The Wells

by Patrick Gooch

In the summer of 1736, Marius Hope, a troubled young doctor, takes leave of his responsibilities at St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, and journeys to The Wells (Royal Tunbridge Wells). Hope establishes a close friendship with Roger Dashwood, a man long acquainted with The Wells and its people. As he is introduced into society, Hope meets Elizabeth Conyers, the niece of Maurice Conyers, The Lord of The Manor. But Hope's idyllic new life is interrupted when he finds himself caught up in a series of events. He soon discovers that the incidents are linked to a scheme to wrest ownership of The Walks (The Pantiles) from The Lord of The Manor and its freeholders. Hope is called upon to make use of his medical background to aid the authorities in exposing the culprits. The pressure is on for him to find the mastermind of the plot or lose his life at the hands of his unknown adversary. This novel is based on historical fact, with many of the characters involved in the scandal contributing to the narrative.

Genres: Historical Fiction

374 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2012

About the author

I studied History of Art, and lectured at the Central School of Art and Design in London. However, marketing was my main occupation; and in this role I have worked for a number of German, American and British companies.


Latterly, I joined the family trade development company, working principally with government departments of foreign countries. To relieve the tedium of long -haul flights and the four walls of rooms in impersonal hotels, I turned to writing.

Over time, the number of manuscripts grew, and were stored in the metaphorical
bottom drawer. The number reached the point where, in exasperation, my wife
declared I should either attempt to get them published, or she would. In fact, she
did submit the first novel; and, to date, 12 novels of mine have been published.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Wells, initially for the historical setting...18th century Tunbridge Wells, England. As the plot twisted and turned, the engaging protagonist, Dr. Marius Hope, gained both investigative skill and self-knowledge, adding to the book's charm. An entertaining mystery novel...I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I read the Overdrive ePub ebook edition, on my iPod Touch. Minor formatting issues sometimes caused brief confusion. For example, changes of scene were denoted merely by a new paragraph. I suspect in the print edition a double space may have marked these changes more clearly.

[Vernon Area Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Wells, initially for the historical setting...18th century Tunbridge Wells, England. As the plot twisted and turned, the engaging protagonist, Dr. Marius Hope, gained both investigative skill and self-knowledge, adding to the book's charm. An entertaining mystery novel...I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

I read the Overdrive ePub ebook edition, on my iPod Touch. Minor formatting issues sometimes caused brief confusion. For example, changes of scene were denoted merely by a new paragraph. I suspect in the print edition a double space may have marked these changes more clearly.

Tom Sievers, Adult Services Librarian