The Devil in the Marshalsea

Synopsis

WINNER OF THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD 2014.

Longlisted for the John Creasey Dagger Award for best debut crime novel of 2014.

London, 1727 - and Tom Hawkins is about to fall from his heaven of card games, brothels and coffee-houses into the hell of a debtors' prison.

The Marshalsea is a savage world of its own, with simple rules: those with family or friends who can lend them a little money may survive in relative comfort. Those with none will starve in squalor and disease. And those who try to escape will suffer a gruesome fate at the hands of the gaol's rutheless governor and his cronies.

The trouble is, Tom Hawkins has never been good at following rules - even simple ones. And the recent grisly murder of a debtor, Captain Roberts, has brought further terror to the gaol. While the Captain's beautiful widow cries for justice, the finger of suspicion points only one way: to the sly, enigmatic figure of Samuel Fleet.

Some call Fleet a devil, a man to avoid at all costs. But Tom Hawkins is sharing his cell. Soon, Tom's choice is clear: get to the truth of the murder - or be the next to die.

A twisting mystery, a dazzling evocation of early 18th Century London, THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA is a thrilling debut novel full of intrigue and suspense.

Summary

Chapter 1: A Prisoner of War

Daniel Defoe, a young soldier, is captured during the War of the Spanish Succession and imprisoned in the Marshalsea, a notorious London debtor's prison. Defoe is shocked by the harsh conditions and the predatory behavior of the prison administration.

Chapter 2: The Bailiff's Shadow

Defoe is subjected to extortion and abuse by the bailiff, Captain Clements, who demands exorbitant fees for the smallest privileges. Desperate for a way out, Defoe hatches a plan to escape.

Chapter 3: Breaking the Chains

Defoe and his fellow prisoners smuggle tools into the prison and begin digging an escape tunnel. The operation is fraught with danger, but Defoe's determination keeps them going.

Chapter 4: The Price of Liberty

After several months of arduous work, Defoe and his comrades finally escape through the tunnel. However, they are soon recaptured and brought back to the Marshalsea.

Chapter 5: The Devil's Playground

Defoe witnesses the brutal and degrading treatment of prisoners within the prison walls. The Marshalsea becomes a symbol of the cruelty and corruption of the penal system.

Chapter 6: The Infamous Landlord

Defoe encounters Mr. Bambridge, the sadistic warden of the Marshalsea. Bambridge exploits the prisoners for financial gain and inflicts unspeakable horrors upon them.

Chapter 7: The Power of Storytelling

Defoe begins writing about his experiences in the Marshalsea, using his pen as a weapon to expose the horrors he has witnessed. His writing gains attention outside the prison walls and sparks a public outcry.

Chapter 8: The Shadow of the Law

Defoe and his comrades are finally released from the Marshalsea thanks to legal intervention. However, the prison's legacy haunts them forever.

Chapter 9: Echoes of the Marshalsea

Defoe continues to write and campaign against the inhumane conditions in prisons. His experiences in the Marshalsea inspire him to become a social reformer and advocate for the rights of the oppressed.

Real Example:

In Chapter 3, Defoe describes the escape tunnel as "a narrow, dark, and winding passage." One real-life example of such a tunnel is the "Fawkes's Hole" at the Tower of London. Built during the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, the tunnel was used to store explosives and provide an escape route for the plotters.