BLOOD & SUGAR

This debut historical crime thriller isn’t an easy read, yet I couldn’t put it down. It’s 1781, and a horribly tortured body is found hanging from a hook in the slaving town of Deptford. Back in London, Captain Harry Corsham, a war hero with a promising parliamentary career, discovers that his old friend Tad Archer, an abolitionist, has disappeared. According to Tad’s sister he was on the verge of exposing a secret that would topple the British slaving empire.

Harry goes to Deptford to find his friend but instead discovers a conspiracy that not only puts his life in danger but threatens British society too. This isn’t just another mystery: at its heart, it’s about the ripple effect of cruelty. Wellresearched, it’s also superbly written and fast paced. You’re expertly led to the emotional conclusion.