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Master Mercurius Mysteries #3
Dishonour and Obey
Mercurius is back — and this time in England! Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, C J Sansom, S J Parris and Ken Follett.
A royal marriage is in the making. But not everyone is happy with the match…
1676, Leiden, The Netherlands
Two years have passed since Master Mercurius last found himself embroiled in a murder case, and he has welcomed the peaceful interval.
But now a letter has arrived for him from Stadhouder William of Orange.
And a letter from William can only mean one thing – Mercurius is wanted for another mission.
William has decided he wants to marry. And he has his sights set on Princess Mary, the niece of King Charles II of England.
William has decided that Mercurius, as an ordained minister, is the perfect person to travel to England and secure the hand of the princess on his behalf.
But when Mercurius arrives at the English court it becomes clear that there are powerful people opposed to the match. And as the Stadhouder’s representative, Mercurius himself could be in their firing line…
Can Mercurius complete his mission with his life — and his honour — intact?
Dishonour and Obey is the third historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.
A royal marriage is in the making. But not everyone is happy with the match…
1676, Leiden, The Netherlands
Two years have passed since Master Mercurius last found himself embroiled in a murder case, and he has welcomed the peaceful interval.
But now a letter has arrived for him from Stadhouder William of Orange.
And a letter from William can only mean one thing – Mercurius is wanted for another mission.
William has decided he wants to marry. And he has his sights set on Princess Mary, the niece of King Charles II of England.
William has decided that Mercurius, as an ordained minister, is the perfect person to travel to England and secure the hand of the princess on his behalf.
But when Mercurius arrives at the English court it becomes clear that there are powerful people opposed to the match. And as the Stadhouder’s representative, Mercurius himself could be in their firing line…
Can Mercurius complete his mission with his life — and his honour — intact?
Dishonour and Obey is the third historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2020
315 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Graham Brack
28 books152 followersGraham Brack trained as a pharmacist but now writes crime fiction. He has been shortlisted three times for the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger (2011, 2014 and 2016) without ever winning it. Those three entries involved three different detectives.
The 2011 entry has been published as Lying and Dying by Sapere Books, and has been followed by seven more books about Josef Slonský, a Prague policeman, and his team.
The 2014 offering has been published as Death in Delft and features Master Mercurius, a seventeenth century university lecturer. The second Mercurius mystery, Untrue till Death followed in August 2020 and the third in the series Dishonour and Obey in October 2020. The fourth, The Noose's Shadow arrived in December 2020 and The Vanishing Children in 2021. The sixth book was The Lying Dutchman (2022) and the seventh was Murder in Maastricht (2023). The latest is The Moers Murders . The ninth in the series, Nun Shall Sleep, will be published in January 2026.
Graham is married to Gillian and has two adult children and three granddaughters. He lives in a small village in Northamptonshire.
The 2011 entry has been published as Lying and Dying by Sapere Books, and has been followed by seven more books about Josef Slonský, a Prague policeman, and his team.
The 2014 offering has been published as Death in Delft and features Master Mercurius, a seventeenth century university lecturer. The second Mercurius mystery, Untrue till Death followed in August 2020 and the third in the series Dishonour and Obey in October 2020. The fourth, The Noose's Shadow arrived in December 2020 and The Vanishing Children in 2021. The sixth book was The Lying Dutchman (2022) and the seventh was Murder in Maastricht (2023). The latest is The Moers Murders . The ninth in the series, Nun Shall Sleep, will be published in January 2026.
Graham is married to Gillian and has two adult children and three granddaughters. He lives in a small village in Northamptonshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
November 30, 2020
For the third time running, Master Mercurius receives an offer he cannot refuse. This time he is forced to leave his beloved University of Leiden and, having been assigned a secret task by Stadhouder William of Orange, sets off with a group of other Dutchman and arrives at the court of Charles II. The year is 1676, and a marriage plans between the king's niece and William are brewing. However, there is some opposition, fuelled by the Catholic party, to this union of two Protestant countries. Book 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction, with a high dose of historical background and not a smaller dose of subdued humour that Master Mercurius is already famous for.
*Many thanks to Graham Brack, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
*Many thanks to Graham Brack, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
October 23, 2020
The third book in this great series and this time Mercurius finds himself in England, part of a group of people sent to make sure Princess Mary will make a good wife for William of Orange.
Of course nothing is ever straightforward for our hero and he is soon overwhelmed by court intrigue and murder. He is getting better though at assessing crime scenes and making sense of all the evidence. I loved all the historic information about London in those times. Also the delightful comments from a Dutchman viewing the, to him, inferior English.
Mercurius might wish he could stay at home, reading his books, but at least he is becoming well travelled and he is certainly making a lot of money. I am looking forward to where he goes next!
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Of course nothing is ever straightforward for our hero and he is soon overwhelmed by court intrigue and murder. He is getting better though at assessing crime scenes and making sense of all the evidence. I loved all the historic information about London in those times. Also the delightful comments from a Dutchman viewing the, to him, inferior English.
Mercurius might wish he could stay at home, reading his books, but at least he is becoming well travelled and he is certainly making a lot of money. I am looking forward to where he goes next!
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 21, 2020
Brack continues to deliver with this humorous, historical mystery. Mercurius is once again called to help William of Orange. William wants to secure the hand of Princess Mary of England as his bride. Mercurius is sent to England, as part of the delegation, to determine Mary's suitability. You see, her father has converted to Catholicism and it’s imperative that Mary is a true Protestant. This, of course, proves an interesting situation for Mercurius, as he is both a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister. But not everyone is on board with the proposed marriage plan. Some in the English Court would prefer an alliance with France. And then one of the delegation is killed. Mercurius, because of his past ability to solve crimes, is once again called to investigate.
It was interesting to see the English court through the eyes of an outsider. The English are much more flamboyant and party-hardy than the Dutch.
I enjoy that Mercurius is not a detective savant, but has to constantly ponder the possibilities, usually while at prayer. He stumbles along trying to understand not just who the murderer might be, but the palace intrigues as well.
This is a perfect series for those that want a detailed, historical mystery. I’m thrilled to see there will be a fourth in the series.
My thanks to netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of this book.
It was interesting to see the English court through the eyes of an outsider. The English are much more flamboyant and party-hardy than the Dutch.
I enjoy that Mercurius is not a detective savant, but has to constantly ponder the possibilities, usually while at prayer. He stumbles along trying to understand not just who the murderer might be, but the palace intrigues as well.
This is a perfect series for those that want a detailed, historical mystery. I’m thrilled to see there will be a fourth in the series.
My thanks to netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of this book.
October 19, 2020
4.5★
“‘You! Stay!’ His Majesty commanded. I did as I was bid. Technically I was not his subject, but he had armed guards outside and a broad view of his prerogative powers. It is hard to conduct an argument about your rights successfully when your head is on the end of a pike.”
This is King Charles II of England, a monarch not to be trifled with (although he fooled around a lot himself). Master Mercurius is the nervous Dutch minister who hopes to avoid torture of any kind. In fact, he was hoping to avoid doing any more “little jobs” for William of Orange, the Stadhouder (the head of state) of the Dutch Republic, since he always ends up in harm’s way.
He’s a simple religious academic, a teacher, a Protestant minister (oh, and by the way, he’s a ‘secret’ Catholic priest, but we’re not tell anybody). Still, it’s handy to have that up his sleeve in these fraught times, as he’s never sure which side is in favour in any particular company.
It’s his Protestant expertise that’s being called for, to ascertain whether 15-year-old Mary, the King’s niece is truly Protestant, as her father (James, the Duke of York, younger brother of the King) converted to Catholicism. James would like his girls to marry French royalty and become Catholic.
“A lot of James’ problems would have vanished if a friendly Pope had excommunicated him. They never do, of course; great men can do all kinds of things and the Pope just writes them a note excusing their behaviour. Consider the Duke of Orleans; most men who dressed in women’s clothes and showed an unnatural interest in guardsmen would be on a gibbet in no time, but the Pope simply shrugged it off as high-spirited horseplay. “
The King, as head of the Church of England, is adamant that they remain Protestant as they will be in line for the throne. And what the King says, goes. At least in the 1600s it did. And there had already been plenty of religious blood spilled between various alliances of European countries against each other in turn.
Interestingly, nobody is ever concerned about the already strong family ties between William and Mary. Yes, ‘that’ William and Mary, for that’s who they became years later. They are first cousins.
‘The family tree of royal families is never straightforward, but it was true that when Mary married William her aunt would also become her mother-in-law. Except that she was dead; but you know what I mean.”
So what does our shy academic have to do with it? Back to William of Orange. He’s mid-20s and looking for a wife. She must be royal and Protestant. His other options are mostly either spoken for or toddlers (or both!), and the same is pretty true for Mary. Sounds like a match made in – well – royal heaven, I guess. And it’s really none of our Master M’s business. His heart isn’t in it.
“I was turning all this over in my head when it was stamped upon by a simple consideration. Mercurius, I told myself, this is not your world. You are a university lecturer. You do not understand all this. What are you doing even thinking about it? A few seconds served to dredge up the names of people of humble origins who had involved themselves in politics, and just a couple of moments more to recognise the key unifying factor between them. They were all dead, and some of them were not nicely dead, if I may put it that way.”
But he agrees to learning a bare smattering of English, joins the party to sail for England, and ends up facing spies, intrigue, rivalry, and women (!) who throw themselves at him. And then there’s a murder! His investigative fame is known to the Dutch group, and he’s assigned to find out who, what, etc.
His English is obviously dreadful, but he speaks French and Latin, as do the educated English of the day, so he manages. The real historical characters are always well-drawn by Brack, real and never dull caricatures, and the fictional ones are worked seamlessly into the plot. I can’t tell the difference without a program and am just content to go with the flow.
We are reading Mercurius's story as he relates it in his old age to his scribe. It’s a kind of memoir. Occasionally, he drops a sly aside into square brackets, reminding us that these are memories, and he did survive his adventures.
He mentioned at one point that a small number of women had “excited feelings in me that were, perhaps, more tender than I should have liked”, which was tricky, because he knows he’s a Catholic priest but the women and his friends know him as a Protestant minister who should be married with a family.
“[My clerk, Van der Meer, sniggered when I dictated that bit about “a small number of women”. I shall remember that when I share out my worldly goods at my end. He’ll be lucky to get my second best Bible.]
The only slow part for me, and that’s only slow by comparison, because these are pacey novels, was Master Mercurius’s explanation to the King of how he found the culprit. But I had to laugh when the King saved me.
“Charles interrupted. ‘Master Mercurius, have you a deal more to say? For if you have, for God’s sake go away and write a book about it.’
‘Not much more, Your Majesty.’”
Here’s that book!
Thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. I hope to see more of the good Master soon!
ps a little extra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
“‘You! Stay!’ His Majesty commanded. I did as I was bid. Technically I was not his subject, but he had armed guards outside and a broad view of his prerogative powers. It is hard to conduct an argument about your rights successfully when your head is on the end of a pike.”
This is King Charles II of England, a monarch not to be trifled with (although he fooled around a lot himself). Master Mercurius is the nervous Dutch minister who hopes to avoid torture of any kind. In fact, he was hoping to avoid doing any more “little jobs” for William of Orange, the Stadhouder (the head of state) of the Dutch Republic, since he always ends up in harm’s way.
He’s a simple religious academic, a teacher, a Protestant minister (oh, and by the way, he’s a ‘secret’ Catholic priest, but we’re not tell anybody). Still, it’s handy to have that up his sleeve in these fraught times, as he’s never sure which side is in favour in any particular company.
It’s his Protestant expertise that’s being called for, to ascertain whether 15-year-old Mary, the King’s niece is truly Protestant, as her father (James, the Duke of York, younger brother of the King) converted to Catholicism. James would like his girls to marry French royalty and become Catholic.
“A lot of James’ problems would have vanished if a friendly Pope had excommunicated him. They never do, of course; great men can do all kinds of things and the Pope just writes them a note excusing their behaviour. Consider the Duke of Orleans; most men who dressed in women’s clothes and showed an unnatural interest in guardsmen would be on a gibbet in no time, but the Pope simply shrugged it off as high-spirited horseplay. “
The King, as head of the Church of England, is adamant that they remain Protestant as they will be in line for the throne. And what the King says, goes. At least in the 1600s it did. And there had already been plenty of religious blood spilled between various alliances of European countries against each other in turn.
Interestingly, nobody is ever concerned about the already strong family ties between William and Mary. Yes, ‘that’ William and Mary, for that’s who they became years later. They are first cousins.
‘The family tree of royal families is never straightforward, but it was true that when Mary married William her aunt would also become her mother-in-law. Except that she was dead; but you know what I mean.”
So what does our shy academic have to do with it? Back to William of Orange. He’s mid-20s and looking for a wife. She must be royal and Protestant. His other options are mostly either spoken for or toddlers (or both!), and the same is pretty true for Mary. Sounds like a match made in – well – royal heaven, I guess. And it’s really none of our Master M’s business. His heart isn’t in it.
“I was turning all this over in my head when it was stamped upon by a simple consideration. Mercurius, I told myself, this is not your world. You are a university lecturer. You do not understand all this. What are you doing even thinking about it? A few seconds served to dredge up the names of people of humble origins who had involved themselves in politics, and just a couple of moments more to recognise the key unifying factor between them. They were all dead, and some of them were not nicely dead, if I may put it that way.”
But he agrees to learning a bare smattering of English, joins the party to sail for England, and ends up facing spies, intrigue, rivalry, and women (!) who throw themselves at him. And then there’s a murder! His investigative fame is known to the Dutch group, and he’s assigned to find out who, what, etc.
His English is obviously dreadful, but he speaks French and Latin, as do the educated English of the day, so he manages. The real historical characters are always well-drawn by Brack, real and never dull caricatures, and the fictional ones are worked seamlessly into the plot. I can’t tell the difference without a program and am just content to go with the flow.
We are reading Mercurius's story as he relates it in his old age to his scribe. It’s a kind of memoir. Occasionally, he drops a sly aside into square brackets, reminding us that these are memories, and he did survive his adventures.
He mentioned at one point that a small number of women had “excited feelings in me that were, perhaps, more tender than I should have liked”, which was tricky, because he knows he’s a Catholic priest but the women and his friends know him as a Protestant minister who should be married with a family.
“[My clerk, Van der Meer, sniggered when I dictated that bit about “a small number of women”. I shall remember that when I share out my worldly goods at my end. He’ll be lucky to get my second best Bible.]
The only slow part for me, and that’s only slow by comparison, because these are pacey novels, was Master Mercurius’s explanation to the King of how he found the culprit. But I had to laugh when the King saved me.
“Charles interrupted. ‘Master Mercurius, have you a deal more to say? For if you have, for God’s sake go away and write a book about it.’
‘Not much more, Your Majesty.’”
Here’s that book!
Thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. I hope to see more of the good Master soon!
ps a little extra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...
October 19, 2020
It's 1676 and Master Mercurius of Leiden University in the Netherlands has once again been called in to see the Stadhouder, William of Orange. It's been two years since he solved a murder at William's request but now William has asked him to go England with a diplomatic mission whose purpose is to arrange a marriage between William and King Charles II's fifteen year old niece Princess Mary. As Mercurius is an ordained Dutch Reformist minister (as well as a secretly ordained Catholic priest but he won't be mentioning that in protestant England), his role will be to question Mary about her faith and make sure she is a good protestant.
When a member of the mission is murdered in London, King Charles hears of Mercurius' reputation in solving murders and asks him to investigate. This is not an easy thing for someone who speaks little English and doesn't know the intrigues of the court, but Mercurius is a resourceful fellow good at following clues and using his logical thoughts to put two and two together and he soon has a few ideas about what is going on.
As well as presenting a difficult murder to solve, this is an interesting historical series setting the scene well for the time period. William did indeed marry Mary in 1677 and together they went on to rule Britain from 1689until her death in 1694 and his in 1702). As an outsider, Mercurius is able to comment wryly on the more liberal habits of the English court, including women offering themselves freely to him and even openly declaring themselves to be one of the King's bastards. Mercurius is a man of intellgence and wit who takes all this in his stride and it is indeed a pleasure to spend time in his company.
With many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for a copy to read
When a member of the mission is murdered in London, King Charles hears of Mercurius' reputation in solving murders and asks him to investigate. This is not an easy thing for someone who speaks little English and doesn't know the intrigues of the court, but Mercurius is a resourceful fellow good at following clues and using his logical thoughts to put two and two together and he soon has a few ideas about what is going on.
As well as presenting a difficult murder to solve, this is an interesting historical series setting the scene well for the time period. William did indeed marry Mary in 1677 and together they went on to rule Britain from 1689until her death in 1694 and his in 1702). As an outsider, Mercurius is able to comment wryly on the more liberal habits of the English court, including women offering themselves freely to him and even openly declaring themselves to be one of the King's bastards. Mercurius is a man of intellgence and wit who takes all this in his stride and it is indeed a pleasure to spend time in his company.
With many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for a copy to read
October 19, 2020
For almost 2 years, Master Mercurius has been enjoying the peace & quiet afforded by life at the university in Leiden. It’s 1676 & between study & lectures he’s been reflecting on Aristotelian eudaimonia (and really, who among us hasn’t?). Well, it was nice while it lasted.
Out of the blue he is summoned to the Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. It seems William is getting married & has a special task for Mercurius. He is to travel to London with a delegation from the Netherlands. Ostensibly he’s there to meet & assess Princess Mary, the bride-to-be. But his real job is to ferret out those against a marriage that will make the Dutch allies with England. William wishes him luck & sends him on his way with some advice. Pack warm clothes. Oh, and learn English.
Thus begins Mercurius’ adventures in London. He finds the culture & language baffling which is good news for readers as it leads to humorous encounters & misunderstandings. But it’s also a place of cut-throat politics & royal intrigue & before long one of the delegation is murdered. Mercurius’ reputation as a fixer preceded him & he’s ordered by King Charles to find the killer.
The result is another enjoyable addition to this entertaining series. The MC recounts the story in a voice full of wry humour & sly observations in a setting decked out with period detail. Instead of fast paced action or hi-tech gadgets, it’s the mystery & characters themselves that keep you turning the pages. Not only will your brain get a workout, I’m willing to bet you’ll spend much of the time with a smile on your face as the Master tells his tale. No small feat these days.
Out of the blue he is summoned to the Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. It seems William is getting married & has a special task for Mercurius. He is to travel to London with a delegation from the Netherlands. Ostensibly he’s there to meet & assess Princess Mary, the bride-to-be. But his real job is to ferret out those against a marriage that will make the Dutch allies with England. William wishes him luck & sends him on his way with some advice. Pack warm clothes. Oh, and learn English.
Thus begins Mercurius’ adventures in London. He finds the culture & language baffling which is good news for readers as it leads to humorous encounters & misunderstandings. But it’s also a place of cut-throat politics & royal intrigue & before long one of the delegation is murdered. Mercurius’ reputation as a fixer preceded him & he’s ordered by King Charles to find the killer.
The result is another enjoyable addition to this entertaining series. The MC recounts the story in a voice full of wry humour & sly observations in a setting decked out with period detail. Instead of fast paced action or hi-tech gadgets, it’s the mystery & characters themselves that keep you turning the pages. Not only will your brain get a workout, I’m willing to bet you’ll spend much of the time with a smile on your face as the Master tells his tale. No small feat these days.
October 29, 2020
I would call the series with Master Mercurius 'historical fiction with a twist'. Yes, there is always a dead body or two, and yes, Mercurius thinks as a modern detective, but it is not a thriller in the sense that we know from books that are not set in the 17th century.
Again, Master Mercurius is sent out on a 'litte trip' but this time we find him all the way in England, as part of a group of people who have to undertake negotiations with King Charles regarding the marriage of his niece Mary to Stadhouder Willem.
So, first go to Wikipedia and read up on this very important piece of Dutch/English national history! It is not necessary to do so to understand what's happening in the book, but it may give you a better understanding of the importance of this marriage.
Again, Graham Brack gives us a story with a solid historical background, (very) interesting characters and lots of hilarious dialogues and inner monologues of Master Mercurius. I smiled throughout reading it - although it contains some sad scenes too.
I pre-ordered this book immediately after reading Untrue Till Death and to my great pleasure Graham Brack will give us a fourth book in this series this year: The Noose's Shadow. I'm looking forward to it!
Again, Master Mercurius is sent out on a 'litte trip' but this time we find him all the way in England, as part of a group of people who have to undertake negotiations with King Charles regarding the marriage of his niece Mary to Stadhouder Willem.
So, first go to Wikipedia and read up on this very important piece of Dutch/English national history! It is not necessary to do so to understand what's happening in the book, but it may give you a better understanding of the importance of this marriage.
Again, Graham Brack gives us a story with a solid historical background, (very) interesting characters and lots of hilarious dialogues and inner monologues of Master Mercurius. I smiled throughout reading it - although it contains some sad scenes too.
I pre-ordered this book immediately after reading Untrue Till Death and to my great pleasure Graham Brack will give us a fourth book in this series this year: The Noose's Shadow. I'm looking forward to it!
February 2, 2021
I'm becoming very fond of Master Mercurius and his sleuthing.
October 21, 2020
The third in the historical series with Master Mercurius of Leiden University in The Netherlands, this one is set two years after the last instalment.
After being called to see William Of Orange in The Hague previously to solve a murder, Mercurius again finds himself summoned by him, after two peaceful years at the university.
This time William wants him to go with a party to a England to arrange the marriage between William and King Charles 11 niece, Princess Mary. A diplomatic mission, Mercurius, as an ordained minister is the perfect person in Williams eyes to secure the Princesses hand in marriage on his behalf.
When they arrive in England, Mercurius soon finds that not everyone is happy with the idea of the marriage and the alliance of England and The Netherlands. A large minority would much prefer a alliance with King Louis and the French.
When one of the Dutch party is murdered on the streets of London, it is a great embarrassment to King Charles and hearing of his reputation, decide Mercurius is the man to look into his countryman’s death. Easier said than done for Mercurius as he only has very basic English and is not familiar at all with the culture of the English.
This is a hugely enjoyable series. Not usually my bag but this historical series which features numerous real life historical figures is a mixture of whodunnit and humour and wit.
We are reading Mercurius memoirs in each, written by him at a much older age, so he is our constant narrator and he is such fun to spend time with and listen to. A religious man(who is also secretly an ordained catholic priest)his humour and observations are central to the tone of the books.
The setting in this one changes scene completely, moving from The Netherlands to the England and is a nice addition. His observations of the much more liberal English royals and their court are often hilarious(as are the English characters themselves).
Although we do have a murder to solve here and also spies, national alliances etc to contend with, I found this one the lightest of the three so far, with the humour and dry wit outweighing the murder story. Not a criticism per say, just an observation.
If the subject matter of the books doesn’t sound like your sort of thing, take a leap and try the first, Death In Delft. You may be like I was, very pleasantly surprised how good these books are and how much you will enjoy them. If someone had told me a few months ago that I would love a book series set in The Netherlands in the 17th century I would have laughed. Not my thing at all. But here I am. Since I read and loved the first I looked forward to the next in the series. I havent been disappointed so far and I look forward to the next with the same vigour.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.
After being called to see William Of Orange in The Hague previously to solve a murder, Mercurius again finds himself summoned by him, after two peaceful years at the university.
This time William wants him to go with a party to a England to arrange the marriage between William and King Charles 11 niece, Princess Mary. A diplomatic mission, Mercurius, as an ordained minister is the perfect person in Williams eyes to secure the Princesses hand in marriage on his behalf.
When they arrive in England, Mercurius soon finds that not everyone is happy with the idea of the marriage and the alliance of England and The Netherlands. A large minority would much prefer a alliance with King Louis and the French.
When one of the Dutch party is murdered on the streets of London, it is a great embarrassment to King Charles and hearing of his reputation, decide Mercurius is the man to look into his countryman’s death. Easier said than done for Mercurius as he only has very basic English and is not familiar at all with the culture of the English.
This is a hugely enjoyable series. Not usually my bag but this historical series which features numerous real life historical figures is a mixture of whodunnit and humour and wit.
We are reading Mercurius memoirs in each, written by him at a much older age, so he is our constant narrator and he is such fun to spend time with and listen to. A religious man(who is also secretly an ordained catholic priest)his humour and observations are central to the tone of the books.
The setting in this one changes scene completely, moving from The Netherlands to the England and is a nice addition. His observations of the much more liberal English royals and their court are often hilarious(as are the English characters themselves).
Although we do have a murder to solve here and also spies, national alliances etc to contend with, I found this one the lightest of the three so far, with the humour and dry wit outweighing the murder story. Not a criticism per say, just an observation.
If the subject matter of the books doesn’t sound like your sort of thing, take a leap and try the first, Death In Delft. You may be like I was, very pleasantly surprised how good these books are and how much you will enjoy them. If someone had told me a few months ago that I would love a book series set in The Netherlands in the 17th century I would have laughed. Not my thing at all. But here I am. Since I read and loved the first I looked forward to the next in the series. I havent been disappointed so far and I look forward to the next with the same vigour.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.
February 19, 2025
I enjoyed this more than the second book in the series, though not quite as much as the first. Master Mercurius is a Dutch scholar and cleric (twice over since he’s also a closeted Catholic priest). Once again he has been pulled from his studies by William of Orange. This time he is to accompany an entourage headed for England with the goal of nursing along the proposed marriage of William to Mary, the daughter of Charles II’s younger brother James. Mercurius is charged with vetting the quality of Mary’s commitment to the Protestant faith, as James is a Catholic.
Not long after the group arrives, one of them is murdered, and Charles assigns Mercurius the responsibility of figuring out who did it.
Mercurius’ dry, often self-deprecating, humor is on full display again. And as in all the books, many historical figures make appearances, warts and all, creating a colorful background. But unlike in the second book, Mercurius makes all the critical deductions himself, despite the challenges of the language barrier.
This was great fun, but when compared with either C. J. Sansom or S.J. Parris, it had more the feel of an appetizer than an entree. Still, who doesn’t like a nice bruschetta or shrimp cocktail?
Not long after the group arrives, one of them is murdered, and Charles assigns Mercurius the responsibility of figuring out who did it.
Mercurius’ dry, often self-deprecating, humor is on full display again. And as in all the books, many historical figures make appearances, warts and all, creating a colorful background. But unlike in the second book, Mercurius makes all the critical deductions himself, despite the challenges of the language barrier.
This was great fun, but when compared with either C. J. Sansom or S.J. Parris, it had more the feel of an appetizer than an entree. Still, who doesn’t like a nice bruschetta or shrimp cocktail?
October 18, 2020
“If only it were true that the wicked of the world did not prosper! I know that this is corrected in the life to come, but it would be good if God occasionally smote someone for being miserly. Having conceived the wish, I decided not to stand too close to Vlisser in case God answered my prayer with a thunderbolt and his aim was off.”
Dishonour and Obey is the third book in the Master Mercurius Mysteries series by British author, Graham Brack. Now an octogenarian cleric, Master Mercurius dictates to his clerk a third episode that occurred during his days as a young lecturer in moral philosophy and ethics at the University of Leiden.
It is 1676, and two years since he was enlisted by Stadhouder, William III of Orange to look into a treasonous plot against him. Now enjoying a quiet life of study, writing and some teaching, Mercurius is quite dismayed to learn that the Stadhouder has not forgotten him, but indeed has a new assignment for him, in London.
Under the pretext of checking that William’s English cousin, Mary is a sound Protestant and therefore suitable for marriage, Mercurius is to take advantage of his free passage as a clergyman, to note any who might sabotage these plans and bring them to the notice of Ambassador Extraordinary, Van Langenburg.
For this, Mercurius has to take a crash course in English although he observes that: “There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand, and I understood not a word they said in their barbaric language.”
And when in London, he notes that: “they are so certain that everyone in the world speaks English that even if you obviously don’t, they will behave as if you do and just talk a little louder to you.” Luckily, with Princess Mary he can converse in Latin.
Mercurius notes the Court’s abundance of food and drink and is impressed with the city’s rebuild after the Great Fire, and Christopher Wren, the man building St Paul’s Cathedral. But their welcome is marred when one of their party is falsely accused of theft by a market stallholder during their City tour.
Then, while enjoying an evening of English hospitality, the Dutch embassy party notices that one of their number is missing. A search finds him, face down in an alley with a dagger in his back. Now with some investigations to his credit, Mercurius inspects the scene and deduces that all is not as it might appear.
It seems that the victim was on a covert mission for the Stadhouder, and Mercurius wonders if it was this, or the negotiations for the marriage that got him killed. Working with the English Lord Chamberlain, Lord Arlington, he learns that there are an almost dizzying number of opponents to this politically motivated union, and their motives equally various.
If Mercurius is often clever and quick-thinking, he sometimes makes incorrect deductions which delay his ultimate discovery of the who and why. Along the way, he has his first taste of tea, and concludes that “London was full of places to get drunk” but “English beer is horrible. And expensive” so he is pleased to return home. His blush is well-exercised when he is, several times, offered “comfort” from young women of the court, including “one of the King’s Acknowledged Bastards”.
After surviving abduction, he eventually gets to reveal all he has learned in the King’s audience chamber to a large gathering, although Charles II does show a bit of impatience: “‘Master Mercurius, have you a deal more to say? For if you have, for God’s sake go away and write a book about it”.
The King is pleased enough with the result and Mercurius goes home with gold and an offer of one of his “unwanted mistresses”, after almost, despite his being a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church (and a secretly ordained Catholic priest), being made Bishop of Norwich. He will still have to somehow avoid being appointed the Royal Chaplain in The Hague.
Back home, the Stadhouder, too, rewards Mercurius with a purse, and shows appreciation by solving an inconvenient problem inflicted on him by the new Rector.
Brack always manages to include plenty of interesting historical detail, and he gives Mercurius a wonderful turn of phrase, as in: “I was pleased to see Arlington look me up and down with a new respect — or, at least, a different kind of supercilious contempt” and “Arlington turned a funny colour, as if he had swallowed a grape and discovered it to be a sheep dropping”.
This is another intriguing and entertaining dose of seventeenth Century crime fiction, and fans will be pleased to learn that Master Mercurius reappears in a fourth installment, The Noose’s Shadow.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Sapere Books (but I also purchased a copy!)
Dishonour and Obey is the third book in the Master Mercurius Mysteries series by British author, Graham Brack. Now an octogenarian cleric, Master Mercurius dictates to his clerk a third episode that occurred during his days as a young lecturer in moral philosophy and ethics at the University of Leiden.
It is 1676, and two years since he was enlisted by Stadhouder, William III of Orange to look into a treasonous plot against him. Now enjoying a quiet life of study, writing and some teaching, Mercurius is quite dismayed to learn that the Stadhouder has not forgotten him, but indeed has a new assignment for him, in London.
Under the pretext of checking that William’s English cousin, Mary is a sound Protestant and therefore suitable for marriage, Mercurius is to take advantage of his free passage as a clergyman, to note any who might sabotage these plans and bring them to the notice of Ambassador Extraordinary, Van Langenburg.
For this, Mercurius has to take a crash course in English although he observes that: “There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand, and I understood not a word they said in their barbaric language.”
And when in London, he notes that: “they are so certain that everyone in the world speaks English that even if you obviously don’t, they will behave as if you do and just talk a little louder to you.” Luckily, with Princess Mary he can converse in Latin.
Mercurius notes the Court’s abundance of food and drink and is impressed with the city’s rebuild after the Great Fire, and Christopher Wren, the man building St Paul’s Cathedral. But their welcome is marred when one of their party is falsely accused of theft by a market stallholder during their City tour.
Then, while enjoying an evening of English hospitality, the Dutch embassy party notices that one of their number is missing. A search finds him, face down in an alley with a dagger in his back. Now with some investigations to his credit, Mercurius inspects the scene and deduces that all is not as it might appear.
It seems that the victim was on a covert mission for the Stadhouder, and Mercurius wonders if it was this, or the negotiations for the marriage that got him killed. Working with the English Lord Chamberlain, Lord Arlington, he learns that there are an almost dizzying number of opponents to this politically motivated union, and their motives equally various.
If Mercurius is often clever and quick-thinking, he sometimes makes incorrect deductions which delay his ultimate discovery of the who and why. Along the way, he has his first taste of tea, and concludes that “London was full of places to get drunk” but “English beer is horrible. And expensive” so he is pleased to return home. His blush is well-exercised when he is, several times, offered “comfort” from young women of the court, including “one of the King’s Acknowledged Bastards”.
After surviving abduction, he eventually gets to reveal all he has learned in the King’s audience chamber to a large gathering, although Charles II does show a bit of impatience: “‘Master Mercurius, have you a deal more to say? For if you have, for God’s sake go away and write a book about it”.
The King is pleased enough with the result and Mercurius goes home with gold and an offer of one of his “unwanted mistresses”, after almost, despite his being a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church (and a secretly ordained Catholic priest), being made Bishop of Norwich. He will still have to somehow avoid being appointed the Royal Chaplain in The Hague.
Back home, the Stadhouder, too, rewards Mercurius with a purse, and shows appreciation by solving an inconvenient problem inflicted on him by the new Rector.
Brack always manages to include plenty of interesting historical detail, and he gives Mercurius a wonderful turn of phrase, as in: “I was pleased to see Arlington look me up and down with a new respect — or, at least, a different kind of supercilious contempt” and “Arlington turned a funny colour, as if he had swallowed a grape and discovered it to be a sheep dropping”.
This is another intriguing and entertaining dose of seventeenth Century crime fiction, and fans will be pleased to learn that Master Mercurius reappears in a fourth installment, The Noose’s Shadow.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Sapere Books (but I also purchased a copy!)
December 28, 2021
The Stadhouder, William III, was a nice man, pious and honest, but he seemed to regard a man’s life as completely expendable when it came to defending his interests.
In 1676, Master Mercurius is back at the Leiden University, a Protestant priest studying theology while hiding his earlier ordination as a Catholic priest in order to keep his position. There is a new rector, (earlier that year Mercurius engineered the retirement of the incumbent), but again his studies are disturbed by a summons from the Stadhouder, who wishes to take a wife. Mercurius is to join the ambassador’s party to England, to assess William’s cousin, Mary, as to her suitability.
‘Ostensibly you’ll be there to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant, but what I really want you to do is to look out for anyone who may be plotting against the marriage so it can be nipped in the bud.’
‘You want me to bribe them, Stadhouder?’
‘Goodness me, no! That’s what we have an Ambassador for.’
Naturally, nothing goes exactly to plan, the Princess is unwilling, spies abound, King Charles II takes audiences from his bedchamber at the Palace of Whitehall - often with a mistress on hand - and Mercurius must endure the supercilious Arlington, the King’s chief of Staff. Then there’s a murder to solve.
The wry humour aside, I did not enjoy this one as much as the earlier two books in the series, but was intrigued by the historical perspective: London’s rebuilding program following the Great Fire (ending the Plague); the Savoy designated as a hospital for those injured in the Dutch Wars, also housing chapels for non-conformists; the open drains flowing into the Thames as a tidal sewer; and the differences between English beer (bitter?) and the lager drank by the Dutchmen.
The ending? Once more Mercurius’ shrewdness gets him out of a tricky situation, and manages to appease two kings at the same time. Overall, a good read.
In 1676, Master Mercurius is back at the Leiden University, a Protestant priest studying theology while hiding his earlier ordination as a Catholic priest in order to keep his position. There is a new rector, (earlier that year Mercurius engineered the retirement of the incumbent), but again his studies are disturbed by a summons from the Stadhouder, who wishes to take a wife. Mercurius is to join the ambassador’s party to England, to assess William’s cousin, Mary, as to her suitability.
‘Ostensibly you’ll be there to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant, but what I really want you to do is to look out for anyone who may be plotting against the marriage so it can be nipped in the bud.’
‘You want me to bribe them, Stadhouder?’
‘Goodness me, no! That’s what we have an Ambassador for.’
Naturally, nothing goes exactly to plan, the Princess is unwilling, spies abound, King Charles II takes audiences from his bedchamber at the Palace of Whitehall - often with a mistress on hand - and Mercurius must endure the supercilious Arlington, the King’s chief of Staff. Then there’s a murder to solve.
The wry humour aside, I did not enjoy this one as much as the earlier two books in the series, but was intrigued by the historical perspective: London’s rebuilding program following the Great Fire (ending the Plague); the Savoy designated as a hospital for those injured in the Dutch Wars, also housing chapels for non-conformists; the open drains flowing into the Thames as a tidal sewer; and the differences between English beer (bitter?) and the lager drank by the Dutchmen.
The ending? Once more Mercurius’ shrewdness gets him out of a tricky situation, and manages to appease two kings at the same time. Overall, a good read.
October 19, 2020
“Dishonour and Obey” is the third book in the Master Mercurius mystery series. If you enjoy historical mysteries or if you are a fan of Brack’s Josef Slonský series, you will want to get to know Master Mercurius. Mercurius is a Protestant minister and secretly also a Catholic priest who lectures at the University of Leiden in The Netherlands during the 17th century. In the prior book, Mercurius was able to help the Stadhouder William of Orange in this book is again called upon to help William. This story stands alone so it’s fine to jump into the series with this book. William is interested in marrying an English princess and wants Mercurius to find out if there is anyone there who is plotting against the marriage. Mercurius has no choice but to travel to England and speak to Mary and other members of the English court.
Things get even messier for Mercurius when there is a murder of one of the visitor’s to the palace and Mercurius is asked to investigate. Although he is a reluctant detective, Mercurius is able to use his intelligence and logic to develop a list of suspects and work to narrow that list down to try to identify the killer. Being in a strange country with limited knowledge of English makes things more awkward for Mercurius, but more fun for the reader. Part of the plot deals with Dutch spies and that gets a little complicated in place. However, that doesn’t slow the pace of the story, which is much faster than most historical mysteries I have read. Mercurius is a good man and a unique and likable main character. After all he went through in England, I like how things turn out for him at the end when he is back in Leiden with a new, stricter man running the university.
My memory of 17th century European history has gaps but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying this series. Brack has a way of making historical events and characters come alive. I was fascinated by Brack’s characterization of Princess Mary and did some further research on her life after finishing the book. I highly recommend this book (and the entire series) and would rate this installment as 4.5 stars. I am happy to see a fourth book in the series is planned for later this year, and can’t wait to see what happens next for Mercurius.
I received this ebook through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Things get even messier for Mercurius when there is a murder of one of the visitor’s to the palace and Mercurius is asked to investigate. Although he is a reluctant detective, Mercurius is able to use his intelligence and logic to develop a list of suspects and work to narrow that list down to try to identify the killer. Being in a strange country with limited knowledge of English makes things more awkward for Mercurius, but more fun for the reader. Part of the plot deals with Dutch spies and that gets a little complicated in place. However, that doesn’t slow the pace of the story, which is much faster than most historical mysteries I have read. Mercurius is a good man and a unique and likable main character. After all he went through in England, I like how things turn out for him at the end when he is back in Leiden with a new, stricter man running the university.
My memory of 17th century European history has gaps but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying this series. Brack has a way of making historical events and characters come alive. I was fascinated by Brack’s characterization of Princess Mary and did some further research on her life after finishing the book. I highly recommend this book (and the entire series) and would rate this installment as 4.5 stars. I am happy to see a fourth book in the series is planned for later this year, and can’t wait to see what happens next for Mercurius.
I received this ebook through the courtesy of Sapere Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
September 8, 2023
Master Mercurius goes to England, solves a murder, and happily returns home. He doesn't speak English very well. But, he says: "There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand". So, he is forced to learn a bit of English. When he admitted that he was finding it hard to learn, he asked for advice from someone, who said:
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘The English are an odd people, but one of their endearing habits is that they are always happy to talk, so you won’t have to say much. Just ask them their opinion on the weather and all will be well.’
‘The weather?’
‘Yes, the English are fascinated about weather. They can talk about it for hours. And they are so certain that everyone in the world speaks English that even if you obviously don’t, they will behave as if you do and just talk a little louder to you.’
This is the type of humor in this series, and if it were not for that, I might give up on reading it; it's a bit hard to keep up with all the characters and what's going on.
But I understood enough to follow the basic action, and it was an interesting story.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘The English are an odd people, but one of their endearing habits is that they are always happy to talk, so you won’t have to say much. Just ask them their opinion on the weather and all will be well.’
‘The weather?’
‘Yes, the English are fascinated about weather. They can talk about it for hours. And they are so certain that everyone in the world speaks English that even if you obviously don’t, they will behave as if you do and just talk a little louder to you.’
This is the type of humor in this series, and if it were not for that, I might give up on reading it; it's a bit hard to keep up with all the characters and what's going on.
But I understood enough to follow the basic action, and it was an interesting story.
December 28, 2022
In volume 3 of the series it is the year 1676. Master Mercurius is again prised from his books and comfortable quiet university existence to do another "little job" for the Stadhouder of the Netherlands, William of Orange. This time, it is to help ascertain the suitability as a marriage partner of his cousin Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York and the brother of King Charles II of England. James is a convert to Roman Catholicism, and Mercurius, secretly a Catholic priest but outwardly a Protestant minister, must ensure that Mary has not been influenced by her father's religion, since the Netherlands is a staunchly Protestant country, although showing tolerance for Catholics as long as they keep their worship lowkey. Accordingly, Mercurius joins the delegation bound for England.
He hasn't been in London long when an attempt is made to incriminate a fellow Dutchman to sabotage the marriage talks, since the French King Louis XIV is also angling to secure Mary for some relation of his. Soon afterwards, a murder occurs and King Charles tasks Mercurius what solving it, having learned about Mercurius' track record in solving murders. As ever, Mercurius is aided by his innate ability to notice facts and draw inferences, but also needs quiet moments, usually at prayer, while he ponders the possibilities and tries to piece the facts together. He not only has the murder to contend with, but has to navigate various palace intrigues.
As ever, the story is enlivened by sly humour and little (square bracketed) inserts, since Mercurius is dictating his memoirs as an old man to a scribe with whom he has a slightly fractious relationship. I actually like the fact that he obviously survives each book, since I don't have to be on edge wondering about his safety and can concentrate on the mystery each time. Apart from the real historical characters, all the others are fair game to be polished off so there is still plenty of tension and drama.
The story is nicely compact and a page turner which I stayed up late to finish so I can only award it a full five stars.
He hasn't been in London long when an attempt is made to incriminate a fellow Dutchman to sabotage the marriage talks, since the French King Louis XIV is also angling to secure Mary for some relation of his. Soon afterwards, a murder occurs and King Charles tasks Mercurius what solving it, having learned about Mercurius' track record in solving murders. As ever, Mercurius is aided by his innate ability to notice facts and draw inferences, but also needs quiet moments, usually at prayer, while he ponders the possibilities and tries to piece the facts together. He not only has the murder to contend with, but has to navigate various palace intrigues.
As ever, the story is enlivened by sly humour and little (square bracketed) inserts, since Mercurius is dictating his memoirs as an old man to a scribe with whom he has a slightly fractious relationship. I actually like the fact that he obviously survives each book, since I don't have to be on edge wondering about his safety and can concentrate on the mystery each time. Apart from the real historical characters, all the others are fair game to be polished off so there is still plenty of tension and drama.
The story is nicely compact and a page turner which I stayed up late to finish so I can only award it a full five stars.
August 23, 2023
Setting: Netherlands and London; 17th century (1676).
This is the third book in the series featuring ordained minister and reluctant sleuth Master Mercurius, set in 17th century Netherlands.
Mercurius is getting on with his academic and religious life at Leiden University and quite contented in his work and life, two years on from his previous adventures featured in the second book in the series. Then, he receives a summons from William of Orange and is forced to travel to The Hague, filled with trepidation that this will be yet another mission that he is going to be tasked with.
Sure enough, Mercurius is being sent as part of a delegation to London to visit King Charles II and to examine his niece, Mary, to ensure that she is a fitting candidate to be William's wife. Politically, this would be a good match - an alliance with a former foe and in defiance of France who are also looking for a possible husband for Mary.
But there are parties at the English court that still wish for an alliance with France and will go to almost any lengths to ensure that this happens - first, one of the Dutch party is falsely accused of theft from a street-seller and then another of the party is stabbed, apparently with a dagger from a different member of the party. When this is proved not to be the case, Mercurius is once again called upon to use his detective-like talents to solve the mystery.....
This is another great story from the series which I thoroughly enjoyed, even though it is set in a time period which I rarely read. Told by Mercurius himself, in his own inimitable style and with his own brand of wit, I find the stories to be really engrossing and I get totally drawn in to the characters and the time period. Samuel Pepys even makes an appearance in this one! Great read - 9/10.
This is the third book in the series featuring ordained minister and reluctant sleuth Master Mercurius, set in 17th century Netherlands.
Mercurius is getting on with his academic and religious life at Leiden University and quite contented in his work and life, two years on from his previous adventures featured in the second book in the series. Then, he receives a summons from William of Orange and is forced to travel to The Hague, filled with trepidation that this will be yet another mission that he is going to be tasked with.
Sure enough, Mercurius is being sent as part of a delegation to London to visit King Charles II and to examine his niece, Mary, to ensure that she is a fitting candidate to be William's wife. Politically, this would be a good match - an alliance with a former foe and in defiance of France who are also looking for a possible husband for Mary.
But there are parties at the English court that still wish for an alliance with France and will go to almost any lengths to ensure that this happens - first, one of the Dutch party is falsely accused of theft from a street-seller and then another of the party is stabbed, apparently with a dagger from a different member of the party. When this is proved not to be the case, Mercurius is once again called upon to use his detective-like talents to solve the mystery.....
This is another great story from the series which I thoroughly enjoyed, even though it is set in a time period which I rarely read. Told by Mercurius himself, in his own inimitable style and with his own brand of wit, I find the stories to be really engrossing and I get totally drawn in to the characters and the time period. Samuel Pepys even makes an appearance in this one! Great read - 9/10.
March 8, 2021
Delightful and clever
October 18, 2020
It gives me great pleasure to read about Master Mercurius adventures. In Dihonour and Obey he travels to England on one of his toughest assaignments yet. Graham Brack tells these stories so well with both mystery, murder and humour. I have to thank #Netgalley and #SapereBooks for letting me have a few hours of enjoyment in another era. I will not call the author old but he really can describe the setting very well. You feel that he has put some effort into the research. If you have missed this series get on board book four is soon upon us.
December 4, 2023
Another historical murder mystery with its roots in 17th Century Dutch university and royal court life.
Our narrator Master Mercurius is recounting some of his more interesting episodes from his life as a struggling university lecturer and a favoured intellect resolving mysteries and addressing delicate matters of State.
Here the action is transported to London in the reign of King Charles II. Mercurius is tasked to be part of the Dutch delegation to assist William to find a new bride among English royalty and thwart the influence of France.
I love the character of the protagonist; his candour and humour. His theological unease as a Protestant minister while being an ordained Catholic priest. This plays into the politics of the time and adds to the perilous path he has to take. But it is his mind and discernment that wins the day as he is able to be a “detective” ahead of his time who can mix with royalty as easily as he can respond to poor.
Our narrator Master Mercurius is recounting some of his more interesting episodes from his life as a struggling university lecturer and a favoured intellect resolving mysteries and addressing delicate matters of State.
Here the action is transported to London in the reign of King Charles II. Mercurius is tasked to be part of the Dutch delegation to assist William to find a new bride among English royalty and thwart the influence of France.
I love the character of the protagonist; his candour and humour. His theological unease as a Protestant minister while being an ordained Catholic priest. This plays into the politics of the time and adds to the perilous path he has to take. But it is his mind and discernment that wins the day as he is able to be a “detective” ahead of his time who can mix with royalty as easily as he can respond to poor.
November 21, 2020
Dishonor and Obey is another fine Master Mercurius mystery by Graham Brack set in Holland during the tenure of William of Orange.
Reading this mystery was a delight. I don’t usually laugh out loud, but Brack has gifted Mercurius with a wonderful and irreligious sense of humor – odd because he is both a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church and a Catholic priest. He is also a professor in one of the finer universities of the time and has a talent for sniffing out evil-doers and unraveling mysteries.
William has sought him out to serve as an adjunct to a mission to England regarding a possible marriage. As a hint: “You want me to bribe them?” asks Mercurius and is answered by Duke William, “Goodness me, no! That’s what we have an Ambassador for.”
Fun to read!
Reading this mystery was a delight. I don’t usually laugh out loud, but Brack has gifted Mercurius with a wonderful and irreligious sense of humor – odd because he is both a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church and a Catholic priest. He is also a professor in one of the finer universities of the time and has a talent for sniffing out evil-doers and unraveling mysteries.
William has sought him out to serve as an adjunct to a mission to England regarding a possible marriage. As a hint: “You want me to bribe them?” asks Mercurius and is answered by Duke William, “Goodness me, no! That’s what we have an Ambassador for.”
Fun to read!
October 16, 2020
Graham Brack's Master Mercurius mystery series is one of a handful of series that I simply cannot get enough of. If I could clone Brack and set all the different versions of him up in lovely writing spaces to produce as many Master Mercurius novels as possible in the shortest imaginable amount of time, I would. Sadly (at least from my perspective, perhaps not from Brack's) I cannot do this. Instead, having finished this third of three Master Mercurius mysteries, I can just anxiously wait now to see if any more will appear.
Mercurius is a lecturer in moral philosophy working at the university in Leiden in the 17th Century. He is smart, witty, honest, and one truly hilarious guy. In Dishonour and Obey, Mercurius once again unwillingly finds himself on a mission with seriously worrisome international implications, this time in England. As in the earlier novels, the mystery is solid and the novel built around that mystery is a delight. Lovers of historical mysteries, start reading now!
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
Mercurius is a lecturer in moral philosophy working at the university in Leiden in the 17th Century. He is smart, witty, honest, and one truly hilarious guy. In Dishonour and Obey, Mercurius once again unwillingly finds himself on a mission with seriously worrisome international implications, this time in England. As in the earlier novels, the mystery is solid and the novel built around that mystery is a delight. Lovers of historical mysteries, start reading now!
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.
October 22, 2020
This is a fine series and I am happy to know the fourth book is soon available. In this book we find Master Mercurius being called to England to work out a marriage arrangement for Stadhauer William of Orange. The niece of King Charles II is the target. Mercurius is soon faced with solving the murder of one of his travel companions whose room was next to his in Whitehall.
As Mercurius follows clues that will eventually lead him to the truth the reader also follows along in the dark until all is dramatically revealed before the king.
The character Mercurius is a fine invention and the historical facts are finely woven in these tales.
Kindle Unlimited
As Mercurius follows clues that will eventually lead him to the truth the reader also follows along in the dark until all is dramatically revealed before the king.
The character Mercurius is a fine invention and the historical facts are finely woven in these tales.
Kindle Unlimited
October 20, 2020
Two years have passed since Master Mercurius last found himself embroiled in a murder case, and he has welcomed the peaceful interval. Then a letter arrives for him from Stadhouder William of Orange. William has decided he wants to marry. And he has his sights set on Princess Mary, the niece of King Charles II of England. William has decided that Mercurius, as an ordained minister, is the perfect person to travel to England and secure the hand of the princess on his behalf. But when Mercurius arrives at the English court & someone on the mission is murdered Mercurius is asked to solve it, which isn’t easy as he isn’t fluent in English.
This is the third book in the series & could easily be read on its own. A very well written & researched book. I loved the mix of fact & fiction, a well paced story & strong characters had me glued to my kindle. I’ve loved the humour throughout the series & Mercurius’ observations of England often brought a smile or a chuckle. It’s a shame that Mercurius isn’t a young man as I would love for there to be lots more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This is the third book in the series & could easily be read on its own. A very well written & researched book. I loved the mix of fact & fiction, a well paced story & strong characters had me glued to my kindle. I’ve loved the humour throughout the series & Mercurius’ observations of England often brought a smile or a chuckle. It’s a shame that Mercurius isn’t a young man as I would love for there to be lots more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
October 17, 2020
This is the 3rd in the Master Mercurius series.
Graham Brack has a grand way to let historical Dutch men relive a hundred years beyond their death (look on Wikipedia William I, Prince of Orange (24 April 1533 - 10 July 1584))
Still, Graham Brack is a great author and because of his Master Mercurius is a colorful character with a grand imagination.
Whom discover little by little, the murderer of one of their group.
This group has traveled to England, to arrange a marriage with William of Orange and Princess Mary of England.
This is a great telling of a story within history, I've never visited Londen, when you read this book, you've got the feeling that you walk side by side with Master Mercurius, in the castle of King Charles and trough the busy streets of London.
I hope Mr. Brack will write more books in this series.
Thank you Sapere Books and Netgalley, for this ARC
Graham Brack has a grand way to let historical Dutch men relive a hundred years beyond their death (look on Wikipedia William I, Prince of Orange (24 April 1533 - 10 July 1584))
Still, Graham Brack is a great author and because of his Master Mercurius is a colorful character with a grand imagination.
Whom discover little by little, the murderer of one of their group.
This group has traveled to England, to arrange a marriage with William of Orange and Princess Mary of England.
This is a great telling of a story within history, I've never visited Londen, when you read this book, you've got the feeling that you walk side by side with Master Mercurius, in the castle of King Charles and trough the busy streets of London.
I hope Mr. Brack will write more books in this series.
Thank you Sapere Books and Netgalley, for this ARC
October 17, 2020
The third book in the Master Mercurius series by Graham Brack.
The setting of the book moves from Leiden to London to the court of King Charles. A marriage is to be made between Stadhouder Wiliiam of Orange and a English Princess, but where Master Mercurius goes murder and mystery follow. Being in a unknown city in a foreign country has it challenges, but this book gives even more insight into the mind of Master Mercurius. He knows he isn’t perfect, he has his flaws, but that is what makes him an easy to like and interesting character.
This book kept me on the edge on my seat and the last line of the book made me laugh out loud.
The setting of the book moves from Leiden to London to the court of King Charles. A marriage is to be made between Stadhouder Wiliiam of Orange and a English Princess, but where Master Mercurius goes murder and mystery follow. Being in a unknown city in a foreign country has it challenges, but this book gives even more insight into the mind of Master Mercurius. He knows he isn’t perfect, he has his flaws, but that is what makes him an easy to like and interesting character.
This book kept me on the edge on my seat and the last line of the book made me laugh out loud.
October 19, 2020
Part of a series we follow Master Mercurius to London to inspect Princess Mary as a suitable wife for William of Orange. This is an engaging story combining real life historical persons intertwined with our usual characters. Mercurius is a reluctant investigator but when one of the Dutch party is murdered he must unravel royal plots, spies and local politics. Mercurius is a character you can easily learn to love the investigation does not come easy he has the day to day problems of being in a different countries royal court with all its rules and King’s indulgences.
He has human failings and does not always have the foresight to realise he is dealing with desperate people which can lead him into dangerous situations. This series can certainly make this very changing times in history much more enjoyable for the reader.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
He has human failings and does not always have the foresight to realise he is dealing with desperate people which can lead him into dangerous situations. This series can certainly make this very changing times in history much more enjoyable for the reader.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 20, 2020
1676 Leiden. Master Mercurius is instructed by Stadhouder William of Orange to go to England as part of a delegation to secure the hand of the Princess Mary on his behalf. On arrival it is obvious that not everyone is in favour of the alliance. Mercurius is instructed by Charles II to investigate when a death occurs.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2022
A very disappointing book, partly because of being written in first person, but mostly because of Mercurius himself. The author would like to portray him as witty but self-deprecating, but actually he is a cheat. He cheats the reader and he cheats God by his pretense of being something he is not. It is time he stands as a man, but then he would lose his lucrative position at Leiden and the trust of William of Orange.
I have read a couple of these books, more for the mystery, but enough is enough. Even Mercurius admits a man can't serve two masters, but obviously the author doesn't believe that or he wouldn't have such a gimmick for his books.
I have read a couple of these books, more for the mystery, but enough is enough. Even Mercurius admits a man can't serve two masters, but obviously the author doesn't believe that or he wouldn't have such a gimmick for his books.
April 9, 2021
I have enjoyed the previous two books in this series more than this, although Mercurius does not fail to entertain as always. This one was set in London rather than Holland, which should have made it more interesting, but somehow didn’t! The reveal was very extended too.
November 2, 2021
I really enjoyed book 3 in the series! In the story, Master Mercurius travels to 17th century London as part of a Dutch delegation, and ends up staying to solve a murder.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two stories, which are set in the Netherlands, the third story introduced an interesting new angle with the trip to England. I sympathized with the language barrier Mercurius faced. His observations of London and its citizens were entertaining. It's also always interesting to see historical figures, like King Charles, come to life.
I could read this is the type of mystery over and over, despite knowing how it ends. The main character is likable and sympathetic; his skills, wit, inner struggles, as well as the unfortunate but humorous situations he finds himself in, work together to make this story engaging and fun.
I've listened to the first three books in audio format, which were expertly narrated by Alex Wyndham. My family and I have become instant fans of the combination of Brack's writing and Wyndham's narration. Alex is able to bring the book's characters to life in a believable and very entertaining way. And the combination of Brack's wit and Wyndam's delivery is just brilliant.
It's been a highlight over the last year to listen to the first three books in the series, and we are eagerly awaiting the news that the rest of the series will become available in audio format as well, with Alex Wyndham narrating.
Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two stories, which are set in the Netherlands, the third story introduced an interesting new angle with the trip to England. I sympathized with the language barrier Mercurius faced. His observations of London and its citizens were entertaining. It's also always interesting to see historical figures, like King Charles, come to life.
I could read this is the type of mystery over and over, despite knowing how it ends. The main character is likable and sympathetic; his skills, wit, inner struggles, as well as the unfortunate but humorous situations he finds himself in, work together to make this story engaging and fun.
I've listened to the first three books in audio format, which were expertly narrated by Alex Wyndham. My family and I have become instant fans of the combination of Brack's writing and Wyndham's narration. Alex is able to bring the book's characters to life in a believable and very entertaining way. And the combination of Brack's wit and Wyndam's delivery is just brilliant.
It's been a highlight over the last year to listen to the first three books in the series, and we are eagerly awaiting the news that the rest of the series will become available in audio format as well, with Alex Wyndham narrating.
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