Catherine Johnson

A cobbled street… an iron bell-pull… a candlelit hallway. The launch of Catherine Johnson’s A Nest of Vipers was a very atmospheric occasion. Held at Dennis Severs' House  in Spitalfields, a veritable time capsule of a building, it was a memorable and haunting experience. In times gone by the occupants of the house were a family of Huguenot silk-weavers, and examples of their exquisite work and fascinating lifestyle permeate everything. The smell of a coal fire, onion soup, coffee, perfume… the sound of a horse-drawn carriage passing by outside… All very appropriate considering the historical setting of Catherine’s book, which concerns a group of teenage confidence tricksters, run by Mother Hopkins. But old age is slowing Mother Hopkins down, and she wants to carry out one last hustle, a con to outdo all the cons that have gone before. The gang set about bringing ruin upon Captain Walker, a proud and cruel slave captain – but this is the eighteenth century, and people get hanged for less than that...

Catherine lives less than a half-hour walk from the house, and her familiarity with the London setting adds real authenticity to her writing. Her background in film makes her very aware of the visual impact of her surroundings. Sitting on a brocade chair in a candlelit drawing room, sipping fine wine from an antique glass, I can’t imagine a better way to launch what promises to be an exciting and engrossing read.

Dennis Severs' House

Dennis Severs' House