THE RING OF MANN

Historical fiction, Viking Mythology, mystery and romance.

In 1240AD a chance meeting of a Knight Templar monk and a stonemason reveals the mythical beliefs of the symbols on a runic ring; of Ullr the God of archery who owned a magic finger ring, and of death and regeneration and of the bonding of a horse of the Gods with its rider.
Segue to 1663AD and three teenage cousins are complicit in the disappearance of a woodcutter. Rumors are rife in the ancient Viking settlement of Hawkshead in the English Lake District.
Dark humour vies with folk tales, witches, and superstition, and Quaker persecution is prevalent.

When young widow MARY takes possession of a pedigree Arabian black colt from King Charles II Newmarket stables; the symbolic prediction of her ancestral runic ring materializes and Mary has visions of a female Viking Warrior.
DAMIAN is Mary’s loyal and simple-minded brother, the church gravedigger; curious about death, obsessed with secrets, and fearful of the Dobbie-man. Younger cousin THOMAS attends the Hawkshead Grammar School. He sees ghosts and is a flamboyant storyteller.

Review by Swati Nair for IndieReader. 4.8 Stars
THE RING OF MANN is a historical thriller combining suspense, mystery, and a small dose of the supernatural. David Thomas Kay is an engaging storyteller. The plot moves fast due to the twists and turns at regular intervals and is interlaced with progression in the stories of individual characters, which makes it very vivid and real. Surrounding it all is the aura of the ring, a brooding, inexplicable presence that causes things to happen. Laced with humor, emotionally charged scenes, and very descriptive prose. THE RING OF MANN is a fast-paced, engaging and well-written historical thriller with an intriguing plot.