I was born in London to Irish immigrant parents, a heritage of which I am very proud. I grew up in a house where buying books was considered a shocking waste of money, when there was a perfectly good library up the road. As a result of this childhood deprivation I now have a book-buying addiction.
I have a PhD in Victorian domestic murder and an obsessive interest in the weirder elements of nineteenth-century life. The Tumbling Girl is my debut novel, the first in a series of crime novels set in a down-at-heel Victorian music hall. It won the UEA Little, Brown Award for Crime Fiction 2019. The second title in the series, The Innocents, will be published by Gallic in March 2024.
I live in Norwich with my husband and two dogs, the latter of whom provided names for two nefarious characters in The Tumbling Girl.
Photo: Dan Bassett Instagram; @Aresbiblio Twitter; @DMan1504
Variety Palace Mysteries
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The Innocents
Publication 11 April 2024
A string of murders has torn through London, throwing together the now notorious Minnie Ward and Albert Easterbrook once again. Their investigation leads to a fourteen-year-old tragedy and a survivor who wants to see everyone pay.
The Innocents immerses the reader once again in the vivid, chaotic world of the Variety Palace. Laced with warmth and humour, events are set against the backdrop of a dark, distressing tragedy, and a killer compelled to commit unspeakable acts.
Praise for The Innocents
‘Triumphant . . . Walsh once again seamlessly combines vivid period detail, clever plotting, and thoughtful characterizations. This series merits a long run’
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
‘Another entertaining, well-researched historical mystery . . . As before, the working people behind the scenes at the music hall are the stars’
Library Journal (starred review)
‘From the first dramatic and heart-breaking pages to the breathless final scenes, The Innocents by Bridget Walsh is the superb second novel in the Variety Palace Mysteries series. Victorian crime at its exciting and grittiest best. Don’t miss it’
Essie Fox, author of The Fascination
‘A dramatic return to the music hall, as Minnie does it again. Rich with theatrical detail and brimming with brilliant characters, this is a series not to be missed’
SJ Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal
‘Bridget Walsh does it again. The Innocents is pacy, captivating and accomplished and I loved it . . . More Minnie and Albert, please — I miss them already’
Emma Styles, author of No Country for Girls
‘Once again, Bridget Walsh has pulled it off! She doesn’t shy away from touching on true horror, but does so with a deftly humane hand and, even in displaying the worst side of human nature, she runs her writing through with such warmth and humour that it almost glows on the page. I am undecided whether I am in love with Minnie or whether I want to be her. Both, probably!’
Julia Crouch, author of The Daughters
‘My favourite new crime series of recent years . . . Walsh has created a host of wonderful characters, topped off by the delightful pairing of Minnie and Albert. Their will-they-wont-they relationship will hopefully keep going for many years to come. If you’re looking for a hugely entertaining crime novel, packed with great characters, then you really can’t do any better than this’
Trevor Wood, author of You Can Run
‘A rollicking good yarn, full of fantastic and fantastical characters plus a real dash of magic. You can really taste and smell dirty Victorian London. I loved it’
Barbara Nadel, author of the Inspector Ikmen Mysteries
The Tumbling Girl
1876, Victorian London. Minnie Ward, a feisty scriptwriter for the Variety Palace Music Hall, is devastated when her best friend is found brutally murdered. She enlists the help of private detective. Albert Easterbrook to help her find justice. Together they navigate London, from its high-class clubs to its murky underbelly. But as the bodies pile up, they must rely on one another if they’re going to track down the killer – and make it out alive.
Praise for The Tumbling Girl
‘Walsh does a splendid job depicting Minnie’s flea-bitten yet appealing theatrical world and Albert’s monied yet treacherous milieu’
Wall Street Journal
‘A narrative that neatly weds historical detail and quiet wit’
Sunday Times Best Historical Fiction Books of 2023
‘A sparkling novel and a complete delight to read. The characters and world are wild, vivid and enchanting. A wry, warm and proper rib-tickling slice of dirty Victorian gothic . . . I can’t wait to see what Minnie and Albert are up to next’
Julia Crouch, author of The Daughters
‘Beautifully evocative, deftly plotted and with engaging characters, it was a page-turner from beginning to end’
Sheila O’Flanagan, author of What Eden Did Next
‘A brilliantly written page-turner. A bravura performance tumbling us into a compelling mystery in a vivid, richly imagined world. You can smell the greasepaint and hear the roar of the crowd on every page’
Imogen Robertson, author of The Paris Winter
‘Minnie Ward is a woman you want to follow through all the wicked twists and turns of Victorian London. Bridget writes wonderfully. It had me on the edge of my seat until the final page’
S. J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal
‘I absolutely loved The Tumbling Girl. Bridget Walsh is a fresh and fabulous new voice in historical crime fiction’
Elizabeth Chadwick, author of The King’s Jewel
‘Brilliant . . . Beautifully written . . . keeps you guessing till the end’
A. J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer
‘Gripping, dark and thrilling and takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey from music hall to gentleman’s club and back again; all in the company of two engaging protagonists’
W. C. Ryan, author of A House of Ghosts
‘An accomplished crime murder mystery, with an addictively gritty plot and truly remarkable cast of characters . . . deliciously dark and compelling’
Essie Fox, author of The Fascination
‘One of the most engaging double acts I’ve read in ages. Delightful, dark and depraved’
Trevor Wood, author of You Can Run
‘A racy and thrilling ride that doesn’t let up till the last sentence. Superbly done’
Femi Kayode, author of Lightseekers
‘Walsh resurrects the culture and crimes of Victoriana without cliché or condescension, but with warmth, wit, remarkable texture and rare authority’
Tom Benn, author of Oxblood
‘Smart, funny and expertly plotted, The Tumbling Girl cartwheels off the page . . . A cracking start to a charismatic and distinctive series’
Emma Styles, author of No Country for Girls
‘Walsh’s diligent research pays off in spades here, and her rich and nuanced portrayal of the period will leave readers feeling like they’re on the soggy streets of London. Imogen Robertson readers will be eager for a sequel to this un-put-downable mystery’
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
‘This atmospheric debut historical mystery captures the world of music halls and the danger to women in Victorian London. Will appeal to fans of Leonard Goldberg’s ‘Daughter of Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries, Sherry Thomas’s ‘Lady Sherlock’ books, or the show Miss Scarlet and the Duke’
Library Journal (Starred Review)
‘Minnie’s world reeks of greasepaint, stale tobacco and oysters, populated by characters J. B. Priestley would have been proud of’
Katherine Mezzacappa, Historical Novel Society
Events
Availability
I’m available for appearances at festivals, bookshops, libraries and schools.
Find me on Social Media:
I’m represented by Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency.
www.blakefriedmann.co.uk
My publishers are Gallic Books.
www.belgraviabooks.com
Reading & Conversation with Bridget Walsh
Thursday 16th May 2024 at 7pm Diss Publishing Bookshop, 40 Mere Street Diss. Bridget Walsh will talk about her work in historical crime fiction. The Tumbling Girl and Its sequel, The Innocents, take us back to the music halls of Victorian London and Victorian crime...
Bloody Scotland
I’ll be appearing at Bloody Scotland as part of ‘Crime in the Spotlight’ on Saturday 16th September 2023 at 6pm, just before Mark Billingham and Antti Toumainen. Bloody Scotland website
Blog
Some Influences
The protagonist of my debut novel The Tumbling Girl is Minnie Ward, an intrepid and outspoken writer for a music hall in Victorian London. She has a slightly complicated backstory about her name, but the truth is she was named after my Aunty Minnie. Sadly no longer...
A quartet of villainous Victorian women
During my PhD research into Victorian domestic murder I became particularly interested in cases featuring women murderers, not least because of the huge amount of press attention they received. These four women, whether guilty or innocent — I’ll leave you to decide...
