Avon Street

by Paul Emanuelli

One night, one rash act, one crime changed James Daunton's life for ever. Robbed of everything he once had, and trapped in a merciless vendetta, James must now take on Nathaniel Caine and his gang to survive. Alone, he cannot hope to win, but to find allies he needs to learn to trust in a world of betrayal. Each of those who promise help has their own secrets, hidden in silences, half-truths, and lies. And asked if it is fate, destiny, or simply chance that brings them together, each of them would have a different answer. Avon Street is an historical adventure story that takes the reader on a journey behind the Georgian façades of the city to expose the darker side of Victorian Bath. It is a book about the potential that lies, often unlocked or unrecognised, in all of us.

Genres: Historical Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Paul Emanuelli was born in Stoke-on-Trent, of Welsh parents and Italian grandparents. He went to University in Cardiff and stayed in Wales for a few years before moving to Shropshire and then to Somerset. He qualified as an accountant in Liverpool but is now retired having worked in Finance, Tourism and more latterly, Local Government.

Paul studied creative writing for several years at his local further education college and on occasional courses at Bath University, concentrating at first on short stories. He was a prize winner in the short story competition at the Wells Literary Festival in 2004.

Paul is now working on a second historical novel, also based in Somerset. He lives outside Bath with his wife and has two children who have now fled the nest.

Reviews

[Lorna Sixsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like crime and I like historical fiction so I really enjoyed this book. It's a long time since I lived near Bath but this book made me want to visit again. A very different perspective on Bath than the one provided by, for example, Jane Austen but yet we see both sides of it - the genteel side and the extremely impoverished Avon Street.
It's an extremely gripping start and captured the atmosphere extremely well. I felt that slackened off a little later in the book. It's about good trying to outdo evil and although I felt the methods were slightly too simplistic at times and perhaps a little unrealistic, the main characters are strong and I liked the fact the female characters are a force to be reckoned with too, with a few surprises here and there.
I'd definitely recommend it - a good read.

[David Lassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable page turner and historical thriller, even more so if you know the City of Bath, where the main story takes place. The Avon Street of the title has long gone - only the street name remains as the entire area was demolished during the 'Sack of Bath' in the late 1960s and replaced by mostly concrete monstrosities - so this book not only entertains and informs, but conjures up the atmosphere of a sadly now lost era.

[Phil Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable historical crime novel, set in Victorian Bath. Perhaps slightly optimistic in its characters' outcomes, and I wasn't always 100% convinced by the dialogue, but the characters themselves are well drawn and engaging. I liked the creation of settings and atmosphere.

[Aunty Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

''One night, one rash act, one crime changed James Daunton's life for ever. Robbed of everything he once had, and trapped in a merciless vendetta, James must now take on Nathaniel Caine and his gang to survive. Alone, he cannot hope to win, but to find allies he needs to learn to trust in a world of betrayal. Each of those who promise help has their own secrets, hidden in silences, half-truths and lies. And asked if it is fate, destiny, or simply chance that brings them together, each of them would have a different answer. Avon Street is an historical adventure story that takes the reader on a journey behind the Georgian facades of the city to expose the darker side of Victorian Bath. It is a book about the potential that lies, often unlocked or unrecognised, in all of us.''
This story is very atmospheric. I love Bath and recognise some of the streets mentioned, which made this dark story come to life.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed the setting of this book, being very familiar with Bath and Bristol myself. The story felt slightly melodramatic, and was pushing the realism in parts, but still a very satisfactory plot. I did find it slightly annoying how the characters continually referred to each other by their first names, which absolutely would not have happened! You only have to read an actual Victorian author to find that out. Emanuelli seems to be working on the assumption that surnames would be used in formal situations, whereas close friends would use first names, but that is simply not true. No adult man would ever have been referred to by his first name at that time, except possibly by his mother or sister. Having said that, I don't think this would bother most readers, and doesn't detract from the book's merits. I just found it slightly annoying.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was fantastic! It's a classic story of good versus evil with a lot of exploration of the grey areas inbetween. The characters show how far they are willing to go and reveal themselves slowly - secrets, conscience and guilt are major themes all the way through. It reminded me of 'The Crimson Petal and the White' in terms of its detail and historical accuracy and the fact that the characters are much more important that the plotline. This is a beautiful novel.

[Bronwyn Mcloughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly straightforward historical novel set in Bath in 1850, amongst the Irish slums, crime gangs and stand over men who terrorised the desperate and impoverished. A bit melodramatic, but an entertaining enough excursion into the past, from a different angle and setting, and in the early days of the formal police establishment, so that there was little justice for the powerless, who were instead bullied and lent on to such an extent that survival was a gamble.

[Judith Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes the plot was a bit hard to follow. I read it because I am interested in the history of
Bath around 1850 - exactly the year in which the story is set. It gives a wonderful picture of life in Bath for a variety of social groups. So I found it very interesting.