Book Five of the ‘Ro & Angel Trent’ Series by Peter Draper. Out Friday, 29th!!
“Taking the King’s shilling” originally meant entering the Navy. And since this wasn’t always done voluntarily, clear drinking glasses of which one could see the bottom were invented, as one of the tricks used to make men “take the King’s shilling” was to slip it into their ales and let them grasp it once they finished their drinks. At that point it was too late to turn back. But how does all this relate to our story?
Angel and Ro’s new journey begins in a pub named ‘The King’s Shilling’: Marvin, head of security, is there to meet them. But since it’s too loud, they agree to meet again the following day in a quieter environment over breakfast. In addition to salmon and eggs, Ro also receives a box that belonged to her now defunct mother. Inside there are some postal orders and a piece of paper with three names on it, the deed to a house, a small envelope with a lock of hair.
When Angel and Ro go and visit the house, they are pleasantly surprised by how well kept the garden is, including immaculate flower beds. Impossible, they think, the house has been abandoned for at least 40 years. But as the lovely neighbour Edith kindly explains, there’s a woman who comes once a week to tend to the house and a man who takes care of the garden once a month. The kind and lovely neighbour, however, is not as straight-forward as it seems, and, among the many things she forgot to mention, there is also the minor fact that she actually died of childbirth with her baby in 1987. Something’s definitely ‘pen and ink’ here!
This new instalment of the Angel & Ro saga is the best one so far. There is the usual mix of mystery and sarcasm, dressed up with love triangles and gulped with a hearty swig of grog, but this time there are no deaths (or, at least, not for “unnatural” causes), no guns or criminal behaviour involved. All the contrary. This is a cosy mystery that surfaces from the past with a nice, heart-warming resolution. It’s an intimate story that preserves the essence of Draper’s writing and style but strikes more profound chords within the reader. A really good book and a nice intermission in the saga.
‘Taking The King’s Shilling’ is available for purchase (from this Friday) at: https://bit.ly/3OlTKkS
