A complex tale of intrigue in the Court of King James.
Holcroft Blood has been a spy for Charles II and now under James is back working in the Ordnance in charge of part of the Train. His past comes back to haunt him however as after fighting at the battle of Sedgemoor he discovers that his arch enemy the French spy Narrey is in England. This however is at first a side issue as Blood tries to maintain his career in the Ordnance while clashing repeatedly with his superior. Blood also needs to weather the political turbulence around the Court of King James as his Catholicism, willingness to accept the right to follow the Catholic faith, and an increasing reliance on both foreign and home based Catholics threaten to tear not only England but Ireland apart.
Blood stumbles into what he thinks is a plot by Narrey but before he can fully comprehend this he finds his life and that of his wife are in danger. While he tries to get to the bottom of this plot and to identify who Narrey really is Blood finds himself having to contend with the prospect of being on opposite sides from his good friend John Churchill as the country appears to be welcoming an invasion by William of Orange and his wife Mary. Who should Blood support and how can he get to the bottom of the mystery around what Narrey is up to in England.
This story takes place over three years and as such the major events during this time are chronicled in the book. The book has obviously been the subject of a lot of research especially in relation to Blood who is loosely based on a man that existed at the time depicted. For me the action lapses mid way through the book purely due to Blood being posted to the backwater of the time Hull.
This is however a very good account of the period as seen through the eyes of Blood.
Blood stumbles into what he thinks is a plot by Narrey but before he can fully comprehend this he finds his life and that of his wife are in danger. While he tries to get to the bottom of this plot and to identify who Narrey really is Blood finds himself having to contend with the prospect of being on opposite sides from his good friend John Churchill as the country appears to be welcoming an invasion by William of Orange and his wife Mary. Who should Blood support and how can he get to the bottom of the mystery around what Narrey is up to in England.
This story takes place over three years and as such the major events during this time are chronicled in the book. The book has obviously been the subject of a lot of research especially in relation to Blood who is loosely based on a man that existed at the time depicted. For me the action lapses mid way through the book purely due to Blood being posted to the backwater of the time Hull.
This is however a very good account of the period as seen through the eyes of Blood.