AJ West at Truman Books

Bestselling author AJ West’s latest historical thriller The Betrayal of Thomas True has been described by Stephen Fry as “really very good” and Farsley independent Truman Books is giving you the chance to hear more.

Set in the hidden world of Georgian London’s gay scene and molly houses, The Betrayal of Thomas True is described as “a brutal and devastating thriller”. Playwright Jonathan Harvey says it’s “fierce, funny and fabulous”, while three-time winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel Catriona Ward calls it “ heartbreaking, beautiful, lyrical” and says: “I’ve rarely been so transported, moved and gripped by a story from the first page. You won’t want to put it down.”

Here’s the blurb: 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 silent guard. When the queen of all ‘he-harlots’, Mother Clap, confides in him about a deadly threat, he realises his friends are facing imminent execution. To the horror of all mollies, there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices, hell-bent on punishing sinners with the noose. Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before it’s too late? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own impossible love?

The Betrayal of Thomas True is the follow-up to AJ West’s debut novel The Spirit Engineer, which won the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award, gaining international praise for its telling of a long-forgotten true story. Published in October 2021 by Duckworth Books, it has sold over 17,000 copies and .

Originally from Buckinghamshire, and now living in London with his husband, AJ West studied English Literature at university in Preston before becoming a radio and television producer, news presenter and journalist at the BBC in London and Northern Ireland. He has written for national newspapers and magazines, and has appeared on programmes including BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, This Morning and the legendary reality television show, Big Brother – as a contestant! A passionate historical researcher, he regularly appears on network television discussing his writing and the historical context of contemporary events, and writes at The London Library and museum archives around the world.

Find out more about literary places in Leeds here.