THE LORDS OF LOONE

by John James ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 1972

John James seems to slip into the 18th century a little like Georgette Heyer but his people are hardly of the ton -- for the most part they are rural and mildly bloodthirsty. Ex-Sergeant Robert Folland is mysteriously routed to the shoddy town of Wrackham, where the inhabitants -- marsh dwellers, inbred clannish citizens, merchants of both Hanoverian and Stuart persuasions -- are dominated by Jacob Kettlestang, the ""Mayor,"" a grain trader and sometime banker. As Kettlestang's seemingly indulged factotum, Robert is edged into some peculiar maneuvers involving smuggling, a horse race, a market-place showdown and even a proposed marriage to the beautiful Sophie, although he loves humble Prisca. But most baffling is the question of Robert's origins; he is -- tut and strewth -- a bastard. Robert does discover eventually his identity, and why and by whom he has been put through his paces. Not as lightsome as Seventeen of Leyden (1972) but lathered with atmosphere.

Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1972

Categories: FICTION