The Raven's Seal
A Historical Mystery
by Andrei Baltakmens
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Pub Date Nov 01 2012 | Archive Date Mar 14 2013
Top Five Books, LLC | Top Five Books
Description
A Murder. A Fall from Grace.
A Mysterious Symbol That Could Be the Key to His Salvation.
When the body of Thaddeus Grainger's rival turns up stabbed to death in an alley just hours after their inconclusive duel, only one suspect is pursued. Charged with murder, Grainger's fate is sealed before his trial even begins.
A young gentleman of means but of meaningless pursuits, Grainger is cast into the notorious Bellstrom Gaol, where he must quickly learn to survive in the filthy, ramshackle prison. The "Bells"— where debtors, gaolers, prostitutes, thieves, and murderers all mix freely and where every privilege comes at a price— will be the young man's home for the rest of his life unless he can prove his innocence.
But his friends, the journalist William Quillby and Cassie Redruth, the poor young girl who owes Grainger a debt of gratitude, refuse to abandon him. Before they can win his freedom, however, they must decode the meaning behind the crude wax seal that inspires terror in those who know its portent and contend with forces both inside and outside the prison determined to keep Grainger behind bars.
Set against the urban backdrop of late 18th-century England, The Raven's Seal unravels a tale of corruption, betrayal, murder, and— ultimately— redemption and love.
Advance Praise
“Baltakmens
captures the flavor and scope of classic British fiction.” —Kirkus Reviews
“This atmospheric, character-driven, and plot-twisty bildungsroman is a worthy
paean to Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.” —Booklist
“Baltakmens gives readers of The Raven’s
Seal all of the history and the mystery his subtitle promises.
The mood, color, details, and dialogue come across as very authentic . . .
[his] characters would not be out of place in a work of DeFoe or Thackeray. In
fact, there is much of the latter’s Barry
Lyndon here, with its plots and duels and confidence games, as well as deft
touches of the former’s Moll Flanders,
with its bawdy wenches, prison intrigues, and period squalor.” —ForeWord
Marketing Plan
• Blog tour in November
• Facebook and Goodreads advertising
• Author visit to the U.S. (Nashville and San Francisco) from Nov. 1 to 9, available for interviews
• Two-day $0.99 ebook promotion on Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and Kobo on Nov. 1 & 2
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780985278755 |
| PRICE | $18.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 416 |