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Indlæser... A Conspiracy of Violence (2006)af Susanna Gregory
Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. Genre: Historical Mystery Rating: Very Good A complexly woven mystery set in the aftermath of the Restoration. Tomas Chaloner was a spy for Therloe, the spymaster for the now dead and not missed Cromwell. Charles II is firmly in place but there is still much thoughts of revenge and suspicion regarding those who were seen as helping Cromwell and killing the King when he took power. Chaloner is newly returned from Holland where he’d been spying on the Dutch, and is now penniless and masterless. He becomes sucked into conspiracies, or at least perceived conspiracies and finds himself unable to trust anyone but his Dutch lover. Then things get even more complicated. Colorful and detailed settings, well developed characters and a mystery that keeps one guessing throughout most of the book. England at last has a monarch back on throne, Charles II is ensconced in his Whitehall Palace and the dreary, drab days of Oliver Cromwell are fast fading to a distant memory. The capital is starting to breathe again after the stifling days of the Protectorate. But those difficult days have left their mark on the Londoners, as many have lost their means of employment. One such man, Thomas Chaloner, has become a spy for John Thurloe, the feared Secretary of State. Thomas has recently returned from the Low Countries and is in desperate need of employment. Thurloe has many enemies at court and recommends Thomas for a post with Lord Clarendon. In return, he expects to be kept informed of any plots against himself. I found the story compelling, though the plot was a little convoluted and would have benefited from some better editing. Additionally, there are a lot of characters, not all of whom are particularly well defined or distinguishable. Despite this, the lead character Thomas Chaloner is well presented, as is the romantic interest. I started this series after reading her previous series, The Matthew Bartholomew Chronicles. After 18 books, Matthew and his partner, the fat greedy priest Michael, have become like old friends. I guess that Thomas suffered a little in comparison – the partnership of Matthew and Michael anchored the other series; but is missing here. Having said that, Matthew and Thomas have many things in common – they are both likeable, frustrating and sometimes annoying; and their relationships with women leave much to be desired. Susanna Gregory has once again delivered a carefully woven and realistic picture of the time. I’m sure that Thomas and his friends will grow on me. A historical espionage mystery, with plenty of twists and turns, especially in its final hundred pages. It was entertaining, but I have reservations about using real historical people in events that are entirely contrived. The main character Challoner is fictional, but others share the names and positions of real people from Commonwealth and Restoration England. I prefer it when historical novelists either use their imagination to plausibly fill gaps in the factual record, or invent characters to act out their fictional narrative. ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
Tilhører serienThomas Chaloner (1)
The dour days of Cromwell are over. Charles II is well established at White Hall Palace, his mistress at hand in rooms over the Holbein bridge, the heads of some of the regicides on public display. London seethes with new energy, freed from the strictures of the Protectorate, but many of its inhabitants have lost their livelihoods. One is Thomas Chaloner, a reluctant spy for the feared Secretary of State, John Thurloe, and now returned from Holland in desperate need of employment. His erstwhile boss, knowing he has many enemies at court, recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon, but in return demands that Thomas keep him informed of any plot against him. But what Thomas discovers is that Thurloe had sent another ex-employee to White Hall and he is dead, supposedly murdered by footpads near the Thames. Chaloner volunteers to investigate his killing: instead he is despatched to the Tower to unearth the gold buried by the last Governor. He discovers not treasure, but evidence that greed and self-interest are uppermost in men's minds whoever is in power, and that his life has no value to either side. Ingen biblioteksbeskrivelser fundet. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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A very enjoyable, well-written mystery which I look forward to reading more of. Hopefully another good series from this author. ( )