The King's Assassin

It is 1213 and an English army is crossing the channel to fight Phillip of France.  Amongst the soldiers are Alan Dale and Little John plus their leader the Earl of Locksley.  They manage to destroy Phillip’s invasion fleet, but upon returning they learn that Locksley’s castle has been attacked.

While Locksley is preoccupied with his issues, Dale is occupied with a promise he had made to assassinate King John.  How could he do it and survive?

Locksley hears from his son that his wife had irritated the sheriff while he was away.  It is possible that the sheriff is behind the attack on the Locksley castle.  The sheriff next threatens Dale, and his son.  Can Alan protect his son and still assassinate the king?

Unfortunately the king imprisons Alan.  He is released only because Locksley agrees to help King John try to win back his lands in France.  However, John still needs more money to fight his war, but no one has anything to give him.  The Sheriff of Nottingham bleeds the county dry, and takes Alan’s son, Robert, prisoner to force Alan to pay money he doesn’t have.  Will Alan come back from France a rich man and be able to free Robert?

The ensuing loss to the French would be costly for the English and King John more so as it would lead directly to the English barons rising up against his terrible rule and thus the imposition of the Magna Carta on him.  No man, including the king was above the law.

Author Angus Donald’s historical novel is full of action and treachery.  It is an exciting read, hard to put down.

The Children Return

An ex special forces member has been killed and partially burned outside St. Denis and Chief of Police Bruno will have to work with officers from Paris to investigate this case.  Coincidentally, Bruno receives an email from a former army colleague who has come across a lad in Afghanistan who wants to return home.  Is he a jihadi extremist or just a lad who somehow turned up in Afghanistan?

Not long after this, Bruno is attacked by two men.  He survives, and a search is put in place for them.  The uncle of the boy in Afghanistan is placed under security as Bruno feels that the men were looking for him.  Once the lad is returned to France, Bruno must set up a secure house for him and his family.  Meanwhile the French security forces have the two killers under surveillance.

Things change drastically when a child is kidnapped.  Can Bruno and his team get him back without endangering him?

Author Martin Walker has some interesting twists to this thriller.  It is a read full of excitement.  I found the book very hard to put down.

Conquest

Captain Kydd and his crew have just finished escorting the body of Nelson back to England, and are immediately sent to Madeira for for further action.  Where will the frigate L’ Aurore go now?  Kydd soon finds out that the plan is to now expand the empire.  A naval squadron is to transport two or three thousand soldiers and all their accoutrements to the Cape of Good Hope.  The plan is to take it from the Dutch.

It will not be an easy task; just getting there will be fraught with peril.  Choosing a landing place would also be important.  Fortunately a sandy beach was found near Cape Town and a successful landing concluded.  Now it was up to the army to hold off the Dutch and their allies, and if successful, advance.  Surprisingly after one short battle, Cape Town capitulates.  But, will the rest of the colony follow suit?

The new governor is in need of a temporary secretary, so Kydd suggests his good friend Nicholas Renzi.  Renzi was now earning more than his friend.  How would it affect their friendship?  Now, the governor must get the people onside.  And how safe are they from the French trying to take the cape from them?

Author Julian Stockwin’s latest novel doesn’t present many sea battles, but there is a rollicking land battle near the end of it.  A very good read for fans on historical novels.

Wolves of the North

Ballista and his men at arms, Maximus, Castricius, Hippothous and Calgacus are headed north to seek out prisoners held by an enemy tribe.  On neutral ground they meet an old enemy, however their host insists that both refrain from hostilities.

A few days later a slave is mutilated just outside the camp.  Who would have done this?  It is not the way of the people through whose land they are travelling.

Away from the river, the travellers now move by wagon train across the Steppe.  It is slow going.  Another mysterious death occurs.  It is the same killer, but who amongst them?  Before they reach their destination they are attacked a couple of times by the Alani.  Finally they are surrounded and outnumbered.  How long will they last?

Fortunately the Heruli cavalry arrives in the nick of time.  Sadly, shortly after one of Ballista’s protégés is found murdered.  The killer is still with them, but who is it?  Not long after this, an attempt is made by Alani warriors to kill Ballista and the leader of the Heruli, and that can only mean one thing - war!

One anticipates many battles in, “Wolves of the North”, but author Harry Sidebottom has taken a different approach.  The travails of Ballista and his familia are given through the thoughts of the members of the familia.  The ending leaves the reader wondering what is next and looking forward to reading the next in the series.  A good read.