None So Blind

Teifi Valley Coroner #1

by Alis Hawkins

A brilliant new historical mystery series set in the 1850s.

West Wales, 1850. When an old tree root is dug up, the remains of a young woman are found. Harry Probert-Lloyd, a barrister forced home from London by encroaching blindness, has been dreading this discovery. He knows exactly whose bones they are.

Working with his clerk, John Davies, Harry is determined to expose the guilty. But the investigation turns up more questions than answers. Questions that centre around three names. Rebecca, the faceless leader of an angry mob who terrorise those they hate. Nathaniel Howell, a rabble-rousing chapel minister preaching a revolutionary gospel. And David Thomas, an ominous name with echoes from Harry’s past.

Is it Rebecca who is intent on ending Harry and John’s enquiry? Why did Nathaniel Howell disappear when Rebecca’s insurrection was at its height? And can Harry keep the secrets of his own past safely buried?

The search for the truth will prove costly. But will Harry and John be the ones to pay the highest price?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Historical Mystery, Crime, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2017

About the author

Alis Hawkins grew up on a dairy farm in Cardiganshire. Her inner introvert thought it would be a good idea to become a shepherd and, frankly, if she had, she might have been published sooner. As it was, three years reading English at Corpus Christi College, Oxford revealed an extrovert streak and a social conscience which saw her train as a Speech and Language Therapist. She has spent the subsequent three decades variously bringing up two sons, working with children and young people on the autism spectrum and writing fiction, non-fiction and plays. She writes the kind of books she likes to read: character-driven historical crime and mystery fiction with what might be called literary production values.

Series: The Teifi Valley Coroner historical crime series, featuring Harry Probert Lloyd and John Davies. Published by Freight Books 2017, due for reissue by The Dome Press October 2018

Trilogy: The first of the Black Death trilogy, The Black and The White, coming soon from Sapere Books (summer 2018).

Standalone: Testament – previously published by PanMacmillan, soon for reissue by Sapere Books (summer 2018).

You can find more on Alis and her writing on her website (see link below) on Facebook - Alis Hawkins Author - and on Twitter (see link below)

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
“As anybody who has lived through a period of insurrection knows, once people unaccustomed to power have felt its potency, they are apt to begin wielding it indiscriminately”
Another crime series to try out and to be honest I wasn’t expecting much, but there were things of interest. The setting is the Teifi valley in Wales in 1850. The background is the Rebecca Riots of a few years earlier. The Rebecca riots are little known, but they were significant and in the tradition of the Luddites and Captain Swing. Their particular focus was tollgates. Tollgates were being set up in large numbers, often on well used roads. They could make life very difficult for small traders and poorer travellers. As a result they became targets. The rioters operated locally and in disguise, usually dressing in women’s clothing and putting boot polish on faces. This almost certainly enabled some women to participate as well. An older tradition was also present during the riots. The Ceffyl Pren (wooden horse) was a way a community policed itself. It has other equivalents around the country: rough music or the Skimmington Ride. Anyone who transgressed community standards might have expected a nocturnal visit and humiliation. The Rebecca riots were also a reaction to rising rents and taxation.
The novel is set in 1850. Harry Probert-Lloyd is a young London barrister who is going blind. He returns to his native Teifi valley in Wales just as the bones of a young woman are found. She died during the riots and Harry knew her, rather well. He is convinced she was murdered, but the inquest finds for accidental death. He decides to investigate with the help of a local solicitor’s clerk. Inevitably there are those who really don’t want the investigation to succeed.
That’s it in a nutshell. It is interesting because of the background and setting. There are the usual twists and turns as you would expect and I have certainly read a lot worse in this genre. The characterisation is good and it reads easily.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perhaps blindness is a just punishment for I did not see what I was doing. As they say, there’s none so blind as those that will not see”.

I’ve always had a love of historical fiction and crime but have not read much of the two genres combined. Until that is, I came to None So Blind. This is the first story in a series of the Teifi Coroner and gets off to a promising start.

It seems unusual to have a barrister investigating a suspicious death but in the 1850’s, crime investigation was so very different to now. No forensics or DNA analysis. There was not even a proper police force in every area.

Harry Probert-Lloyd comes from a privileged background and is the heir to the Glanteifi estate. He has always had a strained relationship with his father, a landowner and magistrate, and had previously been sent away in disgrace. His legal career in London is being cut short because of his increasing blindness (a fact which he tries at first to keep secret); he has very little remaining by way of sight and as a result he is forced to return home to the estate. When told that the remains of a young woman have been found Harry is devastated. He has a very good idea who the remains belong to and the question mark over the death eats away at him.

Following a hastily convened coroner’s hearing to determine the manner of death, Harry is asked to investigate further. Enlisting the assistance of a solicitor’s clerk, John Davies, to be his eyes, he sets out to discover why the woman died and how.

Alis Hawkins has written a complex and detailed story which covers a good deal of ground but which flows easily, bringing to life the characters and landscape and in particular the background to the ‘Rebecca Riots’. This campaign of civil disobedience came about when a group of farmers took action against the tollgates that were introduced and, feeling that their concerns were being ignored by the authorities, began to dispense justice of their own. But as can happen, people get carried away and something which was introduced for perhaps justifiable reasons, turns bad. As Harry and John are to discover, people’s prejudices and fears are not easily forgotten and the spirit of Rebecca lives on. With certain people so determined to keep their secrets hidden, there was an unsettling undercurrent throughout.

Harry in particular, was an engaging character, and unusual of his class. Although he was a squire’s son, he had always felt comfortable around servants and had treated them almost as equals – often blurring the lines, something his father could never understand. Chapters are narrated from the perspectives of Harry and John. The partnership between the two worked very well with John learning to anticipate when Harry needed some extra help, however it is clear that both of them are hiding things from each other – whose secrets will be found out first?

This isn’t a quick read (my paperback copy was over 460 pages) but it is an engrossing one, written in a very readable style and it never felt like a history lesson. There are lots of Welsh terms used throughout however there is a very useful glossary at the beginning of the book explaining these – and a map – I always love a map! There were occasions when I felt that the story was overcome by perhaps a little too much detail but that is a purely personal view. Having said that, I did enjoy it very much. I would like to follow Harry on his further adventures and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There’s none so blind as those that will not see."

I seem to have found a (sub)genre to get increasingly excited about and that’s historical crime fiction. It has the crime element I love so much but its historical setting offers possibilities that the modern setting just doesn’t have. The author starts the book with a brief historic note on law and order in nineteenth century West Wales, concerning inquests and coroners and the like and I found it immensely interesting.

When an old tree root is dug up, the remains of a young woman are discovered. Harry Probert-Lloyd knows exactly whose bones they are. Together with his clerk, John Davies, he sets out to investigate what happened to this young woman and he’s determined to expose her killer.

Set in Wales, a few years after the Rebecca Riots, the influence of those involved still lingers to this day. People will do or say anything to avoid the wrath of the Rebeccaites. I knew nothing about this period and while some of it is explained throughout the story, it never turned into one of those boring history lessons we all hated. I got a really good feeling of what had happened in those days and I’m thankful to the author for keeping the longer explanation for the author’s notes. Because already at almost 460 pages, this isn’t exactly the kind of book you race through in one sitting and it’s a credit to the author for never making me feel like the story was too elaborate or dragged on too much, making me wonder if it couldn’t have been just that little bit shorter.

Harry Probert-Lloyd makes for one incredibly fascinating main character, one I must say is highly original. As the son of a magistrate but raised by a maid, the line between the privileged and the poor is slightly blurred to him. Forced to leave behind his career as a barrister in London, he returns home due to encroaching blindness. During his investigation into the past, he relies heavily on his clerk, John Davies. Here too, the divide between the gentry and its servants plays a huge part. These two characters were a joy to get to know and watching their relationship develop along the way felt incredibly natural.

A town and its residents in fear of repercussions results in quite the frustrating search for the truth for Harry and John. There are secrets and skeletons in closets that many don’t want to be revealed. I did have a good idea of what had happened and why but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment at all. The journey to discover the truth was twisty, gripping, full of brilliantly intriguing characters and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait for more from Harry and John!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘There’s none so blind as those who will not see.’

When the reader is first introduced to Harry Probert-Lloyd, they probably share his opinion that his sight loss (which at first he tries hard to conceal) is an insurmountable obstacle to his career as a barrister. ‘But if I could not read, or see a person’s face, or scrutinise an object, was I not blind?’  His condition has forced Harry to return home to his father’s estate and a future as a country squire in which he has little interest and which goes against his own egalitarian instincts. And if he can no longer pursue a career as a barrister, what hope does he have of successfully carrying out the investigation of a possible crime?

However, Harry has several things in his favour, such as his familiarity with the local people, his knowledge of the Welsh language and his heightened other senses.  As Harry confides to the reader, ‘Though I could not see their expressions, sometimes I was able to infer what people might be feeling from discernible movements or changes in posture’. And he retains his barrister’s skill in eliciting testimony from witnesses and instinct for weighing the truthfulness of their evidence.   He also has solicitor’s clerk, John Davies, to steer him in the right direction.  But does that only mean helping Harry avoid physical obstacles or notice things Harry can’t? Could John have other more personal  reasons in guiding Harry through the investigation?

Determined to get to the truth when all around him seem to want to keep the past firmly buried, Harry’s investigation brings him into conflict with both his father and risks making dangerous enemies – enemies who are not used to having their power and influence challenged.

In the fourth section of the book, in which Harry and John find themselves in unfamiliar territory, the revelations come thick and fast, proving that often people only see what they want or expect to see.  It just goes to show, we can all be blind to some things…  However, as his investigation progresses, Harry starts to ask himself whether there are some things better left in darkness and never brought into the light.   For others, it’s the exact opposite.

None So Blind is a cleverly constructed historical crime mystery that skilfully sustains the reader’s interest right to the end, partly thanks to the two narrator structure.  Throughout the book, I found myself constantly questioning what I was being told… and wondering what I wasn’t being told.  I’d liken it to a crossword puzzle where you think you’re making progress but then discover one wrong answer means you need to rethink all the clues you think you’ve solved so far.

The so-called ‘Rebecca Riots’ make an intriguing backdrop to the story and I found the author’s Historical Note at the end of the book absolutely fascinating, especially the contemporary parallels it brought to mind.  Oh, and readers wondering about the relevance of the series’ title ‘The Teifi Valley Coroner’ will find the answer at the end of the book.  They’ll also be dealt a few teasers by the author to be followed up, it is hoped, in future books in the series.  I’m definitely hooked.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of publishers, The Dome Press.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in West Wales…

Young lawyer Harry Probert-Lloyd has returned from London to his father’s house in the Teifi Valley in West Wales. He’s recently discovered that he’s going blind and is trying to come to terms with all that will mean to him, not least that he’ll be unable to continue in his chosen career. He hasn’t yet told his father, with whom he’s always had an uneasy relationship. When the skeletal remains of a woman and infant are found buried among the roots of a tree that has been dug up, Harry immediately knows it must be Margaret, a servant on a nearby farm who disappeared at the time of the Rebecca riots. Harry had known Margaret well – too well, in the opinion of his father who didn’t like the idea of his son falling in love with a woman from the lower classes. The locals want to write Margaret’s death off as an accident, but Harry believes she was murdered, and sets out to investigate. But his growing blindness means he will need assistance, so he teams up with a young lawyer’s clerk, John Davies. But does John already know more about Margaret’s disappearance than he’s admitting?

Clearly well researched, this is also well written and introduces two interesting characters in Harry and John who have plenty of scope for development in future books. Both are likeable, but at this early stage they are still trying to work out how their partnership will work. Harry comes from wealth and is one of the gentry, while John has dragged himself up out of a hard childhood, having been orphaned at an early age. Harry has ideas about egalitarianism and wants to treat John as an equal, but neither is fully comfortable in that role. And John is having to learn how to be of use to someone with limited sight, remembering to respond verbally rather than by a nod and knowing when to offer help and when this will be unwelcome. It’s an interesting pairing, and Hawkins keeps it well within the time period – there are no anachronistic attitudes in the book towards disability, or anything else for that matter.

The physical setting is well described. This is farming country, and while there is a divide between rich and poor, the poverty is not of the terrible, degrading urban kind. Most people scratch a living, although for many this means long hours of hard physical labour. The historical setting is interesting. I had never come across the Rebecca riots of the 1850s until I began to hear about them through other people’s reviews of this book. They started as a protest against tolls, but Hawkins suggests that they became almost a kind of morality police, punishing those who broke the moral code but not the law. The name given to the movement, Rebecca, is a reference to a biblical passage, and the rioters dressed as women, partly because of the name and partly as a means of disguise. Knowing nothing about the subject means I can’t say how accurate Hawkins’ portrayal is, but I certainly found it credible and convincing.

There are one or two weaknesses, though. The book is, of course, too long, often going back over territory we’ve already covered. The narration is split – part Harry, part John, both first person, past tense, and I often found myself having to go back to check the chapter heading to see whose thoughts I was getting. The reader soon learns that John knows more than he’s saying, and honestly, if he’d just told Harry what he knew the mystery would have been solved immediately. He hides his knowledge from the reader too, which I always find frustrating in a first person narrator. And lastly, I’m afraid I got a bit tired of the constant repetition about Harry’s restricted sight. It merely slowed everything down when he was constantly telling us he couldn’t look people in the eye, or recognise someone who said good morning to him in the street. I wanted to tell Hawkins to trust the reader to remember his physical challenges.

However, the strengths greatly outweighed the weaknesses! The setting, the characters and the interesting historical background all added to a good plot to make this an excellent start to a series, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops over the next few books. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.

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[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Harry Probert-Lloyd is the protagonist of this book. He has recently returned home from London to take over his father’s business as a magistrate. At the same time, he is slowly going blind. He begins to doubt almost all that he sees.

A body is found beneath an uprooted tree. Harry suspects it may be his long ago friend and love, Margaret Jones who has disappeared seven years earlier.

He begins an investigation of his own, aided by a friend and solicitor, John Davies. The local community is still reeling from the aftermath of riots. Could they be responsible for the woman’s death? Are there more killings to come now that the woman’s body has been located? Is anything to be believed?

This book is well researched, written and plotted. Although the beginning is a little confusing, the story evens out after the first few pages.

I want to thank Netgalley and Freight Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyable

Beautifully written characters, scenery and Welsh history. Mystery very well done. On to the second in series with much anticipation

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

GNA I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Alis Hawkins, and Freight Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sharing your hard work with me.

This is an excellent historical novel. The research and attention to detail is obvious, and the story flows easily from the Rebecca Riots, a March 1843 uprising of local farmers and tradesmen against oppressive fees and tolls, through the inquest involving the death of Harry Probert-Lloyd's former love, Margaret Jones. Harry is the only living son of a gentleman county magistrate. Currently a solicitor in London, he finds that he is going progressively blind. He returns to his home in Cardiganshire in November 1850 to assess his options, just in time to be on-site when the bones believed to be those of Margaret Jones and her unborn child are uncovered.

I very much enjoyed this mystery. Though we don't get to meet a living Margaret Jones, so very much the center of this novel, I found myself an advocate for finding her truths.




pub date April 13, 2017
title not available for review at Barnes and Noble. Sorry
Freight Publishing

[Judith Barrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and again I am tempted to buy a paperback book rather than an eBook. And reading the book blurb for None So Blind was one of those occasions. I looked forward to this book dropping through the letter box.

It landed in the porch with a thud. This is one big tome. But I was intrigued by the title and I love the cover so, undaunted I decided to read the first couple of chapters while I had ten minutes to spare. Two hours later I was still reading; the washing was still waiting to go into the machine, I’d forgotten to even start on the soup for lunchtime and domestic trivia waited for attention all around me. I needed to make a decision. I went back to bed to read. Yes, I know; wasn’t that disgraceful?!!

So, with confession out there, I will tell you a little about None So Blind. If you enjoy historical fiction, if you can’t get enough of reading about crime, or mystery; in fact if you just enjoy a brilliant read – this is the book for you.

The background to the story is the Rebecca Riots in West Wales at a time of social unrest and upheaval.

I never give spoilers in my reviews; I prefer to say what I think are the strong points of the stories. But neither do I shy away from those aspects that didn’t work for me because I realise that my viewpoint, as with everyone's on everything in life, is subjective.

However there wasn't anything that didn't appeal to me with this novel.

From the start the main plot, the discovery of why a young woman has been murdered, is an intriguing and complex story-line. But it is interwoven with many equally fascinating subplots that subtly reveal the complexities and injustices of the social system and conventions of the era. Nothing is as it seems on first glance.

It is obvious Alis Hawkins has carried out her research thoroughly and drip-feeds it throughout this unique and original narrative.

Narrative that winds around the characters we meet in the book. There are many well rounded supporting characters: but the main ones we follow, are the protagonist, Harry Probert – Lloyd, a lawyer whose career is ruined by the onset of blindness and John Davies, a young lawyer’s clerk, who becomes Harry’s eyes for him. Although not his social equal, the reader becomes aware of the growing friendship between the two.

One thing that I would like to mention; something that occurred to me many times throughout None So Blind is the interesting notion of having Harry Probert – Lloyd, a character with increasing sight problems, as the protagonist (hence the play on words with the title). This gives an intriguing and unusual viewpoint for the reader to follow and underlines the awareness of the use of the other senses to the reader

I loved the writing style of the author; the story is told through the first person point of view in subsequent chapters – one of my favourite techniques to read in a book, And there is a great deal more to recommend about None So Blind...

The dialogue is excellent; there is no doubt who is speaking (no doubt of the accent they speak in, either) and no mistaking their social standing. The internal dialogue reveals much of the personalities of the characters and of the awareness and acceptance of class at this time; even though the author cleverly portrays the undercurrent of resentment in the working and perceived lower classes.

There is a good sense of place of Wales in this period, in the descriptions of the streets and roads, the countryside, the portrayals of the farms, the large town and country houses, the living areas of the poor.

And a mention here of how the depiction of the weather creates the background and atmosphere for certain scenes.

I think this book would work well as a television drama.

All in all an excellent read.

I would thoroughly recommend None So Blind to readers who enjoy historical fiction, mystery and crime fiction

[Karen Mace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dark and brooding cover gives you a little glimpse of what to expect when you start reading this new historical mystery series, and it's compelling stuff from the first page to the last!

There's a very dramatic prologue that jumps you straight into a chaotic scene and really helps set the atmosphere for what is about to follow! When a body is found it sets everyone back to remembering one dark night, none more so than Harry Probert-Lloyd who was dreading this discovery and is put in charge of investigating just what went on to end in such tragedy. He is a barrister who is beginning to lose his sight, but refuses to admit defeat,and teams up with a clerk, John Davies, to track down those responsible.Both characters are quite headstrong so often go off on their own quests and I found these characters, who both have flaws of their own, make for much more interesting people to follow!

Their investigations take them amongst family and friends, and over to Ipswich as well to track down those who have moved away, and you're always wondering why they keep finding dead ends or those who are just plain uncooperative. The closer they get to the truth, the more troubling it is for them to want to believe.

Harry and John work so well together as a team! They upset a number of people with their questions but also aren't afraid to work behind each others backs - they know they're not perfect human beings but they don't care and I think they respect that in each other!

This is a book filled with dark secrets and lies, lost loves and plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages with anticipation! Can't wait for more in this series!!

My thanks to the author and publisher for the advanced reading copy in return for a fair and honest review

[Sheri Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read "None So Blind" because the cover intrigued me. The story description also pulled me in as I'm a sucker for a good mystery, especially crime mystery. I've been stumped as to what to write in this review because I have so many mixed emotions about this book. This historical fiction novel is set in Wales in the 1840 and 1850s. It captures the social norms and rules of the day and the discrepancy between classes as well as that between the English and the Welsh but isn't heavy-handed in history. For me, it was just enough to whet the appetite and had me googling a few Welsh terms and customs that I was not familiar with and found the answers quite interesting. There is a murder mystery within the larger setting of the Rebecca Riots that occurred in the 1840s in Wales and the reader is left, until the very end, wondering if the two are related are not. This wasn't a bad thing but it definitely kept one guessing.

Being the first in a series, the Harry Probert-Lloyd series, I wouldn't mind reading the second book when it comes out even though I had some trouble with the first. Overall, I enjoyed "None So Blind" but felt the story-line had a start/stop, uneven feel to it. At times, I was devouring the story and grew attached to the characters and then at other times in the story, it just dragged and I struggled to push through, let alone, care about the events happening. I mentioned earlier I'm at a loss as to how to write this review because, in large part, I haven't put my finger on what it was. Slow story line? No, not totally. Lackluster main characters? No, not really. Too much description? Maybe, but not completely. See?! I'm stumped! I'm just not sure what made this book tough to read, at times, but overall, I did enjoy the book despite the slow, boring parts. Enough that I'd give the second book a chance, as I said earlier.

I rated this book three stars on Goodreads. I liked it, it wasn't awful and the story was interesting but it lost a couple of stars for the drudgery, at times, woven in the story. I'm curious to see how Harry handles the next adventure presented to him at the end of this book and to see how Harry and John's friendship grows.

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning of a gripping new series, NONE SO BLIND by Alis Hawkins is a historical crime fiction story brimming with that extra special something that keeps you sitting up into the wee hours to devour it.

Set in Wales in 1850, a horrifying discovery awaits those who dig up a tree, for a woman's bones lies hidden beneath. A community shocked closes rank especially when a young barrister, Harry Probert-Lloyd and his clerk, John Davies, seem determined to uncover the truth. For Harry knows whose bones they are and will do whatever it takes to bring the culprits to justice.

Riveting, intricate, and completely unputdownable, NONE SO BLIND by Alis Hawkins has everything you need for a cracking mystery to tickle your senses. The characters are fascinating and watching the relationship between Harry and John was interesting from all angles.
​I love historical crime fiction but there is always a worry that the setting and historical detail can become a little boring or repetitive, so I'm delighted to tell you that this is not the case with NONE SO BLIND. Every word has a purpose and a knack for sticking in your mind and I admire Alis Hawkin for this talent to transport readers back in time.

NONE SO BLIND by Alis Hawkin is a superb novel that is perfect for historical readers and crime fiction readers alike and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait for the next instalment!!

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set against the backdrop of the Rebecca Riots, the remains of a young woman are discovered, her identity is known by many and to some its a secret that they were no longer wishing to be discovered. Harry Probert-Lloyd, a young barrister, who has to return home to his father’s estate as he discovers that he is going blind, knows the woman and wants to find out the truth. His blindness leads him to employ the services of young John Davies. Facing the wrath of the community they set out to discover the truth, but the truth doesn’t want to be found and both Harry and John may suffer if they were to discover it.

This was wonderful, each chapter is written from the point of view of Harry or John, which makes the story develop really well. The fact that the main protagonist is going blind creates an interesting new angle on this type of series. I look forward to reading more of this series.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in West Wales in the late 1840s this book is a mystery in which a close community is still living in the shadow of the 'Rebecca riots' which were factual events in which communities rebelled against local landowners and others who sought to exploit oppress the citizenship, and in which there is cross dressing and retribution including tarring.
Son of the local magistrate Harry Probert Lloyd returns from London, where he has trained as a barrister, after a body is found buried under a tree and to which he has a personal connection. Harry is going blind but is afraid to tell his father or let anyone else know but he quickly gets drawn into investigating the grim discovery.
I really enjoyed this historical crime novel particularly as it sets the story amidst a little known part of social history. Definitely plan to read more in this series.

[peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in preparation for its sequel, Of Two Minds, which has recently been longlisted for the 2020 Dagger Awards for historical crime novels. Great introduction to Harry, a landed Welsh gentleman in the mid 19th century and his new assistant John. Their personalities and the wild Wales landscape are very well written and it was a great crime novel involving the murder of a local servant girl. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

[Darryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her novel None So Blind, Alis Hawkins explores the culture and hierarchy of rural Welsh communities in the mid 1800s. We follow Henry Probert-Lloyd, a solicitor newly out of school who is suffering with a degenerative disease that is diminishing his eyesight. His vision is gradually blurring and what little sight he does have is peripheral. This is a solid metaphor for what is happening in the novel: Henry is blind to a lot of what is happening around him in his life when it comes to his friends, his acquaintances, and his former loves.

Henry is drawn to the investigation of a mysterious death: bones are found among the roots of a tree and Henry knows they belong to his love interest from years before, Margaret Jones. There is an inquiry and, through the influence of Rebecca, a mystery figure who takes the name of the riots held in Wales during the early 1800s, the cause of death is deemed accidental. Henry is not convinced. He enlists the help of a clerk, John Davies, and together they go out in search of the truth.

Hawkins does a great job of revealing what life was like in the mid 1800s for the rich and poor alike. The Rebecca Riots, an actual series of events from that time period, were initially meant to allow the poor and working class to protest unfair wages and work conditions. In this novel, Hawkins shows how this somewhat noble cause has been perverted, used to strike fear in the hearts of those who may have done the people or community wrong. It can be an obscure offense that sets Rebecca in motion and Henry’s fear is that Rebecca is responsible for Margaret’s death.

John acts as Henry’s eyes, determining what facial expressions may be revealing about the thoughts of witnesses that their words do not. John himself plays a crucial role in the proceedings, since he knows much more about this mystery than he is letting on. That is one point of contention I have with the novel: John has information that could blow the case wide open and his reasons for not revealing what he knows are weak and indefensible.

Overall, this is an entertaining novel. Hawkins takes the reader to a land that is not often represented in novels and makes it familiar. Along the way, Hawkins introduces us to interesting characters who are very much of their time: landowners who hold a bitterness and resentment towards their superiors, a priest with a secret of his own, and women who are trying to establish a good life for themselves and their children in a time when it is much easier said than done. Henry and John are a formidable duo and I would love to read about their further adventures now that they are established. Check this one out!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well thought out historical crime story takes us back to Wales in the mid-nineteenth century and introduces us to Harry-Probert Jones who has returned to his Welsh childhood home after working as a London barrister. Harry's homecoming is complicated, for all sorts of reasons, but it is made worse when the remains of a young woman are found and Harry gets drawn into the investigation.

What then follows is a murder/mystery which threatens to shatter the small Welsh community, exposing secrets which have been buried for a long time and as Harry gets drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery he comes to rely heavily another local man, John Davies, for help as his clerk. The two men make a good partnership and it was fascinating to watch them peel back the layers of secrets, some of which go back to the time of the Rebecca Riots which were a series of protests led by local farmers against the use of toll roads in rural West Wales.

There’s a dark edginess to the story with lots of twists and turns and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to piece together the clues alongside Harry and John. Both men have their own secrets which are gradually revealed as the story progresses and it was fascinating to see how their personal stories would eventually play out within the wider scheme of the plot.

The author writes well and it's obvious that a great deal of research has been done which places everything nicely into historical context. I didn't know anything about the Rebecca Riots, so it was particularly interesting to discover more about why the farmers were so angry. I also found the brief Welsh glossary, at the start of the book, really useful.

None So Blind is the first book in the Teifi Valley Coroner series, so there was a certain amount of setting the scene and getting to know the central characters who, I’m sure, will feature strongly in future novels. The conclusion to the story lends itself nicely to a continuation of the series and I look forward to meeting up again with Harry Probert-Jones and John Davies in future stories.

[Sarah - Sarah's Vignettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

All reviews can be found at sarahsvignettes.wordpress.com

None So Blind is the first book in The Teifi Valley Coroner series by Alis Hawkins. Set in Wales in 1850, seven years after the Rebecca Riots, it is a story full of secrets, deceit, disguise, lies, love, revolt and so much more. I loved it!

Cleverly plotted with absorbing characters, None So Blind is told in six parts, from Discovery through to Afterwards, each section alternating between the points of view of Harry Probert-Lloyd and John Davies. Harry is an extremely interesting and well-crafted main character. Rapidly losing his sight, he is forced back home to the Teifi Valley from his work as a barrister in London. When human remains are found under an uprooted tree, he knows who they belong to and, with the assistance of his clerk, John Davies, is determined to find out how they got there. Harry and John make a great detective duo and I am excited to follow their stories through the series.

I enjoy reading both crime fiction and historical fiction but I think that this might be the first time I have read an historical crime fiction novel, and it has started something! Enter into a world without DNA to support crime solving, where horses or walking are the only modes of transport to visit suspects and witnesses, letter writing is the only way to contact people and share news. Ooh, it was fun living in this Victorian world and I didn't want it to end. It was so easy to pick up None So Blind and think I would just read a couple of chapters but then it was impossible to put down. It was so captivating! Alis Hawkins has a subtle way of slowly drawing in the reader to this dark world and it was a page turner from the beginning.

I am really looking forward to finding out what Alis Hawkins conjures up for the next book in the series.

*I received a copy of the book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a brilliant book: 1850s Wales, a Welsh barrister returning to his home, where he is the heir to the estate. The body of a dairymaid with whom he had been in love and who disappeared seven years before, has been found buried under a tree. He believes she was murdered, but intimidated, the Coroner’s jury brings in a verdict of accidental death. It’s not long after the Rebecca Riots excited and terrified local people, and threats of a return of Rebecca intimidates jury members. He sets himself out to find the truth. But he is going blind, and struggling to recognise old friends, and identify facial expressions. He is threatened, nearly killed, deceived and alienated from his father. It’s exciting, gripping, and, I hope, the first of a series.

[Mark Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful mystery is set in and around the market town of Newcastle Emlyn in mid-nineteenth century west Wales, a few years after the infamous Rebecca Riots. My father was born in this part of the world and so the setting was of particular interest to me. Alis Hawkins writes with lyrical beauty about the countryside and the harsh conditions of life for most of its inhabitants. The story concerns the efforts of a young member of the local gentry and a solicitor's clerk to identify the murderer of a young servant girl. A gripping and compelling book. I look forward to reading more by this excellent writer.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly clever and well researched, Ali’s Hawkins creates a gripping tale of murder in 1800’s West Wales.
Not knowing which way the story would go until the remaining few pages, at a time when police and the like kept the peace rather than investigated the discovery of human remains, I learned so much!
Absolutely brilliant and recommended

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Adam Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting historical mystery set against the fascinating backdrop of 1840/50s West Wales. Full review at https://murderatthemanse.substack.com...

[Wendy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book. Liked the characters and the plot was really interesting. Kept me guessing. Went off to go and google the Rebecca Riots and find out some more back ground (always a good sign) Will be asking for the second one on my birthday list!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

FREE today (December 17, 2021) on Amazon.




"Received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review"
What a wonderful mystery book, so well written!... And a different setting, Wales.
There are a lot of things I loved about this story full of nostalgia, different in so many ways from what I’ve been reading, but so fascinating! There’s the detailed perspective of a young man going blind and how he copes with his failing sight, how he tries to adapt – and we see this through his and his assistant's perspective. There's a perfect handling of double point of view and detailed and accurate descriptions of the hero’s difficulties and problems, seen from his and from his assistant's “eyes”: “I directed my peripheral vision towards the landscape but could make out little beyond the colours of winter, an impression of trees and fields, scattered buildings of indeterminate purpose. Unlike the majority of my travels which were undertaken over long-familiar routes, here in these eastern flatlands I could not rely on memory to fill in the blurred and barely distinguishable world outside the train (…).”; “I watched Harry trying to see her, trying to bring her into view in the corner of his eye.” (quotes from ARC).
There’s a quiet, pervading sadness throughout the story and underlying the hero’s journeys (across the country and across his inner self) and a sort of resignation accepting his new condition that is very touching and lingers even after having read the book a while ago. I think it has to do also with all the metaphors and imagery built around the concept of blindness. And the beautiful cover reflects this sadness.
The pace is slow and sometimes I had some trouble keeping track of all the characters, but I loved reading this mystery set in South Wales in the 19th century and to get to know more about this historical period. And I'm waiting for the next Harry Probert-Lloyd Mystery!
I'm grateful to the publisher, Freight Books, the author, Alis Hawkins, and NetGalley for providing a free copy.

[Lucy Lennox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry, a beautiful, fair-haired young man, wants nothing to do with his father's estate in Wales, but his deteriorating eyesight makes it impossible for him to follow his chosen career in law. He returns home unwillingly, only to discover his lost love Margaret Jones was murdered seven years previously. Harry hires John Davies to help him investigate, not knowing that John witnessed the murder. But John is terrified to speak of what he saw, and doesn't know who killed Margaret or why. Finding the truth about what happened turns up far more than either of them expect.

I don't usually read murder mysteries but this one is so good! Set in Victorian era Wales, the historical details are very well done. There's a very clear, compelling sense of time and place, and the characters and conflicts in the plot feel very true to the era, but with a feminist undercurrent that doesn't feel at all out of place. It's not an easy trick to pull off, combining modern social concerns in historical fiction but I'm always so happy to see it done well.

To be honest, it took me a while to get into the story. The dual narrators, Harry and John, plunging right into the story in the middle of things without explanation was confusing at first. Also the fact that (true to the era) most of the characters have similar names. But after a few chapters I was utterly absorbed. The plot twists come faster and faster, and by the end it was really gripping, and not at all predictable. Even though each narrator has half the puzzle, the plot never felt contrived or like they just needed to talk to each other.

Also Harry's increasing blindness due to macular degeneration felt very realistic. It's not just a plot device or symbol (despite the title), and even th0ugh Harry is frequently frustrated by it, he doesn't waste a lot of time on angst or self-pity. Instead he uses others' discomfort to get more information in his investigation. I can't wait to read more about these characters in the next books.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an audio experience for me. Read so well that I had to step to judge the book. Yup still 4 stars. One of the better historical novels. I gained so much knowledge whilst immersed in the story. The main characters approaching blindness along with other flaws helped to layer the story.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on the enthusiastic recommendation from my local bookshop manager. And she was right! At well over 400 pages None So Blind is no quick read but unusually, for such a long book, not a single word or chapter is superfluous to requirements. It's a spellbinding, enthralling, informative read & one which held my attention for a week.

Set in Wales in 1850, the shocking discovery of a woman's bones sends a community into both horrified & surly shock. When young barrister, Harry Probert-Lloyd & his clerk, John Davies, set out to uncover the truth, ranks are closed & secrets take root. A brilliant cast of characters adds to the mix - each one perfectly rendered & believable.

I knew a bit about the real Rebecca Riots before I read this book - as a backdrop to the central, disturbing crime, it works incredibly well. The author cleverly & sensitively gives it a new perspective & translated into crime fiction, I found it fascinating. A fine, highly readable, exceptionally well-written novel, I cannot recommend None So Blind highly enough.

[Norma Laming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! I loved this book and the interweaving of the Rebecca riots with a very personal and intense story. I very much look forward to this series continuing. By coincidence, I live in Ipswich, so know the Unitarian meeting house well, and I also know Pembrokeshire a little. What I had not thought about was how divisive the Rebecca riots might have been at the time. There is a passing reference to men dressing as women and blacking up faces. This gives another slight connection with East Anglia, where there is a tradition of Molly dancing; Morris men dressed as women, and blacking faces for disguise, which was also highly subversive and intimidating: demanding money with menaces, especially in winter. That was made illegal in 1723 but it still went on. I don’t think we realise now how unruly, hungry and frightening those times could be. A great Welsh setting and wonderful narration and I’m looking forward to the next one