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Sir Robert Carey #3
A Surfeit of Guns
Sir Robert Carey took up his northern post as Warden of the West March in order to escape the complications of creditors and court life. Trouble, however, is where the dashing Carey, possibly a cousin of the Queen, finds it.
One black night in 1592, Carey is on night patrol along the unsettled border anchored by the garrison in Carlisle. It's a disaster. First, there's the fugitive he has to hand over to the warring Scots. Next come Wee Colin Elliot's sheep stealers. And then a gun explodes and takes off the hand of one of Carey's men. Back in Carlisle, Carey soon learns more faulty guns lie in the armoury in place of the sound weapons shipped in from Newcastle only last week. When these explosive deathtraps are stolen, he sets off in pursuit of both batches of guns--and the thieves.
The search ends in Dumfries where King James VI of Scotland--potentially King James I of England when his cousin Elizabeth dies--and his raucous court have assembled. James is as dissolute as ever, lovely Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, Carey's true love, is still shackled to her husband, and seductive Signora Bonnetti takes a serious interest in Carey and in the missing guns. Will the frustrated courtier be gallant enough to flirt with the Signora--and with treason?...
As wild as the American West, P.F. Chisholm's witty historical detections are also elegantly crafted and historically accurate as they reimagine the life of a real Elizabethan gunslinger. Her other Carey novels are A Plague of Angels (Introduction by Diana Gabaldon), A Famine of Horses (Introduction by Sharon Kay Penman), A Season of Knives (Introduction by Dana Stabenow). The author is at work on a fifth Sir Robert Carey.
One black night in 1592, Carey is on night patrol along the unsettled border anchored by the garrison in Carlisle. It's a disaster. First, there's the fugitive he has to hand over to the warring Scots. Next come Wee Colin Elliot's sheep stealers. And then a gun explodes and takes off the hand of one of Carey's men. Back in Carlisle, Carey soon learns more faulty guns lie in the armoury in place of the sound weapons shipped in from Newcastle only last week. When these explosive deathtraps are stolen, he sets off in pursuit of both batches of guns--and the thieves.
The search ends in Dumfries where King James VI of Scotland--potentially King James I of England when his cousin Elizabeth dies--and his raucous court have assembled. James is as dissolute as ever, lovely Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, Carey's true love, is still shackled to her husband, and seductive Signora Bonnetti takes a serious interest in Carey and in the missing guns. Will the frustrated courtier be gallant enough to flirt with the Signora--and with treason?...
As wild as the American West, P.F. Chisholm's witty historical detections are also elegantly crafted and historically accurate as they reimagine the life of a real Elizabethan gunslinger. Her other Carey novels are A Plague of Angels (Introduction by Diana Gabaldon), A Famine of Horses (Introduction by Sharon Kay Penman), A Season of Knives (Introduction by Dana Stabenow). The author is at work on a fifth Sir Robert Carey.
246 pages, Paperback
First published November 7, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 10, 2019
4.5★
“James Stuart, sixth of that name, was twenty-nine years old, a small man the shape of a tadpole, with powerful shoulders and short, very bandy legs. Luckily he was an excellent horseman.”
There you go . . . the King of Scotland, 1592 . . . son of Mary, Queen of Scots. This is such an enjoyable series. Sir Robert Carey, known as the Courtier to the folk around Carlisle Castle, is the Deputy Warden (deputy to his useless brother-in-law) of the English West March. The English and the Scots are in more or less permanent conflict, so much time is spent reiving (reaving, rustling) livestock and goods from across the borders.
Of course, the Scots are in more or less permanent conflict with themselves, each “surname” striving to best the other. The Maxwells, the Johnstones, the Grahams, the Armstrongs – I admit I lose track of the rivalries.
As for the royal relationships, my goodness! Mary, Queen of Scots, was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth the First of England, as Mary’s mother was Henry VIII’s sister (Elizabeth’s aunt). [And we know from history, that King James eventually succeeds Queen Elizabeth to become King of England. But I digress. That’s much later.]
Sir Robert is unquestionably the cousin (and possibly half-brother – oh, the juicy scandal!) of Elizabeth. He’s young, handsome, suave, smart and daring, and as such, he’s a bit of a favourite with the Queen – sometimes. He’s also on a steep learning curve in the wild border country, and he (and we) could sure use a program of players to keep the surnames (clans, basically) separate. In conversation with Dodd, his trusty second-in-command, he slips up.
“Carey came up close to Dodd. ‘This wasn’t done by any arrangement, was it?’
‘With Elliots, sir?’ Dodd was scandalised and Carey remembered that the Sergeant’s surname had a fifty-year-old blood-feud running with the Elliots.”
Oops. I hate to think how Carey would have fared without the loyal Dodd. Early in the story, they and their horses (“hobbies”) are lying in wait in the bushes, well down and out of sight, to catch someone. A bit of time has passed.
“‘Sir!’ That was Dodd’s scandalised hiss. ‘Sir, wake up!’
‘I wasn’t asleep,’ he hissed back quickly. ‘I was thinking.’
‘Oh aye. Well, they’ve come and gone whilst ye was thinking and Red Sandy’s gone off after them. Ye can let your hobby up to stamp about a bit now.’”
I do enjoy the humour, and the language sounds real and just right for the story. Back to that. Basically, nobody really trusts anybody, and in this case, the armoury of Carlisle Castle (where Carey lives and serves) is full of guns – or is it?
It seems there is a history of weapons being rented out on various occasions without anyone’s knowledge. Imagine being attacked and discovering the cupboard is bare! Carey’s nemesis is Sir Richard Lowther, who assumed he’d be given the position of Deputy Warden, and he’s been earning a little extra with his armoury dealings.
So Carey, Dodd, a couple of other fellows and one lone boy ride into Scotland to meet King James and try to track down the missing weapons. Carey does carry a letter of sort-of-safe-passage to the King, but in these times, nothing is safe. The peasant farmers all owe allegiance to one or the other of the surnames and can be called up to form an army at the ringing of a bell. And, they shoot first and ask questions later.
Dodd is on a steep learning curve here, attending his first masked ball and seeing women in French fashions, “their silken bodices begging for lungfever with the acreage they left bare. . . ”
A young fellow at the ball is wonderfully described. “He had the painfully careful movements of a boy who had broken a lot of furniture before he got used to his size,” Love it!
This is a time of swords, lances, and bows, but guns are just beginning to make their way onto the scene. Some are more reliable than others, which forms the crux of the story. As with the first two books, there is a lusty wench or two, a lot of drinking, some torture, and plenty of backstabbing, literal and otherwise. Carey gets more than his fair share but lives to fight another day (of course).
He still yearns for Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, and hopes to woo her from her nasty, gouty, much older husband, Sir Henry, whom we see more of in this book. You don’t need to follow all the underhanded business transactions to enjoy the action, and I look forward to the next one, even though I’ll forget who’s enemies with whom.
“James Stuart, sixth of that name, was twenty-nine years old, a small man the shape of a tadpole, with powerful shoulders and short, very bandy legs. Luckily he was an excellent horseman.”
There you go . . . the King of Scotland, 1592 . . . son of Mary, Queen of Scots. This is such an enjoyable series. Sir Robert Carey, known as the Courtier to the folk around Carlisle Castle, is the Deputy Warden (deputy to his useless brother-in-law) of the English West March. The English and the Scots are in more or less permanent conflict, so much time is spent reiving (reaving, rustling) livestock and goods from across the borders.
Of course, the Scots are in more or less permanent conflict with themselves, each “surname” striving to best the other. The Maxwells, the Johnstones, the Grahams, the Armstrongs – I admit I lose track of the rivalries.
As for the royal relationships, my goodness! Mary, Queen of Scots, was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth the First of England, as Mary’s mother was Henry VIII’s sister (Elizabeth’s aunt). [And we know from history, that King James eventually succeeds Queen Elizabeth to become King of England. But I digress. That’s much later.]
Sir Robert is unquestionably the cousin (and possibly half-brother – oh, the juicy scandal!) of Elizabeth. He’s young, handsome, suave, smart and daring, and as such, he’s a bit of a favourite with the Queen – sometimes. He’s also on a steep learning curve in the wild border country, and he (and we) could sure use a program of players to keep the surnames (clans, basically) separate. In conversation with Dodd, his trusty second-in-command, he slips up.
“Carey came up close to Dodd. ‘This wasn’t done by any arrangement, was it?’
‘With Elliots, sir?’ Dodd was scandalised and Carey remembered that the Sergeant’s surname had a fifty-year-old blood-feud running with the Elliots.”
Oops. I hate to think how Carey would have fared without the loyal Dodd. Early in the story, they and their horses (“hobbies”) are lying in wait in the bushes, well down and out of sight, to catch someone. A bit of time has passed.
“‘Sir!’ That was Dodd’s scandalised hiss. ‘Sir, wake up!’
‘I wasn’t asleep,’ he hissed back quickly. ‘I was thinking.’
‘Oh aye. Well, they’ve come and gone whilst ye was thinking and Red Sandy’s gone off after them. Ye can let your hobby up to stamp about a bit now.’”
I do enjoy the humour, and the language sounds real and just right for the story. Back to that. Basically, nobody really trusts anybody, and in this case, the armoury of Carlisle Castle (where Carey lives and serves) is full of guns – or is it?
It seems there is a history of weapons being rented out on various occasions without anyone’s knowledge. Imagine being attacked and discovering the cupboard is bare! Carey’s nemesis is Sir Richard Lowther, who assumed he’d be given the position of Deputy Warden, and he’s been earning a little extra with his armoury dealings.
So Carey, Dodd, a couple of other fellows and one lone boy ride into Scotland to meet King James and try to track down the missing weapons. Carey does carry a letter of sort-of-safe-passage to the King, but in these times, nothing is safe. The peasant farmers all owe allegiance to one or the other of the surnames and can be called up to form an army at the ringing of a bell. And, they shoot first and ask questions later.
Dodd is on a steep learning curve here, attending his first masked ball and seeing women in French fashions, “their silken bodices begging for lungfever with the acreage they left bare. . . ”
A young fellow at the ball is wonderfully described. “He had the painfully careful movements of a boy who had broken a lot of furniture before he got used to his size,” Love it!
This is a time of swords, lances, and bows, but guns are just beginning to make their way onto the scene. Some are more reliable than others, which forms the crux of the story. As with the first two books, there is a lusty wench or two, a lot of drinking, some torture, and plenty of backstabbing, literal and otherwise. Carey gets more than his fair share but lives to fight another day (of course).
He still yearns for Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, and hopes to woo her from her nasty, gouty, much older husband, Sir Henry, whom we see more of in this book. You don’t need to follow all the underhanded business transactions to enjoy the action, and I look forward to the next one, even though I’ll forget who’s enemies with whom.
May 12, 2016
Book three and the series is still maintaining its excellent quality. This one moves from the Scottish borders to the court of King James and all its dreadful excesses and debauchery. I must admit I had a bit of difficulty following the plot line about the stolen guns, but in the end I decided to let Carey solve it and I just sat back and enjoyed the results. The author appears to really know her history and she does not pull punches. The descriptions of various medical procedures are quite horrific. Great story, delightful characters, lots of lovely historical detail and all told in less than 300 pages. Definitely my kind of book:)
October 17, 2015
This is shaping up to be an excellent historical mystery series. This is the third book based on the exploits of Sir Robert Carey, newly appointed Deputy Warden at Carlisle in 1592. The armoury that was empty of weapons when Carey arrived has now been replenished with new guns, but after one of his men gets his hand blown off Carey suspects something is wrong. Carey must ride to Dumfries where James VI and his dissolute court are assembled. He finds himself embroiled in a clever and convoluted plot involving some of the major factions of Scotland and the Borders and must tread a careful path if he is not to be hung (and quartered) for treason.
A rollicking tale of corruption at the highest levels. The historical detail is excellent and there are some great characters. All our previously met favourites - Carey's sergeant Dodds and some of the more colourful characters of his family, Carey's unrequited love, Lady Widdrington with her nasty little husband and young Hutchin Graham getting into hot water as usual. Carey's enemy the ex warden, Richard Lowther does not feature so much in this episode but James' favourite companion Lord Spynie is more than capable of making life difficult for Carey. Highly recommended to all lovers of this genre.
A rollicking tale of corruption at the highest levels. The historical detail is excellent and there are some great characters. All our previously met favourites - Carey's sergeant Dodds and some of the more colourful characters of his family, Carey's unrequited love, Lady Widdrington with her nasty little husband and young Hutchin Graham getting into hot water as usual. Carey's enemy the ex warden, Richard Lowther does not feature so much in this episode but James' favourite companion Lord Spynie is more than capable of making life difficult for Carey. Highly recommended to all lovers of this genre.
November 5, 2016
3.5 stars. The third book in this excellent series features the court of King James of Scotland, who is waiting impatiently for the English crown, passing his time with his latest “favorite” courtier.
This book is a bit darker than the earlier ones. The garrison’s shipment of weapons from the Tower of London has been swapped for a batch of poorly poorly manufactured guns which tend to explode when fired, maiming or killing the handler. There are some scenes of torture. Carey finally realizes how much danger his attentions are causing Lady Widdrington, who is still tied to her elderly, vicious husband.
King James’s homosexuality is handled fairly well. He’s portrayed sympathetically, yet the aversion felt by Carey and other characters feels right for this time and place (no anachronistic declarations of “not that there’s anything wrong with that!”).
This book is a bit darker than the earlier ones. The garrison’s shipment of weapons from the Tower of London has been swapped for a batch of poorly poorly manufactured guns which tend to explode when fired, maiming or killing the handler. There are some scenes of torture. Carey finally realizes how much danger his attentions are causing Lady Widdrington, who is still tied to her elderly, vicious husband.
King James’s homosexuality is handled fairly well. He’s portrayed sympathetically, yet the aversion felt by Carey and other characters feels right for this time and place (no anachronistic declarations of “not that there’s anything wrong with that!”).
August 16, 2020
This book takes you through the Elizabethan times, from towns and rural homes to king's palaces, from courtly dances to football matches. Loved it.
December 22, 2017
This was a stunning read that hooked me completely from the very first to the very last word. Full of action and intrigue, it also manages to deepen the political tensions as well as personal rivalries and near cuckoldry.
Carey continues to be a vibrant and interesting lead character but it was excellent to see some more minor characters like Young Hutchkins being fleshed out and expanded on. The same indeed goes for the Scottish court, for whilst we have heard much of King James, this is the first time of meeting him and his court.
Once more, morality issues and other human issues are covered very well, delicately interwoven into the folds of the novel rather than being slammed in your face. There’s something very clever and subtle in how different issues are cleverly weaved within different strands of the tale. The rampant homosexuality of King James court for instance is very well depicted, both from Carey’s perspective and from the King as well.
The mystery is once more very well done indeed and again I had little clue where it was going until it got there. There were also many heart rending and gut wrenching moments that had my heart in my mouth. All in all, a mighty fine read!!
Carey continues to be a vibrant and interesting lead character but it was excellent to see some more minor characters like Young Hutchkins being fleshed out and expanded on. The same indeed goes for the Scottish court, for whilst we have heard much of King James, this is the first time of meeting him and his court.
Once more, morality issues and other human issues are covered very well, delicately interwoven into the folds of the novel rather than being slammed in your face. There’s something very clever and subtle in how different issues are cleverly weaved within different strands of the tale. The rampant homosexuality of King James court for instance is very well depicted, both from Carey’s perspective and from the King as well.
The mystery is once more very well done indeed and again I had little clue where it was going until it got there. There were also many heart rending and gut wrenching moments that had my heart in my mouth. All in all, a mighty fine read!!
August 28, 2018
I thoroughly enjoy this series set in Elizabethan times. Robert Carey is a fascinating character and I appreciate how the author constructs her plot around real, but obscure events of the time. It is well-researched and very believable. Interesting cast of characters and the setting on the Scottish border exploits the political tensions of the time.
August 5, 2016
I love this series and I took a while to read this because I needed to save it for 'best.' In between starting A Surfeit and finishing, I read another ten books that I wouldn't review because they're in the category I write. My rating can't be fair if I don't love them.
Sir Robert Carey is called the Courtier by his men who help him keep order on the border between England and Scotland in Elizabethan times. Sir Robert is in love with Elizabeth Widdrington and I fear he will never have her. She is married to a gouty old man who beats her but she is the love of Robert's life, being a clever and competent woman.
In this story he outwits various warring Scottish clans and the canny Scots King James. Delicious.
I'm about to buy the next in the series.
Sir Robert Carey is called the Courtier by his men who help him keep order on the border between England and Scotland in Elizabethan times. Sir Robert is in love with Elizabeth Widdrington and I fear he will never have her. She is married to a gouty old man who beats her but she is the love of Robert's life, being a clever and competent woman.
In this story he outwits various warring Scottish clans and the canny Scots King James. Delicious.
I'm about to buy the next in the series.
August 23, 2008
Set in the late 1500s in the Northern Borderlands between England and Scotland, this novel (one of a series, I gather) has a lead character by the name of Sir Robin Carey. Carey is a Deputy Warden in this region who stumbles upon a mystery of faulty firearms and a missing cache of guns from the armory. As historical novels go it is fairly rollicking (set, as it is, in a time and place when life was very cheap) and the detective story is engaging enough for an afternoon read (it is not a difficult book--started the novel over my lunch break and finished it after work. Although, I did learn what a kirtle was.)
April 27, 2010
this series is one of my favourites. i'm a fan of Finney's more complex historical fiction too, but i don't find them as compulsively readable. i'm holding out for a book in which robin and elizabeth get it together.
May 24, 2014
Not as good as the first one but very readable. Her books get better the further into them you get. I find it a little difficult through the first half but it was all wrapped up in the second half and made it worthwhile.
December 29, 2014
Fabulous description of the Scottish Court rescues this one a bit from an implausible plot, and the beginnings of a trend for "young Hitchens does something stupid and ruins well-laid plans".
May 16, 2021
This entire series is a delight. The courtier Sir Robert reminds me of the legendary Flashman of the Raj: selfish, bumbling, and not too eager to get skewered in a fight. But canny, verra canny as his Scots acquaintances might say. Plenty of local color, of historical insights, and action galore. Other readers have done complete summaries of the story so I won't bore you. Just read them in order if you can, they're a lot more fun that way.
April 27, 2018
Another week passes and Sir Robert goes through one misadventure after another. He has to out think the King of Scotland in this search for the guns that have gone missing. The tale includes a wayward German and a conniving Italian as well as a wide range of near-do-wells. Lots of fun and adventure.
November 24, 2018
Las armas de fuego procedentes de la Torre de Londres son codiciadas por todos los clanes en la frontera anglo-escocesa y por el mismo rey de Escocia. Robert tendrá que recuperar un cargamento distraído de las garras de la nobleza escocesa, con peligro para su vida.
April 21, 2019
This series gets better with every book. Fictionalized historical plot set in Elizabethan Scottish-English borders, with her detective/politician Carey as the main character but lots of other interesting characters as well. A little slow in places, but really interesting and a good read!
October 25, 2019
Guns guns guns, some of which explode some of which don't, a trip to the court of the king of Scotland and a number of plots and assorted feuds and venomous enemies for Robert Carey to tangle with, with the help of Sergeant Dodd and Young Hutchins.
June 1, 2020
Carey is at court again, but the Scottish court of King James. He finds it very different from the sophisticated court of Queen Elizabeth but every bit as dangerous. How can he manoeuvre his way through the twisted plots and intrigues?
March 18, 2021
In this genre she is simply the absolute best.
Extraordinary. Simply extraordinary. In the genre P F Chisholm has no equal. I will read, if there is time, everything this author has ever written I can get my hands on! Do not pass these books by or u or...amazing.
Extraordinary. Simply extraordinary. In the genre P F Chisholm has no equal. I will read, if there is time, everything this author has ever written I can get my hands on! Do not pass these books by or u or...amazing.
July 15, 2017
classic adventure
March 5, 2018
The whole searies is a joy and A Surfeit of Guns is particularly well done!
July 19, 2020
Quite charming. I am enjoying this series. Lots of local colour and Elizabethan trivia. And of course the main character continues to get into and out of scrapes like a cat with nine lives.
January 19, 2023
Thoroughly engaging, intrigue in high & low places. I'm going to go back and read the 1st 2 in the series
October 12, 2016
Loved it.
February 21, 2017
Enjoyed the setting and time period. Lots of characters, so don't snooze or you'll lose the threads of the plot.
September 18, 2016
I didn't understand why a reviewer called this the darkest one in the series until the very end, when there is a twist, and the well written adventure you thought you were reading is a different, darker story. So, that was genius and I really didn't see it coming.
Aside from guns blowing up, guns being stolen, guns being shot, guns being bought, and various related adventures (including a spot of torture that just, ouch), this book is largely concerned with frustrated love.
The first is Carey's, and we get a far more detailed look into his beloved's past, feelings and personal strength. The second is King James as he remembers a past love who he was forcibly separated from, and who he is now preoccupied with replacing. The king wonders frequently will any man love me for me and not as a king? (But then he gets ruffled when he overhears Carey speaking about him as though he were just a regular guy, which was a lovely human inconsistency to include.)
James' gayness seems to be treated fairly sensitively and sensibly. Which is quite a relief.
However, his current boyfriend (who was a real historic figure) is painted as a boy-raping bully. I googled to see if this is based on anything, but couldn't see. The author did make it clear, repeatedly, that plenty of straight men in those circles did similar things - so.... Ok, it still made me uncomfortable. I know for plot there had to be bad guys, and your sexuality has no bearing on your morality. But it's so seldom we meet LGBT characters in traditional historic lit, it's a bummer one had to be the plot baddie.
Aside from guns blowing up, guns being stolen, guns being shot, guns being bought, and various related adventures (including a spot of torture that just, ouch), this book is largely concerned with frustrated love.
The first is Carey's, and we get a far more detailed look into his beloved's past, feelings and personal strength. The second is King James as he remembers a past love who he was forcibly separated from, and who he is now preoccupied with replacing. The king wonders frequently will any man love me for me and not as a king? (But then he gets ruffled when he overhears Carey speaking about him as though he were just a regular guy, which was a lovely human inconsistency to include.)
James' gayness seems to be treated fairly sensitively and sensibly. Which is quite a relief.
However, his current boyfriend (who was a real historic figure) is painted as a boy-raping bully. I googled to see if this is based on anything, but couldn't see. The author did make it clear, repeatedly, that plenty of straight men in those circles did similar things - so.... Ok, it still made me uncomfortable. I know for plot there had to be bad guys, and your sexuality has no bearing on your morality. But it's so seldom we meet LGBT characters in traditional historic lit, it's a bummer one had to be the plot baddie.
July 7, 2015
Sir Robert "Robin" Carey finds why being the warden of the West March is so dangerous. He & the garrison at Carlile are on night patrol and sheep have been reported stolen & they are delivering a fugitive to the warring Scots at the border. Then one of his men loses his hand when his gun explodes. Carey suspects that the whole new shipment of guns to the garrison is all these fake guns. When they are stolen from the armory he sets out to find the thieves. He eventually follows the trail all the way to the court of King James of Scotland. Historically correct and a great read.
October 16, 2007
I think I'm a little in love with Sir Robert Carey, the hero of this series. He's dashing, brave, sharp-witted, charming, honorable--kind of like a sixteenth-century James Bond, except Carey's (mostly) faithful to his true love, who's shackled to a jealous, abusive husband. Carey was a real person, and if he was anything like the man Finney's created here, he was certainly worth knowing.
December 10, 2013
One of the best of the series. Sir Robert Carey spends time in the Court of King James in Dumfries on a diplomatic mission, while sorting out the presence of faulty armaments in the Carlisle Armoury and their overnight disappearance during the muster. What has happened to the tower forged guns paid for by Queen Elizabeth?
Another "un put down able" novel.
Another "un put down able" novel.
March 4, 2014
Robert Carey uncovers gun smuggling that could threaten Queen Elizabeth and his country. This fascinating man had such interesting adventures, some that truly put him in danger, and yet he came out alive each time. The historical details are excellent, firmly based on his journals, and the writing is brilliant.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews