* I was gifted this book by the author and publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Belle
Nash and the Bath Soufflé (The Gay Street Chronicles) by William Keeling
When Gaia Champion throws a dinner party, what should be a pleasant evening with friends, turns into a disaster when the soufflé fails to rise, and the food makes them all ill. The group quickly realise that there is more to it than just bad luck, and set about investigating Mr Porter and his dodgy ingredients. But what starts off as a small, fun investigation to pass the time, quickly turns into something far bigger and more dangerous. With a corrupt magistrate and rouge traders against them, how will the friends manage to secure Mr Porter’s arrest? Set against the backdrop of 1830s Bath, this brilliant book will have you hooked till the last page!
My favourite
part of Belle Nash and the Bath Soufflé, was the wonderfully written, eccentric main
characters. I want to introduce you to them:
Our leading
man, Gentleman Bellerophon ‘Belle’ Nash, the city councillor, and bachelor, who
is an incredibly loyal friend and always willing to help someone in need. I
especially loved his supportive friendship with Gaia. A natural leader, he
takes charge of the group’s investigation.
The fabulous
and flamboyant Gerhardt Kant was one of my favourite characters, he managed to
be both an air head, and extremely intelligent and ahead of his time. A native of
Germany, he struggles with the English language, and his sentences make very
entertaining reading!
Another of
my favourite characters was Gaia Champion, Belle’s best friend. She is recently
widowed, and was considered an equal during in her marriage, but now her
husband has died, she is seen as inferior once again. As a woman, she is overlooked
and has very limited rights. She wants more
- equality and a job in a man’s
world.
The
incredibly nosey Lady Passmore, of Tewkesbury Manor, and Mrs Pomroy, who sit
and spy on people from their carriage - which they seem to think becomes invisible
to onlookers!
And finally, hypochondriac Miss Primm, who fears her own shadow and wails at the mention of inconvenience
and illness.
This book
was clever, witty, and highly entertaining. Although a fun historical fiction,
it actually covers many important social issues, such as homophobia, equality
for women and corrupt penal systems. It also contains some surprise twists. The
future Queen Victoria even makes an appearance!
There is an excellent
note at the start of the book, which tells the reader how the book came to be, and about the real people that inspired some of the characters. At the end of each chapter
there are author notes telling us what is fact and fiction, which I really
enjoyed. I highly recommend this book; I have never read a story quite like it
before. I am very much hoping for another instalment of Belle Nash’s
adventures in the future!
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