Set in Georgian London, the dark and twisted tale of a young girl who determines to take her destiny into her own hands—no matter the cost.

London, summer 1763.

At nineteen, Anne Jacob is awakened to the possibility of joy when she meets Fub, the butcher's apprentice, and begins to imagine a life of passion with him. The only daughter of well-to-do parents, Anne lives a sheltered life. Her home is a miserable place. Though her family want for nothing, her father in uncaring, her mother is ailing, and the baby brother who taught her to love is dead.

Unfortunately her parents have already chosen a more suitable husband for her than Fub. But Anne is a determined young woman, with an idiosyncratic moral compass. In the matter of pursuing her own happiness, she shows no fear or hesitation. Even if it means getting a little blood on her hands.A vivid and surprising tale, The Butcher's Hook brims with the color and atmosphere of Georgian London, as seen through the eyes of a strange and memorable young woman.

Janet Ellis trained as an actress at the Central London School of Speech and Drama. She is best known as a presenter on the popular British television show, Blue Peter, and contributes to numerous radio and television programs.  The Butcher's Hook is her first novel, and it has been long listed for the Desmond Elliot Prize.