Scan barcode
ja3m3's review
3.0
This is the third book in the Master Mercurius Mysteries Series and it was the weakest. The history was well-researched, but I think it got away from the author because there was a lot of telling and very little showing and even less mystery. I will still read the next book in the series because I really like the main character. Crossing my fingers that it will be better.
abibliofob's review
4.0
It gives me great pleasure to read about Master Mercurius adventures. In Dihonour and Obey he travels to England on one of his toughest assaignments yet. Graham Brack tells these stories so well with both mystery, murder and humour. I have to thank #Netgalley and #SapereBooks for letting me have a few hours of enjoyment in another era. I will not call the author old but he really can describe the setting very well. You feel that he has put some effort into the research. If you have missed this series get on board book four is soon upon us.
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
When Master Mercurius is summoned from Leiden to attend the Stadhouder William he knows that this means that William has need of him. However he never expects to be sent to England as part of a delegation to arrange William's marriage to the niece of the King, Mary. London is very different but murder soon follows and Mercurius is soon caught up in an international intrigue that threatens to derail the marriage.
A quick return to the series and a welcome one as Brack is developing a rather enjoyable sequence of books starring an amusing character. What I really love is that Mercurius is developing a real personality, pompous and pedantic but rather endearing. No-one could accuse Brack of writing complex and intellectual books but actually that is not what is required, the books are light but supremely entertaining and this is no exception.
A quick return to the series and a welcome one as Brack is developing a rather enjoyable sequence of books starring an amusing character. What I really love is that Mercurius is developing a real personality, pompous and pedantic but rather endearing. No-one could accuse Brack of writing complex and intellectual books but actually that is not what is required, the books are light but supremely entertaining and this is no exception.
sparky27's review
4.0
Another crime for Master Mercurius
Master Mercurius, university lecturer, secret priest, and reluctant sleuth is at it again in the service of William of Orange, this time in England.
Master Mercurius, university lecturer, secret priest, and reluctant sleuth is at it again in the service of William of Orange, this time in England.
cj_mo_2222's review
5.0
“Dishonour and Obey” is the third book in the Master Mercurius mystery series. If you enjoy historical mysteries or if you are a fan of Brack’s Josef Slonský series, you will want to get to know Master Mercurius. Mercurius is a Protestant minister and secretly also a Catholic priest who lectures at the University of Leiden in The Netherlands during the 17th century. In the prior book, Mercurius was able to help the Stadhouder William of Orange in this book is again called upon to help William. This story stands alone so it’s fine to jump into the series with this book. William is interested in marrying an English princess and wants Mercurius to find out if there is anyone there who is plotting against the marriage. Mercurius has no choice but to travel to England and speak to Mary and other members of the English court.
Things get even messier for Mercurius when there is a murder of one of the visitor’s to the palace and Mercurius is asked to investigate. Although he is a reluctant detective, Mercurius is able to use his intelligence and logic to develop a list of suspects and work to narrow that list down to try to identify the killer. Being in a strange country with limited knowledge of English makes things more awkward for Mercurius, but more fun for the reader. Part of the plot deals with Dutch spies and that gets a little complicated in place. However, that doesn’t slow the pace of the story, which is much faster than most historical mysteries I have read. Mercurius is a good man and a unique and likable main character. After all he went through in England, I like how things turn out for him at the end when he is back in Leiden with a new, stricter man running the university.
My memory of 17th century European history has gaps but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying this series. Brack has a way of making historical events and characters come alive. I was fascinated by Brack’s characterization of Princess Mary and did some further research on her life after finishing the book. I highly recommend this book (and the entire series) and would rate this installment as 4.5 stars. I am happy to see a fourth book in the series is planned for later this year, and can’t wait to see what happens next for Mercurius.
I received this ebook through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Things get even messier for Mercurius when there is a murder of one of the visitor’s to the palace and Mercurius is asked to investigate. Although he is a reluctant detective, Mercurius is able to use his intelligence and logic to develop a list of suspects and work to narrow that list down to try to identify the killer. Being in a strange country with limited knowledge of English makes things more awkward for Mercurius, but more fun for the reader. Part of the plot deals with Dutch spies and that gets a little complicated in place. However, that doesn’t slow the pace of the story, which is much faster than most historical mysteries I have read. Mercurius is a good man and a unique and likable main character. After all he went through in England, I like how things turn out for him at the end when he is back in Leiden with a new, stricter man running the university.
My memory of 17th century European history has gaps but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying this series. Brack has a way of making historical events and characters come alive. I was fascinated by Brack’s characterization of Princess Mary and did some further research on her life after finishing the book. I highly recommend this book (and the entire series) and would rate this installment as 4.5 stars. I am happy to see a fourth book in the series is planned for later this year, and can’t wait to see what happens next for Mercurius.
I received this ebook through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘I am in my twilight years.’
Mercurius, reflecting on his long life, remembers a trip to England in 1676. And here is his account of that trip, as dictated to his clerk, Jan van der Meer.
In 1676, Master Mercurius was a lecturer at the University of Leiden. Two years earlier, he had helped the Stadhouder, William of Orange. And now he is called upon again. William of Orange wants Master Mercurius to be part of a diplomatic mission to London, to help assess the suitability of Princess Mary (the fifteen-year-old niece of King Charles II) as a wife. William needs a Protestant wife, but he knows he must tread carefully: there are egos involved after all.
‘Ostensibly you’ll be there to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant, but what I really want you to do is look out for anyone who may be plotting against the marriage so it can be nipped in the bud.’
So, Master Mercurius, an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church (and a secretly ordained Catholic priest) travels to England. He does not speak much English, and the court of Charles II is quite unlike anything he has ever experienced but he is resourceful.
‘There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand, and I understood not a word they said in their barbaric language. Nevertheless, I thought, if I can master Latin and Greek, I can surely pick up some English.’
Not long after the mission arrives in London, a member of the delegation is murdered. Who murdered him, and why? Could he have been a spy? The murder becomes more curious, especially when they discover that the dagger in his back is not what killed him.
Not everyone in England is in favour of Princess Mary marrying William of Orange. And there are women trying to distract Master Mercurius from his task as well, including one of the King’s bastards. Master Mercurius persists with his investigation, has some interesting and humorous exchanges with King Charles (and others) and manages to solve the case. But not before exposing a few holes in the fabric of the reign of the Merrie Monarch.
Master Mercurius is both thorough and witty, and this series is a delight. I especially liked the ending and am looking forward to the next instalment.
‘As it says in the good book, Matthew, chapter seven, verse seven: “Ask, and it will be given to you.”’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Mercurius, reflecting on his long life, remembers a trip to England in 1676. And here is his account of that trip, as dictated to his clerk, Jan van der Meer.
In 1676, Master Mercurius was a lecturer at the University of Leiden. Two years earlier, he had helped the Stadhouder, William of Orange. And now he is called upon again. William of Orange wants Master Mercurius to be part of a diplomatic mission to London, to help assess the suitability of Princess Mary (the fifteen-year-old niece of King Charles II) as a wife. William needs a Protestant wife, but he knows he must tread carefully: there are egos involved after all.
‘Ostensibly you’ll be there to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant, but what I really want you to do is look out for anyone who may be plotting against the marriage so it can be nipped in the bud.’
So, Master Mercurius, an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church (and a secretly ordained Catholic priest) travels to England. He does not speak much English, and the court of Charles II is quite unlike anything he has ever experienced but he is resourceful.
‘There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand, and I understood not a word they said in their barbaric language. Nevertheless, I thought, if I can master Latin and Greek, I can surely pick up some English.’
Not long after the mission arrives in London, a member of the delegation is murdered. Who murdered him, and why? Could he have been a spy? The murder becomes more curious, especially when they discover that the dagger in his back is not what killed him.
Not everyone in England is in favour of Princess Mary marrying William of Orange. And there are women trying to distract Master Mercurius from his task as well, including one of the King’s bastards. Master Mercurius persists with his investigation, has some interesting and humorous exchanges with King Charles (and others) and manages to solve the case. But not before exposing a few holes in the fabric of the reign of the Merrie Monarch.
Master Mercurius is both thorough and witty, and this series is a delight. I especially liked the ending and am looking forward to the next instalment.
‘As it says in the good book, Matthew, chapter seven, verse seven: “Ask, and it will be given to you.”’
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
vesper1931's review
4.0
1676 Leiden. Master Mercurius is instructed by Stadhouder William of Orange to go to England as part of a delegation to secure the hand of the Princess Mary on his behalf. On arrival it is obvious that not everyone is in favour of the alliance. Mercurius is instructed by Charles II to investigate when a death occurs.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
anjana's review
4.0
The third installment begins two years after the last adventure with the Stadhouder asking for Mercurius’ presence. There is a delicate matter of a marriage that requires multiple people making a voyage to another country. I must admit at this time that I know next to nothing of the machinations of the royal families of the time in Europe and all the marriages that have taken place. Even during the reading, I did not necessarily look them up because I did not think I could retain much given the repetitions of names and other such small issues. I took the facts as I saw them in the narrative and believed them and kept going. Understanding some of the balances of power was required to understand the goings-on, which effectively meant this was the slowest going for me of the three I read back-to-back.
When on a semi-spying visit in England, there is a death of one of their Dutch team. The suspicions run high as Master Mercurius is handed the lead investigator’s mantle with the King’s full support. I would have rated this lower (because of personal disinterest in the dynastical tangles) if not for the highly amusing narrative in the last quarter. It was good enough to make me like everything that came before it.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of the series.
When on a semi-spying visit in England, there is a death of one of their Dutch team. The suspicions run high as Master Mercurius is handed the lead investigator’s mantle with the King’s full support. I would have rated this lower (because of personal disinterest in the dynastical tangles) if not for the highly amusing narrative in the last quarter. It was good enough to make me like everything that came before it.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of the series.
More...