In between working on my Masters in Creative Writing and recording my new podcast, I'm writing more of my first novel which will hopefully form part of a series.
It's 1758 and Nathaniel Dodson, an attorney at law is living and working in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. His one weakness is he can't resist a mystery. And he likes to help friends where he can. So when these two things collide he usually finds himself embroiled at the centre of solving a crime. His calm demeanour and appeal to reason are great assets in his endeavour.
This first book sees Nathaniel closing his office when his friend Charles, a wealthy retired cloth merchant bursts in. Charles had believed his business partner, William, had died in the Lisbon earthquake however he has word that William is living in London and wants half his business. Smelling something fishy Charles persuades Nathaniel to travel with him to London to investigate.
Here is a short extract, with a bit of back story about Nathaniel as a youth:
Nathaniel could tell from the way he was lying that he was dead. He’d seen his uncle after death, and his brother had that same vacant stare. He had stood for a while, gazing at the scene while the horse struggled and whinnied. His own horse had run off and was standing in a field, watching. Finally, he turned towards the frightened animal and held out a steady hand for the reins. There was something calm in his demeanour that stilled the horse. He clambered over the hedge and guided the horse up and away from the thicket. He stood and stroked its sweating neck and spoke calming words. Its wild eye quietened and its breathing stilled. Somehow Nathaniel knew that he had to be a man now. He had to calm the horse, retrieve his own and take them home and somehow find the strength to inform his parents and get help to retrieve his brother’s body. It was on his young shoulders. A strange assuredness had come upon him. Nathaniel believed in God, but he was not overtly religious. Still, it felt like a guiding hand was upon him that day.
Art: © Sarah Ravellen
Opmerkingen