The Reward of Delay Chapter 31

The Reward of Delay – be careful what you wish for…Marriage in tatters, reputation wrecked, ambition thwarted – freelance thief-taker and former theology student Samuel Kinsman is dying for a fresh start.The Reward of Delay is a character-led historical detective story set in 1789 about Kinsman’s investigation into the murder of a respected lawyer whose body is discovered in one of England’s ancient cathedrals.Kinsman’s pregnant wife Susannah spurs him on to improve his own fortunes. But Kinsman doesn’t bargain for the involvement of Huguenot gun-runners supplying arms to insurrectionists in a France on the edge of revolution, nor a secret militia of English vigilantes, nor a sadistic French royalist spy who puts the lives of his wife and children in jeopardy. 'One of my ancestors was the canal builder James Brindley,’ says writer John Davies. 'The period and the region fascinate me. I discovered that Francis Barber – a slave boy inherited by Samuel Johnson who became his manservant and his surrogate son – had been a ‘dozener’ (a constable) in later life in Lichfield – in other words probably Britian’s first black policeman. In my novel, Frank is a researcher (skills he learnt from the great Doctor), and in many ways the ‘brains’ behind the investigation.Sign up now for a free or paid subscription to the weekly episodes of this exciting historical crime mystery. Eventually, all the episodes will only be available to new subscribers via a paid-for channel. But if you sign up now for free access, you will receive all episodes free of charge. So subscribe for free now while you still can! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lichfieldmysteries.substack.com