The Drowned City by K. J. Maitland
The first in an exciting new series from an expert writer at the height of her powers.
Gunpowder and treason changed England forever. But the tides are turning and revenge runs deep...
1606. A year to the day that men were executed for conspiring to blow up Parliament, a towering wave devastates the Bristol Channel. Some proclaim God’s vengeance. Others seek to take advantage.
In London, Daniel Pursglove lies in prison waiting to die. But Charles FitzAlan, close adviser to King James I, has a job in mind that will free a man of Daniel’s skill from the horrors of Newgate. If he succeeds.
For Bristol is a hotbed of Catholic spies, and where better for the lone conspirator who evaded arrest, one Spero Pettingar, to gather allies than in the chaos of a drowned city? Daniel journeys there to investigate FitzAlan’s lead, but soon finds himself at the heart of a dark Jesuit conspiracy - and in pursuit of a killer.
A compelling historical thriller for fans of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor, Antonia Hodgson and Laura Shepherd Robinson.
About the author.
Karen Maitland is an historical novelist, lecturer and teacher of Creative Writing, with over twenty books to her name. She grew up in Malta, which inspired her passion for history, and travelled and worked all over the world before settling in the United Kingdom. She has a doctorate in psycholinguistics, and now lives on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.
Review.
‘The Drowned City’ is a blistering introduction to the ‘Daniel Pursglove’ series. Every pore of the page is seeped in historical richness that it's almost effortless to visualise this wrecked city of Bristol. The writing reflects the intense world which our protagonist finds himself in, its haunting in it's ability to hold a readers attention as it encourages you to stay for ‘just one more chapter’.
The book opens with Daniel Pursglove, a conjurer, trickster in Newgate prison accused of sorcery, when he is pulled from his cell by one of King James I advisors - Charles FitzAlan. Bristol has been engulfed by a massive wave which occurred on the anniversary of the when the Gunpowder Plotters were executed. Many think this was conjured up by witches but FitzAlan believes it is a Jesuit plot and sends Pursglove to investigate. There is also the mysterious plotter who was never found Spero Pettingar, is he present in Bristol as it is a hotbed of Jesuit activity?
This book was murky, dismal and doesn't hold back with it's description of Bristol during this tumultuous period. It was so easy to picture the destruction and damage the tidal wave must have caused, both to the infrastructure and the inhabitants of this city. This has been a meticulously researched book. It is full of rich detail that allows you to feel part of the story, from the Masquerade to the creaky steps to the bedchambers. But it is the character of Daniel who makes this book shine for me. Faced with an impossible task he doesn't run away from it. Although, it is clear he has done some things in the past, it is also evident that he has a clear sense of morals. He is a character that you root for even if he does stumble around being an idiot at times.
This book has dragged me, quite willingly I will state, into the world of Daniel Pursglove and it’s a world I want to know far more about. I can honestly say that any next instalments are going to be on an auto-buy list as I can't wait to read more!
