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The Bell Cannon Affair
A gaslight thriller from award-winning author Dean Whitlock! Bad luck seems to follow Ewan Gilmore, a crewman on the steam liner Isle of Lewis. It’s a blot that makes him a pariah among the crew. Now, about to be left behind on the pier, he gets one last chance to prove himself – to masquerade as a passenger and serve as secret bodyguard for a certain Professor Jakub Skovajsa and his gifted daughter, Tereza.
The Skovajsas have been hounded out of the country under a cloud of grief, suspicion, and fear. Not even they know exactly what happened during the professor’s last experiment; he claims to have lost all memory of it, and Tereza can’t – or won’t – reveal what she knows. But somehow it killed a squad of soldiers, a general, two congressmen, the Secretary of War, and Tereza’s mother. Rumor has it that the professor was working on a secret weapon that would end all wars, and still has a prototype hidden away. The press wants the full story, the public wants them gone, and agents from more than one country would kill for the prototype.This is not your typical shipboard romance . . .
No other ship will take the Skovajsas, but the Isle of Lewis can’t afford not to. As passions rise on board, the Lewis steams eastward into a maelstrom of death threats, dissemblers, stowaways, shysters, spies, and a raging hurricane, with the mystery of the Bell Cannon at its eye.
The Skovajsas have been hounded out of the country under a cloud of grief, suspicion, and fear. Not even they know exactly what happened during the professor’s last experiment; he claims to have lost all memory of it, and Tereza can’t – or won’t – reveal what she knows. But somehow it killed a squad of soldiers, a general, two congressmen, the Secretary of War, and Tereza’s mother. Rumor has it that the professor was working on a secret weapon that would end all wars, and still has a prototype hidden away. The press wants the full story, the public wants them gone, and agents from more than one country would kill for the prototype.This is not your typical shipboard romance . . .
No other ship will take the Skovajsas, but the Isle of Lewis can’t afford not to. As passions rise on board, the Lewis steams eastward into a maelstrom of death threats, dissemblers, stowaways, shysters, spies, and a raging hurricane, with the mystery of the Bell Cannon at its eye.
Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2021
About the author
Dean Whitlock
34 books12 followersVermont author Dean Whitlock writes fantasy and science fiction for young and not-so-young adults. His stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Aboriginal SF, as well as in anthologies in the US and abroad. His two YA fantasy novels were published by Clarion Books, but now he publishes independently under the Boatman Press imprint. An Air Force brat, Dean has lived in a dozen states and three foreign countries, a life of travel that gave him plenty of time to read in the car and now enriches his writing.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 13, 2023
A charged and fast-paced adventure story on the high seas, with a *tiny* bit of magic thrown in. Set in the 1880s (ish?), our characters board a steam-powered vessel for a journey across the Atlantic. It's obvious from the beginning that there a few "interesting" passengers aboard, primarily a brilliant scientist and his daughter, who are escaping a tragic event due to his latest invention. Murder, mystery, and high-stakes hijinx ensue...and a little bit of period-appropriate romance as well.
I've read several of Whitlock's books, and like the others, this one does not disappoint (I also strongly recommend "Finn's Clock", which has a similar vibe). He is excellent at bringing a historical setpiece to life, but with a modern storytelling mentality so that while the character's mannerisms and speech feel authentic, their motivation and inner monologue are easy to identify with. I highly recommend this book, for it's YA intended audience, as well as anyone who is interested in an engaging and well-developed story.
I've read several of Whitlock's books, and like the others, this one does not disappoint (I also strongly recommend "Finn's Clock", which has a similar vibe). He is excellent at bringing a historical setpiece to life, but with a modern storytelling mentality so that while the character's mannerisms and speech feel authentic, their motivation and inner monologue are easy to identify with. I highly recommend this book, for it's YA intended audience, as well as anyone who is interested in an engaging and well-developed story.
Displaying 1 of 1 review