2 stars and a DNF at 20%; my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC.

Just because I didn't like it, doesn't mean other people won't enjoy it. It just wasn't for me. The writing was too confusing and West kept jumping names of characters back and forth, keeping me confused as to who is speaking. He uses the "molly" name for a character and the next sentence will have the "real" name.

It just read like a slapstick comedy and with the subject matter, I feel like it wasn't appropriate.

A great historical mystery/thriller set in London and its molly houses at the beginning of 18th century.

Somehow this book was simultaneously dark and hopeful, sad and funny, violent and sweet. I loved the setting and the historical details - it made the book feel really immersive, plunging the reader into the depths of London at the turn of 18th century with its noises, smells and colourful population. The story itself was well-paced and involving (the dark influences of religion, the found family that brings hope and understanding, the sadness of not being able to be who you want to be). As for characters, I found both Gabe and Thomas relatable. Another reviewer drew the parallel between Thomas and Alice - both falling into their respective Wonderlands full of things weird and wonderful (and dark too). I thought that's a great comparison.

Overall, a highly recommended read!

P.S. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

DNFed it at 20%. i couldn't really relate to the characters and it was kind of in the middle, like it wasn't bad but it also wasn't good you know?

Thank you to Independent Publishers Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The only sin is betrayal…” The Betrayal of Thomas True follows young Thomas True as he enters the London of 1715 and the seedy underbelly of the molly houses, places where queer men gather and intermingle. Hunted and persecuted, these men try to find a seed of belonging, and of peace. When one of the men is murdered, Thomas teams up with Gabriel, the molly’s guard, to try and find a traitor and stop further violence from occurring. Heavily steeped in its surroundings, and verging on non-fiction in detail and history, The Betrayal of Thomas True is thick with grime and misfortune. But among the darkness, always, is light – especially that of love, a perilous feat in itself.

With Stephen Fry’s recommendation, and an interest in queer history, this was an easy one to request. Not as easy was digesting it, like learning a new language, it was complicated and enhanced by its vision and dedication to authenticity. While I know it’s a tale of fiction, dramatized for enjoyment and perhaps enlightenment, it felt both real and harrowing. With so little of our past recorded, it is necessary to place the LGBTQIA+ community within the context of history. It can be comforting and also give us perspective on today. I don’t know that I always enjoyed the experience, but I am improved and inspired because of it. If you’re a mood reader, you might have to wait for the right moment to pick this one up, but certainly do, to remember that while hate and judgement persist, they rarely win.

This book wasn’t for me. I found the storytelling clumsy, and the novel is too dark for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to the the publisher, A J West, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I absolutely adored this book to the point where I imported a physical copy from the UK to America to add it to my shelves. This was such an incredible story that is endlessly entertaining for the reader while also exploring a subject that is not often studied in history. The concept of Molly Houses and what went on there is so endlessly fascinating to read when handled by an author with West's talent. I look forward to reading his other novels soon!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest rating.

Heartbreaking is the very first word that came to mind while I was reading this book.

Set in Georgian England, the book focuses on the molly houses where gay men would gather. The author did an incredible amount of research for this book, which made it even more interesting.

Thomas is desperate to get away from his father, the rector in their town. He seeks his escape by apprenticing himself to his uncle, a candle maker in London. His uncle and aunt are very amusing characters! But they are just side characters for the most part.

This is really the story of Thomas, a man he meets named Gabriel, who guards Mother Clap’s molly house, and their desperate search to find The Rat, who is working with a pair of judges to reveal the identities of the mollies so they can have their day at the gallows.

Will they be successful? Read this one and find out.

this was just… fine, i guess? the romance was cute, and i liked the nod towards drag/gender nonconformity throughout the entire book, but it felt somewhat disjointed and didn’t really give off any true sense of place and/or time. which is a shame, really, because i feel like it could have been a whole lot better if it had been a little bit more polished.

I DNF’ed at 20% because I just couldn’t connect to any of the characters. They were all over the place and I needed more background. Everything happened with little to no explanation. I was really hoping for a better read.

4.5 stars rounded up. I read most of this book past midnight last night and I wrote this review the next afternoon from memory after two lectures so forgive me if this is a bit disjointed. I really liked the way that queer culture of the era was talked about in the book, because I am unfortunately used to novels with more modern ideas on the separation of queerness in a sexuality form from queerness in the form of gender expression, and this book acknowledges that the two things aren’t necessarily all that different from one another. The thriller aspect of it was also done well in my opinion, even if some of the plot points felt a bit too unrealistic at certain points, and some characters felt like their plot armour was just too much. People should not be able to survive that. Especially in that era. There was a certain level of violence that I went in expecting at the beginning of the book, and there was certainly more than the beginning led me to believe, but that is not a complaint so much as a good thing, because that really helped with the impact of a few particular moments.
I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own

THE BETRAYAL OF THOMAS TRUE isn’t my usual type of book, but I’d heard such great things that I could resist picking it up.
It was well worth the gamble!
The writing style is a little tricky to get a handle on for the first couple of chapters and there’s a lot of characters to keep track off – honestly, it gave me a sort of Dickensian vibe in that sense. It’s a beautiful story with a real eye to historical detail and an emotional ending that had me sobbing over my ereader. I’ll definitely be passing along the recommendations I received to others an encouraging them to give it a try.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in January. This book emotionally broke me and I loved every second of that torture. It's both queer history and queer fiction and it's well done.

Unfortunately, I had to abandon this book when I was about 25% through. Right from the beginning, there was something that didn’t quite work for me. I grasp the scene the author is attempting to depict, but the characters felt exaggerated to me, almost like figures in a children's puppet show.

The most interesting aspect of this book is its theme—the molly houses in pre-Victorian London—and the main reason I didn't abandon it sooner. I’m left curious to know what happens with these characters, but by the point I had reached in the novel, nothing significant had happened yet. There were also no indications of where the plot might be headed. The historical context is glaringly absent, with only a few mentions of periwigs and breeches, the dirt, and the noise of the city, but nothing more.

The characters didn’t feel too interesting to me either, beyond the double personality the author gave them. This double life they lead to hide their sexual identity and how they live it almost with a festive air could have been another strong point if it weren’t for the fact that I found them all rather annoying.

Unfortunately, even though this was a book I was really eager to read I couldn't force myself to go on. I am so disappointed and I really hope it finds its readers.

Netgalley ARC review.

If this book does not win every award I will eat at least one of the copies I am going to buy when it releases. Funny, sad, touching, raw, and (hopefully) historically accurate, this brought the time period to VIVID life, warts and all, with beautifully fleshed out and deep characters full of life. Everything about this was perfect. Anyone who ever thought that Dickens would be improved by all of his characters being gay is in for a treat.

"The betrayal of Thomas True" starts with Thomas True getting away from his village and his father's influence to start a new life in London with his cousin, as candlemaker. As soon as he arrives, he meets a man, who introduces him to a molly house. There, we meet a variaty of characters, with their female personas and the threat of a Rat hidden in the molly house.

Aside from Thomas's pont of view, we also have Gabriel, a carpenter who aslo plays guard for the molly house and quickly sets upon himself to try and catch the Rat.

There is a lot of characters with double names to remember, but it didn't really trouble me. The historical aspect of the read was nice, not the better wrapped around I have ever read but nice enough to learn about the molly houses and how hard life was at the time, especially for gay men. The style of writing is a bit overdramatic at times, but it does convey a great sense of atmosphere. The rhythm was a bit choppy and my attention slide a bit from time to time, but still, overall a nice enough read!

The Betrayal of Thomas True by A.J. West is a new historical MM romantic mystery. Thomas True has arrived in London with the hopes of becoming a candlemaker and possibly finding happiness outside his father’s parish. He never expects his first day in London to introduce him to the molly house world and Gabriel Griffin. Gabriel blames himself for the extraordinary losses he has experienced and punishes himself by being surrounded by what he desires most. Thomas True crashes into his life as the Justices are closing in on his beloved molly house. With bodies dropping around them, Thomas and Gabriel are against the clock to discover who the rat is before it’s too late.

What a wild and unexpected ride. Set in 1700’s London the mollies hide themselves in plain sight while indulging in their deepest desires behind closed guarded doors. Thomas True never expected to find friendship or companionship when he traveled to London but he does with Gabriel. Unfortunately their story is rife with lies, death and betrayal. I loved watching the mystery unfold because I honestly could not figure out who the rat was and how they would persevere when the odds were against them.

A whodunit with a tangled romantic web, The Betrayal of Thomas True is an enjoyable historical MM story.

This book broke my heart. 💔
Set in 1700's London, The Betrayal of Thomas True tells the story of the molly houses, and the persecution of the mollies who meet there.
One such molly is Thomas True, aka Verity True Tongue. Having fled his home because of persecution from his family and peers, Thomas takes lodgings with his aunt and uncle in London, and becomes an apprentice candle maker. It is en route to his uncle's house that Thomas meets Jack, aka Sweet Jacky, and learns of the existence of molly houses.
Things soon take a violent turn as several mollies are murdered, betrayed by someone known as The Rat. Many in Thomas' circle believe him to be The Rat, as the murders began soon after his arrival. The unmasking of The Rat, when it came, took me by surprise.

The Betrayal of Thomas True is a story of persecution, murder and betrayal, but it is also a love story that is beautifully written. As the relationship between Thomas and Gabriel slowly develops, one can't help but wish for a happy ending for them both.

"The Betrayal of Thomas True" dives deep into the hidden corners of Georgian London, immersing you in a gritty, visceral world of molly houses and forbidden desires. While the plot can feel a bit disjointed with its frequent shifts in perspective, the novel shines through its atmospheric setting and complex characters. Thomas and Gabriel’s journey through betrayal and hidden identities offers a compelling glimpse into a lesser-known part of history, making this a solid read for fans of historical fiction with a twist.

Reverend True’s son Thomas has escaped the confines of his father’s rectory in Highgate to experience life in the city of London, a magical place that Thomas has dreamt about moving to for a long time. Knowing that he is not like his fellow young men in the countryside, and aware of his parents displeasure of his nature, Thomas decides that London life is for him. After years of saving his allowance, and much corresponding with his cousin Abigail, Thomas boards the mail coach for his adventure. After losing his balance on the coach, Thomas finds himself in an alleyway, and meets Jack Huffins, who later, as his alter ego Sweet Jacky, introduces the newcomer to the delights of Mother Clap’s.

After all the hype and media attention for this book I was really pleased to have been offered an arc. I found it to be an atmospheric, and eventually an engaging read, with colourful characters, and an intriguing plot.

With full disclosure I will admit that I did think this book would be a DNF, as there were so many characters that it took a while to get them straight, especially as they had their molly names as well, and the plot did jump about a fair bit. However I did persevere and was snared enough to want to know more. One downside for me was the Blackguard/Alsatia theme, not at all sure what that was about, though the Author’s Note was helpful.

A well written book in the main, but not entirely what I was expecting.

Thank you NetGalley and Orenda Books.