Set in England 1616, Robert Belstrang comes to London searching for his friend's son. He finds him in the Bedlam asylum, but every attempt to free the boy is thwarted. His continued investigations lead him to a failed Catholic attempt to commemorate the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot and a deeper mystery at the heart of the government.

Excellent thriller with good plotting and narrative surprises. London life of the time is very well depicted. Belstrang himself is a complex and sometimes cynical investigator, but with a strong moral compass and a desire to do the right thing.

For lovers of historical fiction this is well worth the effort. ( )

I haven't previously read any books by this author, but the idea of a Jacobean mystery set in London piqued my interest. It was a quick and easy read, and I only noticed a couple of typos.

The plot felt like it made sense. However, I found myself struggling to remember all the characters' names, which meant I had little sense of how everything fitted together. This was particularly evident in the final chapter or two, as the pieces (presumably) fall into place, with the aid of some exposition. Readers with knowledge of the time period and social/political background might fare better.

We get the entirety of the tale via Belstrang himself. Given that we spent the whole time in his head, following him around, he made surprisingly little impression on me. Somehow, he seemed rather passive as a gatherer of information and occasional victim of events.

Decent historical mystery with detailed period flavour.