Description
Book SynopsisNorthamptonshire, 1810: As a new canal network snakes across the landscape, a vicious mob stakes its claim to the county. Every local constable is out on the hunt for the ruthless Panther Gang. When an elderly man is robbed and murdered in sleepy Middleton, the beleaguered magistrates send for help from London’s Bow Street Police Office. Detective Stephen Lavender and Constable Ned Woods soon discover there’s more to William Sculthorpe’s demise than meets the eye. Mystery surrounds the old man and his family, and the stench of revenge hangs heavy in the air. Are the Panther Gang really responsible or is something more sinister afoot? As Lavender delves further into long-hidden secrets, Woods has demons of his own to contend with: ghosts from his past that stalk him through the investigation. Uncovering decades of simmering hatred and deceit, Lavender and Woods must use all their wit and cunning to solve this evil crime.
Trade Review“This traditional-style mystery evokes life in the English countryside of 1810 along the canal network, using authentic details and conjuring a cast of imaginable residents. Its resolute investigative duo moves the action forward at an urgent pace, and clues multiply and interlock steadily throughout the book’s well-constructed plot.” —Historical Novel Society
