Best Book Publishers UK | Austin Macauley Publishers

By: Chris Thorndyke

Ebenezer Dunn

Pages: 346 Ratings: 4.7
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Devon 1775. A tale of infamy, smuggling and assassination.

A temporary rector arrives in the Devon village of Ashprington, but he’s certainly not what he seems to his parishioners-to-be.


The church of St David in Ashprington sees the arrival of the Reverend Ebenezer Dunn with instructions from the French to spy on the bustling harbour of Dartmouth and to create instability amongst the inhabitants in the villages and hamlets along the River Dart. He embraces his mission with fervour, seeing it also as a means of fulfilling his desires to follow a life of self-indulgence and affluence.


Establishing links with Squire Roger Maddock of Darton Hall, a ruthless smuggling baron, Ebenezer forms a syndicate of smugglers from the village to undertake the hazardous smuggling contracts proposed by the squire.
The drums of war are beating in the American colonies and a treacherous member of the village pressures Ebenezer to gather more information for his spy master in Plymouth.


Hearing of a secret plan to bring King George III to the stately home of Saltram House, Ebenezer conspires with his spy master to bring about a disaster that would deliver a catastrophic blow to England and further fuel plans for an imminent invasion by the French.

Chris Thorndyke was born in Totnes in South Devon and lived in what he describes as the most beautiful coastal resort in Britain, Torbay. A father of three grown-up sons and five grandchildren, he now lives in Sweden with his wife and their two pet dogs – Alice, a sweet little King Charles spaniel, and Sally, an adorable woolly Australian labradoodle.




Customer Reviews
4.7
3 reviews
3 reviews
  • James

    What a fabulous book. Well worth 5 stars. I literally could not put it down.

    This has everything a good read and historical fiction should have. It is dramatic, comical and heart stopping. The plot twists are excellent and the characters really do come to life. The Reverend Dunn is a real villain but in some strange way, a likeable rogue.

    I very much hope that there will be a sequel however that can be done!

  • Amazon reviewer

    What a fabulous book. Well worth 5 stars. I literally could not put it down.

    This has everything a good read and historical fiction should have. It is dramatic, comical and heart stopping. The plot twists are excellent, and the characters really do come to life. The Reverend Dunn is a real villain but in some strange way, a likeable rogue.

    I very much hope that there will be a sequel however that can be done!

  • David Sturrock

    Great reading, but what happens to Ebeneser? Do the Frenchies make it. I do hope there is a follow up coming soon. Cant wait.

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