Squibs and Fireworks
Things That Went Bang in Victorian London
Believe it or not, Americans don’t corner the market when it comes to explosive entertainment. Londoners in the 1800s enjoyed their whizz-bangers as well. Here are a few…
Fireworks
There were plenty of oohs and ahhs galore at various celebrations in London because fireworks were often part of the event. Ranging from public holidays to royal occasions—and sometimes even private parties—firework displays were actually quite common. Now, granted, they weren’t as technologically sophisticated as those we enjoy today, but even with their manual ignition, the fireworks of the Victorian era lit up the English skies just as beautifully.
Squibs
A squib is an early form of a firecracker, a tiny explosive device that was used in different industries of the time. Think of a teeny-weeny stick of dynamite and you’ll have a good image in mind. They were used in the mining industry for blasting purposes, in the military for training exercises, for special effects in the theater, and also employed as fireworks. There are actual cases on record at the Old Bailey for instances of breaking the peace by throwing squibs.
And squibs are mentioned in my new release, The Sleuth of Blackfriars Lane.
Here’s a blurb:
Wife. Mother. Homemaker. Detective. Kit Forge wears many hats, and if that’s not enough, she’s partnered with her father to open a new detective agency. It’s hard to be all things to all people, but Kit never shies away from the impossible. Despite her hard work and good intentions, some things fall through the cracks.
Namely, her husband.
But Jackson barely notices. He’s too busy putting out his own fires. As the new chief inspector of a busy London station, he must salvage the disaster left behind by the former police chief—an obstacle made all the harder when the superintendent breathes an ultimatum down his neck.
Against her father’s advice, Kit takes on a case involving a missing child, one in which she and Jackson become a little too emotionally involved. . .and end up endangering their own little girl in the process.
Can Kit and Jackson learn that just because they can say yes doesn’t mean they should?
Sound interesting? You can get your copy HERE or sign up to win a signed copy.