Rough Trade

by Katrina Carrasco
Rough Trade cover
Good Books rating 4.25
Historical Fiction
Technical:
  • ID: 529
  • Added: 2025-09-13
  • Updated: 2025-09-13
  • ISBN: 9780374717667
  • Publisher: MCD
  • Published: 2024-04-09
  • Reviews: 3

Set in the rugged Pacific Northwest of 1888, Rough Trade plunges readers into the gritty world of Alma Rosales, an ex-detective turned opium smuggler living as Jack Camp. With a network spanning docks and railroads, Alma’s crew thrives amid a booming buyer’s market, while the Monte Carlo nightclub serves as a sanctuary where gender norms dissolve and queer identities flourish. The novel vividly reimagines queer communities and the turbulent early days of modern media and medicine, exploring the costs and pleasures of desire. When two men are found dead and suspicion falls on the opium trade, Alma’s efforts to cover up the crime draw law enforcement attention. Complications arise with the unexpected return of Bess Spencer, Alma’s first love and former Pinkerton agent, and the arrival of Ben Velásquez, a stranger whose probing questions threaten to expose Alma’s operation. Katrina Carrasco’s Rough Trade is a genre- and gender-blurring tale that combines crime, romance, and historical detail to illuminate a fiercely independent queer protagonist navigating danger and loyalty in a transformative era.

Reviews
Historical Novel Society · 2025-09-13
thrilling 4.25

Carrasco delivers a fast-paced, genre- and gender-bending sequel that continues Alma’s complex journey with evocative language and constant twists.

This review highlights how Katrina Carrasco skillfully continues Alma Rosales's story in a vibrant 1888 Tacoma setting, blending action, passion, and suspense. The prose is praised for being punchy and evocative, keeping readers engaged with many twists, while exploring the dangerous and morally complex life Alma leads. The tension between survival and personal desires is a central theme that adds depth to the narrative. The reviewer appreciates the seamless continuation from the first book and expresses hope for more installments, emphasizing the dynamic storytelling and richly developed characters. The novel's fast pace and compelling plot developments make it a thrilling read that challenges conventional genre boundaries.

Quick quotes

    Wherever Alma goes trouble is not far behind.

    Carrasco outdoes herself with this genre- and gender-bending tale of passion, murder, and sacrifice.

    With a gift for punchy prose, evocative language, and a fast pace, Carrasco’s Rough Trade is a worthy continuation of Alma’s journey.

The New Yorker · 2024-05-06
potent 4.50

The novel is praised for its richly atmospheric and finely paced storytelling, offering a morally complex portrayal of queer life and history.

This review from The New Yorker commends Rough Trade for its atmospheric quality and careful pacing, which together create a vivid portrayal of 19th-century queer communities. The story is noted for its moral complexity, presenting characters and situations that challenge readers to consider the nuances of identity, desire, and survival in a historical context. The reviewer appreciates how the novel balances its thrilling plot with thoughtful exploration of queer history, making it both an engaging and intellectually rewarding read. It is recognized as a potent contribution to contemporary historical fiction with queer themes, reflecting both the dangers and the pleasures of the era it depicts.

Quick quotes

    At once richly atmospheric and finely paced, the novel is a potent and morally complex portrait of queer life and history.

    Carrasco’s Rough Trade offers a vivid portrayal of 19th-century queer communities.

    The story challenges readers to consider the nuances of identity, desire, and survival.

Lesbrary · 2024-04-06
gripping 4.00

Carrasco crafts a gripping and immersive historical fiction with complex queer characters, combining high-stakes action with deep emotional resonance.

The review praises Katrina Carrasco’s ability to create a richly immersive world in the 1880s Pacific Northwest, filled with gunfights, train heists, and smuggling. The protagonist Alma Rosales is depicted as a fiercely loyal, gender-fluid character whose internal struggles and fierce ambitions make her feel real and compelling. The narrative is noted for its blend of historical detail and intense personal stakes, exploring themes of identity, loyalty, and survival. This review emphasizes the novel’s appeal to fans of historical fiction and queer narratives, highlighting how it balances thrilling plot elements with well-rounded character development. The story’s momentum and emotional depth make it a standout, especially for readers interested in strong queer representation and complex historical settings.

Quick quotes

    There is something uncompromising about the way Carrasco's characters exist.

    Fans of historical fiction with high-stakes hijinks and well-developed human characters with strong internal compasses can rejoice!

    Alma is forced to confront exactly how far she’s willing to go to preserve everything she’s built on the unforgiving shore of Tacoma, 1888.

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