The Wreck Of The Margherita

by Bill Todd

The shipwreck is on the TV news and Danny Lancaster is pretty sure anything washed ashore is fair game. When he and his friends go beachcombing they find an Aladdin’s cave among the mangled, storm-lashed cargo containers. But they uncover more than they bargained for. The discovery draws Danny into a network of gangsters and corrupt politicians. A lap dancer goes missing, Ambrose and Everard are plotting and crime boss Big Eddie Archer wants a word. Then Danny remembers one bloody day in Afghanistan and calls in a debt from his old platoon commander to track down a secret factory. And once Danny gets angry, that’s it. His training is all about speed and ferocity behind enemy lines. The fuse is lit for a bonfire night confrontation. That’s when the real storm breaks. People start to die.

387 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 25, 2012

About the author

I’ve spent most of my working life as a journalist on local and national newspapers.
You meet a lot of people, see things, learn stuff. For a crime writer, it’s a plot factory.
One treasured memory was lunching with colleagues when the bar filled with agitated policemen.
“Who’s he?” said a CID man, pointing.
A good friend didn’t like his tone and announced in her best Lady Bracknell voice, “He’s the editor of the local paper!”
The copper said, “I don’t care who the hell he is. He looks like the guy who just did the bank up the road. How long’s he been here?”
Luckily, the barman provided my alibi.
Before journalism I tried my hand at odd jobs including furniture removals (watch out for the flat-packs, they tend to pack flat when lifted!), photography, teaching and running a magazine group.
I’ve done quite a bit of travel writing. It’s not all cocktails under the palm trees but it is a fantastic job that’s taken me to more than 40 countries, from the white wastes of Arctic Finland to the deserts of Namibia.
People often ask my favourite place. In an age of globalisation, many destinations look the same but Iceland and Namibia are like stepping onto another planet. Go if you can.
I’ve enjoyed a long love affair with Western Crete. The mountains, coastline, food and people make me wonder if I lived there in some previous life. I just have to watch the waxed wings on a hot day.
I was delighted and surprised to receive the Ed Lacy travel award in 2007.
Another interest is my family tree. I’ve traced the ancestors back to William of Byfield, a farmer in 1600s Northamptonshire, just down the road from Shakespeare.
I love maps. They might seem old fashioned in the age of GPS but they tell stories, make promises. I have a ragbag collection of more than 2,000.
I’m also a fan of interesting cheeses, good beer and wilderness. They’re like Marmite, you’re an empty place person or you’re not.
I have written four full-length crime thrillers and a book of short stories featuring Danny Lancaster, a wounded Afghan veteran turned private investigator. They are:
The Wreck Of The Margherita
Death Squad
Rough Diamond
Rock Hard
Gargoyle Pixie Dog
My sixth Danny Lancaster - GODLEFE'S CUCKOO - will be published in March 2018.
I’ve also written three non-fiction books. GUNNER is based on my father's World War Two diary, photos and postcards from Normandy to Hamburg.
PIGTAIL PILOT is the tragic story of Barbara Gubbins, a talented young woman who was nearly the RAF’s first female pilot.
A CROCUS FROM JERUSALEM is the story of a country lad soldiering in 1917 Palestine.
If you fancy a chat I’m easy to find.

Reviews

[Lel Budge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danny Lancaster is a Private Investigator, new to the role, he’s also a cab driver to make sure he has an income while he gets established….

There are quite a few characters, which don’t seem to be linked, but as the story grows the connections become clear.

It all revolves around some ‘salvage’ from a wreck…..but this was not what they expected and it soon becomes much more complex and dangerous …

Danny Lancaster is a man’s man, attractive, charming and quite a hit with women (there’s a fair few sexy scenes here too)….

This is an engaging thriller, with a complex plot to keep you guessing right to the end when it all comes together in a satisfying end.

Thank you to Damppebbles Blog Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

[Steve Munoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back a few weeks ago I read a UK Book group’s excellent author spotlight on Bill Todd, which had me pick up and read The Wreck of the Margherita, the first in Todd’s Danny Lancaster series. I’d read a few of Todd’s short stories posted in the group which are always good, but this book was special. The story centers on Lancaster, a former para military man, decompressing from time served in Afghanistan, finding his new life purpose in investigating, or as he puts it ‘detecting’. These different incidents make up the storylines which join together to become an engaging character driven read. While the book may be focused on Lancaster’s need to find justice in a world gone slightly askew, it also pays a subtle but moving homage and respect to those who have served in the military. I liked this book a lot. Todd has a deft touch with characters as well as with setting. Both draw you into the story, making it more vivid. But there are also strong moments of humor, emotion, and seemingly harsh but honest scenes (one in which Danny takes a fall while running and a woman rider comes to his aid and is just pitch perfect). This is not a perfect book, but it has that great feeling which catches you and makes it difficult to put down or to stop thinking about.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danny Lancaster, newly fledged Private Investigator, takes on a number of cases, augmenting his meagre income with a job driving a minicab for a friend. The book introduces us early on to a strong cast of characters and only as the story progresses do we find the connection. He and a couple of mates take advantage of a wreck along the coast, ‘liberating’ a few things which turn out to be hot potatoes. Things soon get deep, dangerous and complex. Danny Lancaster is an engaging character; attractive and enigmatic he is popular with the ladies. We learn about his military service in this first book of the series, and though he's not had an easy life to date, he is determined and has a strong sense of justice.

I was introduced to the character in the recently published collection Gargoyle Pixie Dog and this first Danny Lancaster volume has given me a taste for the complicated, interweaving sub plots employed by the author. I really enjoyed this story, seeing it from different characters' viewpoints. The end of the story brought all the threads together in a very satisfying manner. A really good read.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite intriguing from the start and the main character, though rough around the edges, is understandable – he has his own ghosts to haunt him. The plot was action-packed and played with the idea of military practices in civilian life. I cared about the characters and though it’s not my usual read I enjoyed it very much.

[Miss Dizzy Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, longish book but gripping! Starts off with lots of characters with their own stories and you think how does this all fit in, but that's the cleverness of it, all comes together with the main character Danny, who really is the star of it all. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[John Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It took a good third of the book to get going, but once started it was a good read. Suspect that the series will get better throughout.