Language of Thieves

by Elizabeth Jackson

1949 Appleby, Westmorland, where two cultures that of local squire, Tobias Flint, and resident traveller girl, Daisy Latimer. Trouble arises when handsome gypsy, Roulson Adams, after being rejected by the beautiful Daisy, takes a terrible revenge. Tobias's mother, Lydia, despises the gypsies gathering for the forthcoming fair, and memories from the past awaken old resentments and deep hatred. How justice is finally served and love overcomes all barriers makes an unusual and compelling tale.

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Elizabeth Jackson is a retired psychotherapist, and the knowledge of mental issues comes through in this book. Mrs Jackson is descended from gypsies, and her book is set in Westmoreland, and Appleby Fair, places which she was immersed in as a child. Elizabeth herself is feisty, intelligent, down to earth, and her voice comes through well in this book. I chuckled in many places. The woman tells it like it is, and that is a great trait to possess.

In this book we met Daisy Latimer, a beautiful, headstrong, feisty girl, proud of her roots and not afraid to get her hands dirty. She loves nothing more than riding her horse Chase and helping her father, Samboy with fair work and selling horses. She does all this good Yorkshire graft turning mens' heads along the way, and looking buxom and beautiful throughout. Two of the heads turned could not be any different, Tobias Flint is a wealthy, kind man with a manor and a crazy mother to boot, whilst Roulson Adams is a gypsy, and not a very nice one at that. The word blaggard springs to mind, and I am being nice! I love a good, complex baddie in a novel and this character delivers and then some.

While these men try to weave their way into Daisy's heart, Samboy is determined to watch out for his daughter and fend off their advances.

When Roulson sets a chain of events in action one night, none of their lives will ever be the same....

Lydia Flint, Tobias's mother, grew up dirt poor, scraping a living any way she could, till she landed a job at the manor and set her hat at Richard Flint.

Years on, with Richard dead, a son lost to the war and Tobias mixing with the gypsies she despises, her mind crumbles daily and she does everything in her twisted power to control the Manor and her one surviving son, once and for all....

This book is amazing. It is Wuthering Heights; think broody Heathcliff stalking the moors, looking muscular and moody, it is Austenesque, think Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, class divides, sexy men with floppy hair, outstanding morals and large......estates....and with Lydia Flint, we have met our very own new Yorkshire Mrs Rochester, Bronte's original crazy lady locked away, plotting and sneering....

I devoured this book in 5 hours and could have read more.

Elizabeth Jackson's use of the English language is spellbinding, she weaves a tale so well, you can almost smell the lavender and whisper into the horses' manes.......

As a Yorkshire lass, I could not be prouder of this book. Elizabeth lives in Thirsk, and has a FREE book signing event (with wine) in Thirsk on 25th November 2011. Here is the link to her blog and amazing life story..

http://elizabethjacksonauthor.blogspo...

Elizabeth is currently working on her second book.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old-fashioned romantic adventure set among the travelling community in the North of England. Author Elizabeth Jackson combines the high drama of Wuthering Heights or Lorna Doone with the simple style of Catherine Cookson, and 'The Language of Thieves' is an easy, enjoyable read. My favourite character was, unfortunately, the villain of the piece. But as the novel ends rather abruptly, I wouldn't be surprised if a sequel was in the works.