Customer Reviews

The King James Conspiracy

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

DePoy goes beyond the usual conspiracy ploys of recent novels, emphasizing instead the human face of such dramas, the control of critical religious dogma. Nor does he hop from the present to the less reliable past, new investigative techniques applied to centuries-old mysteries. Set in 17th century England, all the protagonists in this drama act out their conflicts in real time, the limitations of communication and nefarious deeds critical to the unfolding of a fearless tale that confronts the inherent problems of transcribing the words of the Bible for public consumption: "The Bishop's Bible is an instrument of the Crown as the Latin Bible is an instrument of the pope." DePoy's characters are bedeviled with personal concerns and political realities, not the least of which is the fanatical King James who has ordered the creation of a common Bible for the masses. Like any complicated protagonist, King James harbors his own agenda, his passionate vision for the Church of England.

Furiously resisting the king's intentions, Pope Clement interjects his own perspective, replete with spies and assassins in a deadly struggle to regain Catholic control in Reformed England. Scaling down the controversy to a more measurable stage, the action in this novel centers around a group of Cambridge scholars tasked with transcribing the original translations of the books of the Bible, many of which contain information that radically alters the message of the current Bible. When murder interrupts the work of the scholars, Deacon Marbury hires the enigmatic Brother Timon to infiltrate the group and expose the killer. A dispassionate man with a troubling past, Timon brings yet another layer of mystery to the tale, his actions encouraging Marbury to distrust the agent he has hired, who may, indeed, have yet another agenda. At the heart of all is long-suppressed information that seriously threatens religious dogma grounded in biblical text.

The setting is ripe for mischief, murky, candle-lit rooms where men labor long hours into the night, a countryside threatened by desperate highwaymen, assassins on secret missions and the natural distrust that arises when a murderer lurks among the ranks of scholars. Marbury has cause to regret his hire of brother Timon; Timon reveals a horrific past that has bred a murderous skill set; the intractable King James will have his Bible; and Marbury's daughter, the brilliant Anne, learns more of the recent violent activities at Cambridge than is safe. In a complex mix of religious fanaticism, superstition, witch-baiting and alchemy, DePoy crashes through the boundaries of established beliefs. If human error- accidental or deliberate- has tainted the Bible, what is the truth of Christianity? Luan Gaines/2009.

The tone and time are well set and the reader is taken into another time. The plot twists, and turns and we are taken on a journey of discovery. Nothing is certain, and as the characters become more real the mystery continue to deepen. Very good evocation of the period, cold stone floors, noises, smells and of course the eternal human traits of hope, fear and faith tested and tested again.
I enjoyed this read very much, and recommend it to anyone interested in a good mystery, the King James Bible translation and the Shakesperean era. I am already looking for the next in hopefully a long series.

Have always been interested in King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) and DePoy is an involving writer. The plot is that of influencing some of the Cambridge translators of the Bible to reflect either Protestant or Catholic thought, which leads to murder and conspiracy. The lead character, Brother Timon, is fictional, the translators did live.
Depoy leads us thru the plots very successfully and to some resolution. Read the King James Bible to see how the two points of view are put forth.
Linda Sheean

I'm a fan of Philip Depoy's writing - he creates intriguing characters and puts them into believeable situations. Yet, it's not just the time period that's so fascinating, it's the growth of the characters and how they react to their chilling circumstances. I must say that I was surprised by the plot twists! Great read - couldn't put it down.

The King James Conspiracy is a brilliantly written historical thriller. Richly drawn characters along with fascinating details of life at that place and time draw you in and make you feel you are there. The fast-moving book keeps you on your toes. Most importantly to me, I learned so much from this book. The author shares his vast knowledge on everything from Shakespeare to the Bible. I highly recommend this book and look forward to many more from this author.

The King James Conspiracy caught my attention in the library. The premise is great: Was there a secret history to the creation of the King James Bible? And the cover art looks fantastic. And that is all that is worthwhile about this book.

Unfortunately, the author was not up to the task of writing the story to flesh out the idea. The book actually starts out ok, but after a short while, you start to wonder: "Why are these characters not acting in any sort of rational manner? Why does the plot not make any sense?" You may think to yourself: "Well, I'll keep going, maybe it will redeem itself in the end with some fascinating insight or idea." You would be wrong. If anything the ending is so disjointed and not connected to anything else in the book, you will put down the book and ponder what St. Martin's Press was possibly thinking when they greenlighted this disaster.

I'm not sure what book the other reviewers were reading when they gave this book 4-5 stars. To compare this to The Name of the Rose is to compare a children's play to Shakespeare... you simply can't do it.

I stumbled upon DePoy several years ago on an Amazon recommendation for the Fever Develin series. I was hooked immediately. This story was quite a bit different in content and would probably appeal to people that really like historical fiction. I'm not really a big fan of that genre, so that's why only 4 stars. It was still an easy and fun read.

In 1605, King James I assembles a team of experts to translate the Bible into English under the leadership of Deacon Francis Marbury. However, at the onset, someone brutally murders one of the participating scholars. Marbury asks for an investigator to uncover the identity of the killer before others are murdered.

Pope Clement opposes the project fearing secrets of the Church will be exposed. His agents intercept Marbury's plea for help; the Pope sends Brother Timon to sabotage the translation. Soon others are killed by a vicious predator. Timon begins to wonder if he is on the wrong side as he assumes some agent of the Pope is the serial killer ferociously murdering scholars who are doing their job.

This is an interesting historical thriller in which most of the cast starting with the monarch and the pope on down to the scholars, etc are a Freudian wet dream as everyone seems to have major psychoses. No one is likable as it appears the fringe lunatics are in power. Still in spite of advanced abnormal psychology, readers who enjoy dramatic renditions of key religious events will relish this entertaining look through the bloody lens of homicide and fanatic fundamentalist insanity at King James I bringing the bible to the masses.

Harriet Klausner