Overview

A tale about the Shotley Bridge swordmakers 'Liesl held a finished blade before the firelight and traced one finger across the running wolf inscription that told the world a Solingen blade was at its throat.' When a German smuggler is imprisoned in Morpeth Gaol in the winter of 1703, why does Queen Anne's powerful right-hand man, The Earl of Nottingham, take such a keen interest? At the end of the turbulent 17th century, the ties that bind men are fraying, turning neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend and brother against brother. Beneath a seething layer of religious intolerance, community suspicion and political intrigue, The Running Wolf takes us deep into the heart of rebel country in the run-up to the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Hermann Mohll is a master sword maker from Solingen in Germany who risks his life by breaking his guild oaths and settling in England. While trying to save his family and neighbours from poverty, he is caught smuggling swords and finds himself in Morpeth Gaol facing charges of High Treason. Determined to hold his tongue and his nerve, Mohll finds himself at the mercy of the corrupt keeper, Robert Tipstaff. The keeper fancies he can persuade the truth out of Mohll and make him face the ultimate justice: hanging, drawing and quartering. But in this tangled web of secrets and lies, just who is telling the truth? Ideal for fans of Devotion by Hannah Kent, World Without End and Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

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9781915421098

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Reviews

'The meticulous research that has gone into writing this book about the Solingen swordmakers of Germany set at the turn of the 18th century just shines through. We see their lives unfold in northeast England with their struggles resonant of the experiences of so many immigrants today. I learned so much in a totally immersive and captivating read with characters that are brought to life through Helen Steadman's powerful writing. Highly recommended to all lovers of historical fiction!' Rosalind Russell, The End of Where We Begin 'Steadman has an easy approachable writing style that leads you into a historical past and immerses you in the time so that you feel you are there with these almost tangible characters.' Fin Gray, Duplicity 'The author gives a fascinating insight into the difficult decisions that people must make during times of community suspicion and political intrigue.' Mark Whitley, Countryman Magazine 'Steadman obviously carried out a lot of meticulous research for her book. An unusual novel that brings a little-known area of history and its craftsmen to life.' Kate Pettigrew, Historical Novel Society

Author Information

Dr Helen Steadman is a historical novelist. Her first novel, Widdershins and its sequel, Sunwise were inspired by the seventeenth-century Newcastle witch trials. Her third novel, The Running Wolf was inspired by the Shotley Bridge swordmakers, who defected from Solingen, Germany in 1687. Helen's fourth novel will be published on 13 September 2022. This is God of Fire, a Greek myth retelling about Hephaestus, possibly the least well-known of the Olympians. Helen is now working on her fifth novel.Despite the Newcastle witch trials being one of the largest mass executions of witches on a single day in England, they are not widely known about. Helen is particularly interested in revealing hidden histories and she is a thorough researcher who goes to great lengths in pursuit of historical accuracy. To get under the skin of the cunning women in Widdershins and Sunwise, Helen trained in herbalism and learned how to identify, grow and harvest plants and then made herbal medicines from bark, seeds, flowers and berries.The Running Wolf is the story of a group of master swordmakers who defected from Solingen, Germany and moved to Shotley Bridge, England in 1687. As well as carrying out in-depth archive research and visiting forges in Solingen to bring her story to life, Helen also undertook blacksmith training, which culminated in making her own sword. During her archive research, Helen uncovered a lot of new material and she published her findings in the Northern History journal.

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