Jan Selbourne
When history whispers,
I pass it on.
When history whispers,
I pass it on.
According to Dr. Arthur Sanders, a terrible miscarriage of justice has taken place. His entire fortune and that of his partner, Mr. Frank Owens, has disappeared along with Owen’s secretary/accountant and the secretary’s assistant. Owens himself is visiting the Australian colony. Is he, like Sanders, a victim or the perpetrator? That is what Sanders wants Lloyd Harrington to find out and as swiftly as possible.
Harrington is recovering from an injury received while on the job in the Metropolitan Police as well as guilt from a personal loss. He’s bored from forced inactivity and the chance to use his skills to track down Owens interests him. Sanders agrees to pay all expenses, and so Harrington sets off for Australia. Before he leaves, a body is discovered—the secretary. And the assistant holds a ticket on a ship bound for Australia. It seems the action is all set to take place Down Under.
Miss Carey Stafford arrives at the home of Owens’ host just as Harrington does and announces to the stunned Owens that he is bankrupt, along with his partner, Dr. Sanders. How does she know this, Harrington wonders. His tingly detective senses warn him that something very wrong is going on here, and he arrests the lovely Carey for theft and possible participant in the murder of Owen’s secretary. He has no way of knowing then that she holds secrets upon secrets upon secrets. They will either provide the answers to everything or will drag Lloyd into a morass of trouble with his former comrades at the Met.
Full Circle is a complex tale of mystery, intrigue, and revenge. How the tale and its principals actually come full circle will keep you on the edge of your seat!
“Well, well … ANOTHER epic from the mistress of historical fiction herself, Jan Selbourne!!! … Historical fiction is difficult to write, because the author must make the past feel real to a modern reader. At this, Jan Selbourne excels. I also appreciate that she took the time to make this book very readable to an American audience. The geography is easy to follow, and she describes the locations clearly.
The world of Full Circle is an immersive one, quickly pulling the reader into the past, and leaving them there until the ending.
And such an ending it is!!!” Virginia Wallace
Lloyd and Frank Owens followed William into the hall and were about to enter the room opposite when the dogs outside set up a chorus of barking. Hooves and coach wheels grew louder and halted outside.
“Who the devil is this?” William fumed as a housemaid hurried to the entrance. A murmur of voices and as the maid stood aside, Lloyd stared in disbelief at the woman walking in. The same woman from the coach in the mud and the White Hart Inn but now her red hair was hanging in ringlets on both sides of her heavily made-up face, and she was wearing spectacles. He really was at the local playhouse or very soon he’d wake up.
“How dare you walk in here uninvited,” William said angrily and pointed at Lloyd. “Do you know this woman?”
“I don’t.”
William swung back to her. “This man has just walked in without a by your leave and now you! What next, half the town?”
The woman’s eyes widened with surprise seeing Lloyd, then ignoring William Parker, walked up to Frank Owens, standing in the doorway of the study.
“I have news for you,” she said softly.
“You know this woman?” William demanded.
Her eyes never wavered from Owens. “Mr Owens, you and Doctor Sanders are now penniless.”
Owens’ mouth dropped open. “What did you say?”
“The financial portfolio you shared with Arthur Sanders is no more. The lease on your London home was terminated on 31st March. Your home in Berkshire was sold. Your bank account is empty. Arthur Sanders has lost everything but his clothes.”
A pin dropping would be louder than a pistol shot.
It took several seconds before Owens found his voice. “Who are you?”
When the woman didn’t reply he began spluttering, “What on earth are you talking about?” His face was now a sickly white. “You know nothing of my business affairs.”
The woman shrugged eloquently. “You have no business affairs, you are ruined. Destroy and you will be destroyed.”
Frank glanced at Lloyd and back to the woman. “This is ridiculous. I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Soft footsteps and the attractive middle-aged woman walked across the hall. Her cold eyes glared at the woman. “I am Amelia Parker and I demand you explain this outrageous intrusion.”
“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” was the icy reply. Her attention returned to Frank. “I almost forgot. Your letter of credit. It’s obvious you haven’t presented it to a bank otherwise you’d know it is not worth the paper it’s printed on.”
Lloyd snapped out of his trance. “Don’t take another step. How did you know about this and what is your connection with Mr Owens and Dr Sanders?”
Ignoring him, she brushed past Williams and his wife and walked to the front entrance. Lloyd followed and put his hand on her shoulder. “I said, not another step.”
Her dark eyes flashed angrily. “Take your hand off me.”
Lloyd’s grip tightened on her shoulder. “Who are you and where or from whom did you learn of this crime?”
“None of your business.”
“It is very much my business. I am investigating a crime committed in London and the police are investigating a death connected with that crime.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Your business has nothing to do with me, so I suggest you solve your crime in London, not here.” Pulling herself away from his hand she walked out onto the porch.
Stunned he’d let her pull away, Lloyd followed and grasped her arm. “I haven’t finished. While on leave from the Metropolitan Police I was retained by Arthur Sanders to find Frank Owens. Now, answer my questions.”
“A London policeman here in the middle of New South Wales? Surely you can do better than that. A duke from a small European principality would impress those country upstarts in there a lot more.”
Despite himself, Lloyd felt admiration for her standing up to him. His grasp on her arm tightened and he pulled her back into the drawing room. “Slorrach, I’d be obliged if you’d bring me a length of rope.”
Slorrach glanced at William who nodded. Lloyd waited until he left the room, then pushed the woman into a chair and spoke to the three dumbfounded people staring at him.
“Last March, Arthur Sanders asked me to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling money from his business partnership with Frank Owens.” He told them what had transpired and about Henry Todd’s death. “The police believe it was a vicious robbery. However, I am sure they have discovered more since I left England. That’s not all. Mark Davis’s reference was forged, and a snooping servant found his ship’s passage to this colony.”
Frank’s eyes bulged. “Henry is dead and Mark Davis here?”
Lloyd glanced at the young woman whose face was as white as Frank’s.
William Parker’s face was red with anger. “What the devil is going on Frank?”
