Regency London’s detective duo is back on a new case–and this one is going to be a killer

Caught in the explosion of the Hammersmith Mill in London, Bow Street Runner Daniel Swann rushes to help any survivors only to find the mill’s owner dead of an apparent gunshot.

Even though the owner’s daughter, Agatha Montgomery, mourns his death, it seems there are more than a few people with motive for murder. But Daniel can’t take this investigation slow and steady. Instead, he must dig through all the suspects as quickly as he can, because the clock is ticking until his mysterious patronage–and his job as a runner–comes to an abrupt and painful end. It seems to Daniel that, like his earthly father, his heavenly Father has abandoned him to the fates.

Lady Juliette Thorndike is Agatha’s bosom friend and has the inside knowledge of the wealthy London ton to be invaluable to Daniel. She should be in a perfect position to help with the case. Still, her instructor in the art of spy craft orders her to stay out of the investigation. But circumstances intervene, dropping her into the middle of the deadly pursuit.

When a dreadful accident ends in another death on the mill floor, Daniel discovers a connection to his murder case–and to his own secret past. Now he and Juliette are in a race to find the killer before his time runs out.

Purchase Links: Amazon  |  Baker Book House  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Books-A-Million  |  Book Depository  |  Bookshop.org  | Christianbook

Now for our interview with Daniel.

CC: Hi Daniel! For those who don’t know how amazing you are. Would you please introduce yourself and your role to my readers?

DS: I’m a detective, and there’s been a murder. It’s my job to bring the killer to justice. I love a good puzzle, and I feel strongly about people following the law.

CC: And I absolutely can’t wait to watch you do it. Being a detective can bring a lot of different opinions. How do you think others view you?

DS: Depends upon who you ask. My boss scorns me, because he was forced to give me this job as a Bow Street Detective. My partner, Ed, he sees me as a bit of a protege, though as I’ve gained experience we’ve become more equals. Lady Juliette? What wouldn’t I give to know exactly how she sees me…

CC: Ah, yes. Lady Juliette. Women do like to keep their secrets. 🙂 Just how would you describe her?

DS: Lady Juliette…smart, refined, educated, rich…and yet none of those things really encapsulates the real her. She’s brave, sometimes too brave, graceful, honest, and she treats people fairly, whether a baron or a beggar, she’s overall kindly. It’s her kindness…and if I’m honest, also her big, brown eyes, that draw me to her the most. But she’s also unattainable by the likes of me, so I should stop thinking about glossy brown curls, rose-scented skin, and chocolate-drop eyes and just go about my business.

CC: *cue sighing* Well, I wouldn’t be so sure. I’m certainly rooting for the unattainable to become attainable. But it’s time to stop my daydreaming and ask, who is your least favorite person to deal with?

DS: Owen Wilkenson. That kid is a thorn in my side. Insolent, sullen, bright as a new pin, but irritating. And now I have to begin instructing him in the ways of detection? Why can’t he be content to be an office boy and stay out of my business?

CC: Mentoring someone–especially someone who annoys you–can be a very difficult task. I feel for you. What is it you’re afraid of? What’s your biggest fear?

DS: Being rejected. I’ve had enough rejection in my life.

CC: Oh, Daniel. That is so hard, and I can see how that might affect your interactions with others. Especially a certain Lady Juliette. I assume some of that rejection comes from a hard past. What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?

DS: My mother turned me over to a mysterious patron when I was 12. I suppose it was hard on her having an illegitimate son to care for, but she didn’t need to push me out of her life at the first opportunity.

CC: Ouch. I be that means family gatherings are a happy thing for you.

DS: No. Because I have no family. I don’t know who my father was, and my mother had no part in my life after she threw me out.

CC: That has to have affected how you view God in your life. Where do you two stand?

DS: We have a sort of mutual respect, I suppose. It’s hard to see Him as caring when I see so much hardship and have experienced so much hardship. I see Him as stern and dictatorial.

CC: I pray that your view changes. We definitely need to end this interview on a happier note. What’s one of your happiest memories?

DS: Riding the master’s horses on the estate where I was raised. He had some crack hunters, and we flew across the fields and soared every fence. I hadn’t a care in the world when I was riding.

CC: I have to say, as a Kentucky girl who used to work at the Kentucky Horse Park, horses DO make everything better. And I’m biting at the bit (pun intended 😉)  to dive into your story once we finish this interview. Oh the benefits of having no deadlines again. 

Readers, do walk, RUN to check out Millstone of Doubt. 

About Erica Vetsch:

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks. You can connect with her at her website, www.ericavetsch.com where you can read about her books and sign up for her newsletter, and you can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/EricaVetschAuthor/ where she spends way too much time!

Connect with Erica: Website |  Facebook – Inspirational Regency Readers | BookBub