Narrow Marsh
An exciting historical saga set in Nottingham in the early years of the 19th century.
Nottingham, 1811 - a time of fear and hardship for the town’s framework knitters. And when a man is killed, someone has to pay the ultimate price.
Young William Daniels witnesses the public execution, and from that day onwards he develops a burning desire for justice and freedom. But his chance encounter with the headstrong daughter of a wealthy factory owner sets in motion a tumultuous chain of events that will change his life forever.
Set in early 19th century Nottingham, in an era of bitter social unrest, Narrow Marsh is a dramatic story of life, love and hope.
‘The highly evocative story of early 19th century high and low life. At its heart, one of England's most notorious slums. Unputdownable.’
John Brunton, journalist and author
‘The sense of overriding hope against unrest and misfortune will stay with you long after you finish this rewarding novel.’
Nottinghamshire Today www.arundelbooks.co.uk
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Leen Times
The dramatic sequel to Narrow Marsh
Having returned to Nottingham from exile in France, William Daniels has now settled in his home town and is developing a successful business as a canal carrier. But ever resourceful, and always looking to the future, he also becomes involved in plans to bring the railway to Nottingham.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, one man has not forgotten the past. Residing at his Majesty’s pleasure in a penal colony in Van Diemen’s Land, an old adversary of William waits patiently for the day when he will become a free man again. And as he waits, he carefully plans his revenge against the man he regards as responsible for his downfall.
Nottingham in the 1820s and 1830s, an era of brutal and uncompromising change, and of fierce political upheaval, is the setting for the dramatic sequel to Narrow Marsh. A fast-moving story of retribution, radical politics and criminal conspiracies. ‘
The sequel to Narrow Marsh is every bit as entertaining as the first tale. Full of accurate history, it belongs to the best historical fiction, being based on real events. Nottingham in the 1820s and 1830s comes to life in this page-turner of a novel.’
The Nottinghamshire Historian
‘Excellent story-telling. A fascinating marriage of fact and fiction.’
Andy Smart, Nottingham Post
The Westbrook Affair
Set in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire in the mid-nineteenth century, The Westbrook Affair chronicles the lives of families from opposite ends of the social divide. It is a gripping story of poverty and wealth, betrayal and greed and ultimately the search for justice and the truth.
Young Joseph Lambert has enjoyed all the childhood privileges befitting the son of a wealthy Yorkshire squire. But when his widowed father is mysteriously killed in a riding accident, his comfortable world is suddenly torn apart. Joseph’s elder brother, the dissolute and self-indulgent Miles, inherits the estate and promptly abandons his young brother, leaving him to fend for himself.
Determined to seek his fortune, the thirteen-year-old orphan makes his way to Sheffield where he secures an apprenticeship in a cutlery factory.
Seven years later, now an accomplished and skilled craftsman, he marries Hannah and soon a daughter, Eliza, is born. But barely is Eliza old enough to know her father, when tragedy strikes. Hannah is struggling to support herself and her daughter, when one day an old lady arrives with an astonishing tale to tell.
And slowly, a forgotten family secret begins to unfold.
The Chilwell Ghost – A New Investigation
* What actually happened at the Chilwell Ghost House?
* Was it really haunted, as many people believed?
* Did a murder take place there?
* Did the ghost of the murdered man return to haunt the house?
* Who were the people involved, what were their names, when were they born and when did they die?
* When exactly did these events take place – if they really did happen?
These are just some of the questions which many people had asked themselves but were unable to find the answers to, for the simple reason that no detailed research on this subject had ever been undertaken.
For many years, the author had also asked himself these questions. Unable to find the answers, he began his own investigation. The results are contained in this book. Based primarily on original source material and historical records, many of which have never been published before, this intriguing book tells the true story of Chilwell’s most famous legend. It will appeal to those interested in local history, or anyone who simply enjoys a good mystery story.
‘Read and much enjoyed The Chilwell Ghost; it’s a model for the presentation and interpretation of evidence.’
Colin Dexter, author of the Inspector Morse books
‘The author has applied remarkable detective skills to examine the story to assess the truths and half-truths ... he delves deeper than any so far into a 170 year old mystery which still captures the imagination.’
Nottingham Evening Post
About Alan:
Alan Dance was born in Nottingham in 1946 and attended Nottingham Boys High School and spent most of his working life in the rail industry.
He has always had an interest in history, particularly the local history of Nottinghamshire, and this shines through in his writing. His first published book was a non-fiction local history book, The Chilwell Ghost – A New Investigation, first published in 1998, with reprints in 1999, 2000 and 2011. Whilst researching his family history, he became fascinated by the reality of the lives of ordinary people living and working in the slums of early 19th century Nottingham, where many of his own ancestors worked as framework knitters. This gave him the inspiration for his first fictional work, Narrow Marsh. Published in 2008, it was an instant hit, being a best-seller at Waterstones in Nottingham. It has since been reprinted twice. The sequel, Leen Times was published in 2011 and is proving just as popular.
Alan lives in Chilwell with his wife, Carol, who, he says is his fiercest critic and, fortuitously, a most fastidious proof reader!
Canary Child
A supernatural mystery drama – at times tragic, yet immensely humorous
From an original idea by David Field, and co-authored with Alan Dance, Canary Child is based on the true story of the massive explosion at the Chilwell Shell Filling Factory in 1918.
In 1968, in a small Nottinghamshire country churchyard, an embittered divorcée has a strange encounter with the apparition of a girl who claims to have died in an explosion at a nearby First World War shell-filling factory fifty years before. Unable to dismiss from her mind the girl’s desperate plea for help, Dorothy Younger begins her search for further details surrounding the events leading to the girl’s death, in the hope of finding the child left orphaned by the blast.
Enlisting the help of veteran army officer Tim Mildmay, together they learn of one of the greatest wartime civilian tragedies, which claimed the lives of almost 140 workers. Dorothy and Tim grapple with the mystery of a young woman who apparently died in the explosion, but who was never officially there, and the survival of another who should have been blown to pieces, but was later discovered safely at home. Of those who died in the tragedy, there were no doubt many tales which could have been told of their lives and the events which led to their last, fatal, few moments on earth. Perhaps this is one of them.
Praise for Canary Child:
“This absorbing tale, based on a tragic explosion in Nottinghamshire during the Great War, had me rushing to Attenborough churchyard to pay my respects at the gravesides.” John Holmes, BBC Nottingham
“An unravelling mystery mixed with an incredible real war story and some cracking Nottingham dialect. And, always a good thing, a bit of love. It’s a powerful mix.” William Ivory, screen writer
