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1861: An imaginative retelling of the legend of the Minotau
Once a Monster
What you need to know before your trail
London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died four years past, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers in her possession, she spends her days dredging up coals, copper and pieces of iron spilled by the river barges – searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone.
But one day, Nell discovers a body on the shore. It’s not the first corpse she’s encountered, but by far the strangest. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head are the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks urge her to steal his boots and rifle his pockets, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever . . .
Locations
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London
The novel centres around the group of people mudlarking on the banks of the Thames. There’s darkness and shadows here and the stench of the river is omnipresent. Great scene setting and excellent immersive writing.
There are many places in the novel but the infamous Ratcliffe Highway is one of them. This is a route which dates back to Roman times. In the 19th century it had a reputation for vice and crime and was the location of the Ratcliff Highway murders where an entire family was slaughtered in their shop one evening.
Booktrailer Review
BookTrail bookreview of Once A Monster Robert Dinsdale
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Once a Monster
Destination: London Author/guide: Robert Dinsdale Departure Time: 1861
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