As always, Atkinson's work is character driven, the writing deliciously leisurely. I love her use of parenthesized asides; they are at times acerbically witty. She writes what I often think, or how I think. (Is there a difference?) Atkinson]takes on London in the 1920s, masterfully capturing both its shimmer and its seediness...It’s a deliciously fun, absorbing read."

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson - Goodreads Editions of Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson - Goodreads

The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie’s empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho’s gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost. A heady brew of crime, romance and satire set amid the sordid glitz of London nightlife in the 1920s . . . Shrines of Gaiety sees Atkinson on her finest form . . . A marvel of plate-spinning narrative knowhow . . . a peak performance of consummate control. Anthony Cummins, OBSERVER In Soho, London, Nellie Coker is queen of all she surveys - successful owner of a string of nightclubs, she’s a ruthless character - knows what she wants, and also gets what she wants! She’s extremely shrewd, has a good business head, and is determined and ambitious enough to want the best education that money can buy for her six children - her nightclubs provide the means for those ambitions. Kate Atkinson was born in York and now lives in Edinburgh. Her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and she has been a critically acclaimed international bestselling author ever since.Not at all,” the toff said, swaying affably. “It’s a cause for festivities. Old Ma Coker is being released.” Why has a crowd of well dressed toffs and some early shift workers gathered outside Holloway Prison so early one morning in 1926? It’s for ‘her’ - the her in question being Ma (Nellie/Ellen) Coker, the Queen of Clubs, the shrines of post war gaiety as she’s released from a six month stint inside. Watching Ma leave and the crowd disperse is DCI John Frobisher and he has a plan and Gwendolen Kelling, a librarian from York finds herself in the midst of it all. Shrines of Gaiety" biggest problem is its characters. They're.. dull, would you believe? Most of them seem irrelevant to the story (I'm looking at you, Florence. Seriously, what was her purpose? It seemed like she was just there for the sake of being included in the story, but her impact on the story in nonexistent), and are not relatable. Freda and Gwendolen are the only characters who manage to elicit some emotion from the reader, while all the others seem superficial and lifeless. The plot also is a slow-burner, which on the one hand is quite understandable, as you have a huge cast of characters to contend with, so it takes time for the story to get going. It gets somewhat interesting as the you move along, with some great instances of humor and even some suspense, but for the most part, it's just boring and gets too long to get the point. Also, it was hard to even hate Maddox or Azzopardi, as they both aren't developed enough are just bland "Bad Guys".

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

But Bruce Katz (Goodreads great guy) is absolutely right —this book is certainly more like “A God in Ruins” than “Life After Life”…..In a country still recovering from the Great War, London is the focus for a delirious nightlife. In Soho clubs, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. Shrines of Gaiety is a verbose, superfluous novel rooted in historical facts while being the most frustrating, boring book ever. One of TIME Magazine’s Must-Read Books of the Year•A Top Ten Washington Post Best Books of the Year • A Kirkus Best Book of the Year Your very good health, madam,” the toff said, cheerfully raising the champagne bottle towards the drab woman and taking a swig. She glowered at him and muttered something about Sodom and Gomorrah.