The Devil's Agent

by Roger Hurn

London town in 1742 is a lawless place…

It would have to wait almost another century before a professional police force would make its streets safe.

So, there is plenty of work for ‘thief-taker’ Balthazar Bloodwine, a man out on private hire to help rid the capital of the criminals that are as rife as the pox.

Balthazar Bloodwine has the lean and hungry look of someone who lives by his wits and who trusts no one’s judgement but his own.

But the boot is suddenly on the other foot for Bloodwine when is himself ‘apprehended’ one night by thugs in the service of one William Murray, the MP for Boroughbridge and Solicitor General.

Murray is convinced that James Inglethorpe, the MP for Barnstaple, is cheating the exchequer after being awarded a lucrative contract by government ministers to transport convicts to America.

Murray sets the thief taker the task of infiltrating and exposing Inglethorpe and Bloodwine is caught between a rock and a hard place.

The noose is waiting for him if he fails.

Bloodwine is nothing if not determinedly ingenious and devises a clever plan to ingratiate himself with his victim in order to bring him to justice – only to suddenly find himself with two masters, bizarrely beholden to both.

That’s when it all starts to go horribly wrong …

How exactly is the devious Inglethorpe turning his position his own advantage?

To what sinister purpose is Lundy Island just offshore from Inglethorpe’s Devon constituency now being put?

And how can Bloodwine combat the power wielded there by the gorgon-like Rosa Crabtree with her ’heart sentimental as granite’?

The Devil’s Agent recreates a wonderful world of 18th century licentiousness, with larger-than-life characters.

Praise for Roger Hurn

'A gripping crime thriller set in the heart of modern London.' - Tom Kasey, author of Trade Off.

'An accomplished and entertaining slice of London noir.' - Robert Foster, author of The Lunar Code.

‘Captures the dark streets of the capital perfectly’ – Richard Foreman

Roger Hurn has been a primary school teacher, a deputy head teacher, a head teacher, a university lecturer and a teacher trainer. He is now a full-time writer and his first historical novel, A Dark Light , bridges both the Roman and Saxon worlds, blending action and adventure with historical accuracy. His work also includes the Ryan Kyd Mystery Series.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2016

About the author

Roger Hurn is an experienced writer with a background in primary schools, and has been a headteacher. He has written a large number of successful educational books, articles, games and web-based materials, including several covering the basics of English at grades 7-11.

Reviews

[C. Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good time period mystery, fast paced, good characterization easy to follow. I liked that it set up the elements of a series, but the book is stand alone too. Most series books leave too many threads open at the end of the books. This one can stand alone, but it leads the reader to further adventures of the protagonist.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novella length adventure in what I would be happy to see as a series - Barthy Bloodwine is a winning antihero and is drawn very nicely for such a short book. Perhaps there's one too many characters and the women are all aspects of the same coin (basically thin, unhappy harpies that are evil masterminds or prostitutes) - but a dirty London and a seedy underworld are always a good time.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Balthazar Bloodwine, a thief, is forced to work for William Murray, M.P. to help him convict another M.P. James Inglethorpe of wrongdoing.
The novella was an interesting enough story, without any redeemable or likeable characters.
A NetGalley Book