It is the year 832 and a crime wave is sweeping through the Kingdom of the East Angles. 

Now, two of the most powerful families are about to end an age-old feud. 

That is the premise of Lindsay Jacob’s latest novel set in the depths of the historic Fens - long before they were drained, when the landscape was just marsh. 

Eastern Daily Press: The cover of The Fenland Spell - Picture: Troubador PublishingThe cover of The Fenland Spell - Picture: Troubador Publishing (Image: Troubador Publishing)

Originally from East Anglia, Mr Jacob was first inspired to write The Fenland Spell as a child.

"My inspiration has always been the past,” he said. “I have always loved history, especially the Anglo-Saxon period, when England was born."

Mr Jacob, who previously emigrated to Australia, is due to return to his beloved Fens following a career as a speechwriter for senior figures.  

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He added: "At the edge of the East Anglian Fens, where my family have lived for generations, I would imagine the dead tapping at my feet as I walked over them, wanting to tell me their stories – how they lived and how they died.”  

The Fenland Spell is due to be released on March 23, 2023.

Eastern Daily Press: Lindsay Jacob - Picture: Troubador PublishingLindsay Jacob - Picture: Troubador Publishing (Image: Troubador Publishing)