New and only on Substack!
This brand-new historical detective story, now being serialised on Substack, places none other than Dr Johnson’s former manservant, Francis Barber, at the centre of a thrilling mystery. Recent research has revealed him to be one of Britain's first black policeman.
The Reward of Delay unfolds in Lichfield, 1789. Across the Channel, France teeters on the brink of Revolution. At home, the Midlands Enlightenment flourishes, the Industrial Revolution roars, and in the shadow of Lichfield’s cathedral a terrible crime is committed: the mutilated body of a respected lawyer is found within its ancient walls.
Enter former Bow Street Runner, Samuel Kinsman, now a thieftaker in Lichfield, aided by his friend Frank Barber, who has inherited Johnson’s house and now serves as a dozener (local policeman). Together, they pursue justice through a city rife with corrupt patronage, family secrets, political intrigue, and the dangerous games of gun-runners, French royalist spies, and English vigilantes.
As Kinsman’s marriage frays and his honour is tested, the investigation drives him to the limits of endurance. Will the pursuit of truth cost him everything?
Richard Skinner, now Director of the Fiction Programme at the Faber Academy, wrote in his editorial review:
Very intriguing indeed… You have a classic murder mystery at the novel’s heart… interesting and original… Samuel’s training and duties are a precursor to our idea of what ‘detection’ is and, as such, this provides another fascinating backdrop.
For lovers of Dr Johnson, this is a rare chance to see Frank Barber brought vividly to life — not as a footnote in literary biography, but as an active, intelligent participant in an adventure rich with historical texture.
