Review: Ravishment, by James Walker

A whodunnit set in 17th century England.

The Rosie Synopsis

Widowed in the Civil War, Lady Jane Tremayne is trying her best to keep her late husband, Paul’s, Devon estate together. Left with everything, she has had to pay a huge fine for being on the wrong side of the war and in her grief has forged a strong friendship with a neighbouring Royalist family, especially Lady Olivia. On 23rd April 1653, Lady Jane visits Lady Olivia for a day of music and laughter, before returning to discover that the daughter of one of her tenant farmer’s has been raped in the woods. Weeks later another woman is attacked. There’s a murder and then another assault, this time of Lady Olivia’s new sister-in-law, Becky.

Desperate to find the culprit and receiving no help from the JP, a Puritan who hates her for being a Royalist, Lady Jane investigates. This leads her to an elderly neighbour’s house, where she meets a renegade long thought to be dead or in Ireland. Things aren’t quite what they seem and Jane agrees to join in treasonous activities.

Other potential culprits lead the women to Exeter, where Jane’s sister Caroline is married to Doctor John Thorpe. Thorpe does not like Jane. There are various adventures and mistakes until the real culprit is discovered, identified by an elderly neighbour of the murdered Mistress Hodge.

There a frightening chase through the woods and then a fire before it’s all resolved as Cromwell declares himself Lord Protector.

The Good

The setting of rural Devon in the 1650s is different, and well-developed. The characters of Jane, Olivia and Thomas are clearly drawn, with interesting developments. Written in first person, from Jane’s perspective, the reader only sees what Jane sees and hears so it is an incomplete picture of their emotions and responses to the situations they are put in.

The plot is interesting – a totally unexpected person raping women whom he either catches unawares or who he knows to be alone, and using his trade to hide his true status in life. Jane’s status as a Lady doesn’t help her in her investigation, her gender and politics get in the way of her being taken seriously. I like that this is taken into account and that Jane and Olivia are frustrated by it.

The Not-So-Good

I’m really not sure there was much point in the romance between Thomas and Jane. Her sheltering him as a renegade would provide the same tension as them being romantic partners.

Could have done with some tightening up in the editing stage.

The Verdict

I enjoyed this novel and can see some definite possibilities for future books.

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Retired lawyer, and still active charity worker, living in Kent, with a keen interest in European history, who’s published six novels including Aliza, my love and Ravishment. My first book, Ellen’s Gold is a historical drama set in the early nineteenth century. This was followed by My Enemy, my love set in the First World War and I think he was George, a drama also set in that era. I then published Shamila, a story of forbidden love between a Muslim and a non-Muslim, set in the near future, before in the last year publishing Ravishment, which is whodunnit, set in 17th century England. Finally, this was followed by Aliza, my love, which is set in Nazi Germany.