Treachery

Giordano Bruno #4

by S.J. Parris

August, 1585. A relentless enemy. A treacherous conspiracy. Elizabethan England is on the brink of war. 


Sir Francis Drake is preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish when a murder aboard his ship changes everything.


Giordano Bruno agrees to hunt the killer down, only to find that more than one deadly plot is brewing in Plymouth’s murky underworld. And as he tracks a murderer through its dangerous streets, he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the future of England itself.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Crime, Historical Mystery, Audiobook

592 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2014

About the author

Pseudonym for author Stephanie Merritt

S.J. Parris began reviewing books for national newspapers while she was reading English literature at Queens' College, Cambridge. After graduating, she went on to become Deputy Literary Editor of The Observer in 1999. She continues to work as a feature writer and critic for the Guardian and the Observer and from 2007-2008 she curated and produced the Talks and Debates program on issues in contemporary arts and politics at London's Soho Theatre. She has appeared as a panelist on various Radio Four shows and on BBC2's Newsnight Review, and is a regular chair and presenter at the Hay Festival and the National Theatre. She has been a judge for the Costa Biography Award, the Orange New Writing Award and the Perrier Comedy Award. She lives in the south of England with her son.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great and entertaining historic read. It is the 4th in the series of Giordano Bruno, fugitive Italian monk, free-thinking philosopher, writer and heretic turned spy, working for Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walsingham.

Better than the previous one, book 3, which kind of annoyed me, especially the love interest part of the story, whereas the setting, Canterbury was great.

This story is better for me. It's about Sir Francis Drake, preparing to launch a daring expedition against the Spanish, when a murder aboard his ship changes everything. Giordano agrees to hunt the killer down, together with his charismatic but rather naïve friend Sir Philip Sidney, only to find that someone with a deadly grudge is shadowing his every move.

An entertaining historical thriller, good storyline and characters, great setting once again, good historical background. For those who like historical mysteries or crime stories, this is a good read!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fourth novel from S.J. Parris’ Elizabethan mystery series, the reader sees Giordano Bruno on yet another adventure in a different part of the country. After Giordano Bruno accepts the invitation of Sir Philip Sidney, the two find themselves on the way to dockside town of Plymouth. Spain has begun its war with the Netherlands and is eyeing Protestant England as a possible next target. Sidney wants Bruno to accompany him on a ship to the New World, where England is set to plunder some of the Spanish settlements and return with large amounts of gold. Bruno is slightly hesitant, even when he learns the ship will be captained by none other than Sir Francis Drake. After Bruno and Drake meet one another, news of a death aboard the ship halts any chance of leaving port. As Drake recounts, Robert Dunne was found hanging in his cabin, likely by his own hand. Drake refuses to leave until the body has been removed and an inquiry is done to ensure everything is above board. Bruno wonders if there might be some foul play, but has yet to really investigate the scene or Dunne’s backstory. At this time, Bruno also meets Thomas Drake, brother to the captain and full of his own theories. As a partial distraction, Bruno is told that Sir Francis is in possession of a rare and highly controversial book, one written in Coptic and purported to be the Gospel of Judas Iscariot. After Bruno takes time to examine it and make notes, he asserts that the document tells of a different ending to the man called the traitorous disciple and would surely be a hot commodity, as well as something the Church would want to disappear. Bruno also discovers that an assertive bookseller has been trying to get his hands on the book, a man that Bruno knows all too well from his time in Oxford. As the Dunne investigation gains momentum, Bruno learns that there were two other men who died recently, all three of whom served on a jury of a man convicted of murder. Said individual had recently been released from prison with a grudge. Bruno spends time in Plymouth to learn more about Dunne and those who might have wanted to harm him, learning that a local brothel might hold the key to some of the issues. When other bodies emerge, Bruno realises that there is trouble afoot, as well as the mystery surrounding the controversial book. The more he investigates, the larger a target Bruno places on his back, one that will lead to many issues and could cost him everything. In a story whose plot thickens and narrative gains momentum throughout, this is surely one of the most exciting Giordano Bruno novels to date. Recommended to those who love Elizabethan mysteries steeped in history, as well as those who enjoy the Bruno series in all its permutations.

While the series took some time to get moving, the invested time and dedication surely paid off. Parris continues with a clear and detailed writing style that offers a learning experience on every page. Giordano Bruno returns as protagonist, focussing his attention on the mystery at hand. While his religious past and constantly being mistaken for a Spaniard serve as thorns in his side, Bruno is able to see past this and work diligently to help those around him. Level-headed, Bruno relies on his intellect and wit, rather than pure luck and blind faith to reveal truths that take some time to piece together. Parris uses some historical events to set more important groundwork for the developing series and present England as ripe for the picking by Catholic powers on the continent. Parris devises wonderful characters—a mix of historically accurate and those of her own creation—who fill the narrative with their own points of view and keep the mystery going strong, as well as revealing some of the social issues of the time. The story proves to be well-paced and developed, tossing off the minute detail that I found bogged down the first two novels, but still can be a tad intense for those looking for a superficial read. Parris takes the reader to Plymouth and the heart of the shipping industry. With chapters of a decent length and a plot that evolves throughout, Parris creates a plausible story and injects needed social commentary to show that things were not always upbeat and exuberant. I want to keep reading and see where Bruno will go, as well as how some of the cliffhangers from past novels work themselves out!

Kudos, Madam Parris, for another griping story. I can see that the action won’t be waning anytime soon!

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[Sean Barrs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never buy books based upon the cover art but I made the exception for this one: I have a soft spot for Griffins, just look at the cover.

However, the Griffin has very little to do with the book. The book is set in England and that is the only relation between the two. I really should have read the blurb before I bought this. This is a murder mystery set in Elizabethan England in which Bruno, the protagonist, is sent to uncover the murderer, so no Griffins at all. But that, of course, isn’t the reason why I gave this a low rating!

Not the best detective

I love this sub-genre of historical fiction; I love the idea of combining a murder mystery in a historical setting. Indeed, a body is found hung upon Sir Francis Drake’s flagship, but is it suicide? The clues say no, but it looks a lot like suicide too. Bruno, at the request of Drake, investigates. The author keeps the reader guessing as more and more possible leads are uncovered. This being said it goes a bit too far. Bruno’s investigative insight seems to branch upon paranoia. He seems to suspect everyone he meets, almost to the stage of drawing conclusions on their innocence upon the basis of one conversation or interaction. The character hasn’t got the right balance of investigative intuition and the ability to draw credible conclusions. Thus, this is a poor example of the sub-genre.

There was also another thing that struck me as quite odd: one of the characters translates a large proportion of the bible to Latin in one night, surely it is a physical impossibility, an improbability, that one man could translate an entire gospel from ancient bible text to Latin in such a short period of time? It just seemed very unrealistic. On a brighter note, this is the fourth book in the series, but reading the other three is unnecessary when reading this one. It feels like a stand-alone novel, so there is no need to read the other three if you wanted to read this one.

Goes too far

The book kept me guessing in a classic whodunit style, but as some points the author raises suspicion far too much. Almost every character seems to be the prime suspect for at least twenty pages or so. The protagonist begins pointing the finger at characters who obviously aren’t involved. It just got a little bit ridiculous. His suspicions kept shifting with barely any evidence to back it up. He received some very flimsy information and used it as a basis to accuse another innocent. It just went a little too far. Having a list of credible suspects is a good thing in a book like this, but having too many suspects is just as a bad especially when it is clear that several of them are just bystanders. I don’t think Bruno is the most intelligent of detectives.

Who is being a trailed change quite rapidly towards the end, which does keep the reader interested to some extent. It’s quite a shame really because this book was so close to being good. If Bruno was a little less paranoid and his investigation more credible then this would have been a much better book. I think these are very small aspects that really would have changed my rating of the book. I think that the idea behind the plot was very good, but Bruno just couldn’t pull it off himself. He’s a crap detective. I think next time I fancy a book like this, I’ll stick to Shardlake.

A disappointing 2 stars.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like historical mysteries and this was a fine one. It features a former Italian monk, Bruno, who has been excommunicated and exiled to England. There he seems to specialize in undercover investigations for Queen Elizabeth mostly using his intellectual abilities. This one features Sir Francis Drake.

Bruno and his friend, Sir Philip Sidney, travel to Plymouth to escort an official from Portugal to the Queen but Sidney has another idea. He wants to travel on Drake's new expedition to the New World. The Queen has forbidden it as she enjoys his company too much. Sidney thinks he will find a way. When they get to Plymouth they find the expedition in disarray. A crew member has killed himself and sailing can not go on until the mystery is solved. Sidney sees this as his opportunity to ingrate himself with Drake and secure a spot on the expedition. So he and Bruno set off to solve what the real story with the crewman's death is.

Then there is a long involved investigation and more dead bodies. There is the discovery of a book that is supposedly the testament of Judas. The Catholic Church wants it back and Bruno is excited to read it. This involves a long time enemy of Bruno and an enemy of Drake.

This was quite interesting but too long. It's 540 pages and 100 pages shorter would have been a better length. By the end of it, I was weary of it and ready for it to be over. Still good historical mysteries are hard to come by and this was good. Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this in exchange for a fair review.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Giodano Bruno series of historical mysteries by S. J. Parris, just gets better and better. I read a lot of historical mysteries, and the genre's greatest weakness is that most authors can either develop characters effectively or design mysteries complex enough to remain mysteries until the novel's end. Parris is one of those rare writers who can offer both simultaneously, which makes her Giordano Bruno series a particular pleasure.

In Treachery, Bruno is headed to Plymouth with Sir Philip Sidney, who has been charged with escorting the deposed Portuguese ruler to London for a meeting with Elizabeth I. Sidney has dreams of joining Sir Frances Drake's fleet, which is moored in Plymouth preparing an attack on Spanish ports where English ships are being held.

Sidney's scheming offers a bit of comic relief to accompany the mystery at the novel's heart. One of Drake's crew members has apparently committed suicide, though Drake suspects murder. Sidney offers Bruno's detecting skills to Drake in hopes of currying favor.

That's the set-up. What is wonderful is that this mystery really is a mystery. Time and again, the mystery seems to have been solved, only to have deeper layers of the puzzle revealed. A reader may make one or two correct guesses while reading, but it's a rare reader who will be able to puzzle out the entire mystery before Bruno does.

Bonus: there's also a Gnostic gospel, purportedly the testament of Judas Iscariot, playing its own role in the complications. What more can a reader of historical mysteries ask for?

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just too much of everything. Too many culprits, too many motives,too many side plots. The whole issue with the book,which has been done many times before,adds nothing;it's obviously to cash in on the whole ridiculous "oh a lost gospel" wave.
In the end, everybody did a "piece" of the crime(s) and that makes for a sloppy book. Twists and turns are welcome, this scattershot approach is just...lazy.

[Kimmy C · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beauty of historical fiction is that there’s plenty of people we know of (and many more we don’t) ready to slot into a storyline. In this, the fourth of the Giordano Bruno series, we meet Sir Francis Drake, when Sidney intends to show the man he believes himself to be (eg: not Queen Elizabeth’s lapdog), by joining the expedition with the flotilla. Which comes as a surprise to everyone’s favourite excommunicated Italian monk.
What follows is at least one death (and who better placed to investigate it), valuable books, a love interest, and much intrigue in the back streets and bays of Plymouth, as the ships can’t depart until the mystery is cleared up.
I think this is my favourite of the series so far, it shows a much better idea of the relationship between Bruno and Sidney, with a lot more humour and affection. Obviously, each is the product of their upbringing and societal expectations at the time, but it was a very enjoyable read.
And…onto the next one (I’m on a schedule - my husband is reading these as I finish each one, and he seems to be gaining on me.)

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This entry in the series didn't capture or hold my attention quite the same way the previous one did and I felt my mind wandering.

[KateNZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Francis Drake's fleet assembles in Plymouth, its intent to sail to the New World to plunder Spanish holdings and disrupt Spain's ability to invade England. But when one of Drake's officers is found hanging in his cabin, plans are delayed. The death looks like suicide; a grievous sin that would ruin the man's family. However, Drake suspects he was murdered, which is even worse. It can only have been one of his trusted advisers - but who, and why? He cannot set sail for months, and into enemy territory, with a murderer on board.

Good fortune arrives accidentally in the shape of Giordani Bruno, exiled Italian scholar and former monk, unwilling resolver of unexplained deaths and detector of treacheries for Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Walsingham. The last thing on Bruno's mind is investigating another murder, but he finds himself unexpectedly in Plymouth when his friend Philip Sidney hatches a plan to sail with Drake and prove himself a hero. Bruno is promptly pitched into the investigation, which involves becoming acquainted with some of the seamier sides of Plymouth life, and also leads to an encounter with an old foe.

This is a good mystery story, and highly readable, a latticework of different plotlines, motivations, grievances and twists that provides a window into the politics and life of Elizabeth's England. You can practically smell the Plymouth streets at times.

Readers of the earlier books will enjoy meeting Bruno again: academic, kind, attractive, haunted and increasingly desperate to find a quiet place and a respectable living in a country where he will always be viewed as foreign and suspect. The effusive Sidney is also a delight, though one that makes the reader (and Bruno) roll their eyes on occasion. He's a good friend to have, but a liability at the same time.

While the other characters are well drawn and stand as individual human beings, the character types and their backstories are clearly selected to advance the story. The happy exception, though, is Francis Drake, who is a wonderful and highly sympathetic character: charismatic, clever and humane, but with a steely determination and edge of ruthlessness that both drives and enables him to succeed. Like Bruno, he is both a man of his time and a man ahead of his time, which makes him appeal to modern readers.

I had read the first of the Bruno series before (Heresy) and thoroughly enjoyed it. So now I need to go and find the two intervening books. Each story stands on its own, so while there were allusions to earlier books, I didn't find that it spoiled my enjoyment of this volume at all.

I recommend the series to anyone who enjoys Tudor history. It's a lighter read than CJ Sansom's 'Shardlake' books (which I adore) but the sense of place and period is excellent, the characters are very believable and the story keeps you interested throughout.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

The hero runs around accusing various Elizabethans of having done it guv. It's starts off brightly but sadly deflates with each blind alley.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabethan conundrums!

Caught up with intrigue, the Spanish question, the French and English monarchs, and his own troubles Italian "defrocked monk, excommunicated for heresy," and now spy, Giordano Bruno accompanies his friend Sir Philip Sidney, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth's to Plymouth where Sir Francis Drake's fleet is readying to set sail for the Spanish Main. It's 1585 and Drake is on the eve of departure. Ostensibly Sir Philip is to escort Dom Antonio, the pretender to the Portuguese throne, back to Elizabeth's court. In reality Sir Philip has decided to go against the Queen's wishes and join Drake on his great adventure.
That great voyage though has been brought to a halt. A man, "Master Robert Dunne, a gentleman of Devon," has apparently suicided on Drake's galleon. On closer inspection it appears that the suicide is actually a murder. A lose-lose situation for Drake. Sailors being a superstitious group will see the voyage as cursed before its begun, murder though will have men on a long voyage even more skittish, either decamping now or turning on each other on the endless voyage. Drake cannot afford to have his quandary bruited abroad. He cannot sail until the truth is known. And this is where Sir Philip decides to volunteer Bruno's expertise. Until recently Bruno's's been acting as a spy for Walsingham and the Privy Council whilst part of the French Ambassador Châteauneuf's cohort in London. At the moment his future is in doubt. Volunteered by Sir Philip, Bruno finds himself mired in plots and counterplots, including murder and stolen artifacts, not the least of which pertains to a forbidden religious book supposedly written by Judas Iscariot and stolen from the Vatican. Vatican agents will stop at nothing to retrieve this heretical work. Bruno becomes at once exhilarated and dismayed as he pursues his investigations.
The relationship between Philip and Bruno is interesting. Part comradeship, part benefactor, part older brother. I swerve between admiring their relationship and wondering why Bruno doesn't depart Sir Sidney's side.
Parris admirably captures the complexities and fears abroad during these times, painting a colorful picture of Elizabethan life.

A Pegasus Books ARC via NetGalley

[Alison Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this on Goodreads. Providence indeed for this proved to be a rich and talented story that tells of a murder aboard Francis Drake's ship as it waits in the harbour of Plymouth to set sail around the world.
The reader is thrust into the seedy dwellings and streets of Elizabethan Plymouth with such accomplishment that one can smell the stench and feel the depravity that existed there. This added to the variety and originality of the story's intriguing characters produces a mix that becomes compelling and the reader is quickly entangled in the quest to solve the crime and free Drake's fleet of the prison of the harbour.
Giordano Bruno, a one time monk from Italy, is the man entrusted by Drake to head up the inquiry and he does so with flair. He is a sometimes complex character that you come to respect and admire. This is the fourth book in which Giordano Bruno features, yet it matters not at all that you may not have read of him before. What will matter though is that he will capture your imagination and the author leaves you with an irrefutable need to search out and devour the first three books of the series.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the three previous Giordano Bruno books, I was eagerly awaiting this one and wasn't disappointed. Once again, very interesting historical detail and lively descriptions of a very seedy Elizabethan Plymouth - all drunken sailors and pox-ridden ladies of the night. All wrapped around a classic whodunnit with plenty of possible suspects, red herrings, cryptic clues and false turnings. And, as always, poor old Giordano finds himself unlucky in love. If you enjoy historical mysteries, such as C J Sansom's Matthew Shardlake books, then I recommend this series.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining as usual.

[Phoebe Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Ram Kaushik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started slow, but this was a slowly burning fuse to a crackling finish. A rip-roaring tale of political scheming in Tudor England, this Bruno is a worthy successor to Ms. Parris's earlier yarns. Bruno is entangled in Francis Drake's machinations to relieve the Spanish of their ill-gotten gold through outright piracy, while a murderer lurks. I enjoyed researching Sir Francis Drake during the course of this book; trust the British to reward pirates with a knighthood. Of course, he was not any ordinary pirate but the foremost and most successful pirates of his times.. which makes it all ok.

Probably only one notch below Sansom's brilliant Shardlake series, but that is hardly criticism. Highly recommended.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

In August 1585 Sir Francis Drake and his fleet is about to embark to the New World to strike a blow against Spain. In the days before they leave a man is found dead in his cabin. It appears to be suicide on the surface but Drake is suspicious that instead there is a murderer aboard his ship.

Before setting sail he wants this resolved. Luckily for him Giordano Bruno has accompanied Sir Philip Sidney to Plymouth in order to escort a diplomat back to London. While in Plymouth Bruno undertakes the task to discover who was the killer. Soon enough he discovers several suspects with motive.

One strong motive involved an old book, a lost gospel. This brought in a bookseller with a vengeance against Bruno. The bookseller is partnered with a man who wants revenge against Drake and several others from a previous voyage who killed his brother.

This is a fourth book in a series, I had not read the previous three. While it did not hurt the understanding of the story line, early there are relationships with some characters that happened in previous books.

I did enjoy the book being in the first person point of view, and the historical setting felt accurate. Liked this book enough that I may look for another in the series.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

All five of these stars are based on sheer entertainment value. This is the first book in this series that I have read, and I found that it was completely entertaining. There may have been points where the red herrings got a bit over-the-top, but for e that only added to the enjoyment.

I love Bruno. He's sly and interesting, and sometimes frustratingly silent as he allows the reader to contemplate the evidence for themselves, somewhat Sherlockian, I thought. In any case, I enjoy tales of the high-seas and gravitate toward anything having to do with Elizabethan England, so this was a perfect combo for me. This book contains plenty of historical characters fleshed out and given life by the author.

After doing weeks of research for a project I've been working on, I wanted to read something to take my mind off of that and relax and this worked out beautifully (at the expense of actual sleep.) I am now interested in reading the rest of this series and am happy to recommend it to others who want to transport themselves to another time and place.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The philosopher and heretic Giordano Bruno, perpetual exile, now in England in 1585 and working for the secret service, investigates a murder on board Drake’s ship and translates a supposed gospel written by Judas that would destroy the Church if it got out. Heavy dose of the gothic with Catholic conspiracies, tunnels and hidden compartments, sale of babies, drugs and potions and a lot of tangled personal relationships as well as a bad man with no ears. Not bad but just too melodramatic and over plotted: too many red herrings, cliff hangers and false conclusions. Truth be told Bruno isn’t much of a detective. Less than 3 stars.

[Christina Rochester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this one. This has to be my favourite installment in the series so far and I think this is in part because everyone has a secret that they want to hide. And Toby and Sam both stole my heart a little bit.

This one is full of twists and turns although with my knowledge of Elizabethan History I can't help but wonder whether this would have been the perfect place to end the series.

Definitely recommend it.

[Jamie Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Francis Drake is about to set sail on Spain, but when one of his crew is apparently murdered onboard, he suspects a traitor maybe amongst their midst. Giordano Bruno is summoned to investigate, and he’s about to step into a hornets nest.

Another cracking Giordano Bruno story with plenty of intrigue and action. A great series

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. I thought long and hard about what rating to award this book. There were many things, mostly modern attitudes masquerading as 16th century concerns, that really bothered me. However, I try to rate books on their readability merits and considering that this book, even though overlong and suffering from a languid pace, still gripped my interest and made me laugh out loud at some of Sir Philip Sidney's sallies, I came down on the high side and gave it four stars.
This book was my introduction to works by S.J. Parris, who I had, for some reason, confused with C.J. Sansom and so I have been avoiding them, thinking I wouldn't like these books featuring Giordano Bruno. It was the front cover and title that drew me in...how shallow is that?! After reading the blurbs on the back cover, I realized that this was a new and unexplored series for me. Here are some of the good things I enjoyed: I loved reading and learning more about Sir Francis Drake. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, his is a familiar name and there is much speculation regarding his landfall somewhere on the Northern Coast of California, most notably the region now known as "Drake's Bay." I thought the author treated this historical figure in a circumspect way, showing his faults along with his contemporary celebrity and renown. Secondly, I also liked the way Sir Philip Sidney was portrayed, self-centered, mercurial, but at heart a man who tries to be a loyal friend. He is presented here as a wit and clever with words as one would expect from a major Elizabethan poet. Much of the imagery and descriptive language was insightful and original, enough to provide vivid word-pictures that stayed with me, i.e. "sieved the light," " warm, dancing eyes that invite you to fall into them," (this, to describe an enemy!...clever!) It also spurred me to do a bit of research to discover that all the main characters, including Giordano Bruno, were real people, who lived as depicted during the time period covered in the book. That realism increased the value of the story to me, even though the elusive book which provides the motivation behind much of the action, did not actually exist. There were plenty of thrills and perils to engage all kinds of readers, so definitely NOT Chick-Lit, yet there was still enough attention to details of dress, and romantic interludes to intrigue people who like a little spice with their action! This book had very little foul language, although it did evoke all the foul odors of a medieval sea-faring town!
Unfortunately there were also a myriad of flaws as well. I will just make one mild rant which is, that it is a modern concept to blame religion for all the ills, wars and strife of the world. In 1585, while there were certainly some rabid religious factions, including the most notorious, The Inquisition, the basis of them was doctrinal and disagreement over ritual. Religion was the cornerstone of sixteenth century life and the idea that it might be responsible for the evils in life would have been incomprehensible, even to a disaffected monk, like Bruno.
The narrative was, at times, so full of tedium that it became an effort to resist just skimming the pages, although I resisted it because there were too many salient points I would have missed.
Even worse, from a literary point of view, is the dragged-out slog of the last 100 pages which pursue several red herrings to their dead-ends. I figured out the culprit very early on in the book and it was annoying to have to wade through a lot of gratuitous speculation. Another irritating thing were the anachronisms, such as having ladies of high rank and birth staying at a common sailor's Inn. This would not have happened at that time. They would have stayed (as they did later on in the book,) at a friend's or acquaintance's private home.
Overall, I felt it was a worthwhile read and I appreciated the parts of it which were based on solid history.

[Jenny Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the previous installment! Reminded me of the Shardlake story involving a boat, only then it was the Mary Rose in Portsmouth and this time it is Sir Francis Drake in Plymouth.
The story was fast paced as always, still never guessed correctly the murderer 🤦🏻‍♀️ but then i never do! It had more than one story line as usual and a full cast of characters.
I love these books and can’t wait for the next one. 🤗

[Abi McManigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment in this fabulous series. I loved how the mystery was so complex and had so many different avenues to explore and the red herrings. It was cool to get to know Sir Francis Drake too and this book was full of action, so much so I couldn't believe everything that happened occured in a few days. Great detective work from Bruno too. I love reading about him snooping around for clues

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

page-turner. read until 3:00 a.m. one "night."

[Roshni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruno is tasked with solving the apparent suicide of a man aboard Sir Francis Drakes' fleet docked in Plymouth with an urgency: the fleet is scheduled to leave for Spain and the New World. Could it be something in Sir Francis Drakes' past coming to haunt him, some Spanish espionage plot, or something else altogether? This book is full of twists and turns and is an entertaining read all around.

[Mark S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. A bit predicable

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ rounded up.

[Karen M M · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent storyline, very well written, lots of cliffhangers and really good read

[John Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

same old, same old but fun