Background
Next year, 2014, will be the one hundredth anniversary of the start of World War 1, which contemporaries called the Great War. Two years from now on May 7, 2015 will be the centennial of the sinking of the Lusitania. Key to Lawrence, an historical thriller by Linda and Gary Cargill, commemorates this anniversary. The authors start out the novel with the last voyage of the Cunard ocean liner from May 1, 1915 to May 7, 1915 when the vessel sank in the Irish Sea six miles from land.
Many mysteries remain about the sinking of the famous ship. The greatest is the mysterious second explosion which took place within minutes after the German torpedo hit the liner at exactly 2:10PM British time. It seemed to have no cause and hastened the demise of the Lusitania which sank and disappeared beneath the waves in only eighteen minutes. By 2:30PM it was history.
Robert D. Ballard in his book, Exploring the Lusitania: Probing the Mysteries of the Sinking That Changed History, postulates that vapor pockets from the coal-fired engine caused the big explosion. But it's only a theory, and no one really knows. If Captain Turner knew he was kept quiet by Cunard and the British government for the rest of his life. They even appeared at the inquest and pulled him out of it the day after the sinking.
The British government remains the only entity who might actually know the true fate of the ship. They are the only ones who would know what was actually being carried in the hold other than a fortune in famous paintings for Sir Hugh Lane. Were there guns? Ammunition? Something else that might attract German attention?
The Lusitania is as elusive today as it was one hundred years ago.
Book Synopsis for Key to Lawrence
Who is that sinister-looking stranger who keeps eying Miss Dora Benley on the Lusitania pier on May 1, 1915? At dinner the first night in the grand dining room he sends her a threatening note. He orders her to hand over her father's birthday package. She carried it aboard, a gift from Sir Adolphus Ware, the car magnate her Robber Baron father is sailing to England to meet over a tire deal. If she doesn’t obey, the wastrel threatens to blow up the ship. There's nothing inside the package except an empty humidor! Dora had better figure out what's going on, or the saboteur will send her to the bottom of the Irish Sea.
Book Trailer
The Key to Lawrence is going to be available to download free of charge for Kindle users at Amazon.com
and Amazon.co.uk from midnight on Christmas Day for 5 days.
The author has kindly provided me with a free copy in exchange for a review. Sadly, because of some family health issues I have not finished reading the book, but a review will appear on Historical Tapestry shortly. Why not download a copy over the Christmas period and share your thoughts on the review?
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