A.A. Abbott

GREAT CRIME STORY WRITER

lucienne boyce

Book Review – The Fatal Coin, by Lucienne Boyce

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The Fatal Coin is a novella, commissioned by Lucienne Boyce’s publisher as an e-book-only taster for her Dan Foster historical mysteries. Although short, there’s plenty of drama and danger for Bow Street Runner Dan Foster as he heads to Staffordshire to solve his latest case.

Historian Lucienne Boyce hails from Wolverhampton, and brings the roots of the present day Midlands landscape to life as she describes canals being built and the bullion coach leaving Matthew Boulton’s Soho Works in Birmingham. The story revolves around a stash of gold coins turning up in a Staffordshire field and then promptly disappearing. This is not, incidentally, the Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire Hoard on display in Birmingham today, but Roman Empire gold and artefacts. Naturally, the find draws unsavoury characters as well as serious archaeologists to the area. The two groups do not combine well, with fatal consequences.

Dan Foster has crossed swords with the villainous Colonel Pepper before, and is determined to bring him to justice. A killer, thief and forger, Colonel Pepper is also cautious and clever. Dan does not survive unscathed in his task, almost losing his life in his quest to outwit the Colonel.

As well as exciting action and an interesting historical setting, emotions are played out in the tale. Dan, who is beginning to regret his own shaky marriage, is sympathetic to the misfortunes of others. He spots a young woman’s unrequited love and a squire’s alcoholic loneliness, even noticing that Colonel Pepper may not be quite the blackguard that he seems. Yet he is a lawman, not a social worker. Ultimately, he cracks the case and moves on. It will be interesting to see what writer Lucienne Boyce has in store for him next.

The Fatal Coin is a gripping historical mystery by Lucienne Boyce, Read my book review.

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I also write crime stories. If you like a good read on your Kindle, check out my Trail series of crime thrillers set in the British cities of London and Birmingham. You can download free samples from Amazon, or even read all three books completely free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.

Thriller of the Month – Bloodie Bones, by Lucienne Boyce

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Forced to read Georgette Heyer at school, I avoided historical fiction for years.  “Bloodie Bones”, a gritty detective mystery set in 1796, is as far removed from genteel Georgette as James Patterson is from Barbara Cartland. The award-winning story follows Bow Street Runner Dan Foster as he goes undercover to catch a murderer in the Somerset village of Barcombe.

Barcombe is not a happy place. The local squire, Lord Oldfield, has annexed its woodland and is about to take more land away from the villagers. His gamekeeper has been murdered and threats have been made against his life by the mysterious Bloodie Bones. Rumour suggests this is a phantom. Dan Foster, however, doesn’t believe in ghosts – he believes in bringing villains to justice.

As a policeman, Dan has a respectable, middle-class lifestyle, but dark memories underpin it. A former street urchin and bare knuckle fighter, he has known poverty. He is not, therefore, a great fan of Lord Oldfield, who is effectively stealing the villagers’ land from them under the Enclosure Acts. Nevertheless, the lord is acting within the law, and those who kill his gamekeeper and poach his game are not. Dan cannot allow sympathy for the villagers to stop him doing his job. Accordingly, he puts his life as risk – and comes within a whisker of losing it – to bring the culprit to justice.

This is not only a rollicking, twist-filled read, but a slice of social history. Writer Lucienne Boyce explains movingly how the dice were loaded against ordinary working people in the 18th century. Dan Foster is lucky to have escaped the horrors of his upbringing – and, in “Bloodie Bones”, he is lucky to escape with his life.

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Take a look at crime thriller “Bloodie Bones” on Amazon – click on the cover to look inside. If you’d like to read some of my own stories, subscribe for my newsletter and I’ll send you a free e-book of short stories.