The Westminster Poisoner (Thomas Chaloner Mysteries) [Paperback]

Susanna Gregory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2010 | Series: Thomas Chaloner Mysteries

Christopher Vine, a Treasury clerk working in solitary piety in the Painted Chamber of the Palace of Westminster, is not alone. A killer waits in the draughty hall to ensure Vine will not live to see in the New Year. And Vine is not the only government official to die that season. The Lord Chancellor fears his enemies will skew any investigation to cause him maximum damage, so he decides to commission his own inquiries into the murders and, with his suspicions centered on Greene, another clerk, he instructs Thomas Chaloner to prove that Greene is the killer. Chaloner can prove otherwise, but unraveling the reasons behind his employer's suspicions is as complex as discovering the motives for the killings. His search for the real murderer plunges him into a stinking seam of corruption that leads towards the Royal apartments and to people determined to make Christmas 1663 Chaloner's last.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Gregory's excellent fourth Thomas Chaloner adventure set in Restoration London (after 2008's The Butcher of Smithfield) effortlessly blends authentic historical details with plenty of red herrings. Chaloner, the chief spy for England's Lord Chancellor, the earl of Clarendon, is on uncertain ground because of his past support for Oliver Cromwell. The earl increases the pressure by giving Chaloner a tight deadline to solve a series of poisonings that have claimed the lives of two government clerks. Convinced that another clerk, Greene, is responsible, the earl orders Chaloner to prove Greene's guilt, despite the spy's misgivings. Gregory provides a number of false endings, a classic golden age of detection plot device rarely used these days, but which, in the hands of a skilled writer, makes every word count. Gregory is also the author of the Matthew Bartholomew series set in medieval Cambridge (The Devil's Disciples, etc.). (June)
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Review

"Excellent."   —Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0751539554
• ISBN-13: 978-0751539554
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 4.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #792,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Real!, June 16, 2009

By 

S. Schwartz "romonko" (alberta canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Westminster Poisoner (Thomas Chaloner Mysteries) (Hardcover)

These Thomas Chaloner books are so real that it's hard to keep realizing that I am reading historical fiction as I read them. The main reason for this is that Ms. Gregory uses real historical people and happenings in these books. The books are set in England during the first years of the Restoration after King Charles II is back on the throne. Chaloner is a wonderful, larger than life hero. He is a spy who works for the new regime even though his family were big Cromwell followers before the Restoration. He must live by his wits in a truly dangerous and scary world. This book is set around Christmas in the year 1663. It appears that someone is going around London killing court clerks and Chaloner has been tasked by his Earl to find the killer, and to retrieve a priceless bust that had been stolen right from the palace. Chaloner finds himself in all sorts of dangerous situations, and the action keeps going right until the very end. These books are a wonderful escape for anyone who loves historical fiction like I do! This was number four in the series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best so far, July 2, 2010

By 

E. L. Fough (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Westminster Poisoner (Thomas Chaloner Mysteries) (Paperback)

I've read all the Matthew Bartholomew series and now all the Chaloner series. I have to say, this one is, in my opinion, the best of the Chaloner series so far. I have not gotten bored while reading it. I have a hard time putting it down at breakfast and actually leaving for work. Very well done and I do recommend it.