The Butcher's Hook

At first this title may seem like an oft-told tale—a poor little rich girl in Georgian England must marry an unappealing man, but she falls in love with someone beneath her station. However, the story goes deeper, and fast. As a child, Anne is taken advantage of by a teacher, leaving her with a skewed idea of the power of sex. Later in life, when Anne meets Fub, the butcher's apprentice, her sexuality is unleashed and she will let nothing stand in her way. She has no use for the unfortunately named Mr. Onions, who has been promised her hand in marriage; Margaret, Fub's intended; or even the aforementioned teacher. What begins as a bit of a slow burn turns horrifying as Anne becomes willing to do anything for Fub, even as she realizes he's not worth it. The heroine is amoral but not entirely unsympathetic. Debut novelist Ellis uses cunning turns of phrase ("He carried a great deal of his luncheon in his beard, and often it was not even the luncheon of the day, but of several days before."). Does Anne get her just deserts? That question would prompt a spicy book discussion.