Whilst his enemies believe him dead, Damian Seeker is very much alive and living undercover in Bruges tracking a group of Royalists. When an old woman arrives at the Engle Kloster ready to donate all her money to the restoration of Charles, she asks this group for an escort but in the process of this they are ambushed and Hildred Beaumont is killed. Her maid is none other than Lady Anne Winter, Seeker's nemesis, in disguise and When Lady Beaumont's son turns up, Seeker finds that their are potential betrayals at every turn.
I was sad to hear that this was the last outing for MacLean's anti hero as I'd really enjoyed these tales which are set during the Commonwealth which is an unusual period for historical fiction. In this book the action takes place in and around Bruges and it is vividly brought to life through thorough research. As ever the plot is cleverly put together with different narrative lines all converging at the end. ( )

This is the final book in the Damien Seeker series, set following the English Civil War. This copy was an ARC and it comes out in the UK in the first week of July.
It's the fifth book in the series, so you might not want to read this review for spoilers.

'The Seeker' is an enforcer for the new peace, looking for those plotting against Cromwell. And there are many plotting against Cromwell, from those who support the King, to extremist free-thinkers who think 'The Protector' didn't go far enough with his reforms. One of the big attractions of this series for me is the depth of Cromwell's London MacLean shows. Coffee shops are full of plotters, pamphlets are being printed and passed from hand to hand, and (almost) everyone has had to make difficult decisions over allegiances.

The existence of this book is in itself a spoiler, given the plot of the previous book. I would say you want to read the others before you pick up this one.

Have I mentioned spoilers enough?

Seeker was declared dead at the end of the previous book, apparently killed by a bear. His handler has sent him to Bruges, hotbed of Royalist opposition, to try and root out future plots against Cromwell from the royalists around Charles in exile. As a carpenter, he uses his skills to work for the businesses around the town, relying on 'trade' entrances to avoid awkward encounters with opponents who might yet recognise him. The royalists suspect a double agent in their midst after various plots were uncovered and the plotters killed. News reaches Seeker that an agent is being sent from London to sniff out the duplicitous member of the Royalist group. This is his 'one last job' as news also reaches him that his star crossed (bear-crossed?) love is being persuaded to head for the New World by her brother, who is sick of Cromwell's turn to authoritarianism.

Will Seeker survive the 'last job'? Will the agent find the double-agent? And what has the mysterious death of an Englishman looking for his sister in Bruges got to do with all of this?

Note: This series is enhanced by imagining Sean Bean narrating in your head (Seeker is also from Yorkshire). ( )