I will start this post with a disclosure which should give you an idea of what direction this review is going in. I am genetically disposed to love Susanna Kearsley's books! And, yes, I loved this one too!
For the most part, the inhabitants of St Bartholomews which is just outside of London get along. There is Phoebe Westaway, her father Laurence who is a scribe and her aunt. Across the road is where handsome Valentine Fox lives, the man who Phoebe wants to marry and as such she tends to see through rose coloured glasses. The only person in the community that Phoebe doesn't really get along with is Andrew Logan who lives with his mother and sisters. He and Phoebe bicker whenever they are together, and he frustrates her intensely as he always needs to have the last word in any disagreement.
Logan is employed at court as a King's Messenger. The king in question here is King James I, a man who is mourning the recent loss of his eldest son and heir, Prince Henry. Now, there are rumours that it might have been as a result of misfortune and steps need to be taken to find out the truth.
King's (or Queen's) Messenger is a real role that still exists today. Their role is usually to hand deliver diplomatic messages and packages across the world and is a historical role supposedly going back more than 800 years. In this case, Andrew Logan is tasked with retrieving a package in the shape of Sir David Moray and return him to London. Sir David was Prince Henry's best friend and confidante. Now that Prince Henry is dead, the King and Queen need someone to blame, and so he is focussing on the man who was closest to the young Prince.
However, Logan does not travel alone. His retinue includes Phoebe's father Laurence whose job is to write down everything that is said and done during the journey back to London. This could form the basis of the evidence should it be required for a trial. However, Laurence has been very unwell, and so Phoebe also is travelling with the group to assist him.
Logan has to walk a fine line. The King has given him a directive, but the Queen is also wanting answers and she is,in effect, asking different questions. Sir David gives every indication that he is an honourable, and more importantly, innocent man, but that is not up to Logan to determine even though it appears that Moray may be being framed. He has been given a task and he must follow through with it. Sir David also has powerful relatives who aren't pleased that he has been arrested and will try to rescue him which puts Logan and his group in danger.
There are usually a couple of hallmarks that you can expect in this author's books. One is a dual timeline and the other is some kind of supernatural or spiritual connection. Whilst one was present in this book, the other was not. I guess I should also add some kind of Jacobite connection in there as well. There is no dual timeline, and this story is pre-Jacobite.
The touch of otherworldly in this book comes in the form of the Second Sight that Andrew has. He can look at someone and know if they are likely to die soon, and he gets occasional glimpses of things that will happen. It is something of a burden to him most of the time, as he watches those around him and sees the events he has seen come to fruition. It has, however, also helped him as he knows when to be watchful and when to avoid certain situations.
The name Moray is one that is familiar to Kearsley's readers, and once again we meet a man of honour, a quiet and steadfast man, the man that the young prince trusted above all others. It was a delight to have him spend time on the page. Andrew Logan is also a man of great integrity, honour and action. Whilst it took Phoebe a while to understand who he really is, I was team Logan from the outset! I did enjoy the banter between Phoebe and Andrew as they were forced to spend time together in trying circumstances.
Another lovely addition to the cast of characters in this book. A young boy named Hector joins the entourage along the way back from Scotland. He hero worships Logan and along the ways grows into himself to become a useful member of the group. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw young Hector in a future Kearsley book.
I should have added another hallmark of a Kearsley book. You know when you pick up a Kearsley book you are going to get an exceedingly well written, well researched book and this book absolutely lived up to that! And now, the long wait begins for the next book! I did recently re-read The Winter Sea for the fourth time and loved it all over again. Maybe I will re-read some of her others. Maybe even this one!
Just call me a Susanna Kearsley fan girl!
I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading challenge which I host here.
Rating 4.5/5
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