31 March 2015
I’m Robert Wallace
I was born and raised in Bristol and spent many years working in the medical field which took me to Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia and Scandinavia. It sparked a lifelong interest in travel.
My work involves turning historical events into works of semi-fiction, retaining the factual background, creating fictional characters to share their lives with real people.
What I do
The Betrayal of Jacqueline Flower
The first story in the Vengance Series.
This project was developed with the assistance of a key ITV producer along with the cooperation of a group of scene of crime police detectives, who were keen to help in the creation of plausible crime scene scenarios.
Lu! Thank God! Please get over here!
What’s going on, Jax?
Andrew’s dead.
What? Jax … how?
Please?
Ten minutes.
Jacqueline Flower (Jax) an American citizen is married to Andrew. She believes she has it all: idyllic lifestyle, elegant home, money, cars and a husband with a thriving pet foods business just outside the city centre.
Today is their wedding anniversary and Jax decides to surprise Andrew at the plant. He is working late, and the factory staff have gone home. The moment she is inside the building she senses something is wrong. She stealthily creeps through the empty offices and there, she discovers evidence of his marital betrayal and worse.
Andrew is clearly not the man she thought she knew. The man she married.
The Revenge of Catherine Delane
The second story in the Vengance Series. Meet Catherine, a woman driven by an unyielding thirst for justice.
When she stumbles upon her late father Lucien's dark secret - a relentless blackmail scheme orchestrated by the elusive computer hacker, Firestone - Catherine vows to avenge him. Armed with her natural allure and cunning wit, she devises an audacious plan to ensnare Firestone in a web of seduction, seeking to extract a confession for her father's untimely demise. But she soon discovers that facing Firestone is like staring into the eyes of a relentless predator - and this ruthless adversary won't be easily tamed.
While Catherine's dangerous game unfolds, a sinister duo of Irish loan sharks adopts a twisted disguise, masquerading as priests to prey upon vulnerable women trapped in debt. Unbeknownst to their victims, they're about to cross paths with a force they could never have anticipated.
In a whirlwind of escalating tension and unforeseen twists, the lives of these fascinating characters collide head-on, leading to an explosive and unpredictable showdown that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final breath.
Enter DI Quince, an intrepid detective known for solving the most perplexing cases. Tasked with unraveling the enigma of Lucien Delane's death, he teams up with his sharp-witted colleague, Helen Ross. As they plunge deeper into the labyrinth of secrets, they must grapple with the shadows that loom over their investigation, never knowing whom to trust.
Prepare yourself for a heart-pounding journey through betrayal, seduction, and mystery. In this electrifying novel, secrets will be unveiled, passions will ignite, and the truth will shatter all expectations.
The Reincarnation of Camille Boissier
The third story in the Vengance Series
'The Reincarnation of Camille Boissier' by Robert Wallace In the heart of the Grande Champagne district in France, Château Boissier becomes the battleground for a high-stakes game of chess between Gérard Boissier, the desperate owner of the cognac estate, and Carlo Fieschi, a conniving Corsican rogue. Gérard, drowning in debt, is willing to risk it all to win two hundred Euros in a late-night chess match. As the tension escalates, Fieschi proposes a sinister deal: he offers Gérard a way out of his financial troubles by casting Gérard's daughter, Jeanne, in a film role. In a moment of weakness, Gérard agrees, unknowingly sealing his daughter's fate.
Meanwhile, Gérard's wife, Edith, and their twin daughters, Jeanne and Camille, observe the unfolding events from a distance. Edith, burdened by the responsibilities of managing the château and her husband's erratic behavior, tries to protect her daughters from the darkness creeping into their lives.
Fieschi manipulates Gérard, tempting him with the allure of money and fame for Jeanne, while exploiting his desperation. Gérard signs a contract, unknowingly sacrificing his daughter's future. When Edith discovers the truth, a heated argument ensues, leading to a tragic accident. In a fit of rage and despair, Gérard strikes Edith, causing her fatal injury. The château erupts in flames, trapping Gérard and endangering the lives of the twins.
Amidst the chaos, Fieschi presents himself as the savior, helping the girls escape the burning château. However, his true nature is revealed when he accuses Camille of causing her father's demise. As the truth unravels, the surviving family members are left to grapple with the aftermath of their choices and the malevolent influence of Carlo Fieschi.
In the picturesque town of Segonzac, France, Canadian man Michel Bouchard and French woman Jeanne Boissier find their lives intertwined by fate. Michel, a tall and rugged man, explores the historic Château Boissier with the intention of purchasing it. Jeanne, a young woman with a tragic past, visits the château's secluded garden to pay homage to her deceased mother.
'The Reincarnation of Camille Biossier' is a gripping tale of deception, desperation, and the dark side of ambition, exploring the lengths to which people will go in the pursuit of their desires and the devastating consequences that follow; a poignant tale of love, understanding, and connection, set against the backdrop of the charming French countryside.
Valentines Cup
June 1943. The Berghof, Obersalzberg, Bavaria. The Fȕhrer picked up a document and started to speak …
“Fȕhrer Memorandum 267. The operation described within will change the course of the war and secure victory for Germany. It will be presented by Reichsfȕhrer SS Himmler … unless there were any questions …”
British undercover agent Alistair Valentine, posing as a German army chauffeur, overhears two leading Nazis – Rommel and Canaris - discussing Hitler and Himmler’s plan to defeat Britain and the Allies.
‘Sleeper spies in London … I’m surprised they’re not all …’
The divider screen of the Mercedes staff car seals shut, separating the driver’s compartment.
Surprised they’re not all what? Dead? Captured? Turned? Alistair must risk his life to transmit a message back to MI6 and the Security Services.
Crimson Wing
‘You are making it impossible for me to say no,’ said Joselyn, knowing she had been manipulated.
October 1945. Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Joselyn believes she is on an extended leave after the horrors she suffered in ‘The Valentines Cup.’ But a telegram from her father, Deputy Chief of Mission, Ambassador Charles Foster in London lures her back into the clutches of Brimblecombe and MI6.
The bait is for Joselyn to travel to Switzerland to acquire a copy of Hitler’s Last Will and Testament, possibly the one couriered out of the Fȕhrerbunker on April 29, 1945. There is also the chance of obtaining the names and details of the German industrialists who financed the Third Reich, at a conference in Bavaria 20th February 1933. She cannot say no.
Monkeypuzzle
‘Why did you ask me about U-Boat 123 the other night? I was wondering. It is out of character for a young woman like you to have any interest in the German Navy.’ Heller moved closer to her and Lucy knew she had seconds to live …
February 1944. Rue Lucien Faure, Bordeaux.
Commander Dieter Heller was a hero of the Reichsmarine. He was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross in June 1943. The award was in recognition for sinking 34 British and American ships in the North Atlantic: 187, 267 tons all told and thousands of lives: men, women and children. In the high echelons of British Intelligence – out of sight and responsibility – Brimblecombe made a decision, Heller must be eliminated.
Lucy’s assignment was clear. Go to Bacalan, Bordeaux and liaise with the local Resistance; find Dieter Heller and terminate him.
Her problem was not the mission, that she could handle, but how to escape.
Operation Gunfleet
Operation Gunfleet - the final story in The Valentine Series. Vital communications equipent has been stolen from Bletchley Park.
Post-war London, a year after the German surrender. Three deserters from the 6813th US Army detachment have stolen Comms Equipment from Bletchley Park. They are in hiding awaiting their next move.
This vital equipment intercepted and deciphered Nazi Enigma transmissions and provided Allied Commanders with crucial intelligence. It's now ready to be sold to the highest bidder. Few people recognised that these machines would form the basis of computer technology in the future; invaluable in the right hands.
Professor Brimblecombe, head of British Intelligence, reunites Alistair and Freddie Valentine and his team of spies for one final mission. Their objectives: catch the deserters, recover the stolen Comms Equipment, and identify the traitor at the White House.
There is one clue. Jessica Hope, a cryptanalyst from Codes and Cyphers has evidence: a leaked US Pentagon Stores Requisition Memo.
But can it possibly be genuine?
Once again Joselyn Foster, the Massachusetts-born spy from Valentines Cup and Crimson Wing excels.
One Single Ticket
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was on startling form that day …
October 1835, Radley’s Hotel, Blackfriars.
Brunel was attending a meeting of the Great Western Railway’s board of directors. One of them expressed concern about the length of proposed line from London to Bristol. Brunel's response was indeed visionary:
‘Why not make it even longer, and continue onwards by steamboat from Bristol to New York - and call it the Great Western?’
The seed was planted; a seamless journey from London to New York, by rail and sea on One Single Ticket. Except someone was determined to stop him.
Fables & Folk
Suddenly we heard screams of terror …
October 31st, 1976. Clifton, Bristol.
Our visitor Jilly was having a soak in the deep Victorian tub in our antiquated bathroom. Suddenly we heard screams of terror that were so unexpected, we all jumped in fright. She finally spoke:
‘I was lying in the bath. I felt a presence … an enormous pressure … bearing down on my chest, forcing me under the water. I was drowning, my head completely submerged. Then the sensation… in my wrists … both wrists … tearing my skin …
I felt my life’s blood draining away. Someone was trying to kill me.’
You can read Robert Wallace's 'Fables and Folk – Tales from the West' simply as wonderful yarns. But each of them contains an element of truth - a real event or a West Country legend. After you've acquainted yourself with the ghosts, the myths and the conspiracies of silence, your dilemma will be to choose which elements may constitute a germ of reality, and which may be a tall tale.
Robert did once live in the house in Windsor Terrace which features in 'Clara's Secret'. And his father did have a long after-dinner story about being sent in search of a Bristol Blue glass vase when he was applying for a job, as mirrored in 'The Bristol Blue Vase'.
Then again, Robert did once capture a spectral figure in a photograph he took at a wedding, just like Daniel did in 'In the Blink of an Eye'.
There are also surviving members of the Bristol Home Guard who have always wondered why they were detailed to guard the Clifton Observatory, the story of 'From Reel to Real'.
Contact me
7 December 2021
Valentines Cup a Wartime Spy Thriller Book wartime spy thriller book The first book in the Valentines series Undercover agent Alistair Valentine overhears a few […]
21 March 2022
Share this page on social media FIRSTLY, MY TRIP WAS NOT INTENDED to be some frivolous jaunt across Europe. I had two very special people to […]
4 August 2023
23 October 2023
12 November 2023
Valentines Cup a Wartime Spy Thriller Book wartime spy thriller book The first book in the Valentines series Undercover agent Alistair Valentine overhears a few […]
23 March 2022
Share this page on social media I CAUGHT THE BUS TO GARE DE LYON, a magnificent railway station a stone’s throw from the Seine. I was […]
23 March 2022
Share this page on social media MY FIRST EVENING AT THE HOTEL ARC-EN-CIEL in Gstaad kicked off in style. Weary from travel I devoured a litre […]
23 March 2022
Share this page on social media WHEN YOU ARE WRITING AND RESEARCHING a novel such as the Valentines Cup, part of the process is finding names […]