About The Book
1641.
London.
The poisonous dispute pushing King Charles and Parliament towards Civil War is reaching the point of no return.
Law and order in the city are collapsing as Puritan radicals demand more concessions from the King. Bishops and lords are attacked in the streets as the Apprentice Boys run amok. Criminal gangs use the disorder to mask their activities while the people of London lock their doors and pray for deliverance.
No one is immune from the contagion. Two Jesuit priests are discovered in hiding and brutally executed – and soon the family of spice merchant Thomas Tallant is drawn into the spiral of violence. Tallant’s home is ransacked, his warehouse raided and his sister seized by kidnappers.
Thomas struggles to discover who is responsible, aided by the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour, a devotee of science, maths and tobacco in equal measure. Together they enter a murky world of court politics, street violence, secret codes and poisoned letters, and confront a vicious gang leader who will stop at nothing to satisfy his greed.
Can Elizabeth use her skills to unpick the mass of contradictory evidence before the Tallants are ruined – both as a business and a family?
And as the fight for London between King and Parliament hurtles to its dramatic conclusion, can the Tallants survive the personal and political maelstrom?
My Review
With thanks to the author for the copy received. I always enjoy historical fiction, especially when I read something that sends me looking for more information. The Wrecking Storm did just that, as did it’s prequel Rags of Time. This period in history is one that I know little about.
We join Thomas Tallant, his family and close friend Elizabeth again. The Tallant spice business is flourishing but this makes them unpopular with their business rivals who resent the family’s Dutch connections. This resentment brings danger to all of them who feel the threat from an enemy they can’t identify.
London’s population is growing but there is a lack of housing and many people have no way of earning a living. There are an increasing number of gangs and this combined with the ongoing resentments between king and government make it an extremely dangerous place to live. The main threat comes from the Apprentice Boys who were gaining in power. It was this thread that was the strongest for me, their power and way of recruitment was very convincing.
As the danger levels increased it was Elizabeth who devised the best plan to keep the Tallant’s and their business safe. I was smiling as I read, visualising clearly the confusion and mayhem it caused. But there was also a feeling of sadness when it was revealed who was behind the threat and the consequences of the assault on the family.
Fictional characters combined with those from real life, this was a very interesting and entertaining novel. I hope there is more to come.
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