Are you eager for your next suspense thriller that will keep you on your toes as to what happens next? Then get ready to go grab a copy of Fatal Castle by author David Boito. Set in the UK at the historical location of the infamous Tower of London, this book will regale you with historical elements while keeping you page-turning with edge-of-your-seat drama. Author Boito weaves quite the tale with this present-day thriller, and you’re not going to want to miss it.
Fatal Castle’s cover greets readers with quite the palette of red. Shades of red cover the entire cover, with black strategically placed throughout to create just the right amount of contrast. The amount of red serves a distinctive purpose of helping draw the reader’s eye to the center of the cover. Through the castle’s gate arches toward the end of a short tunnel. Here there is a bright light, as a man in a Beefeater’s uniform stands behind a pair of metal doors. He appears to be watching or preparing to close the doors. Whatever it is that he’s up to, readers’ curiosity will be piqued to discover more.
The first thing that readers will discover when they begin to delve into Fatal Castle is that author Boito has included a map of the layout of the castle. For readers who are like us, it was an absolute delight to discover this unexpected treasure. This map helps readers get a better grasp of the layout of the castle and a reference for when the upcoming heist begins to play out. This map will allow readers to better immerse themselves in the situations at hand and further engage them into the story.
As author Boito pivots the novel to the actual storyline, he drops us back in time. The Fall of 1850, to be exact. Here readers are connected with Queen Victoria as she presides over London, England. Author Boito showcases his attention to detail here by touching on many familiar historical elements set in this specific era. In this prologue, the Kohinoor, one of the world’s largest diamonds, is introduced.
This gem that will become the focus of Fatal Castle was mined from the earth in Southern India. Here it is being gifted to Queen Victoria, but this is also where the infamous curse will make its first appearance. If you’re hoping for something dramatic, like an “unexpected” death on page, well, you’ll be disappointed. Instead, what author Boito does is he sets the stage for the curse. The queen is warned of the dangers and the potential outcome of owning this particular gem.
From there, author Boito moves Fatal Castle forward by a giant leap to the year 2023. What we read as we begin to immerse ourselves in the story appears to be a headline or a news report. It mentions the Kohinoor and the Queen Consort as the preparations for the crowning of King Charles are underway. Based on the gem’s history, it’s not that strange for author Boito to choose to weave a bit of controversy surrounding the gem into the novel. It definitely adds a layer of fuel for the upcoming drama waiting to be played out.
From there, readers are introduced to one of the characters of consequence to Fatal Castle – Ashley Bellamy. She is the young woman who is visiting her father, Clive Bellamy, who works at His Majesty’s Tower of London. Ashley is doing something that she really shouldn’t be doing. But, there’s the sense of – “no harm, no foul. Right?” Of course, she had no idea what fate has in store for her on this day, and how her current situation will play out later.
After a brief introduction to Ashley, Fatal Castle pivots to the character who will be the true star of the show – Clive Bellamy. When readers are introduced to Clive, he has this twist in his gut that tells him something is afoot. Could it be because of what his daughter is up to? Or is it something else? Something darker and more sinister on the horizon? Well, you’ll just have to wait and read the book for yourself if you want all the details. LOL!
Told from the third person POV, author Boito weaves quite the intriguing tale that is Fatal Castle. Packed with historical references, Fatal Castle is both intriguing and informative at the same time. Author Boito gives readers detailed information about the Tower itself, the Beefeaters and their history, and so much more. Readers who enjoy informative fiction novels like Fatal Castle will absolutely devour this book.
While Fatal Castle has a slow-ish beginning, this is just setting the stage. We can’t expect all stories to be gritty and dramatic from the very beginning. The stage setting that author Boito does really gives Fatal Castle a nice foundation to build upon. This novel is more than just a suspense thriller with a high-stakes jewel heist. Yes, the suspense is there and it helps to draw you into the over-arching storyline, but it’s the secondary storyline that will pull you in as well.
While the overall focus of Fatal Castle is gearing up to play out about the jewel heist, author Boito is also showing the family side of Clive Bellamy. He has an estranged relationship with his adult daughter. You won’t get all the details about this estrangement initially, but in time it will all be laid out as to how Clive ended up divorced and separated from his daughter. With the danger element mounting author Boito utilizes it to help this father-daughter relationship reconnect and mend to some degree.
Throughout Fatal Castle author Boito utilizes Beefeater Clive in a successful way. Clive showcases his knowledge of the castle and it’s history to his advantage. When he pieces together the threat and the true nature of it he does everything in his power to limit the loss of life. He and his daughter make quite the dynamic duo overall. We appreciate that author Boito keeps Ashley in the role of not being as knowledgeable as her dad despite the fact that Clive has tried to inform her about the history of the castle.
The way that Fatal Castle plays out happens in both an expected way, and with unexpected characters. The red flags will be there, but the expectation will be that a character of a particular demographic will be the one who is heading the heist. Clear your mind of that presumption. You’ll thank us for it later. LOL!
Fatal Castle is written like a suspense thriller and plays out how one would expect the events to go in a movie. The stage gets set in the beginning, then the drama begins to ramp up, unexpected elements crop up here and there, and then you get the culmination of all the drama. There is one unexpected character who steals the scenes that he’s in. Here’s a hint…this character isn’t a human. LOL!
There is a little hint of romance, but author Boito doesn’t make that the focal point or even give that element too much attention in his story. You get unsavory characters, and then you get a character or two that you will love to “hate.”
The ending of Fatal Castle comes with a twist that to a degree had us quite outraged as a reader, but author Boito uses this to create a unique dynamic. Technically you’re getting a “happy ending” however due to the circumstances…not everything can be allowed to be explained as it is. It’s a frustration you’ll feel for the characters, but with Clive’s acceptance of the situation you’ll find yourself going along with it as well.
Fatal Castle is quite the intriguing novel that artfully draws you in and then keeps you engaged all the way through. The characters are written overall realistically with unique twists, turns and surprises. Author Boito is someone to keep an eye on if you enjoy suspense thrillers for sure. So, if you’re someone who enjoys thrillers with historical elements then this is a novel to go and grab.
Pros:
- Captivating storyline
- Great attention to detail
- Well written
- Good amount of historical information woven into the story
Cons:
- None of merit
Scribble's Worth 
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