Fires of Evening

Retallick Saga #8

by E.V. Thompson

Josh and Miriam Retallick, along with their grandson Ben, seem almost a part of the wild and rugged Cornish landscape of 1913. Yet, as a revolutionary spirit of change sweeps across the country with terrifying speed, endangering the institutions of both mining and marriage, the Retallicks symbolize Bodmin Moor at its most vulnerable. The advent of trade unions and strike actions pit owner against worker, compromising Ben's position in the community and threatening the future of the tin mining industry. And the presence of Ben's cousin, Emma Cotton, who is inspired by the blossoming Suffragette movement, is equally unsettling. Events, however, are soon to take an even more unexpected turn, with the onset of the Great War.

Genres: Historical

521 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 1999

About the author

Ernest Victor Thompson was born in London and spent nine years in the Navy before joining Bristol police. He moved to Hong Kong, then Rhodesia and had over 200 stories published before returning to England in 1970 to become a full-time award-winning writer.

He settled in Cornwall, living at Idle Cottage in Sharptor.

He wrote 42 historical novels, mostly set in Cornwall, beginning with 'Chase the Wind' in 1977, a book that was voted the best historical novel of the year, with detectives Churchyard and Hawke two of his main characters.

He was awarded the MBE in the 2012 New Years' Honours list for services to literature and the community in Cornwall. He was also a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedd (Gorsedh Kernow). This is an individual honoured for significant contributions to the Cornish language, culture, or heritage.

He also wrote the Scottish historical epic 'Homeland' in 1991 under the pseudonym James Munro.

He died peacefully, with his wife, Celia, and two sons, Nathan and Luke, by his side, at his home in Launceston, Cornwall, on 19 July 2021, shortly after his 81st birthday.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first E.V.Thompson book I have read, it will certainly not be the last. I liked the setting, both geographically and in the historical sense. The development of the family saga and the characters was done in a pacey way, and made me want to keep reading to see how things developed. Without risking too much in the way of a spoiler: It was refreshing to read a novel which explored, in the latter part, life during lead up to and opening months the Great War, but developed the theme from the viewpoint of the confused vision from those living through the times. The novel gets away from the political leaders view of the war, but looks at it from the angle of the families concerned. The only thing which has disappointed me, is the fact that this is the eighth book in the 'Retallick' series, I hope this will not spoil the others for me. If this is typical of the books in this saga, there were sufficient twists to make the story interesting. I intend to read other books by this author. If you enjoy a family saga, then I would recommend this book, but perhaps it might be more sensible to start with the first in the series!

[Tania Easton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont want this saga to come to a end....loving them.