This is an incredible book with so many themes running through it. From Victorian England to Jamaica we follow the story that is gripping the nation,The Titchbourne Case.. A case that involves a claim by a rotund butcher to be Sir Roger Titchbourne.. We see this case through the main character Mrs Touchet but not before we are taken back to her early days as cousin, one time lover of William Ainsworth a well published prolific novelist. We are treated to encounters with Ainsworths contemporaries, including Dickens. Although she is an imagined charcter, she is a very insightful and entertaining individual.
A very thought provoking and entertaining read

Zadie Smith's first historical novel knocked it out of the park for me - I couldn't put this down! I've struggled with her novels in the past, but really enjoyed THE FRAUD.

I absolutely flew through Zadie Smith's latest book – I found it so easy to read and generally more straightforward than her other novels. It follows the trial of an unlikely claimant to a fortune, and in the meantime interrogates slavery, the concept of freedom, the vampirism of writers, women's exclusion from public life, class and the complex layers of privilege. It also has a big healthy dose of Dickens bashing which I was a little surprised at?

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres and I love reading about the nineteenth century, so obviously this was very much catering to my taste. I hadn't realised how many of the characters were real people until quite late into the book, which is perhaps stupid because William Harrison Ainsworth did ring a bell. (Will people be interested in reading his work again now that this book has been published?) I liked how it really depicts the political and tumultuous nature of the nineteenth century, which I think is often forgotten in the public perception of the Victorian era, and obviously it has that Zadie Smith flair of both writing and character.

But for me it felt slightly lacking compared to her other books. I've read NW and Swing Time in the past year and from both I came away feeling that I had read something meaty that had really dug into issues and questions, but without providing any neat answers. The Fraud didn't provide any answers, but I felt like it didn't quite give me the meat I wanted either.

I've been wanting to read a Zadie Smith book for a long time now and I'm sad to say that I wish that I hadn't bothered. I was bored from start to finish and I did debate not even finishing it but for some reason decided to push on through. I have to say that I just don't get the hype about this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful read, loved White Teeth so much and this did not disappoint either! Really excited to see what she does next

This was a real let-down for me. I love all of Smith's writing, but this book just didn't click. It felt too fragmented (and I love fragmentation!) and messy. It was unclear throughout what the focus was - as if there were too many ideas crammed in. There's a narrative shift about 270 pages in and it's really staggering, but then that drifts away. Sadly not Smith's best.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK for this ARC of Zadie Smith’s first historical fiction novel, truly a union of two of my favourite things. One of the best things about Smith’s writing is that way that she can identify and seamlessly weave together seemingly disparate stories and narratives to tell one unified story that leaves you in no doubt of her genius. Here she has centred her story around an historical event called the Tichborne Trial, in which the country was divided over whether a man was truly the long lost Sir Roger Tichborne or a fraud. Our two narrators are Mrs. Touchet, an elderly housekeeper and cousin to a fading literary talent, and Andrew Bogle, a former slave from Jamaica who has aligned himself with ‘Sir Roger’ and finds himself the star witness in the trial. Both are outsiders in society and both are all too aware of the ways in which those on top deceive and exploit those below. This is an engrossing and extremely well-researched novel and what it lacks in narrative momentum, it makes up in power. Smith fans will not be disappointed.

I found this book brilliant, intriguing, and thought provoking. Zadie Smith writes an excellent historical fiction, something very different from White Teeth and her other novels.
I found this story well researched and I also found it entertaining even when it was making me reflect on our contemporary world.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am confused by this novel - it’s the first Zadie Smith book I have read and I was expecting to be wowed - but while there are some good ideas and themes explored, I found the book as a whole to be confusing, meandering and just felt a lack of interest in the characters - I didn’t understand the motivations of the main character, Mrs Touchet, who although interestingly eccentric seemed all over the place in terms of her reactions and desires - I just couldn’t make much sense of her or of the plot, really. There’s even an acknowledgement of this near the end when Mrs Touchet notes the ‘various people and urges’ within herself. There are various strands to the plot, all of which have bases in real historical fact: one is a legal case of inheritance asking whether a man is who he claims to be or is in fact a fraud. Eliza Touchet becomes very interested in the case due to the appearance in it of a formerly enslaved Jamaican man by the name of Bogle, who she finds she believes despite the implausibility of the case itself. Then there’s also a lot of delving into Eliza’s own past, living with her cousin, novelist William Ainsworth, and his apparent lack of ability in being a novelist. There’s just too much going on and lots of attempts to bring various meanings of fraud in but it jumps around a lot. I did find the historical case being tried to be interesting and I enjoyed the spectacle of it and of uneducated Sarah as a completely biased yet fairly shrewd spectator. But I’m left mostly underwhelmed.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Hamish Hamilton, for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith weaves together three storylines based on true events in the 19th century. A Cockney butcher arrives in London from Australia claiming to be Sir Roger Tichborne, the heir to a baronetcy and previously thought to have been lost at sea. His sensational fraud trial in London captures everyone’s attention, including Eliza Touchet, the cousin-by-marriage of prolific novelist William Ainsworth who outsold Charles Dickens in his day, and Andrew Bogle, a former Jamaican slave who believes the claimant really is Tichborne despite a considerable amount of evidence that he definitely isn’t. ‘The Fraud’ is Smith’s long-awaited first piece of long-form historical fiction, but ultimately I prefer her contemporary novels. It is an original take on a forgotten case with some humorous dialogue and parallels with more recent events in the US. However, I think it was held back by its overly complex structure scattered across very short chapters, with the three strands never quite hanging together in a coherent or satisfying way (much like my issue with To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara). Many thanks to Penguin UK, Hamish Hamilton for sending me a review copy via NetGalley.

Zadie Smith's first historical novel, and it lived up to all my expectations, though I'm really not surprised at all. Smith could write the copy on a box of cornflakes and I would read it.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith is a captivating historical fiction novel that transports readers to 19th-century England, delving into the intricacies of a celebrated criminal trial, the Tichborne case. With meticulous attention to detail, Smith weaves a tale that revolves around Eliza Touchet, a Scottish widow who finds herself entangled in the life of William Ainsworth, a popular Victorian novelist.


William Ainsworth, who was Charles Dickens’ friend and a more successful author in their early years, is portrayed as a waning literary figure who is fighting to stay relevant. He serves as a symbol of the challenges faced by writers during Victorian England, as new literary movements and tastes began to emerge.


The big trial and the unfolding social and psychological drama are what drive the plot of the novel. Eliza Touchet's interest is piqued by one of the primary witnesses in the trial, the enigmatic figure of Andrew Bogle, an elderly Jamaican who holds the secrets of a past shrouded in the brutality of slavery.


Smith delves into the darker aspects of the era, shedding light on the British colonial slave trade and the abolitionist movement. Drawing upon historical events and the experiences of characters like Andrew Bogle, Smith portrays the harsh realities of colonization and the complexities of navigating a society where racism and prejudice are deeply ingrained.


No exploration of Victorian England would be complete without acknowledging the influence of the iconic Charles Dickens. Smith deftly utilises his character to delve into the contradictions and complexities of Victorian England. It was an era of major transformations in most aspects of English life, from scientific, economic, and technological advances to changes in class structures and the role of religion in society. Authors like Thomas Carlyle began to direct their attention toward social issues, highlighting the dehumanizing effects of the Industrial Revolution.


Dickens' role as a social commentator and his critique of the worst excesses of Victorian society are explored through the lens of Eliza Touchet. Dickens is credited with bringing novelists to a new level of moral and political stature, something that Eliza Touchet objects to on ethical grounds. Dickens, while celebrated for being sympathetic to the plight of the poor and disadvantaged in British society, has also been criticized for his attitudes, which have been perceived as racist and xenophobic.


Through Mrs Touchet, Smith is challenging Victorian ideas of gender and sexuality. The Victorian era was characterised by rigid gender roles and societal expectations of women. Domesticity, motherhood, and the preservation of moral standards were considered paramount. However, despite the restrictions, women made some progress in the 19th century. While they did not have the right to vote, sue, or, if married, own property, as Britain transformed into an industrial nation, Victorian feminism emerged as a significant political force.

Whilst I did enjoy this book it took a little bit of time for me to get through which has impacted my overall experience. There is a lot of detail and is clearly very well researched and well written. Unfortunately I didn’t connect to the characters as much as I would have liked.
Overall an extremely well researched historical fiction that is different from anything I have read recently. Although it didn’t quite work for me I’m definitely glad I gave this a go and look forward to reading more by this author in the future

Having enjoyed studying “White Teeth” by this author, I was very keen to see how Zadie Smith writes an historical novel. I have not been disappointed. The book is based on fact, which is brought to life through interesting, strong characters, and a fascinating plot. Thanks to Smith’s research, I have learnt a lot about life and mores of Victorian literary London, with many themes that are as relevant today as they were then.

"If anybody truly understood what is signified by the word 'person', they would consider twelve lifetimes too brief a spell in which to love a single soul."

Oh boy, did I struggle with this historical fiction book by an author I usually love. The plot is loosely based on the life of a nineteenth-century author - Willian Ainsworth, a contemporary of Charles Dickens (one of Ainsworth's novels outsold 'Oliver Twist'). The story is told largely from the viewpoint of William's cousin by marriage, Eliza Touchet – he takes her in after his cousin abandons her for another woman. A complicated relationship forms between William, Eliza and William's wife Frances.

The storyline primarily concerns people's interest, including Eliza's, is the story of a man who is fraudulently claiming to be a very rich man who was lost at sea. 'Sir Roger Tichborne' is taken to court for falsely trying to claim the dead man's estate. The kicker is that it seems most of England's poor support the defendant. Massive rallies are held, fundraising campaigns launched, and Mrs Touchet reluctantly becomes fascinated by this dog and pony show, particularly with the Jamaican servant who is testifying in 'The Fraud's' favour, Mr Bogle.

In the black man, Eliza sees someone dignified, honest and down-to-earth. She attempts to make friends with him, though he doesn't seem keen to reciprocate. He tells her his life story, and she makes an effort to write it down, pretending to be a journalist.

'The Fraud' explores many things and has multiple sub-plots, some of which seemed not to really go anywhere, and to be frank, it felt like a real slog to get through. I enjoy historical fiction – and Dickens is a favourite – but I just could not get into this one and it took me about two weeks to finish. It felt way too long, like I would never reach the end and that's not how you should feel about a book.

What I did find interesting was the interplay between Mrs Touchet's various relationships, particularly her problematic interest in Bogle, who becomes almost a kind of 'noble savage' type character to her, despite her fight for emancipation.

I loved 'On Beauty' and 'White Teeth', and unfortunately, this just is not the author's best work.

The Fraud tells the story of William Ainsworth, a novelist in the 19th century, who holds company with the likes of Charles Dickens. His recently widowed cousin, Eliza, becomes his housekeeper, while also developing her own interests around abolitionism, literature and class. The book consists of three main storylines, spanning the 19th century: Eliza and William’s life; the trial into a case of potential identity fraud; and the life of a once-enslaved man after he becomes a witness in the trial.

Zadie Smith is a brilliant writer, and this book is very well-written. I enjoyed the stories of Jamaican plantations set against classism in the UK, with characters unable to make the connections between the two. This is specifically evident in the case of Eliza, who, despite her passion for abolition and justice, is confronted with her own classism/racism throughout. However, while there were some very interesting themes, I found the interlocking storylines quite confusing, and felt that none were well-concluded. I found that more time was spent discussion William’s literary friends than delving into the relationship between the cousins which would’ve been much more interesting. Also, the trial itself did not excite me, and the constant changing timeline didn’t seem to serve the purpose of the book. While it is obvious that some brilliant research has been done here, I feel that unnecessary details or scenes were included to simply show off the research rather than develop the book.

Enjoyed this book: intricate historical fiction with many characters and intertwined narratives. Seems to be quite close to historical accuracy, though the woman who supports the prolific if critically unloved novelist throughout is the main character, rather than the novelist himself. The story also connects with broader themes of racism, imperialism, and the self-serving moral climate of the established and privileged. Smith handles this delicately and is all the more powerful for it!

Thanks to Penguin and Net Galley for an advance copy!

THE FRAUD is Zadie Smith at her best, weaving together - quite complicated - narratives with an ease that makes for a really brilliant reading experience. Would recommend.

The Tichborne trial is the centre of all news in England. Is the claimant truly the heir to a fortune or is he a fraud? Housekeeper Eliza Touchet is, like most of the country, hooked on the case. Eliza has many interests and her job in the household of a writer enables her to spend time on discourse but as the trial goes on she starts to question the politics around her.
I had heard of the Tichborne Claimant and this is the case central to this novel. However Smith uses it to explore the way that abolitionism spread through the country. I liked this diversion into historical fiction as Smith generally has a very modern tone to her work.