The Cromwell Enigma

A Tudor Mystery

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Pub Date 24 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 16 Sep 2020
SPCK | Marylebone House

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Description

July 1540. The courts of Europe are stunned to hear that Henry VIII has executed his all-powerful minister, Thomas Cromwell. Poet and classicist Nicholas Bourbon is sent from the cultured court of Queen Marguerite of Navarre to investigate. Thrust into a turbulent world of religious, political and personal rivalries, his travels take him far and wide. He endures perils at sea, incarceration in a monastic prison and poisonous intrigue in the Tudor court. Yet this retiring scholar cannot abandon a quest which steadily becomes an obsession, drawing him ever deeper into the beliefs and motivations of his mysterious quarry. Only after facing many hazards does he discover the astonishing secret that unlocks the Cromwell enigma.

July 1540. The courts of Europe are stunned to hear that Henry VIII has executed his all-powerful minister, Thomas Cromwell. Poet and classicist Nicholas Bourbon is sent from the cultured court of...


Advance Praise

Perfectly balances fact and fiction - History of Royals 

 

A must-read for anyone who enjoys historical thrillers like those of C.J. Sansom - The Tudor Society

Perfectly balances fact and fiction - History of Royals 

 

A must-read for anyone who enjoys historical thrillers like those of C.J. Sansom - The Tudor Society


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781910674529
PRICE US$16.00 (USD)
PAGES 352

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Average rating from 9 members


Featured Reviews

This is a very well written novel. The historical detail is helped by extracts from letters and documents of the time and would thrill the soul of serious historians. I really enjoyed this book.

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*Many thanks to Derek Wilson, SPCK Marylebone House, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An interesting concept for a book in which a poet on the mission from the queen of Navarre sets of on a tour aiming at finding out as much as possible about Thomas Cromwell who has just been beheaded. Nicolas Bourbon met Crom some years earlier, and was a guest at his house, and more importantly, shared his religious beliefs.
Mousieur Bourbon travels to England and across the Continent, meeting people who were Cromwell's friends and confidants, and the enigma is being revealed gradually.
Mr Wilson included original texts of various nature into the novel.
The book reads well and is definitely another interesting voice regarding Thomas Cromwell, the enigmatic historic figure that has received a lot of attention over the last decade.

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This is historically accurate, indeed it explores the subject matter of the book, i.e. Cromwell, in depth. I did not know the history of him half as well as I now do, nor that he was generous to his friends and a great reformer, nor that he employed the Socratic technique of questioning. A good book for anyone wanting to explore the subject in more depth. And it deals with other matters, and historical characters as well.

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Marguerite, Queen of Navarre hears with great disquiet of the imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell in the Tower of London. She dispatches trusted poet Nicholas Bourbon to England to find out how Henry VIII’s chief advisor has been brought down. By the time Bourbon’s journey is underway, Cromwell is dead, his reputation in tatters and Bishop Stephen Gardiner represents danger to all his supporters. Bourbon realises that whilst Cromwell may be dead his reputation still looms large and he sets out to try to solve the enigma that is Cromwell. His quest takes him from England to Antwerp, Florence and back to England again.

This is a well written blend of fact and fiction that melds together seamlessly. Bourbon is a really good choice of narrator as he travels the length and breadth of Europe seeking ‘the truth’ as he tries to get a sense of the man. The religious schism of Europe is well depicted as are the dangers therein as Bourbon finds to his cost in London and Florence. There are some colourful and rich descriptions that transport you to the places he visits, asking questions of people that knew him to determine his qualities. The book depicts extremely well the riddle that is Thomas Cromwell and how a man of such low birth could achieve such high office. I especially enjoy Bourbons desire to see if Cromwell is a follower of Machiavelli and if this influences how he serves his master Henry. I think the clearest vision we get of Cromwell in the book is in Florence as a young man and after that he becomes more and more enigmatic. I find the search to pin down his religious view especially fascinating and the discussions with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer are very revealing. I like how the quest takes Bourbon back to Putney where Cromwell’s life education begins and the possible source of all that follows.

Overall, yes, Crowell still remains an enigma but this is a really interesting take on one of the most fascinating characters in English history. Self taught, wise, immensely clever, he understands the lives of the humble as those are his origins, the architect of much of the religious change after the Break with Rome. This is a well researched, colourful and easy to read novel which I enjoyed very much.

With thanks to NetGalley and SPCK.

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The synopsis pretty much covers it story-wise.

This reminded me of what I refer to as "in the footsteps of" - wherein an author attempts to walk in the footsteps of their chosen subject to discover more about them and takes the reader along their journey. Usually this type of book is non-fiction, but I find that it works just as well in a fictional format - as it does in this instance.

Utilising the real-life character of Nicholas Bourbon, the reader is taken on a quest to discover the missing years of Cromwell in order to understand the man he became at the time of his execution (no spoilers here - just the facts). Loved the use of other real historical characters to give some authenticity to the plot.

Whilst no exactly nail biting, white knuckle drama, there is action aplenty to keep the reader entertained as we draw ever closer to Cromwell's secret. As Nicholas is given to say: " ... like a squirrel worrying a nut, I was possessed by the need to find a kernel of truth written within the shell of conflicting information .."

Definitely one for historical fiction and Tudor fiction readers.

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This Tudor mystery sees Nicholas Bourbon travel to England upon hearing of the fall and imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell. To Bourbon, Cromwell was something of an acquaintance, legend and as the title hints an enigma. Once he learns that Cromwell has in fact died a traitor he can't help but try and uncover the mystery surrounding the man and his younger years.

This book follows the story of something I'm sure many of us would love to do, get to know Cromwell, what motivated him? Was it power? Religion? Or something else entirely?

Although Cromwell is dead his reputation is very much alive and not everyone wishes this to be so. His enquiries into Cromwell put Bourbon at risk not only of the wrath of Stephen Gardiner and Henry VIII but also put his life at risk as he travels from England to Antwerp to uncover Cromwell's secrets.

Wilson seamlessly blends fact and fiction to create an engaging read delving in to Cromwells early life which is something I am very interested in. The dangers of religion in the era are depicted very well as are the vivid descriptives of London, Florence and Antwerp.

I liked this portrayal of Cromwell and it gives a sense of what may have made him the man he became from a common birth in Putney to one of the richest and most powerful men in the country.

I particularly enjoyed the excerpts from documents which are presented throughout but are placed in boxes so as not to take away from the story. For those interested in original sources these excerpts were a bonus to have included.

There is also a note at the end where Wilson discusses those individuals who are not fiction. This addition made interesting reading regarding who they actually were and what happened to them.

I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Tudor era and of course those who would like to learn about Cromwell.

Thank you to NetGalley and SPCK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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A well researched, well written and entertaining piece of historical fiction that made me learn more about Thomas Cromwell.
I loved how the author mixes facts and fictions and the original documents.
The plot flows and kept me hooked.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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