BLOG TOUR: The Canary Keeper by Claire Carson

They will see me hang for this.

London, 1855. In the grey mist of the early morning a body is dumped on the shore of the Thames by a boatman in a metal canoe. Talk soon spreads of the killer and his striking accomplice: a young widow in mourning dress.

Birdie Quinn's sleeplessness led her to the river that morning. She has always been wilful, haughty, different... but is she a murderess?

To clear her name, she must retrace the dead man's footsteps to Orkney and the far north. A dangerous journey for a woman alone, but one she must make to save her life. Publisher: Head of Zeus Pages: 384

I love historical fiction so I was very pleased to be invited to take part in the blog tour for The Canary Keeper by Clare Carson. If you, like me have enjoyed books such as The Familiars or The Silent Companions then this is one for you. 

Birdie Quinn is our protagonist and she hasn’t had it easy but she has determination and grit in abundance. In a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Bride is seen next to a body floating in the Thames and she is accused of being involved in the man’s murder. Birdie did recognise the man as he had shouted at her in the street the previous evening saying he had a message for her. She is completely innocent though but faces the threat of hanging for a crime she did not commit. 

Birdie, through her benefactor, has received a good education and she must use her intelligence and skills to clear her name. She discovers the dead man’s name and traces him to Orkney where she poses as a widow looking for a new life. She becomes tangled in a web that she had not expected and she must stay one step ahead so she can clear her name. 

The Canary Keeper is a fabulous murder mystery, Clare Carson’s writing is full of rich descriptions and imagery which create a fantastic atmosphere. I loved the two settings of London and Orkney and how very different they were. Orkney has an almost other world feel to it and I did think that Birdie was incredibly brave to go there alone. The book involves Birdie discovering about the illegal fur trade and the Esquimaux which was not a subject I was familiar with but it was so interesting and you can tell that Carson has done her research.

Birdie is great character; there are several strong females within the book which was refreshing but you still see how their power and situations are limited by their connection to men or lack of connection. 

I can highly recommend The Canary Keeper, the story is original and captivating and I was really taken with Claire Carson’s evocative descriptions.