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| About the Book |
Strangers and Angels by Carol Westron
December 1850, Gosport, England.
In Victorian England, Power lies in the hands of the privileged few and so does Justice.
Kemal is a young Turkish midshipman, part of a training mission, based in the naval town of Gosport on the south coast of England. The Turkish sailors are regarded with distrust by much of the local community and when Kemal is accused of murder there seems little hope of him escaping the gallows.
Only two people believe in Kemal’s innocence: Molly, a lady’s maid, and her mistress, Adelaide, a penniless widow.
Can two young women without power and influence save Kemal’s life? Is there anybody they can trust to aid them? Or will they bring down danger, disgrace and destruction upon themselves and those they love?
Background to writing Strangers and Angels
Although I am primarily a writer of contemporary crime fiction, the story of the young Turkish sailors who visited Gosport in 1850-51 was too poignant to resist.
The Turkish Graveyard in Gosport’s Naval Cemetery is the only place of its kind in England.
In 1850 to 1851 two shiploads of Turkish sailors were stationed in Gosport, on the south coast of England. At this time The Ottoman Empire was an ally of Great Britain and the young sailors were to be trained in navigation and other skills. During the months they were stationed in Gosport, twenty-six members of the crew died from disease or in training accidents. Their memorial stone bears the message: "They set sail for eternity and met their creator, and here they are laid to eternal rest."
The Turkish sailors were not welcomed in either Gosport or Portsmouth and it must have been very hard for those young men, most of whom did not speak English. They were indeed strangers in a strange land. Of course, being a crime writer I had to make the situation worse for one fictional young sailor, and Kemal is accused of killing a middle-aged lady and leaving her body in the private gardens of The Crescent, one of the most affluent and respectable places in the town.
Fortunately, Kemal has two allies, Molly, a lady’s maid, and her widowed mistress, Adelaide. These two young women have neither wealth nor power but they do possess a fierce determination to ensure that justice will prevail.
The second book in the series, From Envy, Hatred and Malice will be published early in 1926.
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| read an excerpt |
Chapter 1
Gosport, Hampshire. December 1850
“Kemal, wait!”
Molly knew it was improper to shout in the street, especially to shout a man’s given name, but, for the life of her, she couldn’t remember his full name, or pronounce it if she did.
“Kemal!” she called again. She had to stop him before he reached The Crescent and knocked on the mistress’ front door. She’d left her summons too late. He passed St Mark’s Church, moved on past the imposing bulk of the Anglesey Hotel and turned the corner, disappearing from her sight.
“Stupid lummox! What’s he playing at?” Molly gathered up her skirts and bolted after him, as fast as she dared on the icy pavements. At least here, in the most affluent part of Gosport, the ground was well kept, not rutted like the ale-brewing district near the docks where she’d been born and raised.
The hood of her cloak slid off but, carrying a lantern and holding up her dress and numerous petticoats, she had no hand free to hold it in place. Smart clothes were essential for a lady’s maid but she hated the way they slowed her down.
What was Kemal doing here before first light? She’d spotted him soon after she’d left her father’s house but, in the grey mist that crept inland from the harbour, he hadn’t noticed her. She hadn’t called out to attract his attention, fearing he’d think her bold. Nevertheless she’d felt safer knowing he’d hear if she screamed. She’d never before walked through the streets before dawn alone and she’d soon regretted her folly.
She rounded the corner at full speed, stumbled and almost fell over Kemal’s sprawled body. “Kemal?”
He lay face downwards on the road, close to the railings that enclosed the communal garden that served the houses opposite. She glanced around. The street was deserted. There was no one to ask for aid. Kemal’s lantern lay broken on the ground but she had hers and there were street lamps to light the scene. Heart thumping, she knelt beside him and struggled to turn him over. There was an ugly gash on his forehead and she could see a dark stain on the nearby kerb.
He moaned and opened his eyes. At first he looked at her blankly, but then his gaze sharpened and he muttered, “Mistress Molly?”
She helped him to sit up. “What happened? Did you trip?” He looked puzzled then shook his head. “No. I was hit … from behind.” His fingers explored the back of his head and he winced.
Startled Molly stood up and looked around more thoroughly. The gaslights that lit the street failed to penetrate the darkest corners. To her left the communal garden was still and shaded, while on her right the tall half-crescent of terraced houses towered white and ghostlike. Their small gardens offered sparse concealment but the steps to the basement door were in darkness and the front doors and the steps leading up to them were in the shadow of the porch that ran the length of the terrace. Kemal’s attacker could be lurking there, hiding behind the elegant pillars. She shivered, fearful that they were being watched by an unseen enemy.
“Kemal, are you able to move? I don’t like it here.” As she bent over him she swung her lantern and saw the gate that led to the central garden was wide open.
“That’s odd!”
“What is wrong?” Kemal staggered to his feet.
“The garden’s unlocked. Only people who pay for keys can get in there.”
“I will look.” He pulled open his coat and reached down to his side. “My jambiya … my dagger … it has gone.”
“You must have dropped it when you fell.” But there was no sign of any weapon on the ground.
“It has a sheath. It would not easily fall out.” Kemal spoke with quiet certainty. It reminded Molly that, although he was not yet twenty, he’d been a fighting man since he was twelve.
About the Author
I am the author of several contemporary crime novels set in fictional towns on the south coast of England. My first Victorian Murder Mystery, Strangers and Angels, is also set on the south coast but in the non-fictional location of Gosport, Hampshire. I have also written several children’s picture books, which are illustrated by my autistic grandson, Adam.
I am a Creative Writing Teacher and a member of The Alliance of Independent Authors, The Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Mystery People and Dunford Novelists.
my website is: carolwestron.com
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How interesting re the Turkish sailors. I'd never heard of that before. It is somewhat sad that well over 150 years on, we still have the tendency to point at the stranger amongst us when bad things happen...
ReplyDeleteagreed - but very convenient for murder mystery writers!
DeleteLol... I think :)
Delete