Figures in a Frame by Dan Bishop
Having spent 40 fulfilling years performing Punch & Judy for a living, I decided it was time to ease off a little. Mr Punch has been good to me, providing the chance to meet many memorable people over the years, make lasting friendships, and travel to amazing places. So, what better subject to write about than Mr Punch? And where better to commence than in London in 1789: the time of the early days of the street Punch & Joan show, the Italian showman Giovanni Piccini, and the onset of the French Revolution?
The novel is written in four parts, set in London and France in times of social turbulence, unrest and war between 1789 and 1828. The story revolves around the central character of 28-year-old Eddy Adams, and begins in Newgate Prison, where he and a French puppet showman, Henri Castillou, are both awaiting execution. Following their escape with the help of the enigmatic Calvert, and separated from Henri, Eddy initially becomes entangled with a band of highway robbers, leading to an affair with one of their number - an extraordinary woman called Rumer. He then subsequently falls in with Italian street puppeteer Giovanni Piccini…
Published by United Writers on 15th October 2021: ISBN 9781852002039; £12.95 (paperback); available at Book Stop, Tavistock and at www.unitedwriters.co.uk