Queen & Country

Hew Cullan Mystery #5

by Shirley Mckay

1587. After three long years, exiled from home and family, and drawn into the depths of the London underworld under the tutelage of Elizabeth I’s spymaster Francis Walsingham, Hew returns to Scotland with his new English wife Frances.

The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots has unleashed a torrent of anti-English sentiment in the Scottish people and fear in King James VI, jeopardising Hew’s now unlawful marriage. However, the king invites Hew to investigate the perplexing meaning of a death’s head painting that has come into his possession. What does it symbolise, and is it a message from his dead mother? And are the local painters all that they appear?

If Hew solves the mystery, his marriage to Frances will be blessed. The stakes have never been higher as he embarks on a quest for love and life. Queen & Country is the fifth Hew Cullan mystery.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Renaissance

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 17, 2015

About the author

Shirley McKay was born in Tynemouth but now lives with her family in Fife. At the age of fifteen she won the Young Observer playwriting competition, her play being performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. She went on to study English and Linguistics at the University of St Andrews before attending Durham University for postgraduate study in Romantic and seventeenth century prose. She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger. Shirley works as a freelance proofreader.

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Very fine it is. Now turn it into English.’ ‘What do you think it is?’ Hew had objected. ‘I should have said, Scots.’

Each Cullan mystery takes the reader deeper into the history of sixteenth century England and Scotland, during the last years they were independent of each other. The inner workings of both courts are revealed. Many historical persons and events melded into the story. A good read.

“You know, upon my life, that I will take no part in a conspiracy, against either queen.’ ‘Trust me, when I say, we know that all too well. Therein lies the trouble, Hew.’

Hew continues to kick against the goads and comes out smelling like a rose. No good deed of his goes unpunished as he seeks to extricate himself from the intrigue and murder surrounding a dynastic change which alters the future of both countries.

'It was a tacit understanding of a man in public office, that the office he had paid for, or won by rank and privilege, was his to put to such advantage as could there be found.'

McKay deals with spirituality, truth and trust in a modern manner while revealing the superstitions and prejudices of that era.

‘All men follow ghosts, when they do not want to see, when they do not want to hear the whisper of their breath. They cannot help themselves.’

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

In fairness, this was very much a filler book, Hew's life in exile, then return to Scotland take up most of the narrative. It isn't until 50 pages from the end we get a murder suicide at the college and just before that, a request from King James to find out where a mysterious morbid painting came from.
That's not to say nothing happens. Hew is put to work by Francis Walsingham on letters and ciphers, even meeting the other Queen in England, his former Sovereign, Mary, Queen of Scots, whilst spying as a clerk. He finally gets leave to return to Scotland, pardoned, and with a hastily arranged marriage to boot. Unfortunately King James decrees it treason to associate with anybody English just as Hew needs to remarry in the Scots Kirk to legalise his new English bride . . .
Filler, but enjoyable none the less to be back with Hew, Giles, Meg and St Andrews.
Hopefully there's a little more meat to the next one . . .

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because I started by reading a Calendar in Crime and then went back to book 1, I have now finished all the Hew Callan books. I absolutely loved being immersed in the late 1500s, and I particularly enjoyed the novels set in St Andrew's itself. The characters are compelling; I felt that I was getting a true glimpse into people's real lives and personalities. I even felt that I could relate to the characters, which is something I rarely experience in novels. I love the descriptions too, which made the world the characters inhabit come alive. I particularly enjoyed all the detail about food. The novels are also well-written, which is likewise rare nowadays.

However, if you read these novels looking for compelling murder mysteries, you will probably be disappointed. Hew doesn't so much solve mysteries as have one or two ideas and wait for answers to present themselves. The mysteries, particularly in books 4 and 5, seem to be there almost by accident, and aren't dealt with in a very satisfying way. Likewise, McKay over explains the solutions at times, and, if you binge read these (as I did) they become predictable. I would recommend reading these novels as historical fiction as opposed to murder mysteries.

I have binged all of the Hew Callan books over the last week and am now devastated that they've come to an end. What higher praise can there be than that?

[Becks312 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably really 2.5 stars...

To be fair, I received this book as a gift and haven't read the first books in the series, so there is likely a ton of backstop I was missing! But the first 2/3 of this book, prior to the mystery, was so confusing to me--even after I did some reading to refresh my memory on the history of the time.

First, I could not get a sense of Hew--he came across as this totally blank person that others, for some reason, had strong feelings about. Even when I understood how and why he was in England, he seemed to have zero personality, except for being calm and loyal to his king

Second (plot spoilers coming up), when they learned he wouldn't be useful for their work, his captors just...let him go home? After they trained him and gave him some sense of why he was there? He was already presumed dead, and they wouldn't just imprison him or get rid of him some other way? Again, confusing

The book did pick up when the mystery was revealed at the end, but I still had a hard time at points with the writing. McKay likes to have her characters give speeches rather than talk plainly, it seems--which of course is her right as an author, it just made things slow going at times. That said, other reviews have indicated that her other books are a bit more easy to get into, so I would definitely give one of those a try!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this latest in the Hew Cullen series. We discover what befalls Hew after he is rescued from certain death and spirited off to London where he is tutored in the art of spying by Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s Secretary and spymaster. I loved the accuracy of detail and it’s clear that a great deal of meticulous research went into this novel.
Set in the period shortly before the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots it’s fascinating to learn of the tensions and distrust between Scotland and England at this time. Eventually after several years Hew is allowed to return home with his new wife Frances. In Presbyterian Scotland however, his marriage is not recognised. His sister Meg and brother in law Giles while happy to see Hew are cautious about his choice of wife. Back in Scotland Hew is summoned to the court of King James and asked to solve a puzzle which has troubled the King. Should he be successful he will be able to marry legally.
However, there is a murder at the University and Hew is enlisted to uncover the killer. Hew manages to work out the answer to both so earning the right to marry his Frances in Scotland. I particularly enjoy the use of many of the old Scots words and was happy to see the links to museums etc where further reading could be done. There was an interesting twist at the end which is making me look forward to the next Hew Cullen story.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than a mystery. An excellent historical thriller filled with rich characters who you want to know more about, the inclusion of Scottish prose only adds to the charm of this engaging and entertaining book.
Eagerly awaiting the publication of the next Hew Cullan Mystery.
If you like Sansome’s “Matthew Shardlake” or Parris’s “Bruno Giordano” characters you love this authors characters too.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not read any others in this series but managed to pick up and enjoy this. Looks at the story of Mary Queen of Scots death and it's affect in Scotland. I studied Elizabeth history at A level but hadn't done anything on this aspect so I found it really interesting. Quite dour in places but this fits the story and time.

[Kirstie · Rating 2 out of 5]

To someone new to the Huw Cullan mysteries, this had an extremely slow start. Everything that happens happens in the last 50-100 pages or so. The crux of the story was actually really intriguing, and the second half felt like a completely different book to the first half. I want to recommend it based on the ending, but feel as though I can't because of the tedious start.

[Nicola Royan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, readable, interesting, Hew and Frances are good characters, but the Scots is used so lightly and randomly that it’s annoying rather than enlightening (Walter Scott does it better and he’s got class restrictions in mind), and the detective story is an add-on, with a really fast resolution.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another befuddling start where the narrative jumped around in time without me noticing. It did pick up towards the end though and I liked the plot.

[Elite Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

South of the Border
Hew Cullan’s previous adventure ended with him facing a horrific execution before being suddenly freed by agents working for Elizabeth I’s spymaster, Francis Walsingham. Spirited south of the border and incarcerated in London, Hew has slowly proved his worth to the English and is working towards being permitted to go home.

Queen & Country is dominated by the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. The book opens with an eruption of anti-English feeling at a Scottish fair before stepping back to examine the unfortunate Mary and to give the reader a view of Hew’s role in her downfall. This section is largely set in a paranoid Elizabethan London and sees Hew alone and without his friends. Instead he finds himself relying on Frances, sister of one of Walsingham’s agents. The pressure builds as Hew finds himself meeting the imprisoned Queen herself and agonising over his motives and loyalties, whilst other men simply agonise over Walsingham’s questions. This is not the first time that characters in the series have found themselves in difficult situations – in Time & Tide Hew fears that he has become a prisoner of the Inquisition, and it is in Friend & Foe that Walsingham and the entire question of spying first appear. McKay again demonstrates talent at developing an aura of menace that threatens to become hideously real at any point. Her understated descriptions of traitors’ deaths are more effective in part because they leave most of the work to the imagination.

The remainder of the novel is spent in the more familiar territory of St. Andrews, and after the plotting and paranoia of London this is a welcome relief. Although Hew finds himself reconciled with King James and again tasked by the Crown to investigate potential treason, this section proceeds at a more sedate pace. McKay evokes a vanished world through the authentic voices of her characters and her attention to detail, such as the passage set in a goldsmith’s store.

Much of Queen & Country concerns the aftereffects of Friend & Foe, and without having read the previous books in the series it is impossible to appreciate the bonds between the different characters. Quite a lot of the interpersonal drama is drawn from Hew’s return to St. Andrews after a long absence, and how he and others react to the changes that time has wrought.

In my opinion, Queen & Country is a good addition to the series, but it doesn’t reach the heights of Hue & Cry or Time & Tide. The different setting and dynamic of the first half of the story are a powerful draw, but the sharp divide between the English and Scottish sections and the fragmented plot drag it down.

David
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Damien G · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great read I liked how the author showed us Elizabethan England from the eyes of an exiled Scot. Hew is Loyal to his country but is trapped in England and to add matters finds out about the Babington plot.He is allowed to return home with his new wife and King James asks for his help. The joy of the book is the Scots reaction to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. The hatred of all things English and thereby making Hews marriage illegal. The staid and judgemental Kirk and it's influence in Scottish society is well written.This is a enjoyable read and Hew is a well rounded character who slowly realises that he has made the right decision in marrying Frances. It is interesting also in hinting at what King James will do when he is made King of England.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had reservations about this for a while, but I think if you approach it as an explanation of part of Hew Cullan's life and the results of that part, with a couple of minor mysteries at the end, then its historical detail and complexity are well up to the usual standard. There is also a set-up at the end for future problems, which is enough to keep me going! It's worth pairing this with the short mysteries Shirley McKay is producing at the moment which keep the mystery desires satisfied until the next full length mystery comes out.

[Lorraine Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old friends

Another well-written Hew Cullan book which was good reading from beginning to end. In some places the storyline could have been developed more but that might have made for a laborious read. I liked the twist near the end.