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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Turbulent times in Elizabethan England when the Protestant Reformation continues to battle with Catholicism, Spain is threatening a sea invasion, and Queen Elizabeth must constantly prove she can hold her throne. Sir Francis Bacon is one of her brilliant intelligencers and for this second entry in Anna Castle’s well-researched historical mystery series, he has sent his charming and observant staff person, Thomas Clarady to Cambridge to nose out a Puritan radical plotting treason of a religious nature.
This is the second book in the series, but I took a chance that I could jump in at this point when I came across Death by Disputation on sale and it caught my eye. I found that there were obvious connections to a previous book, particularly with the character relationships of Clarady, Bacon, and Trumpet, but the situation, setting, and mystery made it easily standalone, too.
Death by Disputation opens with Tom settled in a Cambridge college as a divinity student. He’s there to spy and report back to Sir Francis about the more radical Puritans in his midst. The first scene is one of murder- Tom’s contact in Cambridge to be exact. He is convinced the killer is most likely his target, but he doesn’t rule out other motives for his tutor’s death that was staged to look like a suicide. The famous or rather infamous senior and playwright, Kit Marlowe was present and had a relationship with the deceased. Kit is more than he seems and bright enough to figure out Tom is as well. They mutually suspect each other and are antagonistic, but Tom is thorough in his investigation even while appreciating the delights of the headmaster’s wife on the side.
Tom’s already been a student at Gray’s Inn of London pursuing the law, but he discovers quickly that playing the role of an extremely devout divinity student and living the role 24/7 is hard on him. His friends back in London and even Sir Francis who receives Tom’s written reports grow concerned he’s buying into the Puritan message. The danger escalates as he burrows deeper into his role and into the group of very devout Puritans of the school and the local area trying to make inroads and figure out who is stirring them up for his own drastic cause.
I was thrilled to start a series set during the time of Elizabethan England and right in the heart of Cambridge university with brief scenes back in London with Sir Francis and Tom’s friends. I could tell the author really did her homework drawing the setting, but also the activities and dialogue of her characters. So many little interesting details that wove through the plot.
Now, this did start slow for me and the author didn’t shy away from bringing out the philosophy and religious thinking- the scholarly pursuits Tom was engaged in, but the pace picked up when the backdrop, characters, and plot got settled in. The suspense, particularly after the half-way point, grew and was taunt with expectation by the time the climax arrived.
Joel Froomkin is a familiar narrator for me. I appreciate his talent for different voices and catching the tone and rhythm of a book so well.
All in all, I was left well-satisfied with the story and want to go back for book one and proceed through the series. Not only is the series historically and culturally rich, but inclusive of LGBT characters. Tom was the main character in this story, but since the series is called Sir Francis Bacon, I’m guessing he has a larger role in other installments. Those who enjoy late Tudor era historical mysteries with cerebral as well as action plotting should definitely give this series great consideration.