I have been interested in the English Civil War for a number of years and have read some non fiction about it but have only recently begun to read the growing number of crime novels set during the period. I quite liked this one but had a couple of problems with it: although the portrayal of Cromwell is very cameo, the notion that he was an opportunist who did not actually believe in the Puritan ethic flies in the face of a lot of the documentation of the time. I've certain read about his dark night of the soul periods when he prayed incessantly, convinced like a lot of committed Puritans that he was dammed irrespective of any good works etc that he might do. So that didn't square with ime. There were also a few phrases here and there which at the time jarred a bit as just too modern in phrasing, and the constant use of 'Miss' for the main female character in the book was very anachronistic as women of the period would have been addressed as Mistress - Miss is very nineteenth century.

Having said that, I quite liked the portrayal of some of the characters, especially the female lead, although the tendency to have similarly named characters such as two young men who were brothers but with different surnames which both began with 'W' was a bit confusing - eventually I gave up trying to keep them straight as it didn't particularly matter since both had died before the book's action commences. But otherwise quite an interesting read with some vivid descriptions of squalid deprivation in the middle of a seventeenth century winter after six years of devastating war. A solid 3 stars therefore. ( )

William Falkland languishes in a cell awaiting execution. He is a Royalist soldier captured by Parliamentarians and despite surviving battle he knows he cannot survive capture. Taken from his prison, blindfolded, he expects the worst but is actually shown into the presence of Oliver Cromwell. Cromwell has heard of Falkland, a man whose honour and morals transcend battle, and he tasks Falkland to look into a spate of suicides amongst the New Model Army stationed at Crediton in Devon. Neither prisoner nor loyalist, Falkland must try to get to the bottom of mystery which wraps paranoia and witchcraft around the troubles of a large army encamped in the remains of a small town through a cold and harsh winter.

Deas writes well, the evocation of cold is beautiful and realistic, the descriptions of prison and squalor equally so. The plot is clever and twists and turns seem completely integral to the story. The denouement less so. This is a well-researched book and it comes from a different sort of perspective to many in the 'historical detective' genre, in that it focuses on character and place rather than plot.

A promising start to a projected series. ( )

Very grim and bleak mystery set during the English Civil War (or as it is now the politically correct War of Three Kingdoms). William Falkland is a war-weary Royalist saved from a date with the Parliamentary hangman by Oliver Cromwell himself in order to investigate a wave of suicides sweeping his beloved New Model Army. Set during a bitter winter, the story faithfully matches the miserable conditions, portraying the worst of humanity in a period of destroyed lives and families. While there is nothing particularly startling about the plot or the denouement, its still a worthwhile read. Although Falkland is a fairly cliched hero, the book manages to entertain without ever grabbing the reader by the throat. Lovers of British historical fiction will find much to ponder in its biting portrayal of the war. Not a book that will inspire affectionate remembrance, but a good read nevertheless. ( )