In Shrines of Gaiety, Kate Atkinson gives us two worlds: the glittering nightclubs run and inhabited by Nellie Coker and her family, and the gritty London world that swirls outside those doors. I was very intrigued by the premise, and very much enjoyed Atkinson's thoughtful prose and the obvious care she's taken to render the time period. Clearly, a lot of research went into this book.

However, perhaps it's the sheer number of characters, but Shrines of Gaiety never quite came to life for me. It feels artificial and constructed and needlessly slow. I kept waiting for the moment when the story would snap into place, or when a character would intrigue me, and though there were intriguing paragraphs and moments with potential, the novel never grabbed me.

Shrines of Gaiety has so much promise and potential, and perhaps I am missing something, but for me, the novel did not live up to its compelling premise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Kate Atkinson's new book is set in 1926 in London during the roaring 20's following WW1. Soho is a dazzling center of nightlife and the center of it all is Nellie Coker, a matriarch not to be messed with. A shrewd business woman, and ruthless nightclub owner, she will stop at nothing to ensure that her 6 children are successful.

There are many, many characters - many who aim to dethrone Nellie as queen. Atkinson does a superb job of building the atmosphere of Soho and lacks of rules causing a cutthroat. The plot is complicated but delightful, and there are many heroes in this book, characters you are not soon to forget

If you like Peaky Blinders, Last Night in Soho, are a Kate Atkinson Fan or just want a fabulously plotted historical mystery, pick up Shrines of Gaiety - you won't be disappointed!
#Doubleday #ShrinesOfGaiety #KateAtkinson #Netgalley #Netgalleyreads

In an Author’s Note at the conclusion of this novel, Atkinson writes that “As anyone familiar with this period of history will recognize, inspiration for this novel comes from the life and times of Kate Meyrick, who for many years was the queen of Soho’s clubland.”

Kate Meyrick was a nightclub owner in 1920s London. As Wikipedia reports, “During her 13 year career she made, and spent, a fortune and served five prison sentences. She was [also] the inspiration for the character Ma Mayfield in Evelyn Waugh's novel, <em>Brideshead Revisited.</em>"

In Atkinson’s talented hands, Kate Meyrick becomes Nellie Coker, just finishing a stint in prison in 1926. Alternate chapters introduce us to her six children, the oldest, Niven - 30-something, Edith, Betty, Shirley, Ramsay, and 11-year-old Kitty. We also meet the policeman investigating Nellie - the earnest Detective Chief Inspector John Frobisher, and two dirty police detectives trying to destroy Nellie and take over her business - Detective Sergeant Arthur Maddox, who is running a prostitution racket in London, and his acolyte, Sergeant Leonard Oakes.

There are other major characters as well, the most pivotal of these being Gwendolen Kelling, 29, who came from York to London in part to help find two girls, Freda Murgatroyd and Florence Ingram, both 14. Gwendolen, a friend of Freda’s older half-sister, Cissy, is also looking for excitement and maybe even for love. Pretty soon she is working for both John Frobisher and Nellie Coker, and becomes central to both of their stories.

All these characters and more are part of the post-war world mixing respectability and the underworld, and Atkinson limns the fluidity among the two. Her vivid characters traffic in drugs, prostitution, murder, and persistent exploitation of not only women but young girls with little commentary from them that would suggest any kind of moral reckoning.

It can be depressing to read stories that show not only such bad behavior, but the many ways in which women and girls are punished for it even as they are victimized. I feel that other authors who depict such situations find a way to show more compassion, but it could be argued that such treatment would be “directing” responses by the author, and that readers just have to do the work themselves. Or maybe, there just never is sufficient compassion in the world to depict, because it keeps on happening.

In any event, it is a book worth reading.

What a romp! I am a fan of Kate Atkinson's work and was so excited when I saw that I was given access to the ARC of Shrines of Gaiety. I knew I was in for a treat and in that, I was not disappointed.

Set against the glittering and decadent 1920s London, we are introduced to Nellie "Ma" Coker as she is being released from prison, met by her six children (ranging from adult to teenage years), and watched by a cop and a soon-to-be informant. What at first seems to be a dizzying array of people soon resolves itself into time spent with (almost) all of the characters, bringing them to life as we see this world that Ma is the center of in the London underworld. Secrets, ambitions, and allegiances are all up for grabs and it makes for a tantalizing read.

I loved the interactions of the family- each with their own plans and secrets, but the scenes of them together in the kitchen, taunting and teasing, plotting, and scheming while bandaging and offering aspirins were wonderful. Juxtaposed with the struggles of Florence and Freda, young runaways looking to find fame dancing on the stage, and Gwendolen, the young librarian who has come to London from York, searching for the girls while infiltrating Nellie's inner sanctum, Atkinson paints a wide span of London life. The blurb from the publisher calls it Dickensian, and I heartily agree.

I could have read much more of these people, as she draws them so finely against the backdrops of the nightclubs owned by the Cokers. I hope she writes more from this ensemble of characters.

It was a thoroughly fun read and I thank the publisher for access to a review copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

"Shrines of Gaiety" is a delight to read, even when some of the events in the story are anything but delightful. Not many authors can juggle so many diverse characters, plots, and scenarios, but Kate Atkinson does, with aplomb. Each character jumps from the page, fully rounded yet at the same time evolving throughout the story, and what a story! All aspects of 1920s England—the privileges and the striving, the sparkling and the mundane—come to vivid life. The only reasons I'm giving it 4.5 rather than 5 stars are I feel one or two aspects of the finale are copouts. I'll definitely be giving this book as a gift this autumn.

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a massive fan of Kate Atkinson since "Behind the Scenes at the Museum," and if you have not read her before, a HUGE pleasure awaits. Her latest novel is a bright, sharp, clever tale of the people who dive head first to exploit or enjoy the craze for total hedonism following the carnage of World War I. The survivors want to dance, drink, be naughty, take drugs, be silly, anything to remind themselves that they are alive when so many are not.

And Nellie Coker is there for them. She's the empress of the most popular clubs in London, a practical manager of corrupt cops, other mobsters, foolish "Bright Young Things," and her own shifty family.

Atkinson shifts POV elegantly between Nellie, a detective set to bring her down, a former army nurse, librarian, and now possible spy, two young girls from the country come to London to dance on the stage, and Nellie's youngest son. There are others as well, and everytime Atkinson changes the point of view, you'll be excited to see what's going on with that character.

This is a magical world created here and you will not want to leave. For a moment I hoped it might be the first of a series but sadly I don't think that's the case. If Kate Atkinson changes her mind, I'll joyfully follow.

Kate Atkinson has created another magical kingdom within the pages of this book. . I would have a problem articulating who the main character is, since there are several important characters in this novel. Atkinson manages to connect them around the nexus of Nellie Coker, a woman who is the mastermind of London’s criminal nightlife during the glitzy inter-war years. She has her own “possee” of Coker’s and police, working for and against her.

Into this world comes Gwendolen Kelling, a deceptively unassuming librarian, who winds up in the middle of this complex plot. She is searching for 2 missing girls, during a time when missing girls seem to abound. One of them, Freda, is integral to the machinations of these fascinating characters.

I generally don’t like novels with so many characters, but Atkinson manages to make this novel so well-constructed that the people all fit together brilliantly. I especially appreciate the sense of closure that she delivers.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this newest book by one of my favorite authors.

Every so often I read a book I want to finish to see what happens and at the same time I don’t want it to end! Shrines of Gaiety is one of those books.
Kate Atkinson has written a humorous, heartfelt, intelligent book with fascinating characters who all have a role to play and each adds a vital voice to the story.
The history is fascinating and woven beautifully into the book which made me want to read more about the underground clubs of London in the 1920’s.
I will be recommending ‘Shrines of Gaiety’ to anyone who will listen!

Loved this until the end! It felt like she wasn't sure what to do. But Kate Atkinson is one of my favorites so I'll forgive her. Incredible world and character building.

I love Kate Atkinson’s works and while this one deviants from a more recent pattern of speculative fiction this title is focused. Artfully drawn characters, characters that add mystery and a little flair result in an engrossing read about family secrets, family business and the lies and truths we tell ourselves. A delight to read a well written and crafted book.