The Contraband Killings

Lucienne Boyce writes historical fiction, non fiction, and biography. After gaining an MA in English Literature (with Distinction) with the Open University in 2007, specialising in eighteenth-century literature, she published her first eighteenth-century historical novel, To The Fair Land, a thriller set in Bristol and the South Seas. The Dan Foster Mysteries follow the adventures of a Bow Street Runner from the 1790s; the first book in the series, Bloodie Bones, was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016. She is is also a blogger and speaker, and active in her local women's history network. She has written articles, reviews and interviews for various publications, including the Historical Novel Society Review. She has made numerous television and radio appearances, presented a radio show with a local community radio station, and has run courses and workshops. Website lucienneboyce.com

Anglesey, 1799.
Principal Officer Dan Foster of the Bow Street Runners is sent to collect smuggler Watcyn Jones from Beaumaris Gaol on Anglesey, and bring him back to London for trial at the Old Bailey. As if having to travel to the wilds of North Wales isn't bad enough, Dan is saddled with an inexperienced constable as his interpreter and assistant. At least it's a routine assignment and shouldn't take more than a few days.

But when the prison escort is ambushed and Watcyn Jones escapes, a straightforward transfer turns into a desperate manhunt. And as Jones's enemies start to die, the chase becomes more urgent than ever. Dan's search for the killer brings him up against a ruthless smuggling gang - and his chances of getting of the island alive begin to look far from promising.

The Contraband Killings is the fourth Dan Foster Mystery. Bloodie Bones, the first in the series, was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016.