Mercenary
Richard Longsword, born in Spain of an English father and Spanish mother, has risen to be a respected soldier despite never having known his parents. Brought up by an old couple and mentored by the great General Cordoba, Richard now finds himself guarding an unimportant fort. Unimportant, that is, until it is attacked and his wife and daughter are kidnapped. In chasing the perpetrator through France, into England and Scotland, Richard uncovers a blood feud, learns something of his father (of whom he had previously known nothing) and uncovers a dreadful secret, the knowledge of which led to the death of his father.
This is an action-packed story of battles, of kings, of treachery and of one man’s quest to discover the truth. Added to the mix are cameo roles from Christopher Columbus and his ship, the Santa Maria and also Henry VIII’s great warship, the Mary Rose.
With its eye-catching cover, it is a book that I am happy to recommend despite a little bit of character assassination on Louis XII – which the author admits to in his notes at the back of the book.
