In the sixth book in the Thomas Chaloner series, Thomas ventures wearily into post-Commonwealth England once more to keep the buffoonery of the Court and Whitehall safe from the murderous intent of a man known only as Falcon. The mysterious disappearance of a Dutch national who also happens to be Thomas Chaloner’s brother in law sparks a whole new level of intrigue and drives Thomas into no-man's land where all sides think him a traitor.

The adventure opens with his marriage to Hannah, who is a lady-in-waiting for the Portuguese Queen of England. Matrimony sits uncomfortably with Chaloner. Hannah is quick-witted and game, and Thomas admires those traits. But he freely admits he has nothing in common with his effervescent wife, who cannot abide his musical interests – which are the saving grace of Thomas’s peripatetic and dangerous existence. It doesn’t take much to realise this will end in tears at some stage in the future.

Falcon is a master of disguise and he is blackmailing most of the nobles of Charles II's court. Thomas foils the Sinon Plot, which is ostensibly a scheme to steal the glass-baubled Crown Jewels. However, Falcon’s aim was much bigger than this and the fallout from the plot threatens to send the Dutch and English to war.

It is easy to feel Thomas’s weariness, his confusion, his inexorable desire to find the truth and eternal patience with those all around him. By nature he is diffident, a loner struggling to connect socially with others. Yet his ability to attract intense loyalty amongst like-minded people enables him to puzzle out the truth amongst the inevitable pattern of lies and deceit. ( )

Susanna Gregory does it again with this sixth book in the Thomas Chaloner series. As it is with her other historical mystery series (Matthew Bartholomew), Ms. Gregory cleverly mixes a lot actual historical fact with her fictional characters. Chaloner is a spy during Restoration England, and is well used to living by his wits. He has served many masters from both sides of the political spectrum, and he knows his 16 century London with all its squalor, taverns, boltholes, and colourful people. This book was a surprise from the beginning as we try with Thomas to try to determine who the person is who is causing so much death and destruction during one hot English summer. I thought I had it figured out, but I was not right and didn't even guess who it might be until I read Ms. Gregory's startling pages at the end of the book. But Thomas is fighting to keep his loved ones and friends safe, as well as himself, while he is being assaulted on all sides. He knows how important it is to unmask the person known as Falcon. HIs life, his wife's life, his dear friends lives and his kinfolk are all dependent on him. The pace is fast and furious in the book, and it had me quickly turning pages (or in this case, moving pages in my Kindle) until the last possible line. I highly recommend this series, but it is best enjoyed from the beginning book which is "A Conspiracy of Violence". ( )