A compelling story of one man’s quest to solve a hidden mystery, of shady deals and shadowy threats - and discoveries that make him question everything he knows...
Matthew Agnew, a school archivist, is conducting a tour of the historic parts of the school when he is approached by a man he christens Tommy Cooper, because of his striking resemblance to the comic. But there is nothing funny about this man: he is delivering a warning to Matthew to stop his investigations into an event that happened at the school some years before, an event which could prove scandalous both to the school and to those involved in the cover up, one of whom is the rising Conservative MP and alumnus, David Chapman.
Driven by a powerful curiosity and a desire to piece together a complete narrative of the hidden scandal, Matthew continues his investigation, despite the warning of the Tommy Cooper character, and against the advice of his wife and his elderly father, a former lecturer of history.
As he delves, Matthew discovers the subjective nature of history and the slipperiness of evidence. In his search for a more complete understanding of what happened, he creates a series of provisional narratives to move his investigation forward.
As the complications of his impetuous enquiry multiply, he learns that privilege and position have an enduring power for which he is no match, and is left to reflect that the story has been as much his own as that of David Chapman.
A Parcel of Fortunes is a gripping novel about the nature of history, of literature and of the persistent power of privilege that runs through every society. Readers will enjoy the powerful descriptions and the intriguing puzzle-like nature of the story.
