It is 1643 and civil war haunts England. Fortunately the town of Romsey
hasn't seen a lot of it. However, with increasing tension both
Royalist and Parliamentary soldiers have recently visited the small town
causing grief and destruction. In the midst of this a visitor from the
king stops by Thomas Hill's humble bookshop.
The king wants Thomas to use his mathematical skills to be his
cryptographer, and after careful thought, Thomas agrees to travel to
Oxford. It is only when he is well on the way to Oxford that he is told
that the man he is replacing has been murdered. Upon arrival in
Oxford, Thomas discovers that his mentor is virtually blind, however his
mind is as sharp as ever.
Thomas is quickly put to work decoding some messages. It doesn't take
him long, and he soon starts to establish characteristics to each code
writer. Thomas also meets an intriguing young widow plus an angry young
man who is upset because he had to give up his room to Thomas. What
roles will these two play in Thomas' time in Oxford?
Thomas finds the work tedious and boring until one day an intercepted
parliamentary message is handed to him to decrypt. It becomes evident
quickly that this will not be an easy message to break. Unfortunately
after struggling to decrypt the message for some time, Thomas' mentor is
murdered, and his room ransacked. Thomas is arrested and charged with
the murder of his friend. It isn't long before he succumbs to gaol
fever.
Saved from the gaol, Thomas does manage to decrypt the message, which
threatens the queen. Who can he trust with it? Who can he trust with
anything? Is the king trustworthy?
Author Andrew Swanston has written a fast paced novel, full of murder,
mystery and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to
reading the sequels.
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