BLUE BILLY'S ROGUE LEXICON

In Lawrence’s historical novel, a young man makes his way through late 18th-century London selling sex and engaging in other criminal activity to make ends meet.

18-year-old William Dempsey has struggled to get by in the rough neighborhoods of London his whole life. He picked up the nickname Blue Billy at a “bawdyhouse,” or brothel, run by Marathon Moll, and now, he returns there for a room and a job. He’d left for a life of luxury with the Marquess of Argyll, who wined and dined him in exchange for sex; after Billy took up with another man—also for money—he was cast out on the streets. Moll doesn’t let Billy return at first, but a violent run-in with a client brings a man named Tom Baker to Billy’s rescue, and Moll takes in the bruised and battered teen. At Moll’s place, Billy reunites with his friend Chandler, who works there. Eventually, Billy is back to his old ways, tempted by a con man and thief named Roger Calcroft, with whom he eventually cohabitates. But Tom remains a part of Billy’s life, bringing out the best in him. Lawrence portrays Billy as a street urchin with a heart of gold—or silver, at least—and weaves a poignant tale of a rough-around-the-edges young man who badly wants to do the right thing (“I’m sorry that the life you were born to has led you to grasp so desperately for happiness where no true happiness can ever be found,” Tom tells Billy at one point). Billy eventually finds that happiness with Tom, but Lawrence does his very best to generate new plot turns to keep them apart. Billy’s is not an easy world to live in, and the author brings it to vivid life with rough and sometimes-violent passages. However, it’s balanced with a burgeoning love story, making for a satisfying and moving novel.

A gritty and emotional tale of a complex young protagonist.