Today Goudhurst is a tranquil village in the Weald of Kent. In 1747 it was the centre of a ferocious battle between a brutal gang of smugglers and villagers who had formed a militia under the command of a recently discharged young army corporal, Billy Sturt.
The author brings to life an event almost lost in the mists of time. The known historical facts are fairly flimsy allowing the creation of a dark fictional plot highlighting the cruelty inflicted by gangs of smugglers around the English coast in the eighteenth century.
The novel is at its best when young Billy rallies his tiny band of helpers and there are some poignant moments with the local vicar in the aftermath of the battle.

I liked this fictional retelling of The Battle of Gouldhurst. It has a good pace and feels like it has been reasonably well researched. I would have liked a map at the start to get an idea of specific locations, but the authors note on currency, weights etc. was useful. Told primarily through dialogue, it does lack in any real descriptions of either the area or the period of history which this is set in, which I did feel would have lifted this significantly. You do get a good feel for the personalities involved and it reads well overall, I would just have liked a little more of a sense of place.