A Sickness in the Soul: An Ashmole Foxe Georgian Mystery by William Savage - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host William Savage and his new book, “A Sickness in the Soul: An Ashmole Foxe Georgian Mystery”!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!  Also, come back daily to interact with William and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

A Sickness in the Soul: An Ashmole Foxe Georgian Mystery

by William Savage

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GENRE: Historical Mystery

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BLURB:

For Tracey, life has become a nightmare. Kidnapped from a nightclub in Boulder, Colorado, brutalized and raped by the killer known as Crimson, he's held captive alongside Kyle, a young man Crimson keeps chained to his bed and is slowly torturing to death. Though Tracey manages to escape with Kyle's help, he is forced to leave Kyle behind.

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EXCERPT TWO:

‘Most irregular!’ the coroner spluttered. ‘This is mere hearsay, doctor. I cannot admit it into evidence unless it is vouched for by the physician who you say was there at the time. Is that gentleman in the court?’

Silence.

‘Does anyone know where he may be found?’

The clerk to the court stepped forward — most reluctantly, Foxe thought. With much hesitation, he explained that, unfortunately, the man was not present at the inquest. Nor could his evidence be sought.

‘From what I have been told by those who encountered him that evening, sir, he was visiting from London. He said he intended to depart to return home on the first mail coach the following morning.’

‘God’s teeth!’ the coroner exploded. ‘Did anyone think to make a note of this man’s name or ask where he lived?’

Another silence.

‘Is Viscount Penngrove present?’

A tall man with a long, bony face stood up slowly. ‘I am here,’ he said. ‘I wish to God I were not.’

Whether this was an understandable comment about needing to attend an inquest on one of his sons, or an expression of disgust at being forced to sit, hugger-mugger, with tradesmen and other common people, was not entirely clear.

‘Is it true, your lordship,’ the coroner said, ‘as the medical examiner here has said, that this physician no one can name made a remark about the temperature of your son’s … body … and the extent of … um … stiffening?’

‘Something like that,’ Viscount Penngrove drawled.

‘Exactly as reported, my lord? Nothing else added and nothing omitted?’

‘Can’t recall. Rather upset by it all, as you might imagine.’

The coroner struggled bravely forward. ‘You did not ask for this physician’s name or his address?’

‘I am not in the habit of bothering myself with the personal details of tradespeople,’ came the viscount’s cold reply. ‘I passed what I could remember on to the fellow now on the stand. Up to him after that.’ He then sat down, making it clear he would entertain no further questioning.

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GUEST POST:

18th-century Norwich: ‘The Athens of England’

Until the middle of the eighteenth century, Norwich had been the largest city in England after London. When it was overtaken by Bristol in size, that was mostly due to the growing importance of trade to the west: to the American colonies in particular. Yet Norwich maintained — even enhanced — its reputation as a centre of intellectual achievement right up to the start of the nineteenth century and beyond.

William Enfield, writing in 1796, said of Norwich: “There is no place in England where a man of letters may pass his days more happily than in Norwich.” Thomas Starling, writing in 1799, was even more complimentary: “Norwich contains a great many literary and scientific characters; so many indeed, that it has been called ... the Athens of England.”

By setting my Ashmole Foxe historical mysteries in this city, I have been able to draw on many of the same kinds of characters others have found in London, and introduce some fresh, provincial perspectives at the same time. Not only did Norwich boast gentry, rich merchants, professional men and bankers, it also attracted many of the finest minds of the time. Of course, the city was not just the wealthy. There were also tradesmen and artisans, labourers of all kinds, as well as smuggling gangs, thieves and whores a-plenty.

The theatre plays a major role in Ashmole Foxe’s life and this is also true to the historical reality. Four playhouses were operating by 1726 and the first purpose-built theatre opened in 1758. In 1768, this became the “Theatre Royal”, a name only available for those theatres granted a royal licence. In 1788, the famous tragic actress Mrs. Sarah Siddons played in Norwich for nine days, for which she received the colossal sum of £423.00 - around £50,000 ($70,000) in today's purchasing power. By the 1790s, the poet Coleridge wrote in a letter that the Norwich Company were "the first provincial Actors in the Kingdom".

Norwich also had a thriving literary scene. Francis Burges established the first provincial newspaper in England in Norwich in 1701 - the Norwich Post - which was joined in 1706 by the Norwich Mercury. There were coffee houses and pleasure gardens by the late 1600s and a concert society from 1724. The city was also well served by printers and booksellers and circulating libraries, like the one Mrs Crombie established above Foxe’s bookshop.

All in all, Norwich is, as it still boasts today, “A Fine City” and a great location for a book series set in Georgian times.

The Ashmole Foxe Mysteries in Order:

1.)  “The Fabric of Murder”

https://amzn.to/2oEawmE

2.)  “Dark Threads of Vengeance”

https://amzn.to/2mXmCHa

3.)  “This Parody of Death”

https://amzn.to/2na5WvQ

4.)  “Bad Blood Will Out”

https://amzn.to/2mgckRQ

5.)  “Black as She’s Painted”

https://amzn.to/2ozKzEB

6.)  “A Sickness in the Soul”

https://amzn.to/2nSZMAx

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AUTHOR BIO:

I started to write fiction as a way of keeping my mind active in retirement. Throughout my life, I have read and enjoyed hundreds of detective stories and mystery novels. One of my other loves is history, so it seemed natural to put the two together. Thus began two series of murder mystery books set in Norfolk, England.

All my books are set between 1760 and around 1800, a period of turmoil in Britain, with constant wars, revolutions in America and France and finally the titanic, 22-year struggle with Napoleon.

The Ashmole Foxe series takes place at the start of this time and is located in Norwich. Mr Foxe is a dandy, a bookseller and, unknown to most around him, the mayor’s immediate choice to deal with anything likely to upset the peace or economic security of the city.

The series featuring Dr Adam Bascom, a young gentleman physician caught up in the beginning of the Napoleonic wars, takes place in a variety of locations near the North Norfolk coast. Adam builds a successful medical practice, but his insatiable curiosity and knack for unravelling intrigue constantly involve him in mysteries large and small.

I have spent a good deal of my life travelling in Britain and overseas. Now I am more than content to write stories and run a blog devoted to the world of Georgian England, which you can find at http://www.penandpension.com. You can also follow me on Twitter as @penandpension.

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CONNECT WITH WILLIAM:

Blog:

http://www.penandpension.com

Twitter:

https://www.twitter.com/penandpension

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/william-savage-0fe38881-13be-489d-81b4-94c4b0eccbfb

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/814395.William_Savage

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47968307-a-sickness-in-the-soul

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2na6ty3

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

https://amzn.to/2nSZMAx

Amazon Paperback:

https://amzn.to/2n76MJY

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

William will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.