Why a Booktrail?
1873: a canon dies violently while sneaking ancient artifacts out of a burial chamber on the outskirts of Salisbury
The Salisbury Manuscripts
What you need to know before your trail
London lawyer Ton Ansell is sent to Salisbury to pick up and take care of a manuscript. One of their clients is Canon Felix Slater and he explains that his father has written a memoir that contains a lot of secrets and scandal that he wants held securely until after his death. Slater is keen to hold on this piece of the past despite the scandal it could cause.
The potential scandal turns to a very real one when Tom finds Slater murdered in his study….
Tom is now a suspect but trying to prove his innocence isn’t going to be easy. His girlfriend offers to help – she is a would-be writer always on the look put for some ‘exciting mystery’ and she may just have found it.
Travel Guide
Salisbury – the only town in the county of Wiltshire dubbed the city within the countryside. It’s an old and gothic city with an impressive cathedral and hundreds if not thousands of year worth of history so a fine journey to the past.
An old figure stands at the edge of the city –
He looked out at the few scattered lights on the city and the silhouette of the cathedral spire..
This is 1873 after all – Tom Ansell arrives in foggy Salisbury to visit Canon Felix Slater. What lies within his father’s manuscript threatens scandal and far reaching consequences. A piece of history can’t be destroyed however no matter how racy and scandalous it might be.
Venn House, Cathedral Close.
The scene of murder as Tom is found with blood quite literally on his hands before being carted off to Fisherton jail where he is later released for lack of evidence – which Tom is going to get in order to trap the real perpetrator.
The investigation takes Tom around the old historic city and its inhabitants – visiting the likes of Henry Cathcart, the local shop owner and a leading figure in the community and even Amelia the clergyman’s half Italian wife who is a suspect. Evidence starts to build.
Todd’s Mound
The setting and subject matter are buried deep in the past – from the mention of fictional Todd’s Mound – evocative of the many hills and neolithic mounds in and around the area, to the cobbled streets of Salisbury, this is the scene for old fashioned intrigue.
Salisbury Cathedral
And at the centre the Cathedral of Salisbury – overlooking the city, its alleyways and a portent to the past – but it’s what it has seen of this ancient manuscript that truly matters now.
Where Next?
