‘Stoker’ by Dick Warburton

Published by The Book Guild,
28 November 2018.
ISBN 973-1-912575-51-0 (PB)

This exciting adventure story begins in nineteenth century India.  Stoker and his brother, Buller, escape a tight spot and we next find Stoker in the USA just before the American Civil War.  He is crossing the plains on horseback and finds the aftermath of a massacre in which 5 people were killed in an Indian raid, but one heavily traumatised woman survived.  He takes this girl with him to St Louis but finds out little about as she remains dumb.

The fate of the girl and the complex adventures of Stoker take up the rest of the story.  Richard Burton, the explorer, travels with the girl and Stoker on a steamer along the Missouri towards Utah.  Brother Buller joins the group and tells Stoker that their father in England has died and so Stoker is now Lord Stoker.  Again, some of the group end up in the wilderness as winter approaches.  Isabel, as the traumatised girl’s name is revealed to be, is now travelling to Salt Lake City with a relative and is kidnapped.  There is a particular villain of this piece called James Maybrick but, indeed, doubts exist about the motives of many of the characters.  Eventually all is finally explained while there is also a hint of a future adventure for Lord Stoker.

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Reviewer: Jennifer S. Palmer

Dick Warburton lives in West Stoke, West Sussex. He gained a first-class degree in Creative Writing and Film Studies at Portsmouth University. During his time at university Dick wrote over 50 articles on cinema for the student newspaper. Last year he received a Masters degree in Film and Philosophy from King's College London. At present he is assisting two authors with their own work including a novel and a screenplay.

 

Jennifer Palmer Throughout my reading life crime fiction has been a constant interest; I really enjoyed my 15 years as an expatriate in the Far East, the Netherlands & the USA but occasionally the solace of closing my door to the outside world and sitting reading was highly therapeutic. I now lecture to adults on historical topics including Famous Historical Mysteries.