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abibliofob's review
5.0
The Vanishing Children is the latest adventure with Master Mercurius by Graham Brack. I was almost as sceptical to reading these books at first as Mercurius is doubtful about him being sent on various diplomatic missions. But they are great and in this one I think our hero is getting more comfortable with the powers he has, acting on behalf of the Stadhouder. This book is as always filled with humor and some kind of crime. Master Mercurius is sent to Amsterdam to get the city to pay its taxes. While there he is confronted with the mystery of three missing jewish boys and the fact that no one seems to care. I must thank @netgalley @sappere.books for giving me this advance copy and @graham_brack for writing it.
hrm's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jmatkinson1's review
4.0
For some reason the Stadhouder William of Orange believes Master Mercurius is an excellent diplomat and so he asks him to go to Amsterdam and persuade the Mayors of the city that they need to pay taxes. Mercurius does not believe he is a great diplomat but it is not a good idea to refuse the Stadhouder so he goes to Amsterdam. His secondary mission is to find out if there are any plots against the capricious and paranoid William. Whilst there he discovers that three Jewish children have disappeared and he commits to helping that community.
As ever this is a fun and clever outing for Master Mercurius, the ordained Catholic priest and Reformed minister. Here the main setting is Amsterdam in the earlier days of the VOC, as the foundations for the Golden Age are being set. All the plot lines are neatly drawn and tidied up by the end but with a strong degree of political understanding. Here the plight of the Sephardic Jews is juxtaposed with the riches of the merchants and the instability of European politics, a heady mix and beautifully imagined
As ever this is a fun and clever outing for Master Mercurius, the ordained Catholic priest and Reformed minister. Here the main setting is Amsterdam in the earlier days of the VOC, as the foundations for the Golden Age are being set. All the plot lines are neatly drawn and tidied up by the end but with a strong degree of political understanding. Here the plight of the Sephardic Jews is juxtaposed with the riches of the merchants and the instability of European politics, a heady mix and beautifully imagined
cj_mo_2222's review
4.0
I am a huge fan of this author and this series. I love the character of Master Mercurius and the clever way he solves the cases he is asked to assist with. I especially like the way he looked into the disappearance of three young boys that the local authorities have ignored. There is a lot of historical background in this series and I always learn a lot while being entertained by these well-researched, witty book. "The Vanishing Children" is another winner in this excellent historical mystery series.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘Mercurius, As you love your country and your Stadhouder, please come at once.’
In this volume of his memoirs, dated 1721, Master Mercurius is now recounting events from 1680. He might have been enjoying his life in Leiden, but once again William of Orange wants his help. William is worried about possible plots against the King of England, and consequences for his country …
‘Where are you going, Mercurius? There’s more.’
… and he wants to raise money to go to war with France. So, he wants Mercurius to go to Amsterdam and meet with its four mayors and convince them to pay their taxes. They have refused, on the basis that war is bad for trade.
Mercurius travels to Amsterdam to meet with the mayors and also to gather information about any plots afoot.
‘However, I am not a moral philosopher for nothing, and one of the tricks of my trade is to harness the power of silence, especially when you have nothing useful to say, so I simply sat and waited for someone else to say something.’
But nothing is ever straightforward, and Mercurius finds himself caught in another mystery. Three Jewish boys have vanished in Amsterdam, and the authorities are doing nothing. Who abducted these boys, and why? Could other children be at risk?
This is another magnificent Master Mercurius mystery. Clever, witty, and full of historical detail. While it could easily be read as a standalone mystery, the series is just a delight. I am now looking forward to the next instalment.
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
In this volume of his memoirs, dated 1721, Master Mercurius is now recounting events from 1680. He might have been enjoying his life in Leiden, but once again William of Orange wants his help. William is worried about possible plots against the King of England, and consequences for his country …
‘Where are you going, Mercurius? There’s more.’
… and he wants to raise money to go to war with France. So, he wants Mercurius to go to Amsterdam and meet with its four mayors and convince them to pay their taxes. They have refused, on the basis that war is bad for trade.
Mercurius travels to Amsterdam to meet with the mayors and also to gather information about any plots afoot.
‘However, I am not a moral philosopher for nothing, and one of the tricks of my trade is to harness the power of silence, especially when you have nothing useful to say, so I simply sat and waited for someone else to say something.’
But nothing is ever straightforward, and Mercurius finds himself caught in another mystery. Three Jewish boys have vanished in Amsterdam, and the authorities are doing nothing. Who abducted these boys, and why? Could other children be at risk?
This is another magnificent Master Mercurius mystery. Clever, witty, and full of historical detail. While it could easily be read as a standalone mystery, the series is just a delight. I am now looking forward to the next instalment.
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
jacquihertz's review
4.0
In this cross between historical fiction and mystery, Mercurius, a professor of philosophy at Leiden University, a clergyman of the Reformed (Calvinist) church, and secretly an ordained Catholic priest, is assigned by William of Orange to negotiate the payment of taxes that have been refused by the city of Amsterdam. His role as diplomat is further complicated when the Jewish residents of the city appeal to him for help in finding three young children who have been abducted from their homes.
The mystery is well-developed and the writing is wry with a continual undercurrent of humor. The setting of Amsterdam in the Dutch Golden Age is interesting much as the politics and religious debate and confusion of the seventeenth century are fascinating. I particularly enjoyed this depiction of William of Orange and his wife, Mary.
All in all, I found this to be an engrossing read that I could finish within two days of starting it. I would recommend it to historical fiction and mystery fans, especially for those who would appreciate the chance to visit seventeenth century Holland.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free promotional copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)
The mystery is well-developed and the writing is wry with a continual undercurrent of humor. The setting of Amsterdam in the Dutch Golden Age is interesting much as the politics and religious debate and confusion of the seventeenth century are fascinating. I particularly enjoyed this depiction of William of Orange and his wife, Mary.
All in all, I found this to be an engrossing read that I could finish within two days of starting it. I would recommend it to historical fiction and mystery fans, especially for those who would appreciate the chance to visit seventeenth century Holland.
(In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free promotional copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.)
vesper1931's review
4.0
1680 Master Mercurius has been summoned by William and sent to Amsterdam. As William is convinced that there are plots against him by the English exiles which is compounded by the Dutch merchants refusing to pay their taxes. An uphill mission for Mercurius to solve both problems. But on arrival he discovers that some children have gone missing and no action taken.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery. Another good addition to the series with its likeable and interesting main character.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery. Another good addition to the series with its likeable and interesting main character.
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