The King's Evil

Finished September 29

The King's Evil by Andrew Taylor

This is the third book in the series set in the time of Charles II. James Marwood is a clerk to Joseph Williamson, who is in charge of the Royal Gazette and Undersecretary of State to Lord Arlington, but also clerk to the Board of the Red Cloth, which takes precedence and to which duties he is called by Lord William Chaffinch, Keeper of the King's Private Closet. 

Catherine (Cat) Lovett is the daughter of one of Cromwell's followers, and is in hiding, posing as Jane Hakesby, a draughtsman and maid to Simon Hakesby, surveyor and architect. His firm has several projects underway, including work at the Earl of Clarendon's large home. 

James is informed by Lady Quincy, a woman he has previously been in contact with, that Jane's cousin, Edward claims he has discovered her identity, and asked to warn her. 

James and Cat have been involved in incidents before and have a sometimes helpful, sometimes antagonistic relationship. Cat is smart, capable, and not one to give in to fear lightly. She refuses to leave Simon as their is much work to do. 

When James is called to Chaffinch and asked to undertake an confidential investigation on the king's warrant into a death at Clarendon's estate, he finds himself involved in both Cat's life and a larger conspiracy. Not sure who to trust, he uses the increasing reputation he has along with the help and contacts of his two servants to follow the clues he discovers. 

The title of this novel refers to scrofula, a disease that showed in swellings on the skin, particularly on the neck. It was often called the King's Evil as a ceremony involving recitations and touching by the king was said to cure it. This plays a role in the plot of the novel. 

Here we see James' discretion and abilities begin to be known by the higher levels of the court, something that makes it harder for him to operate without being noticed. 

I enjoy this series of novels, for both the historical elements and the intrigue in the plot. I also like some of the architectural details that are brought up through Cat's role. 

Bristol House

Finished April 30
Bristol House by Beverly Swerling

This novel is set in London in the present day, but there are also commentaries from two speakers from sixteenth century, one a Carthusian monk and the other a Lombard Jew.
Annie Kendall has come to London to do research. She was hired very suddenly by a Jewish organization to look into the existence of a Jewish man known as The Jew of Holborn who sent ancient Jewish artifacts to various Jewish communities in 1735. This was a time that no one lived openly as Jewish, and the monasteries were under attack by Henry VIII. Annie is a recovering alcoholic, who has much in her past that she isn't happy with. She has snatched at this chance of a research job as it offers an opportunity to take back the academic career she lost hold of several years ago. Her doctoral dissertation had been titled The Effect of Protestant Iconoclasm on Sacred Doorway Decoration in Tudor England, 1537-1559, so the research she has been asked to do is relevant to the time period she is familiar with. Her new employer has set her up with the loan of a third-floor apartment in Bristol House, not far from the British Museum, one of her research locations. The apartment is well-kept, but seems to have something she hadn't bargained for, a ghost. When Annie meets a man, Geoff Harris, that is the spitting image of the ghost, she is amazed, and when she is drawn into Geoff's life, she is sure that there is a connection to her ghost and possibly her research.
A novel involving history, romance, and danger, this is a story you won't want to put down.