Heidi Reads...: Book Tour & Excerpt : The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson

Monday, August 9, 2021

Book Tour & Excerpt : The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson

Synopsis

As a barrister in 1818 London, William Snopes has witnessed firsthand the danger of only the wealthy having their voices heard, and he's a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Madeleine Jameson, arrives at his door.

In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king's regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter--the sole proof his actions were legal--has mysteriously vanished.

Moved by the lady's distress, intrigued by the Letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, Snopes takes the case. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he'd imagined.

Excerpt

William glanced at his junior. “Edmund, you still appear skeptical.”

The young barrister toyed with stirring his tea. “Shouldn’t we consider the possibility that Lady Jameson also struggles with the truth, sir? I’ll admit to the clerk’s evasion at Newgate and that you heard threats from Bristol, but what proof do we have about any of this—other than a ship at dock that appears to be under guard?”

“How about the retainer Lady Jameson offered?” Obadiah demanded. “Why would anyone offer a hundred pounds to a barrister for a case that doesn’t exist?”

“I don’t know,” Edmund replied. “But I’m certain there are people willing to part with money to pursue a claim that’s only vapor. She may have other motives for hiring us.”

“Perhaps,” William acknowledged. “Even so, remember the other oddity here: the silence of the newspapers. As I said before, if the lady’s story is correct, we can assume the perpetrators have either been successful in preventing the newspapers from hearing of it or they have sufficient clout to silence the editors. Either possibility implies great resources, social station, or both. Gentlemen, we can chase our tails in this conversation for hours, but to determine whether there’s a true and defensible case, we have to first find Captain Tuttle and interview him.”

“How?” Obadiah asked. “Assuming he’s being hidden, what means do we have to flush him out?”

William smiled. “The boy vendor out front has given me an idea. The people holding Captain Tuttle in custody want the ship’s seizure and the arrests to remain quiet, so they must fear public knowledge and reproach. We need to force our adversaries to produce the captain and start the legal wheels rolling—where we can engage them. To do so, we need to pierce the silence, create public interest.”

“I don’t see how,” Edmund grumbled. “The newspapers aren’t likely to accept our word on events, even if they aren’t being silenced. And we can’t print the story ourselves.”

“Ah, Edmund, that’s where you’re wrong. I believe we can print the story ourselves, and must. The newspapers haven’t the only presses in town.”

“True. There is the Church. But I doubt they’d lend us their machines.”

“You miss my meaning.” William reached to the floor and picked up the book he’d just purchased, opening to the title page. “Publisher Wiscomb and Sons,” he read aloud.

Edmund shook his head. “Hire a book publisher to print broadsheets? Who’d pay attention?”

“Again you miss my meaning,” William replied. “I’d publish this story as a penny dreadful.”

Edmund and Obadiah looked on as though William had declared himself for Parliament.

“You’re joking!” Edmund cried at last. “You’d publish this tale as such trash? Who’d believe it? They’re less than a third factual on a good day!”

“And everyone’s secret pleasure,” William rejoined. “And you’re wrong: the public will believe it—or at least want to know if what it says is true. I already have the title: The Appalling True Story of the Unlawful Seizure of the Padget and Her Brave Crew, and the Imprisonment of Navy War Hero Harold Tuttle. I’ll write it myself. Perhaps with a little of your youthful energy to help.”

“How quickly could we get it released?” Obadiah asked, looking enthused.

“If I subsidize it, I’ll bet they’d have a volume on the street in two days.”

“We’ll be sued for slander if we can’t prove our facts,” Obadiah said.

“That won’t be possible. You can’t sue for slander if nobody names you as the bad actor, and we don’t even know the guilty parties. But we will need funds to feed the serial every day or two with new editions—at least until we shame the newspapers into taking up the story or force our opponents to respond. It won’t be cheap.”

“I like it,” Obadiah said.

“I don’t,” Edmund declared.

“So you’ve made clear, Edmund. Nevertheless, I’ll need your help for a couple of days getting this publication out.”

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Johnson debuts with a tense story of powerful interests teaming up to thwart a legal challenge in Georgian-era England…Johnson steeps his story in legal maneuvering, layers of intrigue, midnight chases, and even a hint of romance. While faith elements are subtle, this enthralling novel will appeal to fans of both legal thrillers and historical inspirationals.”— Publishers Weekly

“… a mystery worthy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This richly historical and lively paced story has all the makings of a modern classic.”— Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of Shadows of the White City

“At once atmospheric and gripping, Johnson's latest is a luminous and refreshing new offering in inspirational historical fiction.”— Rachel McMillan, bestselling author of The London Restoration, and The Mozart Code

“A fascinating glimpse into a Regency London readers seldom see.”— Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of Edwardian fiction

About the Author

Todd M. Johnson is the author of three legal thrillers: The Deposit Slip (2012), Critical Reaction (2013), and Fatal Trust (2017), and The Barrister and the Letter of Marque (2021), his first foray into historical mystery. He has been a practicing attorney for over 30 years, specializing as a trial lawyer. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Minnesota Law School, he also taught for two years as adjunct professor of International Law and served as a US diplomat in Hong Kong. He lives outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and daughter.

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BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

Join the virtual book tour of THE BARRISTER AND THE LETTER OF MARQUE, Todd M. Johnson’s highly acclaimed historical mystery, August 2-15, 2021. Over twenty-five popular on-line influencers specializing in historical mystery, suspense, and inspirational fiction will join in the celebration of its release with an interview, spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new Regency-era novel set in London, England.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Aug 2 The Readathon

Aug 2 From Pemberley to Milton

Aug 2 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog

Aug 3 Life of Literature

Aug 3 Captivated Reading

Aug 4 Laura's Reviews

Aug 4 The Green Mockingbird

Aug 5 My Jane Austen Book Club

Aug 5 Reading is My Superpower

Aug 6 Among the Reads

Aug 6 The Blue Stocking