Treason
The story begins in the Azores in 1591. It then moves into the 17th century and, with the death of Elizabeth I, James VI of Scotland ascends the throne as King James I of England. Religious turmoil still abounds, but with the advance of Protestantism, it is the Catholics who are hounded and punished severely if they do not recant and accept the Protestant faith. The unrest grows with a plan to blow up Westminster on the opening of Parliament, with the King and royal family present when it meets on November 5th 1605. The date, of course, has never been forgotten and is still remembered and its failure celebrated today.
The story is well known, the names of those involved almost as familiar as our own, but it is told again here from the point of view of the plotters. The Gunpowder Plot, as it came to be known, was many months in the planning. The gunpowder itself had to be surreptitiously acquired and stored safely. Men had to be recruited, and against this Robert Cecil and his spies had to prevent it happening and apprehend those guilty of plotting it all.
I found this an excellent read. Although I knew what the outcome would be, the pages kept turning, and it was hard to put down. The fictitious agents on both sides merged seamlessly with the people of the day, and the tension was maintained throughout. James Jackson has been likened to Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden, and the dustcover carries a favourable comment by Frederick Forsyth. This was the first book I have read by this author, but it won’t be the last.
