No Stone Unturned
by Pam Lecky

Publication Date: June 28, 2019
eBook; 286 Pages

Series: The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries, Book 1
Genre: Historical Mystery

 

 

A suspicious death, stolen gems, and an unclaimed reward: who will be the victor in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, her world begins to fall apart.

When her late husband’s secrets spill from the grave, and her life is threatened by the leader of London’s most notorious gang, Lucy must find the strength to rise to the challenge. But who can she trust and how is she to stay out of the murderous clutches of London’s most dangerous criminal?

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Pam is an Irish writer of historical fiction with a particular love of the late Victorian era and early 20th century. She is fascinated by all things 19th century, from food and clothes to architecture and social history. She is patiently awaiting the invention of time travel, but in the meantime, indulges her love of the past by writing about it.

Her debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, was awarded the BRAG Medallion in 2017. It was shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize 2016; made ‘Editor’s Choice’ by the Historical Novel Society; long-listed for the Historical Novel Society 2016 Indie Award; and chosen as a Discovered Diamond in February 2017.

In April 2018, Pam published an anthology of some previously published short reads, along with some new work. Her collection of short stories is entitled, Past Imperfect, and features stories set in such diverse settings as WW1 Dublin, the sinking of the Lusitania and a lonely haunted lighthouse.

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EXCERPT

A few weeks later, Nathaniel Marsh appeared one morning at Abbey Gardens. He was a respectable-looking man in his mid-fifties, tall and well-dressed and she recognised him as a mourner from Charlie’s funeral. He had not made himself known to her at the graveside, but stood with several other gentlemen behind the next row of headstones.

“Mrs Lawrence, I am so sorry to disturb you at this sad time,” he said, once Mary had closed the drawing room door. “A dreadful business, dear lady. Your husband was a fine fellow. We were business associates these last few months.”

“I am happy to meet you,” Lucy said, waving him to an armchair. Charlie had never mentioned him, she was sure, and she was curious why he had come. He refused her offer of tea. After removing his hat, Mr Marsh sat down, his smile revealing a gold incisor. For some reason, it put Lucy in mind of a pirate.

“I won’t intrude, Mrs Lawrence. Let me be brief. If you could give me your husband’s papers and effects, I will be on my way.”

Startled, she sat staring at him. What on earth could he mean? “Those are private, sir.”

The benevolent look vanished from Marsh’s face, and he moved to the edge of his seat. “Your husband and I were partners. I urgently require certain items he had in his possession. Speed is of the essence. My clients do not care about his demise, you must understand. They expect business as usual.”

“Sir, I have no knowledge of my husband’s business affairs, and he did not keep any of his papers here. I suggest you talk to Mr Faulkner, his solicitor,” she said, trying to keep her temper in check. She retrieved the solicitor’s card from her purse and handed it over. “I’m sure he can help you with whatever you need.”

Mr Marsh stared at the card, then slipped it in to his pocket. “You don’t understand how urgent this is,” he said, scowling at her. “Your husband owed me money, a great deal of money. The business will collapse if I don’t get the—” He paused and ran a handkerchief over his forehead.

“Where is his study?” he demanded suddenly, jumping up. He towered above her, his eyes wild. Lunging towards her, he placed his hands on the armrests on either side of her. Terrified, Lucy shrank back and could only stare up at him. With a roar of rage, he stepped away before charging out of the room. Baffled by his behaviour, she trailed behind and saw him disappear into Charlie’s study. The commotion drew the cook and Mary up from the kitchen. They stood in the hallway, wide-eyed. She signalled to them to stay put. With trepidation she approached the study, then hesitated in the doorway as Mr Marsh began to pull out the drawers of Charlie’s desk and rifle through them. Horrified, Lucy protested, but he continued to ransack the room, ignoring her completely. She did not know what he was looking for and was too afraid to ask.

At last, he appeared satisfied she was telling the truth. But he advanced on her, breathing heavily, his face twisted in anger and frustration. Lucy recoiled against the doorframe, the edge digging into her shoulder.

“You haven’t heard the last of this,” Marsh hissed. “I want what belongs to me.” With a snarl, he brushed past her. At the front door, he turned and fixed her with a stare. “I will find them, you know. I hope you have not been foolish enough to try and sell ’em. The accident which befell your husband was unfortunate. I would advise you to be most careful, Mrs Lawrence. Two tragedies in the one family would be considered very … unlucky.”

The door slammed shut, and the women stared at each other in disbelief.

“No more visitors, Mary, please,” Lucy said, her voice shaking. “No matter who they say they are.”

“Yes, of course, Mrs Lawrence.” Mary twisted her hands, her eyes darting between Lucy and the cook. “We’d best see to this,” Mary said eventually, turning to Mrs Trevor and jerking her head towards the study. The maid gently closed the study door after them. As Lucy walked away, she could hear their frantic whispering.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 5
Review & Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, August 6
Review at Books In Their Natural Habitat

Wednesday, August 7
Excerpt at Words and Peace
Guest Post at Short Books and Scribes

Thursday, August 8
Review & Guest Post at Gwendalyn_Books_

Friday, August 9
Review at Bibliophile Reviews

Sunday, August 11
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Monday, August 12
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Review & Interview at Jorie Loves a Story

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two copies of No Stone Unturned by Pam Lecky! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on August 12th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

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