Reviewed by Tamara White
5 Stars of 5
Abuse, Murder, Love, and the Black Coach
Nickie Fleming’s crisp and colorful words thrust the reader
back into a time where horse drawn coaches were the mode of transportation and
women’s dresses dragged on the ground. The author’s words give you a real sense
of being there. I enjoyed the pace of the book. The book moves effortlessly
through the well-defined plot. The book creates an immediate interest in the
main character. From the first page the author quickly draws you into the
tumultuous life of the young blonde hair woman Maggie. Maggie is a woman who
possesses a quiet determination that gives her the strength she needs to defy
her beginnings. From the moment you meet
Maggie you want to see her make it. Neil Pickering, the man whose life becomes
unexpectedly intertwined with Maggie’s, is a unique character. He is as
intellectually strong and determined as he is handsome. Whenever Pickering is
present his personality commands the scene. His need to understand medicine
matches her need to survive. I enjoyed the gritty murders that take place in
the book. The murders have a dark undertone, which left me eager to finish each
page and discover who has such a thirst for death. The Black Coach plot offers
its readers mystery, hope, intrigue, and a quiet love story. It is an immediate
for anyone passionate about reading.
EXCERPT
It didn't take long before Maggie was fast asleep
once again. When Martha noted her drooping head, she put a cushion behind it,
to make the girl more comfortable and lastly spread a plaid over her, lest she
should catch a cold.
She studied the girl for a while. Cleaned up,
she already looked a lot better than the previous day. She had better talk to
the master. The girl's speech was remarkable fine for a working-class child.
She felt sure there was something of a mystery involved here. Perhaps thinking
about this would lighten Neil's mood. He'd been mourning Lady Suzanne long
enough to her liking.
Around noon her son walked into the kitchen for
his lunch. He looked up when he saw the sleeping girl.
"Is she fit to come down already?" he
wanted to know.
"She's not completely better," Martha
told him, "but she ate all of her breakfast, and as you can see she's
sleeping again. No better healer then rest, I say."
"The master asked me how she was,"
Amos said. "I'm glad I can tell him she's doing fine."
"Did he need you to fetch something?"
Martha wanted to know. They both knew to what she was referring.
"I brought in the usual. I don't mind,
though," her son acknowledged.
She nodded. "We have a good master in his
lordship. No matter what other people may think, he's a decent human and I'm
proud to be serving him."
"So am I," Amos agreed.
He sat down at the kitchen table and immediately
began to eat when his mother put a full plate before him.
"I thought you'd like some stew,"
Martha said. "There is enough meat in it to give you stamina for the next
trip."
No need for more words. Mother and son
understood each other perfectly.
~ * ~
Later that afternoon, in Pickering village, the
men of the region gathered in the local pub after ending their work on the
fields and farms. The talk was lively and the beer flowed freely.
John Barry put down his pint, wiped his mouth
with his sleeve and remarked to his mate Ben, "Saw that black coach again
yesterday, when I went to check on the sheep."
Ben hardly looked up. "Aye, I'm
listening."
"Wonder whose property it is and what its
business is. Always appears when darkness falls."
Ben took another gulp of his pint. Then he
acknowledged what John mentioned. "My brother's son, Tim, saw it too. He
said it rode so fast, as if chased by the devil."
"Yeah, it was speeding for sure. Could not
see who or what was in it."
"Not the first time it's been seen on our
road. Something strange going on, I think."
Joshua Thistlewaite, the landlord, heard the
comments but didn't comment on them. He just poured the drinks like a good
landlord. Besides, he couldn't well afford to spend time talking to his
customers. The pub was full, as always around this time. His sharp eyes
surveyed everything to be sure he could intervene at a timely fashion.
All the men and lads he knew from around, except
for the one stranger. He'd never seen the man before. The man entered about
half an hour ago and ordered a light ale in a polite way. Now he was seated in
the farthest corner of the pub, sipping his pint.
While enjoying a calmer moment behind the tap,
Joshua studied the stranger more closely. He looked to be in his forties, had a
stern face and lips which seldom laughed. A
lawyer or a banker in all probability, he thought.
What bothered him a little was that the man
appeared to be listening in on the conversation of Ben and John, although he
couldn't fathom why such ordinary talk would interest a man of his quality.
Disturbing his thoughts, the stranger beckoned
him.
"What can I do for you, sir?" he
asked, hurrying over to his table and trying not to show he had been studying
him.
"First, fetch me another pint of this
excellent lager and then, if you can spare the time, I'd like to talk to you
for a while."
It was said in a cultivated tongue, and Joshua
could immediately tell the stranger didn't originate from this part of the
country. London or some other southern
town, he guessed.
He hurried to carry out the order, while asking
Ben to step behind the bar for the time he was occupied elsewhere. He returned
to the table.
"I am now at your disposal, sir."
He saw how the stranger glanced shortly at Ben,
who was already tapping another pint for John.
"Do you get a lot of people in here?"
he then wanted to know.
"It depends," Joshua replied. "On
weekdays it can get busy when all the men need to water their throats."
"You must know quite well what goes on in
the village," the stranger continued.
Joshua shrugged. He carefully weighed his words,
not wanting to reveal too much. His instinct told him something was not right
here.
"Not much goes on in Pickering I don't know
about."
The gent nodded. "I thought so. Well, I am
trying to locate a young woman by the name of Margaret Thompson. She would be
eighteen years of age and has blonde hair. Do you know if any such girl lives
in or passed by your village?"
Joshua was silent for a moment. The request
confirmed his ill feelings. He understood he would have to be very sparse in
answering, to make sure he didn't cause harm to anyone or anything.
"Why do you need to know?" he asked,
but in such a way the other would not be insulted.
The man smiled. To all appearances, he looked
innocent and seemed trustworthy. Joshua knew better. He felt an underlying
coldness and sensed some feeling of threat.
"She's come into an inheritance and the
trustees have asked me to find out her whereabouts," the man answered,
while smiling again, and producing a gold coin out of one of his pockets.
Joshua eyed the coin and reconsidered. It could be true. He knew there existed
men who were employed to search for people who were lost or had disappeared.
After all, the stranger had done nothing wrong yet.
"Farmer Aldleigh has a blonde girl working
for him," he offered, feeling at last he could trust the man enough.
"She came asking for work not so long ago. Perhaps she's the one you are
looking for?"
"It might be," the other agreed, while
putting the gold coin into his hand. "Can you be so kind as to give me
directions to this farm?"
"It'll be my pleasure, sir," Joshua
beamed. "When you follow the road leading out of the village, you go until
the crossroads and then turn left. Aldleigh's farm is a mile or so from there.
If you don't wait too long, you can be there before darkness falls."
"Thank you. I'll go and have a talk with
the farmer."
"Glad to be of service."
"No, it is I who must thank you," the
stranger said while putting a second gold coin on the table. He then got to his
feet and grabbed his overcoat.
Joshua returned to his work. His eyes followed
the gentleman as he made his way through the throngs of farmers and finally
left the pub.
REVIEW:
The Black Coach
by Nickie Fleming
3.5 stars
Reviewed by D. A. Cairns
A troubled young woman flees an abusive situation and is rescued
by a mysterious man. Another man is searching for her, and a series of murders
links all three in this intriguing, and suspenseful romance.
The Black Coach was engaging from the beginning. I
immediately fell for Maggie and wanted a happy ending for her. I was curious
about her rescuer’s activities and behavior, and also wondered how the murders
were connected to her, even though it was obvious they most certainly were.
Lots of questions and doubts were raised in my mind as I read, especially with
Fleming’s deft foreshadowing. Nice slow burn on the sexual tension between the
lead characters who were very believable. Very neatly plotted, it is a pacey
and compelling story which I can recommend to readers of mystery/romance.
I read the whole novella length book in one sitting because
I enjoyed it a lot. I suspect you will too.
REVIEW:
THE BLACK COACH--a gothic
romance
by Nickie Fleming
Rating-- 4.5
Reviewed by G. Lloyd Helm
Ms. Fleming has written a wonderfully Dickensian tale of a poor girl who has the great good fortune of almost dying on the road in front of a coach carrying a kindly young doctor. There is some Bronte-esque serendipity throughout the story, but it only makes the story more charming.
I knocked off a half point of the rating because the story is somewhat predictable, but not so much so as to be clichéd. It is worth the read with a satisfying happily ever after ending.
G. L Helm
by Nickie Fleming
Rating-- 4.5
Reviewed by G. Lloyd Helm
Ms. Fleming has written a wonderfully Dickensian tale of a poor girl who has the great good fortune of almost dying on the road in front of a coach carrying a kindly young doctor. There is some Bronte-esque serendipity throughout the story, but it only makes the story more charming.
I knocked off a half point of the rating because the story is somewhat predictable, but not so much so as to be clichéd. It is worth the read with a satisfying happily ever after ending.
G. L Helm
REVIEW:
The Black
Coach
By Nickie
Fleming
Review by
Courtney Rene
Rating 4
Stars
Maggie
Thompson, an orphan flees from an abusive household, and is then rescued by a
mysterious man, Neil Harrington, but strange happenings continue to follow in
her wake. Two girls are found murdered, there is a strange black coach that is
traveling the roadways at night, and a man is searching for Maggie.
The Black
Coach took off and engaged the reader from the start. Maggie although
struggling with life trouble at the beginning, shows herself to be a strong
character and I connected with her right away. Her inner battles and her
strength, paired with her kind nature, makes you cheer her on from the other
side. Neil is a question. Who is he? What is he doing and is he a good
guy or not? The intrigue and the romance make for fun read. The story stayed
strong throughout and the book and kept you moving along at a nice pace. I
enjoyed the read. The author makes believable characters and realist dialogue.
The mystery and romance made for an easy and enjoyable read.
REVIEW:
Title of the book: The
Black Coach
Author: Richard C. McClain
Rating: 4 stars of 5
Reviewed by: ERJ
The
Coterie is the first novel in a series set in present day America. The central
character, the teenaged Dakarai Holt, is an awkward genius, unable to speak and
yet able to hack into any bank account he chooses.
Dakarai
is arrested for hacking and sent to the Sheffield Academy, a rehabilitation
centre for juvenile offenders. There he must learn to live with others, survive
attempts at brainwashing and confront his own issues.
Dakarai
is a character who grew upon me and it is unclear how reliable a narrator he is
until the story gets underway. However this adds to the tale’s slightly
paranoid atmosphere and engages the reader. I felt as though I had gotten under
the skin of an interesting, albeit not always likeable, character. What he does
next should make interesting reading.
REVIEW:
TITLE: THE BLACK COACH
AUTHOR: Nickie
Fleming
RATING 4 Stars
REVIEWED BY: Lucia Carter Keates
At the age of fourteen Maggie has to leave the orphanage and
take up an offer of employment with Tobias Hadley. Tobias is a cruel man whose
demands go well beyond domestic duties. When he attacks Maggie she hits him
with a candlestick and escapes. Cold and
hungry after two days and nights in the bitter cold of Yorkshire's winter,
Maggie collapses. She is found by Lord Neil Stoketon and taken to his mansion.
As she begins to recover Neil finds himself attracted to the pretty, blonde
haired girl whom he suspects may be of noble birth.
A black coach has been seen travelling the roads late at
night. Every time the coach appears a young, blonde haired woman is found with
her throat cut. The local villagers believe it is the work of the devil. And
someone has been asking about Maggie.
Neil Stoketon is a bit of a recluse although he is often out
late at night. His servants are sworn to secrecy. Maggie falls in love with
Neil but when the police become suspicious of him, the black coach he travels
in and his nocturnal visits to the cemetery, Maggie's life takes a dangerous
turn.
I wanted to read this Gothic romance because it's set in
Pickering, Yorkshire ( I used to live in Yorkshire). I thoroughly enjoyed
reading the story. It's fast paced with plenty of dialogue and it keeps the
reader's interest flowing. It never flags. I felt it lacked description with
regards to the setting and certain scenes but did not detract from the story. I
would definitely recommend you read it.
Buy at Amazon
The sudden marriage of the Marquis of Haversham ignites a series
of events. The marquis is murdered, his wife and daughter suffer an accident.
The marchioness is dead, but where is baby Justine?
Young Nigel Denby is the only one who can name the culprit
of these murders. However, he has to flee the country on the accusation of high
treason. He swears revenge on the man who arranged this.
When he meets an highwayman and his daughter, a plan is
formed and at last he returns to England, to trick the murderer into
confession.
Little does he know that his mysterious companions have
secrets of their own…
What would you do when a
dashing officer asks you to marry him, and wants to take you away to another
continent?
How would you react if this
husband gets murdered and you are taken prisoner? Even forced to marry a
foreign ruler?
How do you survive if your
town is under attack and you are accused of treason?
And what happens if at last
you meet this one man who sweeps you off your feet?
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