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Archives of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey #1
The Emperor's Gold
July 1805. The armies of France have only to sail to England to complete Napoleon’s domination over Europe. Britain is militarily weak, politically divided, unsettled by her rioting poor. Into this feverish environment comes a dead man. Pulled half-drowned from a shipwreck, his past erased, Tom Roscarrock is put to work
for the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey, a shadowy Government bureau. He is thrown into a bewildering world of political intrigue and violence. In France, a plan is underway to shatter the lastof England’s stability. In England, the man who
recruited Roscarrock has disappeared, his agents keep turning up dead, and reports of a secret French fleet are panicking the authorities. Roscarrock begins to realize that his mission is a deliberate device to reveal the British spy network in France... and his own opaque past is the key to the conspiracy. For Tom Roscarrock, the battle of the Empires is his chance for private
vengeance. Will he prove nemesis or saviour?
for the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey, a shadowy Government bureau. He is thrown into a bewildering world of political intrigue and violence. In France, a plan is underway to shatter the lastof England’s stability. In England, the man who
recruited Roscarrock has disappeared, his agents keep turning up dead, and reports of a secret French fleet are panicking the authorities. Roscarrock begins to realize that his mission is a deliberate device to reveal the British spy network in France... and his own opaque past is the key to the conspiracy. For Tom Roscarrock, the battle of the Empires is his chance for private
vengeance. Will he prove nemesis or saviour?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
About the author
Robert Wilton
19 books13 followersOut now! The 'rare, clever treat' that is 'Treason's Spring'...
Robert Wilton worked in a number of British Government Departments, including a stint as Private Secretary to three successive UK Secretaries of State for Defence. He was advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo in the period leading to the country's independence, and now helps to run an international human rights mission in Albania. He's co-founder of The Ideas Partnership, a charity stimulating and supporting projects in education, culture and the environment.
His new historical thriller 'Treason's Spring' is out imminently. It's a prequel to 'Treason's Tide' (hb 'The Emperor's Gold'), which was an Amazon historical fiction Number One, one of Waterstone's 'best new debut novels', and won the Historical Writers' Association/Goldsboro Crown for best debut. 'Sensational... great, intelligent, fun' (Time Out) ' and 'Literary gold... superbly satisfying...beautifully written, wonderfully clever' (Daily Telegraph), it was written in various odd bits of Europe on a computer with no functioning full-stop key, was edited in Russia and Mongolia, and was almost but mercifully not quite blown up by the British Transport Police.
His series of historical espionage thrillers drawing on the archive of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey also includes 'Traitor's Field', an epic tapestry of the British Civil Wars and 'a new benchmark for the literary historical thriller. He achieves that Holy Grail of utterly absorbing, edge-of-the-seat thriller with a book of ideas' (M.C.Scott). He launched the 'learned, beautifully written, elegant spy thriller' (The Times) 'The Spider of Sarajevo' in Sarajevo on June 28th 2014, the exact centenary of the events it re-tells.
Robert Wilton also writes on the history and culture of south-eastern Europe, works as a life coach and occasional voice artist, and translates Albanian poetry. He divides his time between the Balkans and Cornwall.
Robert Wilton worked in a number of British Government Departments, including a stint as Private Secretary to three successive UK Secretaries of State for Defence. He was advisor to the Prime Minister of Kosovo in the period leading to the country's independence, and now helps to run an international human rights mission in Albania. He's co-founder of The Ideas Partnership, a charity stimulating and supporting projects in education, culture and the environment.
His new historical thriller 'Treason's Spring' is out imminently. It's a prequel to 'Treason's Tide' (hb 'The Emperor's Gold'), which was an Amazon historical fiction Number One, one of Waterstone's 'best new debut novels', and won the Historical Writers' Association/Goldsboro Crown for best debut. 'Sensational... great, intelligent, fun' (Time Out) ' and 'Literary gold... superbly satisfying...beautifully written, wonderfully clever' (Daily Telegraph), it was written in various odd bits of Europe on a computer with no functioning full-stop key, was edited in Russia and Mongolia, and was almost but mercifully not quite blown up by the British Transport Police.
His series of historical espionage thrillers drawing on the archive of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey also includes 'Traitor's Field', an epic tapestry of the British Civil Wars and 'a new benchmark for the literary historical thriller. He achieves that Holy Grail of utterly absorbing, edge-of-the-seat thriller with a book of ideas' (M.C.Scott). He launched the 'learned, beautifully written, elegant spy thriller' (The Times) 'The Spider of Sarajevo' in Sarajevo on June 28th 2014, the exact centenary of the events it re-tells.
Robert Wilton also writes on the history and culture of south-eastern Europe, works as a life coach and occasional voice artist, and translates Albanian poetry. He divides his time between the Balkans and Cornwall.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 1, 2014
I‘m glad that’s done with, moreso in relief & with a tinge of disappointment as the premise & opening chapters were good & promised of a grand adventure over land & sea with Bony’s army massed in Northern France, The desperate British navy blockading ports to prevent invasion, Vice-Admiral Nelson chasing a French fleet across the oceans, Irish provocateurs loose in the countryside, spy networks that only a select few at admiralty knew of & the French secret police, all during a period of political upheaval in Europe as the masses turned against their masters. An exciting period in history for sure but sadly this book jus didn’t knit it all together. In part it was excellent, others I was fair nodding off, a case of the ol’ Sunflower dissection – I like it, I like it not!
Why didn’t it work – For me I like dialogue in my stories & for whole chapters there was nowt but descriptive text followed by even more descriptive text especially throughout the middle of the book, the story was very disjointed & extremely hard to follow with the only real workable thread being that of the hero Rosscarrock a great character. There are other characters in the book but oft they are lost in the text & have neither real depth nor enough interaction. It really needed more (some) dialogue at times to bring the characters truly to life although a couple make it to the surface.
What worked – The historical documents within the text were a great idea, with the story woven from actual secret archives of the controllerate of scrutiny & survey, an organisation that may? Still exist to this day? All part of the mystery. Tom Rosscarrock is an excellent character; full of intrigue & mystery & one that plays right until the very last page, well crafted. The ending of course, also the premise & opening.
Currently it’s a 3.27 rating, I think or is it I WANT it to be better than that, but I’m not sure it is? The opening & closing 100pg’s are actually really good, the ending very much so, it’s a real shame it loses its way in the middle to a tangled mess, hence only my 3 rating. I think it’s worth a read for those even slightly interested but I say it is heavy going at times & if you do go for it, try an obtain a hardback or large paperback copy as some of the actual letters/documents can be difficult to read, even moreso I guess with a small paperback.
So there yer go.... I like it....I like it not.....I like......
Why didn’t it work – For me I like dialogue in my stories & for whole chapters there was nowt but descriptive text followed by even more descriptive text especially throughout the middle of the book, the story was very disjointed & extremely hard to follow with the only real workable thread being that of the hero Rosscarrock a great character. There are other characters in the book but oft they are lost in the text & have neither real depth nor enough interaction. It really needed more (some) dialogue at times to bring the characters truly to life although a couple make it to the surface.
What worked – The historical documents within the text were a great idea, with the story woven from actual secret archives of the controllerate of scrutiny & survey, an organisation that may? Still exist to this day? All part of the mystery. Tom Rosscarrock is an excellent character; full of intrigue & mystery & one that plays right until the very last page, well crafted. The ending of course, also the premise & opening.
Currently it’s a 3.27 rating, I think or is it I WANT it to be better than that, but I’m not sure it is? The opening & closing 100pg’s are actually really good, the ending very much so, it’s a real shame it loses its way in the middle to a tangled mess, hence only my 3 rating. I think it’s worth a read for those even slightly interested but I say it is heavy going at times & if you do go for it, try an obtain a hardback or large paperback copy as some of the actual letters/documents can be difficult to read, even moreso I guess with a small paperback.
So there yer go.... I like it....I like it not.....I like......
June 17, 2011
I read this book as a pre-publication proof and it blew me away - As a writer, I always got a huge number of historical novels to read (and provide cover quotes if I liked them). As Chair of the HWA, that number seems to have increased exponentially. Some of them, frankly, are dire. Some are OK. Some are quite good. Once in a while, there’s one that’s so very, very good it leaves me breathless and speechless and at the same time reading bits out to Faith. She has a degree in English Lit- she’s far more literate than I am – so it has to be good for me to read things to her.
Only once ever, have I sat by the fire in the evening and read aloud the entire opening chapter of a book. That book is ‘The Emperor’s Gold’ by Robert Wilton, published today.
The premise is simple, but clever: there exists a body called the ‘Comptrollerate of Scrutiny and Survey’ – a name so dull that you’d fall asleep just thinking about it – but it’s a cover for an espionage agency that existed long, long before MIs 5 & 6, and that may continue to exist long after they have gone. By dint of years of work, Robert Wilton has ferreted out the hidden annals of this organisation and has written his fiction around this framework. And what fiction… The book is set in 1805. Napoleon has taken all of Europe and his forces stand on the French coast, looking across to Britain. All that keeps them from invasion is the British Navy which keeps the French fleet in port and has denied them the channel – until now.
Cue the arrival of one Tom Roscarrock. A shipwrecked mariner, he is rescued – and renamed – by the man who leads the secretive Comptrollerate of S&S. Given little but this new name, he is propelled into the heart of an organisation, a city and a nation which is hovering on the brink of collapse. Around England, men call for the same freedoms as they see in France, in the US, perhaps one day in Ireland. And in the city, where gold traders threaten to bring down the entire economy, those who make decisions are paralysed. Without clue or hint as to whom he can trust, or even for whom he is truly working, Roscarrock must stay alive long enough to make the decisions that will change the fate of nations.
This is a gem of a book: the plot is clean and clear – and entirely opaque. The driving narrative keeps it moving while at the same time giving nothing away – I truly had no idea exactly what was happening until the last pages: which is another all-time first. And I cared what happened – Tom Roscarrock is an engaging, interesting, shadowy character who repays our attention with an intelligence that few fictional characters can match while those around him are always more devious than they seem at first.
So much of the current crop of historical fiction is populated with cardboard cut-out characters, thinner than the pages they’re written on, with plots that lurch from one uninspiring battle to the next, that it’s a true pleasure to read characters of depth and intelligence and colour, who never fail to surprise, but remain entirely plausible and human: no superhuman fighting abilities, no improbable feats of daring – this has the ring of truth to it aided all the time by the ‘found documents’ that populate the text.
But it’s the language that truly sets this apart. Not since Wolf Hall have I come across a writer who truly understood what could be done with the English language – who explored the joys of its poetry with such skill and beauty, while never letting go of the narrative drive. Nothing is unnecessarily flowery, but everything is a joy to read.
If there’s a criticism, it’s that the cover really doesn’t do this book justice. I was sent it by the publishers and read it in default of the others they’d sent, not particularly expecting to like it. In truth, if I’d seen it in a bookshop, I don’t think I’d have picked it up – it’s not a cover that inspires one to imagine intelligence within the pages, which is sad, because it’s there in spades and deserves better. Maybe it’ll get it with the paperback.
At any rate, it’s my book of the year so far and if you don’t read it, your life will be incomplete.
Only once ever, have I sat by the fire in the evening and read aloud the entire opening chapter of a book. That book is ‘The Emperor’s Gold’ by Robert Wilton, published today.
The premise is simple, but clever: there exists a body called the ‘Comptrollerate of Scrutiny and Survey’ – a name so dull that you’d fall asleep just thinking about it – but it’s a cover for an espionage agency that existed long, long before MIs 5 & 6, and that may continue to exist long after they have gone. By dint of years of work, Robert Wilton has ferreted out the hidden annals of this organisation and has written his fiction around this framework. And what fiction… The book is set in 1805. Napoleon has taken all of Europe and his forces stand on the French coast, looking across to Britain. All that keeps them from invasion is the British Navy which keeps the French fleet in port and has denied them the channel – until now.
Cue the arrival of one Tom Roscarrock. A shipwrecked mariner, he is rescued – and renamed – by the man who leads the secretive Comptrollerate of S&S. Given little but this new name, he is propelled into the heart of an organisation, a city and a nation which is hovering on the brink of collapse. Around England, men call for the same freedoms as they see in France, in the US, perhaps one day in Ireland. And in the city, where gold traders threaten to bring down the entire economy, those who make decisions are paralysed. Without clue or hint as to whom he can trust, or even for whom he is truly working, Roscarrock must stay alive long enough to make the decisions that will change the fate of nations.
This is a gem of a book: the plot is clean and clear – and entirely opaque. The driving narrative keeps it moving while at the same time giving nothing away – I truly had no idea exactly what was happening until the last pages: which is another all-time first. And I cared what happened – Tom Roscarrock is an engaging, interesting, shadowy character who repays our attention with an intelligence that few fictional characters can match while those around him are always more devious than they seem at first.
So much of the current crop of historical fiction is populated with cardboard cut-out characters, thinner than the pages they’re written on, with plots that lurch from one uninspiring battle to the next, that it’s a true pleasure to read characters of depth and intelligence and colour, who never fail to surprise, but remain entirely plausible and human: no superhuman fighting abilities, no improbable feats of daring – this has the ring of truth to it aided all the time by the ‘found documents’ that populate the text.
But it’s the language that truly sets this apart. Not since Wolf Hall have I come across a writer who truly understood what could be done with the English language – who explored the joys of its poetry with such skill and beauty, while never letting go of the narrative drive. Nothing is unnecessarily flowery, but everything is a joy to read.
If there’s a criticism, it’s that the cover really doesn’t do this book justice. I was sent it by the publishers and read it in default of the others they’d sent, not particularly expecting to like it. In truth, if I’d seen it in a bookshop, I don’t think I’d have picked it up – it’s not a cover that inspires one to imagine intelligence within the pages, which is sad, because it’s there in spades and deserves better. Maybe it’ll get it with the paperback.
At any rate, it’s my book of the year so far and if you don’t read it, your life will be incomplete.
March 6, 2014
rosado
read by Cameron Stewart
Length:- 16hrs 10mins
Emperor's Gold aka Treason's Tide
Fraudio>rosado
summer 2013
hist fic> napoleonic> spies
pub 2011
abandoned> arch> purplish> wanted to be taken seriously and I couldn't muster the reverence
Read by Cameron Stewart
This only got as long a go as it did because the mp3 player was tucked into my panties on a walk where there was little chance to change the book. Not completely ugly, however there are better books to read.
----------------------
read by Cameron Stewart
Length:- 16hrs 10mins
Emperor's Gold aka Treason's Tide
Fraudio>rosado
summer 2013
hist fic> napoleonic> spies
pub 2011
abandoned> arch> purplish> wanted to be taken seriously and I couldn't muster the reverence
Read by Cameron Stewart
This only got as long a go as it did because the mp3 player was tucked into my panties on a walk where there was little chance to change the book. Not completely ugly, however there are better books to read.
----------------------
April 30, 2023
This is an absolutely fabulous book and was, I understand, Robert Wilton's debut novel.
It is a spy story concerning the shadowy Office of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey - an innocuous title maybe, but behind it lies the head of Britain's embryonic spy network at home and abroad. The book is set in July 1805, a time when Napoleon's army is massed across the channel seeking an opportunity to invade. Napoleon's force kept on the French side of the channel by the overwhelming might of the British navy, which did indeed rule the waves. While the French seek a way to beat the British Navy, the British Government, is facing other threats. Irish nationalists are determined to achieve independence while the working classes are hungry, poor and downtrodden with many pressing for real change. Tom Roscarrock is a relatively new recruit to the ranks of the Office of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey and he and others must try save the nation from its multiple threats, which of course, seek to exploit each other. As with all good spy stories - there is much that is not clear. Who can be trusted and who cannot? Duplicity, confusion, intrigue, treachery and distraction are everywhere. Tom Roscarrock is a wonderful invention, but can even he be trusted?
The is a satisfying complex book. It is beautifully written, clever and with a fabulous plot. Like all good thrillers, it keeps you guessing right up until the end. Highly recommended.
It is a spy story concerning the shadowy Office of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey - an innocuous title maybe, but behind it lies the head of Britain's embryonic spy network at home and abroad. The book is set in July 1805, a time when Napoleon's army is massed across the channel seeking an opportunity to invade. Napoleon's force kept on the French side of the channel by the overwhelming might of the British navy, which did indeed rule the waves. While the French seek a way to beat the British Navy, the British Government, is facing other threats. Irish nationalists are determined to achieve independence while the working classes are hungry, poor and downtrodden with many pressing for real change. Tom Roscarrock is a relatively new recruit to the ranks of the Office of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey and he and others must try save the nation from its multiple threats, which of course, seek to exploit each other. As with all good spy stories - there is much that is not clear. Who can be trusted and who cannot? Duplicity, confusion, intrigue, treachery and distraction are everywhere. Tom Roscarrock is a wonderful invention, but can even he be trusted?
The is a satisfying complex book. It is beautifully written, clever and with a fabulous plot. Like all good thrillers, it keeps you guessing right up until the end. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2011
This book begins with an atmospheric description of a shipwreck and continues with the story of the one man who survived and who is given the name Tom Roscarrock by a shadowy rescuer.
I wouldn't rate this novel as an easy read as the plot is complex and for much of the time I wasn't sure what was going on, but it helped me to empathise with Roscarrock as he didn't really know what was happening for much of time either until things became clear to him towards the end of the novel.
The story is taken from the archives of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey. These archives appear to be a genuine resource which is fascinating and I do hope that it doesn't turn out that they are fictional because it is such a wonderful name for a secret organisation that has been working behind the scenes for hundreds of years as a spy network.
Like the organisation the book is not conventional but it is cleverly written and a lot of attention has been paid to the detail of the history that surrounds the story. I wasn't disappointed by the ending as so often happens with this type of complex story. Everything made sense and I wasn't left feeling cheated - just in awe at the amount of work and research that has gone into the work.
I wouldn't rate this novel as an easy read as the plot is complex and for much of the time I wasn't sure what was going on, but it helped me to empathise with Roscarrock as he didn't really know what was happening for much of time either until things became clear to him towards the end of the novel.
The story is taken from the archives of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey. These archives appear to be a genuine resource which is fascinating and I do hope that it doesn't turn out that they are fictional because it is such a wonderful name for a secret organisation that has been working behind the scenes for hundreds of years as a spy network.
Like the organisation the book is not conventional but it is cleverly written and a lot of attention has been paid to the detail of the history that surrounds the story. I wasn't disappointed by the ending as so often happens with this type of complex story. Everything made sense and I wasn't left feeling cheated - just in awe at the amount of work and research that has gone into the work.
March 3, 2012
The premise was good. Napoleon's hordes waiting to cross the English Channel to defeat the English. Plots regarding a mysterious french naval fleet to draw off the English naval squadrons blockading the French ports. Spies in both countries gathering intelligence and killing off each other when possible. Industrial uprising and sabotage in industrial areas assisted by Irish rebels. General unrest and insurgence leading to a march on London. Added to this the mysteriously recruited English spy (the main character)and his adventures to find the truth, or is he in league with the French? There are many twists and turns until the truth unfolds.
This all sounds fine and exciting, however, the book suffers from over long dialogue, over complications and description, certainly in the first half of the book. This led to some frustration as the plot lost its way at times and was a might confusing. I felt the book would have benefited from a bit of pruning in the early stages and some good editing throughout. Fortunately, the action picked up as did my interest for the remainder of the story. The good thing was that until the end, you were never sure of the allegiance of the main characters. That said I felt the book was a little rushed at the very end leaving a few questions unresolved.
This all sounds fine and exciting, however, the book suffers from over long dialogue, over complications and description, certainly in the first half of the book. This led to some frustration as the plot lost its way at times and was a might confusing. I felt the book would have benefited from a bit of pruning in the early stages and some good editing throughout. Fortunately, the action picked up as did my interest for the remainder of the story. The good thing was that until the end, you were never sure of the allegiance of the main characters. That said I felt the book was a little rushed at the very end leaving a few questions unresolved.
May 19, 2013
Audiobook read by Cameron Stewart
Published under title Treason's Tide.
Fascinating book which works surprisingly well as an audiobook. It consists of documents from the Office of the Comptroller-General for Scrutiny & Survey (a precursor of MI5 and MI6), and deals with Napoleon's proposed invasion of England in 1805. To get his barges out of port he has created a secret fleet to draw off the English blockade, and various diversions in England.
The book moves from England to France, from the Admiralty to disaffected troops, mining explosions to attempted murder.
It twists and turns all over the place, and although I can understand some people giving up on it it is worth persevering.
Published under title Treason's Tide.
Fascinating book which works surprisingly well as an audiobook. It consists of documents from the Office of the Comptroller-General for Scrutiny & Survey (a precursor of MI5 and MI6), and deals with Napoleon's proposed invasion of England in 1805. To get his barges out of port he has created a secret fleet to draw off the English blockade, and various diversions in England.
The book moves from England to France, from the Admiralty to disaffected troops, mining explosions to attempted murder.
It twists and turns all over the place, and although I can understand some people giving up on it it is worth persevering.
May 7, 2012
There are some really well written reviews on here already so im not going to go into too much detail... lets just summarise
Very Well written
Great Plot
Great characters
Great Pace
Sucks the reader into another time and place
And all this for £1 on the Kindle.... how can you lose...seriously i hope Robert Wilton has book 2 ready to go at a serious price so the poor guy can make some money off his hard work and clear talent
Very highly reccomended
(Parm)
Very Well written
Great Plot
Great characters
Great Pace
Sucks the reader into another time and place
And all this for £1 on the Kindle.... how can you lose...seriously i hope Robert Wilton has book 2 ready to go at a serious price so the poor guy can make some money off his hard work and clear talent
Very highly reccomended
(Parm)
October 16, 2017
This ought to have been great. The book's conceit, that the author has discovered the archives of a shadowy British spy organisation and is publishing part of the collected archives, is brilliantly carried off. In particular, the extracts from letters, newspapers, journals and the varied and various epistolary exchanges of the early 19th century are completely convincing - so much so that for much of the book I thought the Comptrollerate General really existed! Now, that really is well done, and my congratulations to Robert Wilton for his ability to write convincingly in so many voices and genres. So all the foundations for a great novel of historical fiction were in place. What stops it achieving greatness is, in the end, the story. A story about the smoke and mirrors, the lies and deceptions of espionage during the Napoleonic Wars in the end dissolves itself, the plot blowing away like a column of smoke when a wind rises. In the end, it's hard not to think that it was all sutff and nonsense about nothing much in particular - a story of panic and confusion dissipated when, finally, all the plots are revealed as empty and the threat unreal. Still, with the talent Wilton shows in this, his first book, I am sure that he is capable of writing a truly great novel of historical fiction in future.
February 16, 2018
I’d actually like to give this a 3.5 but obviously the current star system doesn’t allow us to do so. I was very taken with the novel in the first quarter or so, but found myself losing interest by about halfway through. However, I was determined to soldier on if only to find out what Napoleons secret fleet actually was, and I’m glad I did as it got so much better in the last section headed “France”. The pace picked up, the tension built, and the last few pages, where Roscarrock faces down the cynical, treasonous Admiral, were excellent. I’d happily read the other books in this series but if I’m honest I’m not going out of my way to find them.
November 19, 2021
It took a long time to get into this book, long stream of consciousness style chapters jumping from one point of view to another. The language used is rather flowery and excessive, but with some perseverance I got into the story and actually really enjoyed it. The twists and turns kept you on your toes right up until the last page.
July 29, 2019
I had hopes for this book. However, I found the start to be rather disjointed and difficult to grasp the plot so after reading 20% I sadly gave up hence the 2 star rating. Other readers appear to have enjoyed it - obviously a book for some readers.
Read
April 6, 2021Spies and stuff
Took a while to get going but pretty good in the end. Intrigued as to what the next one could be about.
Took a while to get going but pretty good in the end. Intrigued as to what the next one could be about.
March 5, 2014
Excellent plot & brilliantly atmospheric of the times. My one critism (of the publisher rather than the author)is that the hand-wriiten letters printed throughout the book are very difficlut to read in a paperback, maybe OK in a larger hardback. I found that I frequently gave up and skipped them but don't let this put you off reading it. I received this book free from Goodreads First Read, thank you.
July 4, 2012
I got about 100 pages into this, and gave up, bored. Its not badly written, and the story is okay, but I've got a big library of unread books and I just don't have time to read books that don't thoroughly engage me. Perhaps if you are a historical novel buff you'll get more out of it.
February 16, 2014
Starts off well but tails off quickly. I found it difficult to keep interested, and only kept going as I was hoping it would get better. It did, slightly, towards the end, but not sure it was worth the slog!
July 13, 2013
Received a free copy from Goodreads First Reads Brilliant, exciting tale . a must read.
December 8, 2015
I found it an engrossing read but can't add anything to Manda Scoot's review, which I think covers it all
January 14, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am delighted to learn that there are more to read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews