have been pared down a little in the middle. Hope Adams did her research and yet again I have learned a new piece of history from reading a book!

An interesting piece of work - the quilt and the book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.