The Authentic William James

Sebastian Becker #3

by Stephen Gallagher

As the Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, Sebastian Becker delivers justice to those dangerous madmen whose fortunes might otherwise place them above the law. But in William James he faces a different challenge; to prove a man sane, so that he may hang. Did the reluctant showman really burn down a crowded pavilion with the audience inside? And if not, why is this British sideshow cowboy so determined to shoulder the blame?

The Authentic William James is the third novel to feature ex-police detective and former Pinkerton Man Sebastian Becker, joining The Kingdom of Bones and The Bedlam Detective. Praising "this superbly crafted thriller", Kirkus Reviews named The Bedlam Detective one of their 100 Best of the Year and called it "that rare beast, a literary page turner". MysteryTribune.Com described it as "a rare literary masterpiece for lovers of historical crime fiction."

"It's a blinding novel... Each chapter had me chuckling with joy-if not at the acerbic wit, the brilliant dialogue-the sheer spot-on elegance of the writing: the plot turns, the pin sharp beats. Always authoritative and convincing, never showy. Magnificently realised characters in a living breathing world... Absolutely stunning"-Stephen Volk, author and screenwriter (Ghostwatch, Afterlife, Gothic, The Parts we Play)

"British author Gallagher gives Sebastian Becker another puzzle worthy of his quirky sleuth's acumen in his outstanding third pre-WWI mystery (after 2012's The Bedlam Detective ). As the special investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, Becker is charged with investigating "the psychology of anyone with a fortune or an income that might be put at risk by their erratic behavior." When a fatal arson at a Sussex theater claims the life of a German prince, Becker's superior is eager for him to demolish any claim that the prime suspect, showman William James, was insane when he set the fire. After meeting James, Becker is prepared to give some credence to the man's claims of innocence. That comes back to haunt him when James manipulates him into facilitating his escape, leading the detective on a search for the fugitive-and the truth-that takes him to Pennsylvania and an apparent dead end. Gallagher makes the most of his unusual concept in the service of a twisty but logical plot line."-Publishers Weekly Starred Review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stoker and World Fantasy Award nominee, winner of British Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for his genre fiction, Stephen Gallagher has built parallel careers as a novelist and as a creator of primetime miniseries and episodic television. In his native England he's adapted and created hour-long and feature-length thrillers and crime dramas that include the landmark ITV miniseries Chimera . In the US he was lead writer on NBC's Crusoe, creator of CBS Television's Eleventh Hour , and Co-Executive Producer on ABC's The Forgotten. His fifteen novels include Down River, Oktober, and Nightmare, with Angel. He's the creator of Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, in a series of historical crime novels comprising The Kingdom of Bones, The Bedlam Detective, and now The Authentic William James. Recent screen credits include an award-winning Silent Witness and Stan Lee's Lucky Man. He lives in a former weavers' cottage in England's Ribble Valley and attributes his Twitter following to his TV scripts for Doctor Who.

"His work has that kind of beat and boogie that only writers of character and style have. He plots well. But his strength is in the purity of his storytelling and in the development of his characters"-Joe R Lansdale

"Only bad thing about his books is that they eventually end. Brilliant."-Jonny Lee Miller

New Edition.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

316 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

Stoker and World Fantasy Award nominee, winner of British Fantasy and International Horror Guild Awards for his short fiction, Stephen Gallagher has a career both as a novelist and as a creator of primetime miniseries and episodic television. His fifteen novels include Chimera, Oktober, Valley of Lights and Nightmare, with Angel. He's the creator of Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, in a series of novels that includes The Kingdom of Bones, The Bedlam Detective, and The Authentic William James. In his native England he's adapted and created hour-long and feature-length thrillers and crime dramas. In the US he was lead writer on NBC's Crusoe, creator of CBS Television's Eleventh Hour, and Co-Executive Producer on ABC's The Forgotten. Recent screen credits include an award-winning Silent Witness and Stan Lee's Lucky Man.

He began his TV career as a writer on two seasons of Doctor Who, and wrote two novelizations of his stories under the pseudonym John Lydecker.

** Photo by Lisa Bowerman **

Reviews

[Karl]

This is copy 2 of 1000 signed and numbered copies signed by Stephen Gallagher.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire Sebastian Becker series is wonderful but this, Gallagher's third installment, is probably the best one yet. It's fast-paced, with an unusual setting and just a touch of romance. It's nice to see Florence, Becker's sister-in-law, more involved in the plot and Becker is just as dogged as ever as he travels from London to LA to find whoever it was that set fire to a circus at a pier in England, killing many people.

In the tradition of the best detective novels, a well-woven plot will keep you guessing until the end. But ... don't try guessing. Just enjoy the ride.

If you have not had the pleasure of Becker's company, start with the first installment, "The Kingdom of Bones" and just keep going (the second one is entitled "The Bedlam Detective).

Please, Mr. Gallagher - this came out in 2016, and this fan is ready for more Mr. Becker!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1913 Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator for Visitor in Lunacy, is usually called in to determine whether a person is insane, but not in this case. William James has been accused of multiple deaths including Prince Max of Erbach-Schonburg, so the Crown needs to prove James sane so that he can hang and avoid a conflict with Germany.
An interesting and enjoyable well-written story which is not as straightforward as first seems.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

42 WORD REVIEW:

As with his previous Sebastian Becker novels, Gallagher presents a consummate, apparently effortless, authenticity of both character and setting. Although Becker in this instance seems less intensely involved (hence some chronology hopping to bolster the narrative), his measured investigative style still seduces.

[Robby Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. I need more tales of Sebastian Becker.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Authentic William James. Well, I had no idea their were so many categories for lunatics! There were pauper lunatics and non-pauper lunatics; criminal lunatics, naval lunatics, melancholics, hysterics, epileptics. And there were Chancery lunatics, usually members of rich families who were deemed incapable of managing their own affairs.
Our protagonist Simon Becker is a Special Investigator for the British Crown tasked with "gathering evidence that determines whether or not someone is a Chancery Lunatic—afflicted with madness making them unfit to manage their fortunes—without tipping the hand of those whose resources often make them above the law."

There are two earlier novels featuring Simon Becker, but I didn't realize this when I read the book, which functions quite well as a stand-alone. However, since I found the novel quite entertaining, liked the quirkiness of Simon Becker's job, and found the characters intriguing, the earlier novels are on my library list.

There is no mention of William James, brother of Henry, but I wonder if Gallagher meant to call him to mind. At any rate, that is the William James the title suggested to me when I first saw it.

Stephen Gallagher has quite the background--no wonder the book appealed to me:

"Beginning his TV career with the BBC's DOCTOR WHO, Stephen Gallagher went on to establish himself as a writer and director of high-end miniseries and primetime episodic television. In his native England he's adapted and created hour-long and feature-length thrillers and crime dramas. In the US he was lead writer on NBC's CRUSOE, creator of CBS Television's ELEVENTH HOUR, and Co-Executive Producer on ABC's THE FORGOTTEN. His fourteen novels include DOWN RIVER, RAIN, VALLEY OF LIGHTS, and NIGHTMARE, WITH ANGEL. He's the creator of Sebastian Becker, Special Investigator to the Lord Chancellor's Visitor in Lunacy, in a series of novels beginning with THE KINGDOM OF BONES and THE BEDLAM DETECTIVE.

Described by The Independent as "the finest British writer of bestselling popular fiction since le Carré ... Gallagher, like le Carré, is a novelist whose themes seem to reflect something of the essence of our times, and a novelist whose skill lies in embedding those themes in accessible plots." According to Arena magazine, "Gallagher has quietly become Britain's finest popular novelist, working a dark seam between horror and the psychological thriller.

The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Since Valley of Lights, he has been refining his own brand of psycho-thriller, with a discomforting knack of charting mental disintegration and a razor-sharp sense of place." Charles de Lint wrote in Mystery Scene magazine, "Gallagher is a master of abnormal psychology and he just gets better and better." Also in Mystery Scene David Mathew added, "never a writer to rest on his laurels, he has written good hard thrillers, some horror genre work (such as Valley of Lights), and a novel (Oktober) that might even qualify as a vague distortion of contemporary world fantasy... in places. You might go as far as to employ that overused phrase sui generis. He is, at any rate, one of the best writers of his generation."

Winner of British Fantasy and International Horror Guild awards."

NetGalley/Subterranean Press

Historical Mystery. Sept. 30, 2016. Print length: 320 pages.

[Zippergirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have no experience but I do have pamphlets." This might be the most droll sexual invitation in the history of the written word.

Ahem, what more could a reader want than larger than life characters who are both graciously moral and reprehensibly immoral, who possess the gift of gab, and can chuck tomahawks with unerring accuracy? Sebastian Becker, under direction of the Lord Chanceller's Visitor, is ever ready to jump aboard a tramp steamer and head across the mighty seas to America's wild West in pursuit of a lunatic.

Said lunatic, Williams James, may, or may not, be receiving visitors. As he is dead at the moment. He's fled from the scene of a deadly theatre fire, leaving behind his vaudeville troupe of stage cowboys and Indians, and his young daughter in the care of a morphine-addicted sociopath. His Majesty wants this matter resolved. On the QT. There are international consequences to be borne, if Sebastian cannot nab "The Authentic William James" before he goes to ground.

I recommend this book with no reservations. I loved how the story unfolded through revelations large and small, and via a journal and confession left by the erstwhile villain. More, please.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ralph Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Authentic William James by Stephen Gallagher- A period piece, turn-of-the Nineteenth Century detective story focused on the exploits of Sebastian Becker, who works in London for the Lord Chancellor's Visitor, an office that prevents the rich from squandering their fortunes to madness. Thus said, it reads like a normal adventure from that time with its Victorian setting and language. Becker is tasked with bringing a murderer to justice by proving he was not mad when he burned fifty people to death. This quest takes him all over the English countryside, across the Atlantic to Philadelphia, and finally the newly established movie lots of Los Angeles. His original focus changes along the way and his quest becomes more of a rescue mission, with the fate of a young girl at stake. I found the background and attention to period detail very convincing, and the mannerisms of the characters in line with that age. My only problem was the very sedate pace that taxed my attention at times, but I'm sure some people will argue that it matches the period of the story just fine.