Anna Quicke

Highway Anna Quicke

"Silence, save for the soft snort of a horse; then a man's gentle cough; the light of the moon dancing on the glossy coats of their coursers and glinting off a flintlock. Silence, save for the thumping of Nick's pulse; the blood thrumming loudly through his own ears, and the deep, shuddering breaths that escaped his chest. Silence. And then, just on the edge of what his ears could hear; a sound like the distant roll of thunder." Nick 'Quicke' Nevison has left the poverty and misery of the small Yorkshire village he calls home to find a new, exciting existence for himself in London. Seeking adventure and hoping for wealth, he finds himself, quite by accident, inescapably caught up with a gang of 'Knights of the Road'; feral outlaws; dangerous highwaymen. Torn between his revulsion at what he finds himself doing, and the overwhelming rush of life on the road, Nick seeks answers in the company, and arms, of two women from vastly different backgrounds; Elisabetha and Hester. Faced with another predicament of needing their companionship but being unable to commit to either, Nick's life spirals wildly out of control. But will he be able to save himself when life on the road, and life without love, threatens his very existence? Based on the true story of the life of highwayman, John Nevison, and written by one of his descendants, 'Highway' is a passionate story of love, loss and life in London in the 1600's. Spanning the period of history that saw the fall of Cromwell, the Great Fire of London, and the Black Death, this is a novel that encompasses the wider history of the age, whilst focusing intimately on the lives of those living in it.