March book club - The Butcher's Hook

I took this book on holiday with me (along with two small boys so please factor in that I read it whilst exhausted), but I have to say the only reason I didn't give up on it was in order to write this review.
I didn't find a single character that was in any way appealing or believable and for most of the book the development of the plot was soooo slooow that I found it simply boring. The sex scenes were crude and implausable and as for the rest - sorry, I just couldn't believe in Anne or her supposed actions. Her 'mental illness', supposedly triggered by earlier events, just needed me to suspend too much in the way of belief and knowledge.
However, I do think that Janet Ellis may be one to watch in the future.

I'm afraid that I just couldn't get into this book,although it is very well written and full of historical description that brings the period to life.The characters were hard to believe in and sympathise with,while the storyline was a little fanciful in my opinion.
Sorry,Janet but I do think your writing style is excellent so would not be put off reading a different novel of yours in future.

Finished this Book the other day:
The presentation... the book cover..and inside is excellent and does a lot to add to the enjoyment of reading a hardback.
I enjoyed the way the author told us how "they used to live" and found it very interesting and informative.
The story line development was totally unexpected and the ending left you wondering if the author was intending writing a sequel.

I have not been able to finish this book - it arrived very late - sorry! But I am enjoing it

I too wasn't able to finish the book. I found it quite difficult to get into for some reason. Maybe it just wasn't my type of story. The historical setting was interesting and well done, but I wasn't so keen on the sex scenes and found it hard to care about the main character/protagonist.

Sorry I just haven't been able to finish this book in time. I wouldn't normally read a period novel so I was interested as to how I'd find it. The abuse scene near the beginning came as a shock, didn't expect that and while it didn't put me off reading further I found it unsettling. Although set in the 18th century I thought the dialogue was generally up to date but both things fitted well together. Quite slow reading (literally!) but am going to take it away with me when I'll have time to finish it.
Overall, so far I don't think this will make me want to read historical novels but that's not a criticism of the author, rather just my reading preference.
Thank you for the book.

I didn't actually get my copy from GN, a friend passed it on to me. I imagine Janet Ellis must have done quite a lot of research and managed to impart a vivid picture of the 18th century, particularly in the inner workings of the Butcher's Shop, both front of house and round the back, which in those days seemed to double as a slaughter house as well, albeit on a small scale. The first part of the story, setting the scene as to the dynamics within the Jacob household unfolded fairly slowly, but gathered momentum half way through when Anne's relationship with the butcher boy Fub deepens as does her animosity towards the suitor her father has lined up for her. Once the pace quickened and Anne's wicked nature came to the fore, the book livened up for me at which stage I found it a far more compulsive read. I think it's a very accomplished debut novel, quite filmic I could see the BBC doing it as a costume drama. Janet Ellis, through her descriptions of smells, food, particularly meat, costume and class presented a very evocative picture of the 18th century. It's almost left open for a sequel, possibly that's her intention. I enjoyed it and I thought the plot was unlike anything else I had read before.

I have finished this book now - delays of all kinds, not least being ill for almost 3 weeks, led to it taking me longer than I meant.

This would not normally be my kind of book – a historic novel - but I was intrigued to find out what Janet Ellis could do with words, and am trying to get into the 'switch-off' of reading once again, so requested a copy and was lucky to receive one.

As others have said, perhaps a little hard to get in to initially, but I put that down to me slightly as I must confess I've not been a massive novel reader in recent years, preferring magazines/newspapers and reference books.

What a truly disturbing character Anne Jaccobs is – still somewhat perturbed by her, and especially by the transformation which saw her turn from the cloistered and curbed child in the beginning of the tale to the fully fledged psychopath - a very sinister young lady indeed!

I really enjoyed the book, and like other reviewers was fascinated and impressed by the amazing historic detail Janet furnished her novel with.

Yes, I would be very keen on a sequel!!

Found this a bit of a "dark" read and quite difficult to get lost in especially as I received it after coming back from holiday.
Thought the Georgian setting was well described but didn't care much for Anne and could not quite believe in how she turned into such a disturbed and murderous young woman.