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Bastille Mysteries #1
The Eighth Prisoner: A Crime Thriller
Paris. Early Summer, 1789.
A desperate man stalks his faithless wife, but all he achieves is getting his own throat cut.
This is the first of a series of murders as Paris explodes into the French Revolution.
The Eighth Prisoner is a Standalone Historical Crime Thriller that proves murder and murderers are not surplus to requirements, even in the Age of Terror.
Side by side with events such as the Storming of the Bastille and the Women’s March on Versailles, a conspiracy weaves its way through French society at the highest and lowest levels. But who are the conspirators and what are their aims?
Three very different people form an uneasy alliance.
A cynical, possibly corrupt but brilliant Inspector of Police.
A dedicated, but flawed Priest.
And a Young Woman, coming of age as the world around her changes forever.
Together they struggle against time and a ruthless hidden enemy, to solve an increasingly baffling series of murders.
A desperate man stalks his faithless wife, but all he achieves is getting his own throat cut.
This is the first of a series of murders as Paris explodes into the French Revolution.
The Eighth Prisoner is a Standalone Historical Crime Thriller that proves murder and murderers are not surplus to requirements, even in the Age of Terror.
Side by side with events such as the Storming of the Bastille and the Women’s March on Versailles, a conspiracy weaves its way through French society at the highest and lowest levels. But who are the conspirators and what are their aims?
Three very different people form an uneasy alliance.
A cynical, possibly corrupt but brilliant Inspector of Police.
A dedicated, but flawed Priest.
And a Young Woman, coming of age as the world around her changes forever.
Together they struggle against time and a ruthless hidden enemy, to solve an increasingly baffling series of murders.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2014
15 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Ian Honeysett
4 books14 followersIan Honeysett co-authored The Bastille Mystery Series with Pete Stevens. They've known each other since they were students when they wrote and staged comedy reviews together. When they both retired, they decided to resume their writing partnership with a series of historical thrillers combining their mutual love of history and (purely fictional) crime.
Ian is married to Jan with 3 children and lives in Godalming, Surrey. His other interests are painting and playing the ukulele.
Visit the Bastille Mysteries website at http://honeysett9.wixsite.com/bastill...
Connect with Ian on Twitter: @Ukieian
Ian is married to Jan with 3 children and lives in Godalming, Surrey. His other interests are painting and playing the ukulele.
Visit the Bastille Mysteries website at http://honeysett9.wixsite.com/bastill...
Connect with Ian on Twitter: @Ukieian
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 12, 2017
I wasn't really taken in by this book. It's gritty, that's for sure, and pretty historically accurate (if memory serves).
My Rating: 3 stars
My Rating: 3 stars
August 12, 2017
I was intrigued by this work. Looking at it it wasn't the sort of subject I usually read. It recalls a style of writing that these days is rare and sadly missing because of an imagined desire for gratuitous S&V. The authors have a touch of Hugo and Emma Orczy about their writing.
Technically,it's a dense and cleverly woven plot concerning the events, and murders and characters leading up to and after the storming of the Bastille in revolutionary France.
I'm in no position to judge, but the research appears first rate and added hugely to my perception of what it must have been and felt like in those tumultuous times.
I usually read for half an hour in bed but that extended to an hour and found myself looking forward to the following evening!
The title and tags seem to suggest more to follow. I really hope so.
Technically,it's a dense and cleverly woven plot concerning the events, and murders and characters leading up to and after the storming of the Bastille in revolutionary France.
I'm in no position to judge, but the research appears first rate and added hugely to my perception of what it must have been and felt like in those tumultuous times.
I usually read for half an hour in bed but that extended to an hour and found myself looking forward to the following evening!
The title and tags seem to suggest more to follow. I really hope so.
January 2, 2016
An Exciting Beginning to this Series!
The Eighth Prisoner is a gripping beginning to this series. The characters were well developed with interesting storylines that kept me riveted. There were many possible suspects that made it difficult to guess who had committed the murders. As more suspects were culled out the mystery become more complex and the action built up making this an enjoyable read.
I look forward to the next book in this fascinating, historical period piece.
The Eighth Prisoner is a gripping beginning to this series. The characters were well developed with interesting storylines that kept me riveted. There were many possible suspects that made it difficult to guess who had committed the murders. As more suspects were culled out the mystery become more complex and the action built up making this an enjoyable read.
I look forward to the next book in this fascinating, historical period piece.
September 4, 2017
I've read a lot of historical fiction. Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, CJ Sansom and Robert Harris are among my favourite authors, and I can now add Ian Honeysett and Peter Stevens to that list.
THE EIGHTH PRISONER is a tour de force. Set in Paris, at the birth of the French Revolution, it tells the tale of murder against the backdrop of some of the most turbulent times in European history. Amidst the chaos, two young women are slain in the Bastille. An unlikely crew – a detective, a priest and two young siblings – investigate one of the deaths in particular. But they must contend with shadowy forces, some invisible and elusive, others more obvious, but no less dangerous.
The plot is intricate and full of intrigue, but never convoluted. There is ample action, a little humour and just the right amount of historical detail. Characterisation is superb, with believable, sympathetic heroes and dastardly villains aplenty. Even some of the bad guys, stooges like Jacques, evoke pity; they may be unlikeable, but they are being manipulated. Nothing is as it seems, which is vital for any good mystery, and the (many) pages turned themselves.
In conclusion, Honeysett and Stevens have written a first rate historical mystery. I have no hesitation in awarding five stars, and I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cerebral reading.
THE EIGHTH PRISONER is a tour de force. Set in Paris, at the birth of the French Revolution, it tells the tale of murder against the backdrop of some of the most turbulent times in European history. Amidst the chaos, two young women are slain in the Bastille. An unlikely crew – a detective, a priest and two young siblings – investigate one of the deaths in particular. But they must contend with shadowy forces, some invisible and elusive, others more obvious, but no less dangerous.
The plot is intricate and full of intrigue, but never convoluted. There is ample action, a little humour and just the right amount of historical detail. Characterisation is superb, with believable, sympathetic heroes and dastardly villains aplenty. Even some of the bad guys, stooges like Jacques, evoke pity; they may be unlikeable, but they are being manipulated. Nothing is as it seems, which is vital for any good mystery, and the (many) pages turned themselves.
In conclusion, Honeysett and Stevens have written a first rate historical mystery. I have no hesitation in awarding five stars, and I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cerebral reading.
January 2, 2018
1789 and on the storming of the Bastille two females are found dead. One is the unrecorded eighth prisoner. It is left to a detective Maison, a priest Reynard and the two children of his housekeeper Helene Gilbert to investigate.
A good mystery that kept me interested to the end.
A good mystery that kept me interested to the end.
December 1, 2017
The Eighth Prisoner is set just before, during and after the storming of the Bastille in July 1789. The narrative is intriguing because, in the midst of all the chaos, a senior police officer , a kind of 18th. century Parisian John Rebus, tries to solve one or more crimes which may, or may not, be linked to the unfolding revolution.
Characterisation is strong in The Eighth Prisoner, whether it be the policeman himself or his accomplices, a dedicated priest, an eighteen year old girl or a sixteen year old boy. As the plot unfolds, all find their lives in danger and the threat is very well handled. The end too is a credible surprise. The authors have clearly done a great deal of research to recreate the Paris of the French Revolution so convincingly. An excellent crime story, the first in a series.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil,Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
Characterisation is strong in The Eighth Prisoner, whether it be the policeman himself or his accomplices, a dedicated priest, an eighteen year old girl or a sixteen year old boy. As the plot unfolds, all find their lives in danger and the threat is very well handled. The end too is a credible surprise. The authors have clearly done a great deal of research to recreate the Paris of the French Revolution so convincingly. An excellent crime story, the first in a series.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil,Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
April 21, 2019
Pretty good!
This 18th century murder mystery is set in Paris just prior to the storming of the Bastille. There are numerous murders and loads of suspects all embroiled in the politics of the era.
The descriptions of the numerous characters greatly assist in keeping track of who's who as the multiple murder investigations progress. The writing flows with no dead spots. I did have to look back a time or two to remind myself who a particular character was, but that didn't impair the plot. Lots of intrigue and suspense and a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.
I plan to read the next in this series and think readers of historical murder mystery readers would enjoy this book, too.
This 18th century murder mystery is set in Paris just prior to the storming of the Bastille. There are numerous murders and loads of suspects all embroiled in the politics of the era.
The descriptions of the numerous characters greatly assist in keeping track of who's who as the multiple murder investigations progress. The writing flows with no dead spots. I did have to look back a time or two to remind myself who a particular character was, but that didn't impair the plot. Lots of intrigue and suspense and a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor.
I plan to read the next in this series and think readers of historical murder mystery readers would enjoy this book, too.
January 15, 2018
An enjoyable and intriguing start to this series. I won't say that this book kept me guessing until the very end, it didn't. I was sure I knew who the culprit was from about halfway through, only to discover at the very end that I'd been fallen for a red herring and was totally wrong. I liked that, it doesn't happen very often.
The main characters are all flawed, which makes them more believable and gives them room to develop as the series progresses. Their journey through the tumultuous events of the fall of the Bastille and the early part of the French Revolution allowed these events to be experienced from different perspectives.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
The main characters are all flawed, which makes them more believable and gives them room to develop as the series progresses. Their journey through the tumultuous events of the fall of the Bastille and the early part of the French Revolution allowed these events to be experienced from different perspectives.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
April 17, 2018
An intriguing story with a cast of interesting characters.
The story takes place during the French Revolution. Unsure of where his loyalties lie, after the storming of the Bastille, police inspector, Rouget Maison concentrates his efforts on finding the murderer of a mysterious female prisoner kept separate from the other inmates. His investigation brings him into close contact with a local priest and his 'family,' revolutionaries and the Bastille jailers.
I enjoyed the story but I did feel at times the plot was unnecessarily over complicated and muddled.
Well worth the read and I may pick up any later books in the series. Not a wow read, although with greater clarity it could be.
The story takes place during the French Revolution. Unsure of where his loyalties lie, after the storming of the Bastille, police inspector, Rouget Maison concentrates his efforts on finding the murderer of a mysterious female prisoner kept separate from the other inmates. His investigation brings him into close contact with a local priest and his 'family,' revolutionaries and the Bastille jailers.
I enjoyed the story but I did feel at times the plot was unnecessarily over complicated and muddled.
Well worth the read and I may pick up any later books in the series. Not a wow read, although with greater clarity it could be.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews