Blue Water: the Instant Times Bestseller (Laurence Jago)

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Set during a voyage from Britain to Philadelphia in 1975, we follow Mr Jago on a hunt to find the Treaty between the Brits and Americans that has gone missing aboard their ship. Never knowing who to trust, and always suspecting someone, Jago tries his best to discover which of his fellow shipmates has the most incentive to steal the treaty and, dare we say it, commit murder to get their hands on it! But then things get interesting when he stumbles upon the body of a colleague that had supposedly taken his own life. The dead man is soon blamed for the leak but Laurence is certain that his friend is innocent and that he had been killed. Simon Theakston, Executive Director of Theakston, added: “Each year I eagerly await the long list announcement for the T heakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and every year I’m reminded of the phenomenal talent in the crime fiction writing world, whether a returning icon or a rising star. I’m looking forward to a celebratory toast of Old Peculier in July, but for now, we raise a glass to all the exceptional nominees as the shortlist vote is taken to the public.” When Jenkinson, the carrier of the treaty, dies after an accident involving a spar, it appears the whereabouts of the hidden treaty has died with him. But was his death an accident or is there a murderer on board?

Thomas Hardy is a political radical who is about to be charged with treason. Moreover, negotiations with the American colonies that declared independence have not been going so well while Britain has been getting a beating in its war with France.Harrogate, Thursday 27 April 2023: The longlist for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023 has been announced today by Harrogate International Festivals. The search for the best crime novel of the past year gets underway as the public are now invited to vote for their favourites to reach the next stage. In 1794 the war against Revolutionary France was a year old, and there were always suspicions that spies were afoot in the Foreign Office with the potential to leak important information about the tactics to be used by the Allies - France by this time was seeing a massive rise in troop numbers - the English couldn’t afford to give secrets away. The chapters of Jago’s report are interspersed with snippets from the Captain’s log and newspaper articles from Philpott, the journalist who Jago is assisting. These narratives help to supplement the story told by Jago and breaks up the book into easily readable chunks. The debut novel was described as a political thriller that draws from the real events from 1794 that had all manner of chaos. A thrilling historical mystery, perfect for readers of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor, Antonia Hodgson and Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

It is a time of upheaval and uncertainty, with Robespierre’s ‘Reign of Terror’ across the Channel, and the threat of America supporting the French forces in their war against England. Amongst this, poor Laurence, a pretty small cog in the wheel of the Foreign Office, is attempting to find out the truth about a colleague’s apparent suicide, while at the same time protecting his own secrets as an unlikely and unwilling spy. Laurence is a likeable character who I was rooting for throughout, despite his tendency to meddle where he shouldn’t! New Year 1795, and Laurence Jago is aboard the Tankerville mail ship, en route to Philadelphia. Laurence is travelling undercover, supposedly as a journalist's assistant. But his real mission is to protect a civil servant, en route to Congress with a vital treaty that will stop the Americans from joining the French in their war against Britain. There's a warmth throughout suggesting a writer at ease and enjoying her craft and such is her success bringing characters to life that it'd be easy to see a film director snapping up the rights for this one. Blame for the leak is shifted to the dead man, but even as the body is taken to the anatomists, Laurence is certain both of his friend's innocence, and that he was murdered. But after years of hiding his own secrets from his powerful employers, and at a time when even the slightest hint of treason can lead to the gallows, how can Laurence find the true culprit without incriminating himself? But there is a tragic incident that leaves the civil servant dead and Laurence the only man who can prevent an international disaster.A thrilling slice of pitch-dark historical fiction, led by a hugely engaging narrator' - EMMA STONEX

Each year I eagerly await the long list announcement for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and every year I’m reminded of the phenomenal talent in the crime fiction writing world, whether a returning icon or a rising star. I’m looking forward to a celebratory toast of Old Peculier in July, but for now, we raise a glass to all the exceptional nominees as the shortlist vote is taken to the public. Vote For Your Favourite Just like most authors, it was not so easy for Leonora Natrass to become a published author. But after struggling for several years, she finally signed up with Viper an Imprint of Serpent’s Tail. The rest of the cast are dull and completely forgettable. They all started to blur together and failed to make a lasting impression. Then the second elector is poisoned and suspicion turns on Laurence’s own cousin. Suddenly Laurence finds himself ensnared in generations of bad blood and petty rivalries, with his cousin’s fate in his hands…It is an interesting novel that has been compared to the works of the likes of S.J. Parris, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, and Andrew Taylor. Jago works in a minor role for the British government, but he finds himself getting attention from many parties. It’s great to have these familiar faces reunite with Laurence Jago, while also getting to know them better. And, in switching the setting for her second book, Leonora Nattrass takes them out of their comfort zone and has them all at sea, in every sense. It’s interesting to see how they respond to this change in circumstances. Some fare better than others. Peter Williams’ presence is strangely reassuring, as he quietly goes about his tasks, and we come to learn more about him. And Mr Philpott continues to be a firm favourite of mine, and adds some humorous touches, just as he did in the first book. His cannons home were amusing but when he starts his dictionary, he really hit his stride and I laughed so much, especially when the crew helps him with material for his entries. he raised his snout as if suddenly electrified by a new smell, woofed three times, and then set off at a gallop down the hill towards the town. We could not hold him and we let go of the rope slipped around his collar. It waved like a banner for a moment before he sloughed it off. His plump hams twinkled from us down towards the crossroads where the crowd was waiting. The passenger manifest may look all above board but, after the first death occurs, it almost begins to appear as motley and suspect as the crew sometimes comes across. (And I have to say that I loved this about the crew, together with recognising some familiar-sounding names in their midst and wondering if Leonora Nattrass took her inspiration from fictional or real-life namesakes.) I relished seeing how each new passenger affects the onboard dynamic, and how living at such close quarters adds an extra frisson of tension to this. I don’t want to go into specifics as to who the newcomers are or what role they play because I had fun discovering this and wouldn’t want to spoil that for you.

A sparkling evocation of a distant time which is remarkably similar to the current one. I loved it' - TREVOR WOOD Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of eight stand-alone novels. Her books have been selected for the Radio 2 Book Club, Reese’s Book Club, the Richard & Judy Book Club, and are published in thirty-six languages. Laurence Jago sets out, uncertain of his future. He’s undercover, on a secret mission to help get the Jay treaty safely across to America, something made more difficult when the agent entrusted with it, dies. As the Tankerville is chased across the ocean, Laurence Jago tries to discover the treaty’s hiding place before any of the other passengers or crew, all while trying to fathom their motivation for wanting it themselves and whether or not he can trust any of them.Given its themes—government in all grubbiness, power and privilege, treason and spycraft—it feels fitting that it’s not the most emotionally accessible story. Its narrator is very flawed: sympathetic in the main, but socially vulnerable, and not always the most insightful. So vast and abstract are the forces against which he very nearly pits himself, that his attempts to seize agency are futile and somewhat frustrating. However realistic, his narrative passivity is a bitter pill for the reader to swallow. As are the ways that this story of corruption, misinformation and exploitation set at the end of the 18th century still feel relevant. I found the reading induced acid-anxiety, as poor Jago does his best to do the right thing at every turn, but inevitably gets it wrong and sabotages himself. I felt so much pity for his inept flailing towards justice and happiness! The crowd parted to reveal a posse of running men, mouths horribly agape in blood-red painted faces. They were in some strange ecstasy beyond noticing pain or fear as they bore down on us, wildly drunk.