The Poison Machine (A Hunt and Hooke Novel)

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Their search will soon lead them to a Paris beset by conspiracy and intrigue. And, in the salons and libraries of the great and the good, Hunt will soon be chasing a terrible plot being planned against the Queen of England herself.

I liked that Harry wanted to become his own man and show Hooke that he could navigate things by himself when in France. I feel that this adventure strengthened Hunt’s character and gave him a much needed confidence boost. Harry Hunt must go to Paris in search of a spy and imposter who has knowledge of a plot to kill the Queen of England in this thrilling and addictive sequel to The Bloodless Boy. Harry is on the trail of dark deeds once more, and his findings lead him and Colonel Fields to the dangerous environs of Paris, where they uncover a dastardly plot to kill the current Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and everyone attending her upcoming gathering of Catholics in London. Can Harry foil another complex assassination attempt - this time one that involves deadly poison? Four and a half stars. Highly recommended for fans of cerebral mysteries in the style of The Name of the Rose and Father Cadfael. It's not derivative, but there's something about the descriptive prose and very clever construction which reminds me of both of them. I enjoyed the previous novel “The Bloodless Boy”, so it was a given that I would be reading this follow up novel. I would however recommend reading as many chapters in a few a sittings as possible, rather than dipping into it over a few weeks. You do need to keep the knowledge of who’s who and the plot line in your head whilst reading but there is a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the story which does come in handy as a reminder, even if you’re familiar with the history of the time.London, 1679-A year has passed since the attempt to murder King Charles II, but London is still a viper's nest of rumored Catholic conspiracies, and of plots against them in turn. When Harry Hunt-estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke-is summoned to the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk, he is at first relieved to get away from the place. On to the book itself...it was a decent read. Robert Hooke plays a very small part in this story, and I felt the story suffered as a result. Harry Hunt on his own is just not as interesting to me as Hooke, so I really missed the byplay between the 2 characters. They offset each other nicely in the first book, and I was sad to hav

Like with the his previous book, it was the descriptive and sublime prose. With Harry we go from the bustling city of London, to the damp and silent Norfolk Fens and to the glamour and beauty of Paris. Robert J Lloyd’s wonderful writing is a feast of the senses, the sights, smells and sounds drew me in, and I felt I was there with the characters, seeing what they saw, and feeling what they felt, the good and the bad. There is so much historical detail in The Poison Machine, and I love that Robert J Lloyd uses colloquial language which helps anchor the plot in the seventeenth century: the addition of French phrases also tested my A level French.The Poison Machine is a follow-up to Robert J. Lloyd's The Bloodless Boy. Like the first volume in the series, it's set during the English restoration. The Poison Machine, however, moves from London—the scene of the previous volume—to the fens where a skeletonized corpse has been uncovered, and then to Paris.