THE MERMAID AND MRS HANCOCK by Imogen Hermes Gowar

I wanted to love this as much as two of my book club friends did. I felt bad reviewing it in their presence at a get together, but it just did not make it for me. I am never that great with stories that have too much magic and unreal stuff going on in them. In this novel there are two mermaids, so there is a bit of uh-oh before starting. The story isn't about the mermaids per se, but they are central to the plot. Secondly it is way too long - 500 pages moving at a glacial pace, lots of nothing taking place. Lastly and most disappointing was the number of characters who feature heavily in the story at various places but just seem to disappear by the finish. There is also a violent scene towards the end that for me just did not seem to fit into the overall mood/tone of the book and I don't see the relevance of this in the plot or outcome of the story. 

Despite these criticisms, the quality of the writing is outstanding. As is the research gone into creating the city of London in the late eighteenth century. The writing is gorgeous, sumptuous, decadent, oozing with sensuality, colour. I loved reading about how people dressed, how they ate, comported themselves in their daily lives. The author has a wonderful way with words creating scenes of such vividness and immersion you can feel yourself there. 

Everyone is on the up, and the only way to get ahead is to be more beautiful, cunning, charming, richer, ruthless than the person next to you. Trying to make his way is widowed and childless merchant/boat owner Jonah Hancock. He finds himself the unwitting owner of a sea creature, and after some persuasion puts the thing on show, charging people to view. It becomes the talk of the town attracting a madame who decides to hire it off Jonah so she can use it in her houses to attract her wealthy and connected clientele. Part of this charade is a successful courtesan Angelica, well used to using her womanly wiles to seduce, charm, and be provided for. Until her benefactor dies, and she is cast aside by the family. This is her current situation, so she has to use all her skill and cunning to land herself another wealthy gent to keep her in the way she has become accustomed. 

Into all of this walks the unsuspecting, unworldly Jonah. His main objective is to protect his much reduced wealth brought on by the purchase of the mermaid, and yet he is impossibly attracted to the beautiful Angelica. What is he to do to retain her, his own magical mermaid. And what about that aged old prophecy that owning or possessing a mermaid can only bring one bad luck?