Men of Our Times Series

"Was this really his future?" In the Northern English town of Motbridge, men work until they die. John Williams is determined not to be one of those men. When Harry Heard gives him a fake sword to sell to aristocrat Sir Albert Blackwood, his life changes forever. He meets and deals with industrialists, daughters of dukes, and knights of the realm. But all the while a mysterious serial killer, known only as the Breaker, is picking people off at will. When he makes Sir Albert Blackwood his target, John is forced to put the Breaker's brutal work to an end. Not only his future but his very life hinges on his success. As class and murder collide, can John leave his humble beginnings behind him?

"They were no longer worlds apart. They shared the same world." Fawcett Manor explodes into nothingness as John Williams puts the finishing touches on the expansion of the Imperial Longford shipyard. But little does he know this seemingly innocuous act would open up lawsuits, an attempted takeover of his shipyard, and a man who wants to murder him. John struggles to cope as Sir Albert Blackwood turns against him and he grows further and further away from the people who made him who he is. With his blooming romance with Lady Adelaide, the daughter of the Duke of Cramlington, he has a path to choose. Is it love or will he have to trade everything to make it to the top?

"If you believe this is the worst part of your day, you should brace yourself for the coming storm." On the docks of London men are on the hunt, for John Williams and the love of his life Lady Adelaide. With spies, violence, and murder haunting every step, John has to make powerful friends if he is to keep her safe and take back his shipyard in Motbridge. But it's not just the Duke of Cramlington hunting them down. There are far greater evils hiding in the shadows who, for unknown reasons, want him dead. Can John and Adelaide be together or have they finally run out of time?

"One day he would return to Britain in triumph and reclaim what he had worked all his life for. John would survive." Years have passed since John reclaimed the Imperial Longford shipyard. World War One is on the horizon. From his new base in Southern England, John plots to ramp up his profits and begin an ambitious project to rebuild the whole town of Motbridge. But there are more problems than the looming European war. Motbridge's trade union, led by best friend Leslie Hughes, is gearing up to take on John's plans. With John's powerful new friends and a brand new battleship in the making, the standoff between the haves and have nots has begun. Which side will blink first?

"Before he died, his final thoughts were of home." Europe is on the road to war. The year is 1933 and John finds himself in Paris, once again forced to flee for his life. But when he discovers that his pursuer Ronald Bell is dead, he takes the chance to return to England. But with the baggage of a dead man and his old friends looking to force him into their service again, John realises he can't start a new life now that he's a rich man. Torn between saving his own skin and doing the right thing, John has to fight both his friends and his family. The decisions he makes along the way will ultimately come to define his place in the world. Will he side with the rich or the poor?

"He knew he didn't have any other choice if he wanted to keep his head." The Great War is over and millions lay dead across the nations of Europe. John finally makes it home one year after the armistice. Embittered and with nothing to come back to, John settles in London. After a smuggling deal gone wrong, John is, once again, forced to flee to the only place he knows: Motbridge. But the memories of the locals are long and they haven't forgiven him for the slaughter of Imperial Longford. Determined to reclaim his fortune and make his way in the world again, he must confront the consequences of the mistakes he made. But with the whole world turning its back on him, where can he begin?