The Betrayal of Thomas True - by A J West (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life, searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies - a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller!

**WINNER of the CWA Historical DAGGER 2025***

`Heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical ... you won't want to put it down´ Catriona Ward

`Utterly thrilling´ Elizabeth MacNeal

`Immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining´ Matt Cain

`Stunning and powerful ... You'll never forget Thomas True´ Janice Hallett

`A clever mystery, a powerful love story ... affected me more than anything I've read in a long time´ Gareth Brown

**WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN**

**THE TOP TEN Sunday Times BESTSELLER**

**SHORTLISTED for Booksellers Association Author of the Year**

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The only sin is betrayal...

It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London's hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.

Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly's stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.

Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?

Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal...

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`Quite simply divine ... had me in all sorts of tears´ Jennie Godfrey

`A vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London's past ... as compelling as West's debut´ The Times

`Simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation´ Susan Stokes-Chapman

`An unforgettable combination of historical thriller, love story and heartbreaking tragedy´ Heat

`Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable´ Historical Novel Society

`Electric ... an unputdownable read´ Attitude Magazine

`An epic adventure of love in a time of danger´ Hallie Rubenhold

`Exuberant, moving´ Rosie Andrews

`Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive ... I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful´ D.V. Bishop

`A devastating story told with great power´ Christopher Stephens

`You are instantly immersed in the perilous, hot, exciting, plot-swirling world of Mollies´ Felice Picano

`You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll cry´ Essie Fox

`Hugely entertaining´ Anna Mazzola

`Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery´ Sean Lusk

`Brilliantly researched and lavishly written´ Emma Stonex

`Like a modern Fielding´ Kate Griffin

`Hypnotic. A hurtling tale of deception and self-discovery´ James Cahill

`Very, very good´ Stephen Fry

`There has never been a book that made me cry ... until today´ Suzie Edge

`A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London ... unputdownable´ Gareth Russell

`Broke my heart and energised my soul´ Tracy King

`The wit of Wilde still lives!´ Gyles Brandreth

`A powerful new voice in historical fiction´ Gill Paul

`A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart´ Annie Garthwaite

Review Quotes

"A thriller and a vivid exploration of a largely forgotten aspect of London's past, this is as compelling as West's debut."--The Times

"A gripping historical tale, The Betrayal of Thomas True reveals persecutions, mysterious murders, and a valiant and lively alliance of gay men."--Foreword Reviews

"This meticulously researched, absolutely fantastic tale of the mollies of Georgian London is a real literary treat, and its colourful characters will stay with you long after you've read the last page."--Heat Magazine

"The Betrayal of Thomas True is an immersive, illuminating and exceptionally entertaining novel. The lead character is adorable, Gabriel is seriously hot, and you'll be rooting for their forbidden love to make it. The book will also make you feel proud - or even prouder - of our community's rich cultural history. As the mollies are fond of saying, 'Always together!'"--The Queer Review

"Ingeniously plotted, vivid and memorable."--Historical Novel Society

`Sometimes you find a novel that is electric ... West's talent as a writer - Dickensian-style vivacious characterisation and fast paced action - make this an unputdownable read´ Attitude Magazine

`Quite simply divine - historical, a thriller, comedic, fantastical and, above all, a love story that had me in all sorts of tears´ Jennie Godfrey

`A clever mystery, a powerful love story ... affected me more than anything I've read in a long time´ Gareth Brown

`Plunges readers into the dark, treacherous streets of Georgian London in this epic adventure of love in a time of danger - a must-read for lovers of gritty, thrilling, historical fiction. An absolute page-turner!´ Hallie Rubenhold

`An exuberant, moving story of double lives, forbidden love and personal identity´ Rosie Andrews

`Vivid, impressive and utterly immersive ... I was weeping by the final pages. Masterful´ D.V. Bishop

`You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll cry at this Georgian-era thriller awash with mystery and mayhem ... and magnificent mollies´ Essie Fox

`There has never been a book that made me cry ... until today. It chewed me up hard more than once, but it was also funny, colourful and decadent. Truly extraordinary´ Suzie Edge

`Fierce, funny, and fabulous; this is an important and deeply moving story´ Jonathan Harvey

`Both a roaring Georgian romp and a moving story of injustice and discrimination ... hugely entertaining´ Anna Mazzola

`Bursting with memorable characters and stunning imagery ... a thriller, a tragedy and a love story all in one´ Sean Lusk

`A thrilling historical mystery, brilliantly researched and lavishly written´ Emma Stonex

`Writing like a modern Fielding, A.J. West packs in humour, horror and a raging sense of injustice´ Kate Griffin

`A beautiful, dark love story set in the fetid streets of Georgian London ... unputdownable´ Gareth Russell

`A beautifully told story that broke my heart and energised my soul in equal measure. A cunningly plotted, twisty and twisted tale of love, betrayal and the human spirit ... a timely reminder of the heavy cost of freedom´ Tracy King

`The wit of Wilde still lives!´ Gyles Brandreth

`A gripping epic tale ... a powerful new voice in historical fiction´ Gill Paul

`A picaresque gay romp through 18th-century London, with a dark and troubling heart´ Annie Garthwaite

"The Betrayal of Thomas True reads like a Dickensian strut upon the mainstage of RuPaul's Drag Race. Set in 1715, the novel transports readers back to Georgian London and spotlights a population very much on the outside. The squalor of the time-period virtually drips from every page, with A. J. West's commitment to authenticity before all else apparent with each carefully chosen word ... The Betrayal of Thomas True by A. J. West should be on the reading list for all fans of queer literature, but it's a particularly important book for the straight community, reminding them of the legacy of this persecuted community who refuses to sit back and allow history to repeat itself."--Bolobooks

About the Author

A.J. West's debut novel The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers' Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long-forgotten true story.

An award winning BBC newsreader and reporter, he has written for national newspapers and regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events.

A passionate historical researcher, he writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.