A Necessary Killing
(William Constable Spy Thriller series Book 2)
By Paul Walker
(William Constable Spy Thriller series Book 2)
By Paul Walker
Publication Date: 23rd October 2019
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Page Length: 279 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
1579.
William Constable - physician and unwilling spy - is in Plymouth waiting to sail to the New World. The expedition, led by renowned explorers and traders, John Hawkins and Sir Humphrey Gilbert, has already suffered birth pangs.
William's friend, Captain Charles Wicken, is accused of killing the son of a wealthy merchant, but the testimonies appear suspect. When William learns that Wicken is one of Walsingham’s agents he uncovers evidence to suggest the murder and Wicken’s naming are designed to conceal a plot of invasion - backed by Rome and Spain.
The sailing of the expedition's fleet is delayed while this threat is examined. William is despatched to St Malo, the lawless haunt of corsairs, to investigate. His betrothed, Helen Morton, together with the fleet, wait for his return.
Malign forces conspire to prevent William from carrying vital intelligence back to Plymouth.
William must evade enemy agents and unravel a tangle of duplicity if he is to survive - and prevent the invasion.
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A Necessary Killing
Paul Walker
Paul is married and lives in a village 30 miles north of London. Having worked in universities and run his own business, he is now a full-time writer of fiction and part-time director of an education trust. His writing in a garden shed is regularly disrupted by children and a growing number of grandchildren and dogs.
Paul writes historical fiction. He inherited his love of British history and historical fiction from his mother, who was an avid member of Richard III Society. The William Constable series of historical thrillers is based around real characters and events in the late sixteenth century. The first two books in the series - "State of Treason" and "A Necessary Killing" - were published in 2019. The third book, titled, "The Queen’s Devil", was published in the summer of 2020.
He took a diversion to the early 20th century and wrote a thriller based at the peace conference in Paris at the end of the First World War. "A Turbulent Peace" was published in 2022. Now, it's back to the sixteenth century and more Elizabethan intrigue for William Constable and his confederates.
Connect with Paul:
I highly recommend this series to those who love quality historical thrillers set in the Tudor era.
ReplyDeleteI have this series on my to-read list. If I may ask, what inspired you to write a historical thriller set in the Tudor era, and while you were researching, did you come upon any unsuspected surprises?
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie, I confess to choosing the Tudor period as it was the era I knew best. An unexpected finding from research for this series was an interest and fondness for John Foxe, a Protestant scholar, who aids William Constable in solving the mysteries.
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