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The Butchers Block
A Dan Foster Mystery (2)
“An officer’s been murdered. Murdered and cut up for sale to the anatomy schools. It was a professional quartering. I want to know who has the skill to do that.”
During a routine patrol, police arrest two men in possession of human body parts which are intended for sale to the dissecting rooms of a London teaching hospital. Bow Street Runner and amateur pugilist Dan Foster makes the grisly discovery that they are the remains of fellow-officer George Kean. The arrested men are charged with Kean’s murder, but Dan is not convinced that they are the killers. In pursuit of the real murderer, he investigates the unhallowed activities of the resurrection men – body snatchers.
The body-snatching racket soon leads Dan to something bigger and much more dangerous. In a treacherous underworld of vicious pugilists, ruthless murderers, British spy masters and French agents, Dan must tread carefully – or meet the same terrible fate as Kean.
The Butcher’s Block is the second Dan Foster Mystery. Bloodie Bones, the first in the series, was joint winner of the Historical Novel Society Indie Award 2016. BRAG Medallion Honoree; shortlisted for Discovering Diamonds Book of the Month; Chill With a Book Readers’ Award; Awesome Indies Book Award.
Find out about the history behind the book
Dan Foster in Southwark – a look at eighteenth-century Southwark (pdf document).
Series: Fiction, The Dan Foster Mysteries
Formats available: Paperback, Ebook
First published: 03/08/17
Reviews for The Butchers Block
Lucienne Boyce has delivered another action-packed adventure with twists and turns aplenty…Special mention must be made to the author’s attention to detail. Fans of historical works will feel right at home here, and the author has even mercifully included an appendix of terminology to help those who are not as well-versed in that particular era. Boyce also has a talent for describing the grotesque, and the violence in the book is beautifully gruesome without being over-the-top…If you’re looking for suspense and action through the lens of 18th century England, you can’t do better than The Butcher’s Block.
Awesome Indies
The plot is full [of] unexpected developments…While there are historical references, they are subtle, intriguing and keep the plot moving. This book is part 2 in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. A great book to read and get lost in! Highly recommend it.
Words-A-Plenty
“A thoroughly engaging adventure story. Recommended.”
(Incidentally, the reviewer notes an error in the earlier edition. This has since been corrected.)
Read the full review here.
Mary Fisk, Historical Novel Society
Ms Boyce makes her characters three dimensional, even those who will have appeared in previous volumes, the plot is tight and there are no loose ends left at the end. Although part of a series, the novel can easily be read as a stand-alone. It will appeal to those who love this period when ‘policing’ was done mostly on observation and contacts. It is also a mild social comment about ‘fat magistrates’ and young children who face the rope for stealing in order to stay alive…I cannot recommend this highly enough, a superb read.
Read the full review here.
Richard Tearle, Discovering Diamonds
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