UNCOVER THE VERY BEST IN CRIME AND THRILLER WRITING
‘One of the best writers of Historical crime’ Sunday Times
Rebellion in the city, and a Royalist spy in his own ranks – Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell’s guard, must eradicate both if the fragile Republic is not to fail.
London, 1655, and Cromwell’s regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell’s Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army while the Army resents his absolute power.
In the east end of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars.
Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem…
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What readers are saying about The Black Friar
‘Great plots and storytelling . LOVED IT’ 5* Reader Review
‘A page turner‘ 5* Reader Review
‘Brilliant stuff with very good characterisation‘ 5* Reader Review
‘A cracking good read‘ 5* Reader Review
‘Absorbing from page one’ 5* Reader Review
Rebellion in the city, and a Royalist spy in his own ranks – Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell’s guard, must eradicate both if the fragile Republic is not to fail.
London, 1655, and Cromwell’s regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell’s Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army while the Army resents his absolute power.
In the east end of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars.
Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem…
********************************
What readers are saying about The Black Friar
‘Great plots and storytelling . LOVED IT’ 5* Reader Review
‘A page turner‘ 5* Reader Review
‘Brilliant stuff with very good characterisation‘ 5* Reader Review
‘A cracking good read‘ 5* Reader Review
‘Absorbing from page one’ 5* Reader Review
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Reviews
MacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city
Damian Seeker [is] one of the most appealing heroes I've come across in quite some time . . . [the Commonwealth] is paid full service by S. G. MacLean, a fine writer with a terrific grasp of history and character
Damian Seeker really comes into his own in this novel . . . the plot navigates the waters of history with masterful effect
Brilliantly woven into a thrilling plot . . . MacLean's characters are subtle and convincing . . . could challenge C.J. Sansom for dominion of historical crime
The best historical crime novel of the year
MacLean achieves the balance of immersing her readers in a time and place without ever making them feel battered over the head by research, while the central mystery is satisfying and plausibly plotted
A first class, compelling debut for MacLean's new hero
MacLean's light touch portrait of a hard man with a softer core is what makes these books so memorable
A satisfactorily complex and fascinating story backed up by impeccable historical research, all set in a time of extraordinary political and religious turmoil. Highly recommended
Seeker is a complex and fascinating character . . . an absorbing, enjoyable tale
Excellent at conveying the insecurities and unsettling memories that bedevil Cromwell's dying Protectorate, the author brings a fresh perspective and gold-plated research to a period which has been unfairly eclipsed by the popularity of the Tudors
