Well, well … ANOTHER epic from the mistress of historical fiction herself, Jan Selbourne!!! This baby goes live 2/1/2022, so let’s take a peek!!!
Blurb:
According to Dr. Arthur Sanders, a terrible miscarriage of justice has taken place. His entire fortune and that of his partner, Mr. Frank Owens, has disappeared along with Owen’s secretary/accountant and the secretary’s assistant. Owens himself is visiting the Australian colony. Is he, like Sanders, a victim or the perpetrator? That is what Sanders wants Lloyd Harrington to find out and as swiftly as possible.
Harrington is recovering from an injury received while on the job in the Metropolitan Police as well as guilt from a personal loss. He’s bored from forced inactivity and the chance to use his skills to track down Owens interests him. Sanders agrees to pay all expenses, and so Harrington sets off for Australia. Before he leaves, a body is discovered—the secretary. And the assistant holds a ticket on a ship bound for Australia. It seems the action is all set to take place Down Under.
Miss Carey Stafford arrives at the home of Owens’ host just as Harrington does and announces to the stunned Owens that he is bankrupt, along with his partner, Dr. Sanders. How does she know this, Harrington wonders. His tingly detective senses warn him that something very wrong is going on here, and he arrests the lovely Carey for theft and possible participant in the murder of Owen’s secretary. He has no way of knowing then that she holds secrets upon secrets upon secrets. They will either provide the answers to everything or will drag Lloyd into a morass of trouble with his former comrades at the Met.
Full Circle is a complex tale of mystery, intrigue, and revenge. How the tale and its principals actually come full circle will keep you on the edge of your seat!
BIO:
Jan Selbourne was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia and her love of literature and history began as soon as she learned to read and hold a pen., After graduating from a Melbourne Business College her career began in the dusty world of ledgers and accounting, working in Victoria, Queensland and the United Kingdom. On the point of retiring she changed course to work as secretary of a large NSW historical society. Now retired Jan is enjoying her love of travelling and literature. She has two children, a stray live in cat and lives near Maitland, New South Wales.
MY REVIEW OF FULL CIRCLE:
I’ve been at least somewhat familiar with Jan Selbourne’s work for a while now.
Her short story A Convict’s Prayer (featured in anthology Desire Me Again, by Black Velvet Seductions) is a major favorite of mine. So it was exciting to finally read a full-length story: her new release, Full Circle.
Wow …!
Jan’s writing, to me, always reads like a throwback to my favorite era in literature: the nineteenth century. The angst-ridden, complex relationship between Police Inspector Lloyd and his ex-con lover Carey reminds me of one of my favorite, obscure novels: Robert Louis Stevenson’s David Balfour. There’s an intensity there that one doesn’t find very often.
At its heart, this book is a mystery. Who is this Frank Owens fellow? What exactly did he do, and how did he do it? There’s a element of Agatha Christie in Full Circle, but the emphasis slowly teeters toward striking a balance between mystery and romance.
Historical fiction is difficult to write, because the author must make the past feel real to a modern reader. At this, Jan Selbourne excels. I also appreciate that she took the time to make this book very readable to an American audience. The geography is easy to follow, and she describes the locations clearly.
The world of Full Circle is an immersive one, quickly pulling the reader into the past, and leaving them there until the ending.
And such an ending it is!!!
Full Circle, by Jan Selbourne …
Give it a read!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET TO KNOW JAN BETTER, READ HER AUTHOR INTERVIEW HERE:
STALK JAN (AND ORDER HER BOOKS) HERE!!!
THANK you, Jan, for gracing our page today! Congratulations, and BEST of luck to you in the future!!!
Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to feature Full Circle..
Love Jan’s style. This sounds like a great read!
Virginia, what an exemplary job you did on this review! You captured the story and Jan’s style perfectly.
What a great review. I agree Virginia, Jan is a wonderful writer.
Callie
Thank you very much Callie