Tobias is back! There’s been a long gap between his first two outings and this, but I'm delighted to have made his acquaintance again. It's like meeting a friend who's been away – a pleasure to see them again and to catch up with their adventures.
Perhaps the intervening years have made him a bit tougher. He's readier to refuse unreasonable requests, firmer with importunate parishioners. But he's still loyal to his friends, and devoted to his flock. He values justice, both human and divine. And he's still a bit of a prig. This time he's out to find who perpetrated a particularly horrible crime – and who seems to have him in line for a similar fate.
I love the challenge of trying to get into a nineteenth century mind, and using language which by no means authentic is reasonably appropriate. I get as angry as Tobias about the terrible poverty in rural England at the time, and the absolute disdain with which ex-soldiers were treated.
I'm often asked if I would like to see my novels adapted for TV, and this series, if such a miracle happened, would be top of my list.
Allison & Busby
22 October 2015