Quinn Le Blanc is the best con woman in Victorian London. Working with her team of likewise criminals she sets out to ensnare a wealthy husband in five days.
Although I'm a big fan of crime and thrillers I tend to steer away from reading historical crime. The opportunity to listen to the audiobook of The Queen Of Fives by Alex Hay seemed an ideal way to rectify this.
You are straight into the story thanks to the excellent narration of Polly Edsell and the almost thirteen hours of audio never felt overly long or tedious thanks to the many twists. Quinn is the lead confidence trickster of The Chateau, a criminal fraternity based in London. Their aim is to separate wealthy individuals from their money, usually bankers, and they have a strict set of rules they abide by.
With no obvious mark in sight, Quinn decides to use an old tactic from their playbook and ensnare someone with a title. According to their rules, she needs to meet and marry the man all within the space of five days. Thankfully, the small world of the privileged classes makes this a possibility with the right introductions and a beautiful wardrobe.
The narration switches regularly between Quinn, her partner-in-crime, the Duke she has set her sights on and his sister. Alongside this we also hear from another voice, someone watching from the sidelines, not connected to any of the main characters.
I felt completely immersed in high society thanks to the brilliant descriptions and was intrigued as the story progressed. As we got to know each character better we discovered that they were hiding secrets, secrets that they would do anything to keep hidden. It also became obvious that despite the meticulous planning of Quinn and her partner someone was trying to sabotage their exploits. I was sorry when the story reached its conclusion, I could have easily listened to more of Quinn Le Blanc's escapades.
The Queen Of Fives by Alex Hay will be published on 30th January 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline Publishing Group for a review copy.
Author Details
Alex Hay grew up in Cambridge and Cardiff and has been writing as long as he can remember. He studied History at the University of York, and wrote his dissertation on female power at royal courts, combing the archives for every scrap of drama and skulduggery he could find. He has worked in magazine publishing and the charity sector, and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Write Your Novel course. His debut novel The Housekeepers won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022 and was published to great critical acclaim. Alex lives with his husband in South East London
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