The King's Spy ~ Andrew Swanston

The English Civil War, the one that ended with the beheading of a King...wait, no. That could be any of them really. This is the one that ends with a Stuart King losing his head...wait, yes. Yes it is. That head was so important this war became known as The English Civil War, erasing the importance of all the other civil wars England ever had. And where there is war, there is intrigue. When intrigue rears it's savage head, espionage follows. Being the King's Spy is, therefore, no guarantee of saving one's neck.



Book seller Thomas Hill is summoned to Oxford by King Charles (I) to help decipher and decrypt enemy communications. Of course when people are attempting to keep secrets and others are trying to discover them a plethora of no good ensues. Lies, theft and murder create distrust at every quarter, particularly when perpetuated by traitors and the generally offended. Plus there are codes, loads of them for Mr. Hill to crack as battles come ever closer to Oxford, which only serves to increase the pressure he faces.

I will admit that it took me a little longer than usual to figure out who the traitor was. With a talent for descriptive writing, Swanston weaves the possibilities in such a way that the reader has difficulty trusting his/her guesses. I appreciate this as I tend toward boredom if it is too easy. While I was less enthused by how the codes work (mainly because it seemed very algebraic for my anti-maths self), I am assured by people with the skills to understand these things the explanations are not only very good but interesting. A little something for everyone it seems. Because of this, I look forward to the next edition, and with any luck the publisher will make the book available in my country as well.

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Paternoster Row Legacy blog.