Of Blood Descended (The Anthony Blanke Mysteries)
Located in the familiar territory of the reign of King Henry VIII, this is a notably brave attempt by a new novelist to move into the world of the author who popularized the historical crime genre, C. J. Sansom. The difference is that while Sansom’s investigator Matthew Shardlake makes his first appearance in 1536 with Dissolution, here we are in 1522 and the King is still happily married to Catherine of Aragon, and Cardinal Wolsey is very much in favour. In fact, Wolsey’s own ‘court’ at Hampton Court Palace forms the location for much of the book, its topography being described in fine detail. King Henry remains a minor character.
The protagonist is Anthony Blanke, a musician in the cardinal’s service, who is called upon to investigate a series of murders which, though the killer has staged them for grisly effect, have to be hushed up to avoid alarming the King. Anthony is mixed race and finds his dark skin an embarrassment. I enjoyed seeing this world through his perceptive but diffident eyes. The cardinal is depicted with great skill, outwardly bluff, friendly and tactile, but his inner mistrust is clear: after touching anyone, he fastidiously wipes his hand. It emerges that the motivation for the killings is bound up with the cardinal’s attempt to fabricate history, to prove that King Henry is descended directly from King Arthur. Veerapen cleverly provides a literary homage through the inclusion of the Orwellian word ‘un-good.’ Some other modern phraseology, e.g. ‘his life is on the line’, sits less well in the period.
But in the main the dialogue, strong in itself, is believable for the era. I also liked the depiction of the rigid class distinctions. There is much to enjoy in this fast-moving thriller, well-located in its period and settings.
