“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.
The Butcher’s Block is an Indie BRAG Medallion Honoree
The Butcher’s Block has been awarded an Indie BRAG Medallion and is now listed on the Indie BRAG website.
This means that it is one of the 20-25% of books submitted for the award which have passed through a rigorous selection process and been judged against a list of relevant literary criteria.
The Butcher’s Block shortlisted for Discovering Diamonds Book of the Month November 2017
“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…I cannot recommend this highly enough, a superb read.”
The Butcher’s Block has won a Chill With a Book Readers’ Award!
This means that the novel has been read by a panel of readers and assessed on the following critiera: whether or not it has strong and engaging characters; if it is well written; has a page-turning plot; has a satisfying ending; and whether readers would recommend it to their friends. Find out more at the Chill With a Book Awards website.
In addition, thanks to those lovely designers at SilverWood Books, the cover of The Butcher’s Block was awarded Chill With a Book’s Book Cover of the Month for December 2017.
“A quick wit and a quicker left hook”
“Lucienne Boyce has delivered another action-packed adventure with twists and turns aplenty…Dan is a tough-as-nails “Bow Street Runner” with a quick wit and a quicker left hook. The story is a historical fiction, set in the late 18th century, London, in which thieves and murderers and bodysnatchers litter darkened alleyways. 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. 5 Stars.”
“An engaging adventure story”
The Historical Novel Society describes The Butcher’s Block as “a thoroughly engaging adventure story. Recommended.”
Incidentally, the reviewer also notes that I’ve misspelt the title of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman which I’ve given as A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Quite right too. I studied the book for my MA and knew that – I must have been having one of those “Where’s my brain?” moments! The title is “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”. Here’s hoping I can remember it next time.
Read the full HNS review here.
“A great book to read and get lost in!”
WordsAPlenty, the website for readers and writers, says: “The plot is full 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.”
Read the full WordsAPlenty review here.