richardgadsbyauthor.com

My first novel, 'The Lords of Belvedere', was released on 26 October 2023, and is available from book shops and online retailers around the world, or direct from olympiapublishers.com/book/the-lords-of-belvedere
ISBN 978-1-80074-973-3

"Didn't want it to end" - reviewer
"A modern-day Downton Abbey. I wanted to keep turning the pages" - reviewer

A contemporary tale of passions, grudges, deceit and hope, centred around a family's life on a Kent country estate

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From Olympia Publishers, a gripping story that explores the complex family relationships within the Belvedere family. While Lord and Lady Belvedere contemplate the future of the estate in the 21st century, their children pursue their own lives, each harbouring resentments and rivalries. But when the eldest son brings an outsider into their midst, can they work together, or will the ensuing fireworks destroy the foundations of the family and the estate's future?
The story follows the lives of the characters over an eighteen-month period. Things will change forever for all of them...

Available as a paperback and also on Kindle (launch date to follow)

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Meet some of the characters...Henry, the eldest child. A tortured soul, trying to live the life of an artist in southern Spain, away from the responsibilities that await him back in England. All he wants is to find a little happiness...George, the second son. Proud, resentful and bitter. Runs his own farm with his wife, Mary, well away from Kent. There are harsh memories that lurk on the estate every time he returns.Robert, the estate manager. Handsome, rugged and determined. His father was estate manager before him, but how does he really feel about the family that employ him?Lauren, his wife. Beautiful, sexy, chic, confident. By her mid-twenties she has it all... a good job, trophy husband and a comfortable home on the estate. But how well does she really know her husband?Mary, George's wife. Down to earth and practical, but her sharp mind sees the dangers ahead, leaving her balancing precariously between family members. She wants to do the right thing, but how far will her frustrations push her?Anna, Henry and George's sister. A high-achieving, driven woman, with no patience for the rules of a 'man's world'. She's nobody's fool, but is fed up with being treated as everyone else's problem-solver.Juan Marco, a young man who works in the cafe-bar frequented by Henry in Spain. When Henry starts showing an interest in him, it provokes a war with his mother who will protect her son at all costs.Maria, Juan Marco's mother. She's led a hard life and carries bitter memories. Her son is her prized possession. How will she react when someone threatens to come between them?

and there are others... Lady Belvedere, who tries to keep the peace and stay positive, counter-balancing her worrysome husband...Mrs Tanner, the former housekeeper, and unofficially the holder of so many secrets...

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The author's view

I love stories where the characters leap off the page. Your imagination brings them to life - their physical presence, dress-sense and body language. Those impressions stay with you throughout the book, and you can't help but feel in the room with them as their scenes unfold.I love bringing together different personalities into situations where tensions are bound to rise, leading to conflict, sparks and showdowns!I'm inspired by landscapes. Whether it's the rolling hills and elegant country houses of Kent, the huge arable farms of eastern England and the midlands, or the craggy white-washed villages and towns of southern Spain. Each brings a different atmosphere to the events that unfold in this story. You'll get a feel for some of my favourite types of place. Perhaps you'll find your own location memories stirred by the settings I've created.

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Keep checking back to find out about my latest writing projects.A man inherits an old house, unoccupied and dilapidated. He is drawn into investigating its history and the family that used to live there. But what will happen when he gets too close to the truth? - The House on the Hill.A Secret Intelligence Service Officer approaches retirement. But there's one lingering case in his mind to close off. As he digs for the truth and leaves SIS, will he find it closer to home than he could ever have imagined? - One Last Mission

Please come back and visit my website again, which I'll be regularly updating. Also, check out my Facebook page, where there's always latest news, and I talk about the writing process and feedback received from readers.LATEST UPDATE - listen to a reading from an early chapter using the link below. Henry asks a favour from Robert, but as always, the estate manager's mind goes into overdrive in his search for ammunition against the family.