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The Poor Man: A Tudor Mystery
Born into poverty, he dreams of a life beyond the slums…
Fatherless and penniless, he has known only the hardships of Southwark, a city of sin and shadows across the River Thames. While England bends under the rule of the Tudors and London slowly adjusts to a new order, Southwark remains a lawless chaos of gangs, bloodshed, and unrelenting poverty. In this world, survival is not guaranteed, and decency is a dangerous luxury.
Amid despair, love becomes his greatest ambition.
Amid the filth and fear, he discovers a love that gives him hope. Determined to create a better life for himself and the woman he treasures (once he finds her again), he must summon the strength to rise above the misery that surrounds them. But in Southwark, ambition is as dangerous as it is rare, and both love and hatred thrive in equal measure.
In a city where power belongs to the ruthless, can hope overcome despair?
As gang lords rule the streets and corruption taints even the air, he discovers that misfortune does not always prevail. On the treacherous path to freedom and prosperity, love and vengeance blur, and courage becomes his most powerful weapon.
A gripping tale of resilience, ambition, and the triumph of hope over hopelessness, this story vividly brings to life the struggles and possibilities of a world divided by power and poverty.
Fatherless and penniless, he has known only the hardships of Southwark, a city of sin and shadows across the River Thames. While England bends under the rule of the Tudors and London slowly adjusts to a new order, Southwark remains a lawless chaos of gangs, bloodshed, and unrelenting poverty. In this world, survival is not guaranteed, and decency is a dangerous luxury.
Amid despair, love becomes his greatest ambition.
Amid the filth and fear, he discovers a love that gives him hope. Determined to create a better life for himself and the woman he treasures (once he finds her again), he must summon the strength to rise above the misery that surrounds them. But in Southwark, ambition is as dangerous as it is rare, and both love and hatred thrive in equal measure.
In a city where power belongs to the ruthless, can hope overcome despair?
As gang lords rule the streets and corruption taints even the air, he discovers that misfortune does not always prevail. On the treacherous path to freedom and prosperity, love and vengeance blur, and courage becomes his most powerful weapon.
A gripping tale of resilience, ambition, and the triumph of hope over hopelessness, this story vividly brings to life the struggles and possibilities of a world divided by power and poverty.
495 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2025
27 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Barbara Gaskell Denvil
45 books66 followersI was born approximately two hundred years ago (It sometimes feels that way) in Gloucestershire, England, right in the heart of the Cotswolds. After a few years, I moved to London and fell in love with the history which oozes through the old stones, and the medieval atmosphere leaks from the beautiful old buildings. For many years, I walked the old cobbled lanes and researched the 15th century from original sources, and the books in the British Museum. I worked there in the Department of Ancient Documents, a place which I adored, full of scrolls illuminated by medieval monks, and hordes of informative parchments.
My father was an academic and playwright, my mother was a retired teacher, and my sister was an author of fantasy. I had no other passion except the arts, and books
Already a passionate reader half-crazed by the avid consumption of literature, I had grown out of Enid Blyton when I was about six. Next came a passion for Georgette Heyer, although far too young to understand romance. Once again it was the historical details I loved and I moved quickly onto Shakespeare, Dorothy Dunnett, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and a host of others.
I started writing. Nonsense naturally! But I kept it up and eventually write articles and short stories for current magazines and newspapers. I was also a tutor for scriptwriting, and a reviewer for Books and Bookmen. That kept me busy until I married. A husband and three little girls (including identical twins) were a full-time job, and for most of the time I also worked at secretarial jobs, keeping the threat of starvation at bay and paying for the baked beans.
After leaving my husband, I started writing again but this time I was distracted by something different, as I had a wonderful 18-year romance with a man who lived on his yacht in the Mediterranean, sailing during spring, summer, and autumn, and exploring Europe by car in winter.
My partner died, and I was bereft, deciding to come to Australia for a change instead of sitting around in stagnant tears. Writing again, and seriously this time, I wrote full length books in all my favourite genres. I was accepted by one of the big top 5 publishers, and two of my historical crime/mysteries were published in the traditional manner. However, although I was reasonably well paid and sold reasonably well, I also found myself disliking the control system. I had to write as commanded, insert bucket loads more romance, accept covers I hated, and generally do as I was told.
Now, happy and free, I self-publish, and enjoy every minute of my writing. I live in Australia, adore the weather, the birds and the wildlife, and live a placid life during the day and a wonderfully exciting one in my dreams at night.
I have written fantasy and historical fiction. Very different genres, but all are crime mysteries in one way or another. I have almost finished my children’s series (Bannister’s Muster series, for middle-grade children), no crime here, but a vibrant mixture of history and fantasy. After this is complete I am moving onto a series of modern crime mysteries, and I’m looking forward to that.
Writing is and always has been my passion, now that I am able to do this full time, I am in my element and life couldn’t be better (a little more sunshine might help though).
My father was an academic and playwright, my mother was a retired teacher, and my sister was an author of fantasy. I had no other passion except the arts, and books
Already a passionate reader half-crazed by the avid consumption of literature, I had grown out of Enid Blyton when I was about six. Next came a passion for Georgette Heyer, although far too young to understand romance. Once again it was the historical details I loved and I moved quickly onto Shakespeare, Dorothy Dunnett, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and a host of others.
I started writing. Nonsense naturally! But I kept it up and eventually write articles and short stories for current magazines and newspapers. I was also a tutor for scriptwriting, and a reviewer for Books and Bookmen. That kept me busy until I married. A husband and three little girls (including identical twins) were a full-time job, and for most of the time I also worked at secretarial jobs, keeping the threat of starvation at bay and paying for the baked beans.
After leaving my husband, I started writing again but this time I was distracted by something different, as I had a wonderful 18-year romance with a man who lived on his yacht in the Mediterranean, sailing during spring, summer, and autumn, and exploring Europe by car in winter.
My partner died, and I was bereft, deciding to come to Australia for a change instead of sitting around in stagnant tears. Writing again, and seriously this time, I wrote full length books in all my favourite genres. I was accepted by one of the big top 5 publishers, and two of my historical crime/mysteries were published in the traditional manner. However, although I was reasonably well paid and sold reasonably well, I also found myself disliking the control system. I had to write as commanded, insert bucket loads more romance, accept covers I hated, and generally do as I was told.
Now, happy and free, I self-publish, and enjoy every minute of my writing. I live in Australia, adore the weather, the birds and the wildlife, and live a placid life during the day and a wonderfully exciting one in my dreams at night.
I have written fantasy and historical fiction. Very different genres, but all are crime mysteries in one way or another. I have almost finished my children’s series (Bannister’s Muster series, for middle-grade children), no crime here, but a vibrant mixture of history and fantasy. After this is complete I am moving onto a series of modern crime mysteries, and I’m looking forward to that.
Writing is and always has been my passion, now that I am able to do this full time, I am in my element and life couldn’t be better (a little more sunshine might help though).
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2025
3.5
For fans of this author, she has continued in her usual style of murder mystery in medieval times. This is placed towards the end of Henry VII and the start of Henry VIII in Southwark.
Has a part Stephen Fry commentary to it but very entertaining as you work out who the killer is and why the gangs are set about attacking Brom.
For fans of this author, she has continued in her usual style of murder mystery in medieval times. This is placed towards the end of Henry VII and the start of Henry VIII in Southwark.
Has a part Stephen Fry commentary to it but very entertaining as you work out who the killer is and why the gangs are set about attacking Brom.
Displaying 1 of 1 review