A Conspiracy of Violence A Thomas Chaloner Mystery [Paperback]

Susanna Gregory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

The grim days of Cromwell are past. Freed from the structures of the Protectorate, London seethes with new energy, but many of its citizens have lost their livelihoods. One is Thomas Chaloner, a reluctant spy for the feared Secretary of State, John Thurloe. His erstwhile employer recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon, but in return demands that Thomas keep him informed of any plot against him. But what Thomas discovers is that Thurloe had sent another ex-employee to White Hall—and he is dead, purportedly murdered by footpads near the Thames. Thomas volunteers to investigate his killing, but instead he is dispatched to the Tower to unearth the gold buried by the last Governor. There, he discovers not treasure, but evidence that, whomever is in power, greed and self-interest are uppermost in men's minds. And that his own life has no value to either side.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susanna Gregory is a Cambridge academic. She is the creator of the popular Matthew Bartholmew series

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0751537586
• ISBN-13: 978-0751537581
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #443,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent atmospheric Restoration mystery, December 23, 2008

By 

S. McGee (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Conspiracy of Violence A Thomas Chaloner Mystery (Paperback)

Thomas Chaloner has been living a lie for more than a decade, first in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, working as a spy for England's Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell. Now, after Cromwell's death, Chaloner is back in London but even as he scrambles to find new work he can't afford to let his true identity be known; his uncle was among those "regicides" who signed the order to behead Charles I, and the newly-restored Charles II has vowed to punish those most fervent Parliamentarians.

Chaloner, however, just wants to get a life. Not any life, of course; he's a spy by training, and would prefer a reasonably-paid job pursuing his own profession to the ill-paid part-time work he has tending to the accounts of a Puritan chapel near his ice-cold rented room, whose rent he can't afford. Trying to find a patron, he finds himself caught between a retired Parliamentarian statesman whose acumen he admires and the new Lord Chanceller, the Earl of Clarendon, of whom he is simultaneously wary and scornful. Between them, the two men soon have Chaloner on the hop, chasing everything from treasure allegedly buried inside the Tower of London to the identity of someone who assassinated one of Chaloner's predecessors, even as he dodges murderous villains through some of London's least salubrious alleyways.

This first instalment of Chaloner's adventures covers the landscape of Restoration London, from the growing political tensions between the English and the Dutch (Metje, Chaloner's mistress, has followed him from the Netherlands to London) to the daily habits of Londoners (the wearing of uncomfortable wigs and the purchasing of milk direct from cows perambulating through the streets). Every character -- including an obnoxious turkey who runs amok in Chaloner's neighbor's household -- is deftly drawn and full of life. Meanwhile, the mystery itself is full of enough twists and turns to hold your interest if you have no compelling interest in 17th century politics -- although Susanna Gregory doesn't seem to put a foot wrong in her knowledge of these as well as the city of London itself. And it's very well written, to boot -- a triple threat.

I'm glad to see that there are at least two more in this series to keep me happy; then it's on to Susanna Gregory's medieval series for me!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful writing, July 10, 2010

By 

P. Callen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Conspiracy of Violence A Thomas Chaloner Mystery (Paperback)

The book is better than the TV series. The characters are edgier, more complex and the writing is full of wit that is totally missing from the TV scripts, so even if you saw all those episodes, read this author. You will not be sorry.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting adventure!, June 5, 2009

By 

outrageoussally (Lebanon, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Conspiracy of Violence A Thomas Chaloner Mystery (Paperback)

The Thomas Chaloner series is a marvelous departure from Susanna Gregory's other series although I love it, too. This series gives the reader the chance to experience the era through the eyes of one character in depth. The action is staggeringly rapid and unexpected, and the historic detail allows the reader to experience the era with all of his senses.
Outrageoussally