Brief Extracts from Readers' Reviews

   "This is without doubt a stunning debut novel from an author with uncommon knowledge of his subject-matter and plenty of literary talent."

"Fairer certainly brings the period to vivid life, so much so that as a reader you feel as if you’re living the action as much as the characters . . . The action is fast-paced and incredibly believable."

"A very impressive debut. This is an extremely entertaining and civilised read, richly characterised. stylishly written and cleverly plotted. A well-paced and suspenseful murder mystery is set with originality and wit in a confidently evoked early eighteenth-century London and excitingly investigated by a most unusual and engaging trio of amateur detectives."

 "Deftly plotted, historically accurate, richly descriptive, and wittily written--this is a charming and compelling mystery. I loved it . . . A fabulous debut!"

  "As a lover of literary detective fiction and a long-bereft fan of Bruce Alexander’s Sir John Fielding mysteries, I am delighted to have found David Fairer’s Chocolate House Treason. This novel offers an immersive 18th-century experience thanks to Fairer’s clubbable characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, and vivid period detail. Murder and political intrigue. Betrayal and loyalty. Suspense and surprise: Chocolate House Treason has it all!"

"This deeply informed, engaging, and wonderfully literary novel captures its social and personal dramas with Swiftian insight and the amusing urbanity of Addison. It is a compelling story narrated expertly."