Murder,
conspiracy, radicalism, poverty, riot, violence, capitalism, technology:
everything is up for grabs in the early part of Victoria’s reign.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circles-Deceit-casebook-Josiah-Ainscough-ebook/dp/B08LLCPSYR
https://www.amazon.com/Circles-Deceit-casebook-Josiah-Ainscough-ebook/dp/B08LLCPSYR
Excerpt
It might be the Victorian era but Circles
of Deceit is set in the early part of Victoria’s reign when political and
social turmoil were on the national agenda. There was discontent in mills and
other industries, and this began to boil over into riots and confrontations
with troops…
[The marchers] turned into the market square. There were barricades around the Castle Mill manned by lines of soldiers in tight formation, muskets at the ready. The turn-outs went as far as they could, then stopped. A tense silence fell.
Phillip Burrell stepped forward. He stood
tall and went forward with determination towards the town hall. As he
approached the line of soldiers in front of the town hall steps two infantry
men barred his way by crossing their muskets in front of him.
[A] tipstaff stepped forward. ‘State the
nature of your business here,’ he declaimed. Everyone in the square could hear
him.
‘I wish to speak with the Mayor. A
confrontation where firearms are involved is in nobody’s interest. I hope he
will agree to speak with me.’
If Phillip was shaken by the force being
displayed against him and his people, Josiah did not hear it in his voice.
A small group stepped on to a first-floor
balcony of the town hall. The Mayor was there, Mr Prestbury and Sir Grancester
Smyth. The Mayor leant over the rail. ‘I have nothing to say to you Mr Burrell
or the rabble at your back.’ He was not confident he was saying the right
thing, but he went on, nonetheless. ‘We know of your seditious schemes and
conspiracies, but we will not tolerate them here. These are the only words you will
hear from us: Mr Prestbury.’
The Chair of the Police Watch Committee
stepped forward, his pince-nez in place. He held up a piece of paper and began
to read. ‘Our sovereign Lady the Queen Victoria chargeth and commandeth all
persons, being assembled, immediately to disperse themselves, and peaceably to
depart to their habitations, or to their lawful business, upon the pains
contained in the acts for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies.’ He folded
the paper and put it in his pocket, ‘The Riot Act has been read. God save the
Queen.’
Suddenly, Mr Prestbury’s head jerked back
and a splash of blood spattered the Mayor. The sound of the shot had come from
behind Josiah, from St Mary’s Parish Church.
Several things happened at once. The
soldiers immediately fell back to the town hall steps and others emerged from
behind barricades and from the gates of Castle Mill. This left Phillip on his
own in the open, which Josiah remedied by racing over to him, barging him and
half dragging him to cover.
‘What the hell just happened?’
‘Someone with a rifle has shot Mr
Prestbury.’
‘For the love of God why?’
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