Richard Hopton
AUTHOR

Richard Hopton

Literature & Fiction
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‘The Straits of Treachery’ won the Society of Army Historical Research’s 2020 Fiction Prize. A great honour and very exciting. I am a British author, historian and journalist. My first novel, 'The Straits of Treachery', a tale of derring-do set in Sicily in September 1810, was published by Allison & Busby in April 2020. Set against the background of the British occupation of Sicily, it follows the adventures of George Warne, a bright young British officer ordered to investigate his suspicions of an anti-British conspiracy. The action of the novel takes place against the vivid backdrop of Messina, its bustling port, the famous straits and Sicily's beautiful interior. George’s investigations plunge him into a dark, dangerous world of espionage, conflicting allegiances and doubtful loyalties where nothing is quite as it seems. ‘[T]his book is a riveting, cinematic read, superbly plotted, history brought alive.’ Cauvery Madhavan, author of ’The Tainted’. ‘A thoroughly good read’, Jeremy Dummett, author of ’Sicily: Island of Beauty and Conflict’ and ‘Palermo: City of Kings’. Reviewers on Goodreads said: “ 'The Straits of Treachery' will definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction with a strong naval or military element.” "An engrossing and entertaining historical fiction that kept me hooked till the end. ... The cast of characters is well thought, the plot well crafted and flows.” "I would recommend this book to history buffs as it captures the heart of the Napoleonic war through a foot soldier's life.” 'There’s no need for familiarity with Messina, the Calabrian toe of Italy or the Straits between them around which most of the action takes place, to feel as if you are right in their midst while reading this novel of military derring-do set in 1810 over a period of a few weeks.   Brilliantly described in enticing detail with lucid descriptions of the Sicilian landscape, its towns and above all its people, this is a tale of British army officers and their Royal Navy counterparts posted to this outpost of the British Empire to defend the King’s interests against the constant threat of the French army under General Murat, King of Naples, with ten thousand men in five hundred transports on the cusp, intent on invasion.   As the title suggests, a case of suspected treachery soon transpires and one of the officers is ordered by his superiors to investigate, this becoming the main arc of the story. But this is a busy tale told from many viewpoints, for example when the garrison in Messina aren’t out on military duties, there is love, jealousy, duelling and intrigue described as skilfully and in as much intimate detail as the military skirmishes and night time raids upon the French positions across the Strait.   Based undoubtedly on an extensive amount of research, this is an enjoyable read which sweeps you away convincingly to another land and a past age.' Tim Holmes October 2020 I am now writing a sequel, under the working title 'The Restless Harbour', set in Palermo in 1811 and 1812. My journalism and book reviews have appeared in a number of publications. For more information see my website richardhopton.co.uk Follow me on Twitter and Instgram. [Author photo: Mark Tillie]
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