The Quick by Lauren Owen is “an astonishing
debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and
menace of Victorian London.” (cover blurb)
It’s 1892 and James Norbury, newly graduated from Oxford and
ready to try his hand at poetry, follows a friend into high society, encounters
trouble in a private club, and vanishes after a brawl and bite from a stranger.
His best friend is dead. There is a supernatural city of evil, and James is
caught in the middle. A chilling character, Doctor Knife, is researching all manner
of creatures. James’ sister Charlotte arrives in London to find and save her
brother. She’s drawn into the gothic mystery and soon must fear for her life
too. The Quick – folks who are not undead, but do shed blood for answers walk a
fine line in underground London.
Ultimately, Charlotte finds her brother within “the doors of
the exclusive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most
ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England.” (cover blurb)
This book is well written and well-paced. It’s eerie and
creepy in a good way. This is not a Twilight vampire book, nor is it
Anne Rice’s Lestat and crew. It’s more highbrow and energetic. It fleshes out
the characters and describes the underbelly of London. Kudos to Lauren Owen for
her debut novel – The Quick. I’d read it with the lights on and
perhaps a fire in the fireplace. Easy to feel chilled, and a bit thirsty too.
A brief note on Lauren Owen’s bio – I’m jealous. She was
born in 1985, studied at Oxford and the University of East Anglia. She received
the 2009 Curtis Brown Prize for best fiction dissertation. The Quick
is her first and no doubt, not last novel.
