An old-fashioned and satisfying murder mystery, Death in Delft is set in the 17th century and features Master Mercurius, a cleric sent to investigate the disappearance of three young girls. There are clues to follow, humour to keep things light and cameo roles from some well known historical figures. This is the first in a series and I look forward to reading about Master Mercurius in the future.

Graham Brack's new series is somewhat different from his popular Joseph Slonsky crime series. Set in 17th century Europe, it features a University academic, Master Mercurius. A learned man and catholic priest, he has also been ordained as a protestant minister to allow him to work at Leiden University while keeping his true faith secret. When the Rector is contacted by the Mayor of Delft asking if he could send him an educated man help look into the disappearance of three young girls, one of whom has been found dead, he decides to send Mercurius.

In his descriptions of the little town of Delft, Brack has conveyed an excellent sense of the period, the people and customs of the time, along with the dominance of Calvinism on people's lives. The freezing winter also adds to the atmosphere as Mercurius must walk everywhere encountering thick mud. In Delft he meets famous historical figures, scientist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, the Mayor's Chamberlain at the time, artist Jan Vermeer and physician Reineer de Graaf, all of whom assist Mercurius in their own ways.

Master Mercurius makes the perfect investigator, good natured and practical with a sense of humour, he logically approaches the problem, interviewing the parents and witnesses and thinking through several hypotheses. He also does not feel constrained by the law and metes out his own sense of fairness and justice. Brack's writing style suits this type of mystery very well, keeping it light while delivering an intriguing plot that is hopefully the first of many in this series.

Historical mysteries are so very different from the latest forensic novels what we have now, it's done with thought, and speaking to all whether bitchy or backstabbing, lots of walking because those days no transport of cars if you were lucky it was a horse or maybe a carriage as well. Master Mercurius is sent for he is a cleric, he is also a catholic priest in secret and a protestant. The tale starts with 3 children missing and a finding of a grave and the children all little girls approximately aged 8yrs all from different backgrounds. but they do have one thing in common, that is what Master Mercurius has to find out and as to how these little girls went on their own accord. Because of the time within the 1600s, there is no camera's so how do you find out what these children look like and what do they have in common, the story does go into the background of these children and whose loved and who has to work at a tender age, and in those days children worked unless you were well to do but he does get help from an artist and draws a picture of one little girl so good is the likeness, but to get the people to talk was indeed challenging, because if you were born a bastard you didn't count, and alas in those times it seemed to matter. It did deem a little slow at times but did keep me entertained and I did work out the children's connection and near the end the reason, well thought out good characterization and locale description, not heard of the author Graham Brack before and will certainly have another go at his novels, and many thanks to Netgalley and Sapere Books for giving me a copy to review, wonderful story.

1671. Master Mercurius of the Leiden University is sent by request to Delft. The mayor wishes him to investigate the death of a young girl and the abduction of two more. Can he find them before they are also killed, and what is the motive behind the abductions. Is there a connection between the three girls and are more in danger.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with a likeable main character. A very good start to a new series.

I enjoyed this book very much.It's set in 17th century Holland and the main character,Master Mercurius, is a university lecturer and priest.When three young girls disappear in Delft,and one is subsequently found dead,he is sent to investigate .In the course of his investigation he meets up with several real life characters,including Jan Vermeer,and we get some lovely snapshots of life in Holland at this time.
There is a lot of humour in the story with lots of funny little asides and observations ,as the story is told in the first person.The plot moves quite slowly but it held my attention and I was satisfied with the way it developed and was resolved.
This is the first in a series,and I would definitely read more books featuring this character .Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinions.

A well written short story. I liked the writing style and the setting. I would have liked it more if it had been a bit longer.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I like historical crime/mystery fiction and thought this would be right up my street.....it was! Gentle pace throughout and easy reading, nothing dark or too sinister. I enjoyed it.

I am already a fan of Graham Brack's very entertaining Josef Slonsky series but this book is something different.

Death in Delft is an historical mystery, set in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The MC is Master Mercurius, a man who contrives to be simultaneously a Catholic priest, a Protestant minister and a university lecturer. There are good reasons for this. He also promises to be an excellent part time detective.

The period setting is a time when some of the great artists and important scientists were at work and in the course of the story we meet Jan Vermeer and Van Leeuwenhoek. They also contribute to solving the crime.

The book is written in Brack's easy style. He has a light touch with humour and creates some wonderful characters. The mystery is interesting and it is apparent that the author has spent a lot of time on his research into how the people lived and spoke. I hope he plans to use this research and continues to write this series!

Enjoyed this first in the series of a new historical mystery set in the Netherlands in the 17th century! On a COVID-19 weekend, this was right up my alley - atmospheric, good writing with a tongue in cheek style on occasion, this book was surprisingly interesting for depicting the life and times of Delft in the 1600s (I think…since I didn’t live during those times - lol!) and Brack does a good job emulating what I imagine is the language style of the day. I love that he sprinkles in a bit of history as well. The main character Master Mercurius, is a cool cleric with a secret of his own, with self-deprecating humor, and ounces of empathy. Oh yes, then there’s the murders of course and that mystery to solve. All in all, this was a fun read and I’m looking forward to the second book scheduled for release later this year. I’ve read one other book of the author - one in the Josef Slonsky series that’s set in Prague, which I enjoyed too, but keep in mind the series are vastly different in both style and approach - both done equally well though. I’d recommend this book for historical mystery fans. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

1671, Delft & thee young girls have been abducted from their homes. The body of one has been found in a shallow grave. The other two are still missing. The murder has shocked everyone is the peaceful city of Delft and the mayor is desperate to catch the perpetrator before panic can spread any further. With the bitterly cold January weather intensifying it is doubtful that the other two girls are still alive. The mayor requests the help of Master Mercurius, a gifted cleric from a nearby university, and local artist Vermeer, who uses his skills to sketch the crime scenes.
I’ve loved the author’s Josef Slonský’s so was excited to read the first in a new series & I wasn’t disappointed. Another well written page turning read. The characters have depth & are well portrayed. The mystery held my interest from start to finish. I liked Mercurius especially his sense of humour. I also liked that it was Vermeer who finds the connection with that helps solve the case. The book also gave an insight as to life in Delft in the seventeenth century. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This is a very enjoyable easy read historical murder mystery. This is the first in the Mercurius series with hopefully more to follow. It is not clear why Mercurious, a priest studying at Leiden university is sent to discover who killed one of the girls and abducted 2 more . Brack writes with a gentle humour also includes Delft residents, Vameer and a Dutch scientist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeknd in the story. The story does not have the historical detail of Sansom so is less atmospheric but is a good read none the less.

‘It was every bit as awful as I expected.’

1671, Delft. Three girls have disappeared. One has been found dead in a shallow grave. The other two are still missing. Can they survive? It’s January, and the weather is bitterly cold.

Master Mercurius, a member of the university faculty in Leiden, is called to Delft to investigate the disappearances. Protestantism is dominant in parts of northern Europe and Master Mercurius is an ordained Protestant minister, who happens to also be a Catholic priest. This makes him an interesting character with a wide perspective – which is what he will need to get to the bottom of this case.

And while Master Mercurius is gathering the information he needs to solve this case, he also spends some time with the painter Johannes Vermeer and his family, and with Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (one of my personal heroes of science).

Can the other two girls be found? Who has abducted them and why? The story proceeds at a fairly unhurried pace, including a lot of information about 17th century life in Delft as Master Mercurius conducts his (not always welcome) investigations).

I really enjoyed this novel. It is different (in many ways) from Mr Brack’s Josef Slonský novels and just as enjoyable. I am now looking forward to the second book in the series.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Three missing girls, one of whom is found dead, result in a minister from the university being sent to Delft to solve the mystery. The story takes place in seventeenth century Holland and is told in the first person by Master Mercurius, who has a sly, dry wit that inserts itself every so often in the form of a wry one-liner that is easy to miss. If you aren’t paying careful attention to what you are reading, you may miss these all together and they are part of what makes this book so engaging.
Although a mystery, there is no frantic running around, no feeling of danger toward Master Mercurius or any of the other characters in the book. Instead, the book moves at a gentle, steady pace as Master Mercurius, with the help of Johannes Vermeer, one of Delft’s leading citizens, unravels the mystery of why the girls were kidnapped and where they are now.
The book offers an interesting view of life in Holland in the 1600’s, including some social mores, religious restrictions, and society structures. Because these bits of information are woven skillfully into the book, it never overwhelms the reader and it may not be until the book is finished that the reader realizes just how much they have learned about the country at the time.
It is interesting to read a fictional idea of what everyday family life for Vermeer might be like. I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but Vermeer is a pleasant character to encounter. The other historical figure in the book is dutch scientist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. Toward the end of the book, the author offers a peek at his study of microbes which has led to him being considered by some as the father of microbiology. As with Vermeer, most of the story involving Van Leeuwenhoek centers around his life as a village elder and as a family man.
While the solution to the mystery is somewhat of a reveal, it isn’t a big plot twist and I had figured out the reason for the kidnappings about two-thirds of the way through the book. That in no way hampered my enjoyment of the book which was well written and provided an interesting plot without unnecessary tension.
For anyone who is looking for a mystery book that may offer them a quiet read in almost a soothing fashion, this is a good book to consider. It is well written, well paced, and the characters are varied enough to maintain interest in the book. There is not much information offered regarding the geography of Holland, and if the reader is looking for rich descriptions of landscapes, etc., this is not the book for them.
My thanks to Sapere Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little sceptical about reading this since it is not an era I am particulary interested in but it is a great story told by a fantastic author. I must thank Netgalley, Sapere Books and the author Graham Brack who has come to be one of my favorite authors. He is a master at descriping time and place. He also is great at finding humor in his stories. I stongly recommend that you try this and also his Josef Slonský series.

Death in Delft is a very successful historical mystery largely due to its central character. Master Mercurius, a member of the university faculty at Leiden, is called to Delft to investigate the disappearance of three girls. One has been found dead; the other two are still missing. The novel takes place in the 17th Century, when Protestantism was sweeping northern Europe and Protestant-Catholic relations could quickly become fraught.

Mercurius is an ordained Protestant minister, as he must be to teach at the university. What sets him apart is that he is also a convert to Catholicism and traveled to France to be ordained a second time in that faith. This dual identity gives him interesting insights about character and motivation. He knows people may not be what they appear be; he also knows that this doesn't necessarily make them suspicious or dangerous. In a time of religious tension, he is remarkably non-judgemental, certain that the world of faith is something broader than he can conceive of.

The fun in the book is added to by a relationship that develops between Mercurius and the painter Vermeer, who lives in Delft. The mystery is solid enough to keep readers going, and you will have genuine fun exploring 17th Century Delft with Master Mercurius. I will be eagerly looking for new Master Mercurius titles.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

This is an absolutely wonderful read, and for the first book in a new series, I cannot wait for the rest to appear! A very strong start with a fascinating lead character, who is a Catholic priest, masquerading as a Protestant in order to keep a teaching post at Leiden university.
Master Mercurius is the cleric, and this novel takes the form of his memoirs. As readers, we are often informed in these pages, of future events that happen to the people that Mercurius meets and becomes involved with, which adds to the illusion that he is rereading his journal entries and updating them.
Mercurius is a cleric, with a sense of humour, quick thinking, defensive of the poor and the many wrongs done to them, but it is not a preachy book. It is a sobering look at the inequalities in Dutch society in the seventeenth century, poorhouses, the stigma of being a bastard, and the beginnings of trade routes being set up in the Low Countries. There is also a reflection about religion, this however, has no ill effects on Mercurius, he seems almost like the Vicar of Bray, changes his cloth to suit the circumstances!!
Three young girls have been abducted, all aged about eight years old, and come from different backgrounds. They have red hair, the only common denominator. The story opens when the body of one has been found in a shallow grave. Mercurius, using some marvellous Sherlock Holmes type deductions, starts to chase down clues, assisted by Vermeer, the portrait painter, ( before he was really famous) and hindered by most of the Governing council of Delph.
There is so much detail, that informs but doesn't bore the reader. Full of social history and fascinating facts, it would pass muster on a school bookshelves without any doubt!! If I could learn French at school by reading Asterix stories in the native language, why not this book?.
My only criticism was about red hair and blue eyes, but that could be explained by Viking settlers and trade routes? The laws on genetic inheritance can throw up some surprises!!
I cannot recommend this novel too highly. I was hoping it would never end, as I knew I wanted to read more. So different, so creative and thoroughly enjoyable. I will keep an eye out for the others in this series. A cracking five star read.
Reviews will be left on Goodreads. I will recommend this to my local history group as a social history source.

Death in Delft by Graham Brack was a cozy and enjoyable mystery read! Picture a Dr. Watson-esque character solving a case with a brilliant sketch artist as his sidekick but set in 17th-century Delft with Dr. Watson as a cleric named Mercurius and the sketch artist as the famous painter Johannes Vermeer (of Girl with a Pearl Earring fame). The two must work quickly to locate the kidnapper of three young girls, one of whom has already been killed. The townspeople are not always forthcoming with information and the clock keeps ticking. This book is the first in a series and I would definitely keep reading!

The year is 1671 and this story is set in Delft where three young girls are missing. One is found deceased and buried in a shallow grave. Master Mercurius , a gifted cleric is called upon to investigate. And so our plot is set and this enthralling book keeps you turn8ng page by page to find out why the girls were taken and if they can be found.
Loved this book and all the characters in it.

. This was a really strong start to a series. I really liked the actual mystery and the setting. The strength of this book lies in the character of Master Mercurius who is tasked with solving the crime. He is very funny, with a good sense of humour and his asides and thoughts about his faith and those around him really make this novel. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Death in Delft by Graham Brack was almost just the historical mystery I didn't know I needed in my life. The level of detail that went into creating the world and the characters of the Netherlands during the 17th century is incredibly impressive. I think Mercurius is on his way to becoming a favorite character. I'm looking forward to seeing where the Master Mercurius Mysteries series goes from here and I'll to look into other works from the author as well.