A sense of entitlement

I have had four days off writing, while I visited some friends, and now I am back, refreshed of mind and raring to go.  While I was away, I couldn’t do any actual writing, but I did use some long train journeys to consider the subject of a title for the book.  It’s a very important part of the book’s appeal, of course, and – looking in particular at self-published books – there are some shockers out there.  I am trying to hit on something memorable, pithy, intriguing and clever – much like my good self, as my granddad would have said.

I have narrowed it down to a short-list – although something else could occur at any time – and thought I might run them past you for any initial reactions.  I can’t give away too much of the plot (not least because some of it has yet to be decided…) but in short it’s about Constable Samuel Plank and his interest in the development of financial crime, particularly fraud, in London in 1825.  So in the (current) running we have:

• A Fool and His Money
• In the Footsteps of Fools
• Swells and Speculators [“swell” is Regency slang for “wide boy” or conman]
• The Man in the Canary Waistcoat [a particular gang of London swells wore fancy yellow waistcoats]
• Canaries, Pigeons and Gulls [more Regency slang, for wide boys, targets and victims]

What do you think?  Please vote!  Whichever I go for, there will also be the subtitle “A Sam Plank mystery” – trying to build the brand, you see.