by John Pitman
1802: The Treaty of Amiens has ended hostilities between Great Britain and France and Captain Roger Ellis RN once more finds himself kicking his heels in London. But unlike the last time he visited the Capital, when he was by his own admission, ‘damnably priggish and, like the prophet Isaiah, much, much holier than thou’, Roger is now a changed man. Long ago, the events of one wild summer spent in the remote Essex village of Canewdon conspired to unlock certain feelings within him so that these days he is far, far more inclined towards the pursuit of life’s sensual pleasures.
At first, as a result of his wartime exploits, Roger is generally fêted all around town. However, following a riotous evening spent in the company of the Prince of Wales, the whiff of scandal soon attaches itself to him and, in consequence, he is posted to an unrated tops’l schooner with orders to assist the Revenue in patrolling the Essex coast, thus triggering a chain of events that will see him plunged into a dangerous world of criminality and perceived supernatural influence that will threaten his very existence.
John Pitman’s second novel sees the return of Roger Ellis, erstwhile hero of The Moon Dancers. Offering the usual blend of high adventure and extreme naughtiness, The Moon on the Water takes up Roger’s story seven years later and brings it to its exciting conclusion.
About the Author
John Pitman read law at university before working as a traditional publisher for almost twenty years and as an online publisher for nearly the same again. When the pandemic struck he decided that enough was enough and retired from the world of work to spend more time with the people he loves and generally ‘find himself’. After teaching himself to play the guitar (very badly) and mucking about with shabby chic furniture for a while he decided to go back to his roots and publish a novel. The result was The Moon Dancers, an historical fantasy set in the heart of his native Essex. The Moon on the Water is John’s second novel which takes up the story seven years later and brings it to its exciting conclusion.
John lives in Chipping Ongar with his wife, Linda, and his cat, Foxy. He has one grown-up son, Tim, who lives up the road in Brentwood and is still waiting for his dad to finish the model ship he bought him for Father’s Day, three years ago. For the record, none of the family has ever lived in Canewdon, or in the nearby village of Paglesham, for that matter.