UNKNOWN

Avarice of Empire is the untold true story of an extraordinary life immortalised by the hand of an assassin.

Charles Agnew is a British cavalry officer as talented as he is spirited. He longs for a glorious adventure and his father's respect. The chance comes in 1865 when a regiment nicknamed the Scarlet Lancers is ordered to set sail for India and join the garrison in Bangalore.

While the subcontinent labours under the tyranny of colonial rule, steamships, railways, and telegraph networks are the celebrated innovations of the age. Russia is indulging its appetite for new territory in Central Asia, and a revolutionary canal is being carved through the Egyptian desert.

Charles follows his instinct and journeys towards a promising future. His reward is the loyalty of many true friends, including Sophia Munro, a pioneering photographer who defies the stifling conventions of Victorian society, and Micky Lavelle who dreams of finding gold.

But with opportunity comes risk, and Charles will get far more than he bargained for.

Avarice of Empire is a work of biographical historical fiction and C.Q. Turnstone's debut novel.

Readers have called it: "Superb storytelling..." and a "...beautifully written story that captivates with its historical detail..."