Do you want to know what is hidden?
SEVEN DIALS
THE NOVEL
Seven Dials is a historical novel like no other. It unfolds simultaneously as a fantastical adventure in the present while revealing a historical backstory featuring real-life characters: Thomas Neale (the master planner of Seven Dials), Isaac Newton, and Daniel Defoe. It is a contemporary thriller following two unlikely heroes, Alison Hill and Brad Sayers (both in their mid-20s), whose intelligence and daring drive the plot forward. At the novel’s heart lies the untold true story of Thomas Neale and the evocative Seven Dials area of London.
Written by John Dore, it is the first novel in a new series featuring a global network of alternative history geeks known as ‘Questors’, led by the extraordinary Svenja Caro.
SEVEN DIALS
The past, THE PRESENT AND THE PUZZLE
Seven Dials unravels a perplexing mystery in the vein of “The DaVinci Code”, 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 amongst 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.