Do you want to know what is hidden?
SEVEN DIALS
THE NOVEL
BURIED BENEATH THE STREETS OF LONDON,
A SECRET THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
For three centuries, whispers of a secret vault of gold have haunted London’s Seven Dials. When ambitious reporter Alison Hill witnesses an extraordinary discovery, she is thrust into a heart-stopping race against a shadowy Guild determined to recover an ancient relic of astonishing power.
Partnering with Brad Sayers, an unpredictable ‘Questor’ with his own hidden motivations, she begins to investigate a story long buried. Together, they unravel a puzzle generations in the making, stretching from the glittering court of Charles II to the gritty streets of modern London.
At the heart of this enigma is Thomas “Golden” Neale, a visionary entrepreneur who transformed a notorious slum into Seven Dials, defying powerful enemies and hiding an invaluable secret that could topple empires. Neale navigated a world where ambition, magic, and science intertwined, becoming fabulously rich with the help of Daniel Defoe and then ruined when his relationahip with Isaac Newton turned sour.
Now, as dark forces emerge and centuries-old conspiracies awaken, Alison and Brad must solve the ultimate mystery: What legacy did Thomas Neale truly leave behind in the Seven Dials
SEVEN DIALS
The past, THE PRESENT AND THE PUZZLE
Seven Dials unravels a perplexing mystery with a parallel historical backstory (plot and character-driven, like Robert Harris), told with the literary flourish of “Wolf Hall” in a modern-day London that is vibrantly described and excitingly explored.
For 300 years, it has been rumoured that an enormous vault of gold is hidden beneath London’s Seven Dials. When a dramatic incident throws the area into chaos, talented news reporter Alison Hill unearths an ancient mystery from a realm where magic and science coexist.
In the present, Alison is the only first-hand witness to Brad Sayer’s dramatic discovery in Seven Dials, but dark forces emerge, determined to bury the past. As events spiral, she joins forces with Brad, an enigmatic and unpredictable ‘Questor’, and they race against time to crack an unbreakable puzzle, while fanatics led by the menacing Guild Master will stop at nothing to recover their debt.
In the past, a brilliant entrepreneur, Thomas Neale, seamlessly navigates the worlds of politics, business, and the Court but finds only empty fulfilment in his pursuit of unlimited wealth. Desperate to leave a meaningful legacy and make amends for the prodigal sins of his past, he defies the powerful Guilds to transform a notorious London slum into a new district called Seven Dials.
Seven Dials is a historical novel like no other. It unfolds simultaneously as a fantastical adventure in the present while revealing the untold story of Thomas Neale, an extraordinary figure in late-seventeenth-century London. Known as “Golden Neale,” he was one of the most influential figures of his age and was among the wealthiest men in England. However, he died, apparently penniless, and his grave is unknown. Unravelling Thomas Neale’s mystery will change your perspective on the past and the secrets hidden beneath our streets.
The AUTHOR
JOHN DORE
JoJohn Dore was born and educated in Yorkshire and now lives and works in London.After a career in The City and internationally, John works at London Business School as a programme designer and as a keynote speaker for senior executive audiences around the world. He has contributed to several business journals, including LBS Think, I by IMD, HR Magazine, Information Age, Elite Business, The Edge, Forbes, and Management Today. He is the author of ‘GLUE: Transforming Leadership in a Hybrid World’ (Routledge) and winner of the 2024 Business Book of the Year (Leadership). His debut novel is ‘Seven Dials – The Past, The Present and The Puzzle of Thomas Neale’. It is the first novel in a new series featuring a global network of alternative history geeks known as ‘Questors’.
