Slipping the Noose by Meg Caddy
The way out is through.
Anne Bonny is chained up in the hold of a prison ship, nursing nine-month-old Molly. The baby is all she has left of Calico Jack, the swaggering pirate captain who loved her and stole her away to sea—and who now hangs from a gibbet. When armed men rip the child from her grasp, Bonny can do nothing and Molly seems lost. But Anne Bonny was not cut out for despair. She will plan for escape and rescue, and the plan will become action. And the streets of London will belong to her and her daughter—and the ragtag remnants of Calico Jack’s crew.
Anne Bonny looms large in the history of piracy on the high seas. But history, having left the notorious female buccaneer languishing in a Jamaican jail, then carelessly mislaid her. Fortunately we have Meg Caddy to imagine her subsequent exploits and whereabouts, and to bring them so vividly and rakishly to life.
Published 3 May 2022| Publisher: Text Publishing | RRP: AUD$24.00
Buy it at: Dymocks | Booktopia | A&R | Abbey’s | QBD
My Blurb (4 / 5 stars)
As I began to read this novel, I felt that I have jumped into the middle of a story. This prompted me to check Goodreads which notes (at the bottom of the book description; I had to click on ‘more’ to see) that this book is a sequel to Devil’s Ballast which, errr, I have yet to read, oops! This kind of ruins the read a little for me… I stopped reading to read Devil’s Ballast first which didn’t turn out to be what I quite expected before jumping back into Slipping the Noose.
The good thing is that after I read Devil’s Ballast, I have readjusted my expectations and actually enjoyed Slipping the Noose. I have become acquainted with some of the characters, especially Anne, and understood her feelings a lot more which I then can sympathise with. It’s a suspenseful read with 2 perspectives (Bonny’s & Read’s) which really got me on the edge of my seat waiting for when or where these will culminate. The final pages were utterly wonderful and I got to wondering if we will see these characters again.
While the plot in this novel will stand on its own, I do highly recommend that you read Devil’s Ballast first as it will make clear of who some characters are and how they relate to each other. Do not expect a swashbuckling adventures as these novels aren’t quite those but they are action-packed with its own twist. Highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable!
My thanks to Text Publishing for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts
About the author
Meg Caddy is a part-time bookseller and a full-time nerd. Their fantasy novel Waer was shortlisted for the 2013 Text Prize and the 2017 CBCA Book of the Year Award, and their historical fiction Devil’s Ballast was shortlisted for the 2020 Readings YA Book Prize. They are currently undertaking a PhD in queer fiction.
Tien's Blurb 