Balthasar de St. Michel is feckless in the eyes of his brother-in-law,
Samuel Pepys. He is constantly bothering Pepys in the hopes that he
will provide some sort of work. Balty, as Pepys calls him, is surprised
when Lord Downing gives him the job of hunting for two judges who were
involved in the execution of the former king. The problem is, Balty has
to travel to New England.
When Balty arrives in Boston he finds that it truly is a Puritan
stronghold. It is a few days before his contact, Hiram Huncks, makes
himself known to Balty. They leave Boston in unusual circumstances.
Their next stop is New Haven. It doesn’t take long for the pair to get
into trouble with the locals. An accident has Huncks paralysed and
Balty concussed.
It’s during their recovery that Balty learns that there is more to their
mission than just finding the two judges. Once recovered, they learn
that the judges have moved on to New Amsterdam. However, moments after
arriving in New Amsterdam, the city is shut up, and the pair is taken
into custody. It seems that four British ships have also arrived in the
area.
Can the pair achieve their two objectives or will the Dutch frustrate
them? Author Christopher Buckley’s historical novel is a fun, quick
read, and based on historical fact. Quite enjoyable.
No comments:
Post a Comment