Fire Bell in the Night: A Novel [BARGAIN PRICE] (Paperback)

by Geoffrey Edwards (Author)
Key Phrases: wire office, New York, Darcy Calhoun, John Sharp (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
One of the two winners of the Gather.com First Chapters contest, Edwards's provocative debut begins in the summer of 1850 as the debate over the expansion of slavery into the Mexican Cession territory prompts threats of secession and war. A slave revolt and rumors that the leader of the uprising is roaming the countryside recruiting an army further frays nerves in Charleston, S.C. When a local farmer is caught harboring a runaway, he is charged with a capital crime. The New York Tribune sends young reporter John Sharp to cover the trial; he quickly befriends planter Tyler Breckenridge, the scion of one of the most powerful families in Charleston. But as Sharp and fellow reporter Owen Conway uncover clues of a covert militia buildup, Sharp begins to suspect that Breckenridge is involved. As the emotionally charged fugitive-slave trial unfolds, Sharp and Conway rush to expose the secessionist conspiracy and head off war. Edwards fills the gaps in the record of the Crisis of 1850 to produce a plausible scenario that eloquently captures the fear and rivalries of the antebellum era, though many passages could use a healthy pruning. For fans of historical fiction—and Civil War fiction particularly. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Filled with historic details of the time, Fire Bell in the Night explores the explosive tension between North and South, black and white, that gripped Charleston, South Carolina, in the summer of 1850. Geoffrey S. Edwards's first novel tells the story of New York Tribune reporter John Sharp, sent to cover the capital trial of Darcy Calhoun, a farmer who stands accused of harboring a fugitive slave.

As the trial begins, John quickly realizes that not everything is as it appears in the genteel city of Charleston. A series of mysterious fires in white establishments brings the state militia, a curfew for the black population, and rising tension at the courthouse. To unravel the city's secrets, Sharp must enter Charleston's plantation society, where he is befriended by Tyler Breckenridge, owner of the Willowby plantation, and his beautiful sister Clio.

Set against the backdrop of a nation headed toward civil war, Fire Bell in the Night is a page-turning account of a trial and one young reporter's efforts to discover the truth. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416564241
• ASIN: B00164EBOU
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #872,024 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Prime Time Read, September 10, 2007

By	Kenneth R. Besser "Author, Arnie Carver Adven... (Demeverde (read the books and you'll understand)) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fire Bell in the Night: A Novel (Paperback)

With his maiden work, Geoffrey S. Edwards is already a young master of the literary craft. In Fire Bell in the Night, the thirty-one-year-old author has shaped the raw materials of an historically-based tale into a stellar work of art.

Sent in 1850 to Charleston, South Carolina, New York Tribune reporter John Sharp is tasked with following the trail of his freshly killed colleague in covering the trial of a slave-aiding defendant whose guilty verdict and hanging sentence are all but certain before the jury is even sworn in. The bigger story he probes, however, is the dissention about secession showing itself as a series of fires, each of which is punctuated by bongs from the town's church steeples in each evening's darkest hours.

I will give you no more details about the plot, so as not to spoil the deftness of Edwards' weaving a great Southern tapestry. I will, however, share with you examples of what makes this author such a delight to enjoy. Fire Bell in the Night reads like a succulent piece of prime rib, perfectly hot and crusted on the outside, exquisitely rare and juicy on the inside, with a flavor so detailed with a variety of notes that you have to close your eyes with every bite in order to savor it appropriately.

Edwards is superb in rendering his settings on the page. He deftly both allows and causes a reader to pause and enjoy people, place, and play of a scene. For example, early on he let's us see the loveliness of Charleston through what flows down the steps of the Charleson Hotel.

"A flower fluttered to the pavement from above, followed by a gentle exclamation of regret. A white glove appeared against the black wrought iron of the balcony railing, and a young woman peeked over at the sidewalk below. She wore a white dress with an impossibly tiny waist and a full hooped skirt. A parasol framed her auburn hair. A gentleman looked down also. No one would have mistaken the man for a New Yorker unless he had a career on the stage, yet he appeared representative of his class in Charleston. Every element of his appearance spoke of flamboyance--a looser cut in his coat and pant legs, wide lapels, a flowing silk cravat, and a tall stovepipe hat perched atop his long, wavy hair. His comment made the girl laugh--a soft giggle quickly covered by the glove. They stood there for a moment looking down at the street, she casually turning the parasol with her fingers as he puffed on a thick cigar. The smoke hovered just above their heads, swirling and stagnating with no breeze to disturb it. Then the man offered his arm, and they turned to walk across the landing, moving so effortlessly that they could have been gliding on a sheet of ice, with no extraneous movement save the twirling of the parasol."

One cannot read such a paragraph without finishing it with a deep sigh that says, "Holy Heaven, this man can write." And when you look at the six-foot-six, bald, goateed, linebacker who supposedly wrote it, you just have to ask yourself, "Where in the heck did that come from?"

Not only does Edwards describe a scene well, he also impresses on the reader how its contents make his characters feel and should make the reader feel as well. Note Sharp's first close view of slaves in the South.

"John and Samuel stopped for a wagon to pass on the cross street before them. A row of men, all black, lined the periphery of the wagon bed, their legs dangling over the side, their arms entwined in the fencing that surrounded them. A second tier stood in the middle--five or six men teetering precariously back and forth as the wagon bumped along the uneven road. They rode in silence, their faces emotionless. It was their eyes that sent a chill through John. No flicker of movement betrayed acknowledgement of his presence; their focus did not seem to extend beyond the cart. No aspect of the scene around the men seemed to make any difference to them whatsoever."

But the book is not all fiddle-dee-dee and falderal. The dialogue is genteel when allowed and terse when called for. Tension and conflict are slathered on every slice of this roast like a perfect horseradish sauce. Its proportion and content perfectly enhancing the experience of the meal.

And then, all too soon, page 444 leaves us begging for dessert as we scream for help like a Fire Bell in the Night.

About the Reviewer: Kenneth R. Besser is a husband, father, son, brother, friend, community leader, author, entrepreneur, and lawyer, in that order. His motivational parable Great! All the Time! has been enjoyed by countless readers and the first book of his young adult adventure series, Arnie Carver and the Plague of Demeverde, is enjoying rave reviews. In between polishing the next Arnie Carver Adventure, Arnie Carver and the Legend of Omarosa's Dowry, he is working on a "big picture" parenting manual, Practically Perfect Parenting, and a book to help people over their heads in debt, the title of which is Dealing with Debt Collectors.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fiery Historical Novel, November 4, 2007

By	L. Michalek "zard92" (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fire Bell in the Night: A Novel (Paperback)

Crime, conspiracy, manipulation, racism, slavery, honesty, and mystery are all themes dealt with in this page turning novel. The setting is pre-civil war in the US. The mix of detailed history and research provides a rich learning experience about America of the past through the telling of a unique historical trial in the South. North-South divisions are debated through the perspectives of southern plantation owners, residents and a northern reporter, John Sharp.

Throughout this story, we learn about a simple man, Darcy Calhoun, who is charged with harboring a slave. We learn about this man's history and fate through the investigative reporting of John Sharp. John uncovers many secrets that are held by the plantation owners throughout his adventures.

Angry mobs and fires are common occurrences in this normally quant city of Charleston, SC. John's little friend Samuel helps to research the fires and disturbances around the city which lead to further discoveries and several near death experiences for John.

At the end of the trial, John struggles with the information he uncovers about his new friend Darcy Calhoun. John must decide how to handle this information as he will have to live with these decisions that will impact the rest of his life. These life changing experiences make John a stronger character as he has grown from a novice questioning reporter to a decisive strong man at the conclusion of the novel.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Debut Triumph!, September 25, 2007

By	Stephen J. Prosapio (Oceanside, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fire Bell in the Night: A Novel (Paperback)

I admit to feeling a flicker of terror when I first held Fire Bell in the Night in my hands. On March 21st, I wrote a glowing review of the novel's opening chapter in the Gather.com First Chapters Contest. In the months that followed, Geoffrey Edwards and I became friends. Despite being a finalist in the contest, I was very happy that Geoffrey won. I can attest to the fact that he is a good person and a fine gentleman, but what if the book was terrible? What kind of review could I write if I didn't like it?

And then, I opened the book:

"Someone tossed a pine log into the campfire. It hissed and popped, and sparks swirled in the updraft like fireflies.

My Lord

Ten men arose and moved wordlessly away, single file down the dirt path. Their black forms blended with the night.

My Lord."

I was, as on March 21st, pulled into the story of Fire Bell in the Night. What I had forgotten in my moment of fear -- Geoffrey Edwards is an amazing writer.

Despite its success in the First Chapters' contest, one might think that the structure of Fire Bell in the Night would not lend itself to such a competition. The Prologue and Chapter One (essentially an introduction to the plot) don't introduce the reader to the novel's main character, John Sharp. However, not only are the first two sections well-written and interesting, they are brilliantly used to elevate the reader to a position of superior knowledge from that of the characters in the novel. This technique creates for the reader a feeling of comfort, empowerment. No matter how little one may know of the antebellum south, Charleston, or the details leading to the Civil War, the reader never feels lectured. That's not to say that Edwards doesn't educate. He effortlessly describes the vital details of the period in ways that are both fascinating and entertaining.

We follow young reporter, John Sharp, as he covers a story about a white southerner on trial for aiding a runaway slave. A guilty verdict would result in a sentence of death. As if that were not tension enough, the novel takes place just a decade prior to the Civil War, the bloodiest era of our nation's history. As the novel progresses, one senses that with increasing rapidity, matches are being struck on a powder keg.

On his first major assignment away from the familiarity of New York City, John attracts an array of interesting characters which Edwards describes with efficient details. The characters stand out as real people, and we feel after a short time, as though we know them. But can we trust them? Regardless, they effortlessly guide John through a story that is both timeless and unique.

Containing masterful language, Fire Bell in the Night will entertain, intoxicate, infuriate, and enlighten. Ultimately it may challenge the reader's perception of an era that is often all too willingly and conveniently overlooked. For those of us who enjoy freedom and equality, slavery and its racial implications for our nation is a topic difficult to examine. Without preaching, this novel explores many of the values we hold dear. It asks us keep an open mind about other people, to discard stereotypes, but does so while entertaining. In sum, I encourage any readers interested in history, or human nature to read Fire Bell in the Night and prepare to be transported to antebellum Charleston, South Carolina.

My Lord.