Perilous Times for the Match Factory Girls
A BRAND NEW gripping Victorian saga of secrets, crime and survival for 2026
Will be published approx. on 29. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-1-80658-423-9 (ISBN)
Description
A BRAND NEW gripping Victorian East End saga of courage, crime and survival from Kay Brellend. Perfect for fans of Rosie Goodwin, Jean Fullerton and Elaine Everest!'Kay Brellend is a new star in the making!' bestselling author Rosie Clarke
In 1889 London, the streets are as deadly as the factory floor...
Rebecca Spencer holds her struggling family together, working long hours as a match girl at Bryant and May, where the threat of 'phossy jaw' hangs over every shift.
But when her brother falls in with dangerous men while mudlarking on the Thames, the Spencers are dragged into a world of ruthless crime. Rebecca already has secrets after her elder sister's tragic end in a Whitechapel backstreet. Now scandal is looming once more, and echoes of the past bring haunting memories of unsolved murders... and a baby born out of wedlock.
Lieutenant Stevie Flynn offers his help, and Rebecca wants to trust him. But when the handsome naval officer seems entangled with the very people she is fighting against, she must ask herself - is he her salvation, or another threat waiting in the shadows?
A gripping Victorian saga of courage, betrayal and survival.
Praise for the Match Factory Girls series:
'Kay Brellend is a new star in the making! I was hooked immediately. Well written and compelling. I really felt the atmosphere of Victorian London and was absorbed by the characters.' Rosie Clarke
'Victorian melodrama, in the stews of the East End, where life is cheap, and grit is needed to survive. I was captured from the first page.' Lizzie Lane
'A gripping tale set in darkly atmospheric Victorian London, the Match Factory Girls overcome immense hardship and dire poverty to protect those they love. A powerful read that kept me turning the pages.' Tracy Baines
'Whitechapel is no place for fragile dreams. Kay Brellend's new saga is a fabulous story that takes you deep into London's dark east end streets.' AnneMarie Brear
'A heart-rending saga that depicts a mother's indomitable love for her baby son, and her courage and determination in the face of the dangers that threaten them.' Liz Harris
'An evocative story of courage, hope and the brave Match Girls who changed history, cleverly woven into the dark, terrifying world of the Ripper's Whitechapel' Kirsty Ferry
Praise for Kay Brellend:
????? 'Vividly rendered' Historical Novel Society
????? 'A fantastic cast of characters' Goodreads
????? 'Thoroughly absorbing' Goodreads
????? 'Loved this book, couldn't put it down.' Reader Review
????? 'Absolutely loved this book!' Reader Review
????? 'Best read ever! Kay Brellend books are fantastic.' Reader Review
In 1889 London, the streets are as deadly as the factory floor...
Rebecca Spencer holds her struggling family together, working long hours as a match girl at Bryant and May, where the threat of 'phossy jaw' hangs over every shift.
But when her brother falls in with dangerous men while mudlarking on the Thames, the Spencers are dragged into a world of ruthless crime. Rebecca already has secrets after her elder sister's tragic end in a Whitechapel backstreet. Now scandal is looming once more, and echoes of the past bring haunting memories of unsolved murders... and a baby born out of wedlock.
Lieutenant Stevie Flynn offers his help, and Rebecca wants to trust him. But when the handsome naval officer seems entangled with the very people she is fighting against, she must ask herself - is he her salvation, or another threat waiting in the shadows?
A gripping Victorian saga of courage, betrayal and survival.
Praise for the Match Factory Girls series:
'Kay Brellend is a new star in the making! I was hooked immediately. Well written and compelling. I really felt the atmosphere of Victorian London and was absorbed by the characters.' Rosie Clarke
'Victorian melodrama, in the stews of the East End, where life is cheap, and grit is needed to survive. I was captured from the first page.' Lizzie Lane
'A gripping tale set in darkly atmospheric Victorian London, the Match Factory Girls overcome immense hardship and dire poverty to protect those they love. A powerful read that kept me turning the pages.' Tracy Baines
'Whitechapel is no place for fragile dreams. Kay Brellend's new saga is a fabulous story that takes you deep into London's dark east end streets.' AnneMarie Brear
'A heart-rending saga that depicts a mother's indomitable love for her baby son, and her courage and determination in the face of the dangers that threaten them.' Liz Harris
'An evocative story of courage, hope and the brave Match Girls who changed history, cleverly woven into the dark, terrifying world of the Ripper's Whitechapel' Kirsty Ferry
Praise for Kay Brellend:
????? 'Vividly rendered' Historical Novel Society
????? 'A fantastic cast of characters' Goodreads
????? 'Thoroughly absorbing' Goodreads
????? 'Loved this book, couldn't put it down.' Reader Review
????? 'Absolutely loved this book!' Reader Review
????? 'Best read ever! Kay Brellend books are fantastic.' Reader Review
More details
Series
Edition
Large type / large print edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Edition type
Large type / large print edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
528 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80658-423-9 (9781806584239)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Kay Brellend was born in north London and her first saga, based in the early twentieth century slums of Islington, was published in 2011. She drew inspiration for The Street from her grandmother's reminiscences about growing up in 'the Bunk' as the notorious road was known. Her own mother was born there in 1921.
The ensuing Campbell Road series of seven book was followed by more gritty East End and World War sagas, but she has turned her attention to the Victorian era for the Match Factory Girls series of books published by Boldwood and set in the time of the infamous Whitechapel murders.
Kay has worked as a shop assistant, an oil company secretary and a library assistant. She's also been a property developer and landlady. She now concentrates on writing and lives in a village in Hertfordshire where an unruly garden also keeps her busy.
The ensuing Campbell Road series of seven book was followed by more gritty East End and World War sagas, but she has turned her attention to the Victorian era for the Match Factory Girls series of books published by Boldwood and set in the time of the infamous Whitechapel murders.
Kay has worked as a shop assistant, an oil company secretary and a library assistant. She's also been a property developer and landlady. She now concentrates on writing and lives in a village in Hertfordshire where an unruly garden also keeps her busy.