The Fatal Coin

Reviewed by Awesome Indies

06 December 2017

5 Stars

Going into The Fatal Coin by Lucienne Boyce, I had not read any of the other Dan Foster mysteries and was meeting the character for the first time. I’m happy to say that this appears to be a series where a reader can jump in at any point and quickly catch up to what’s going on. The protagonist is a likable, if rough-around-the-edges, detective who gives as much guff as he gets. Even without having the context which I’m sure the previous installment provided, Dan is the kind of character you will feel like you have met before, if not relate directly to yourself.

The story takes place in 1794 England and the historical atmosphere of the book is another highlight of this work. The author has a gift for painting beautiful set pieces that jump to life in the readers’ imagination – and those who aren’t already well-versed on 18th century England will also learn a few interesting facts. The world in which Dan inhabits complements him perfectly, and it’s easy to imagine him emerging from the fog, ready to engage in fisticuffs with whomever opposes him.

As this is a novella, the book is very digestible, but the author does not sacrifice detail or rush the plot. While the story overall is short and will likely leave you hungry for more, there are other Dan Foster mysteries to satiate you. The adventure we’re taken on reaches a satisfying conclusion while leaving clues for later works, and accomplishes the goal of making you interested in reading of Foster’s other experiences. I give The Fatal Coin 5 stars and recommend it for inclusion in Awesome Indies.