Plague Child

Tom Neave Trilogy #1

by Peter Ransley

The first instalment of a captivating trilogy set against the backdrop of the English Civil War.September 1625: Plague cart driver, Matthew Kneave, is sent to pick up the corpse of a baby. Yet, on the way to the plague pit, he hears a cry the baby is alive. A plague child himself, and now immune from the disease, Matthew decides to raise it as his own.Fifteen years on, Matthews son Tom is apprenticed to a printer in the City. Somebody is interested in him and is keen to turn him into a gentleman. He is even given an education. But Tom is unaware that he has a benefactor and soon he discovers that someone else is determined to kill him.The civil war divides families, yet Tom is divided in himself. Devil or saint Royalist or radicalist He is at the bottom of the social ladder, yet soon finds himself within reach of a great estate one which he must give up to be with the girl he loves.Set against the fervent political climate of the period, 'Plague Child' is a remarkable story of discovery, identity and an England of the past.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Mystery, 17th Century, British Literature

433 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Peter Ransley has written extensively for television. His BBC adaptation of Sarah Waters's 'Fingersmith' was nominated for a BAFTA for best series in 2006 and his ITV drama 'Falling Angel', starring Emilia Fox and Charles Dance, was screened in 2007. He is a winner of the Royal Television Society's Writer's Award.

Reviews

[Cynnamon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical novel set at the time of the English civil war in the 17th century.

The story narrates the search of boy abandoned as a baby for his biological parents.

Not quite gripping enough for 4 stars, so 3 stars it is.

-------------------------------------------------------

Im England des 17. Jahrhunderts wird ein Säugling als Pesttoter deklariert, überlebt jedoch und kommt später durch verschiedene Zufälle zu einem Drucker in die Lehre.
Das Buch erzählt die Geschichte, wie er immer mehr über seine tatsächliche Herkunft erfährt und ab einen bestimmten Zeitpunkt auch aktiv nachforscht.

Die historischen Randbedingungen mit den historisch belegten Charakteren sind wohl gut dargestellt. Unser Protagonist erscheint mir jedoch in seiner Dämlichkeit des Öfteren nervtötend. Man muss aber wohl in Betracht ziehen, dass der Junge am Ende des Buches gerade mal 17 oder 18 war, so dass eine vernünftigere Verhaltensweise vielleicht auch zu viel erwartet wäre.

Insgesamt gut zu lesen, aber nicht außergewöhnlich mitreissend. Aus meiner Sicht 3 Sterne.

[Bernadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is not easy to review.
On one hand you have a really good and well researched Historical novel, but on the other a poorly developed main character, Tom Neave, who never learns from his childish mistakes and one would expect him to given that you are often told how bright he is. Politically astute yet unable to control his own tongue or temper. The Mills and Boone quality of his romance with Anne I also found grating and the need to create a "and they all lived happily ever after" ending patronizing.
What I did enjoy was an exciting account of the beginning of the English Civil War, as well the stark contrast between the landed gentry and nobility and the working class. The early ideas of a government for and by the people also made for great reading.
It is for these reasons I will probably read the rest of the trilogy. the continued history lesson and not Tom's continuing journey.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a romp through the Civil War years (English). We follow a baby who has been retrieved alive from the plague pit. His life as he grows up becomes more and more entangled as he searches for his origins and parents.

This is a book with much scope, many characters and a brisk pace. It catches you up from the beginning and keeps running on, lurching rather like a wagon out of control. The narrative twists so much at times I had to stop and think who was what and who did I believe and what had just happened - or what did I think had just happened? At times this was my undoing - I literally would lose the plot until I went back a bit or thought it through. Occasionally the story seemed to make a jump that would be confusing but it might just be me.

I look forward to more of Mr Ransley.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to read this quite some time ago as part of a controlled group of 100 readers, to feedback on the writer, writing, style, the cover the plot etc.. It was a novel (excuse the pun) request and one i was happy to do for any debut book, and once i had started working my way into this gem a double pleasure.
This is a period of history i avoid like the plague (again sorry not intending them they just keep happening) it was a subject they flogged to death at school, the plague, the civil war blah blah blah... but this book plague Child brings the whole period to life, sometimes in its gross sticking glory.

Peter Ransley is a potential star of the future, if he can follow up this title with something as good or better then it will confirm there is a real new talent around.
I learned loads in this book, but didnt feel i was being force fed history, i met characters i want to know more about, and i felt, smelt and lived a period of history that shaped this nation... brilliant stuff.

Im also glad the cover is not one of the ones they asked us to comment on... they were w=awful pastel things... blurrgh.

Highly recommended.

(parm)

[Lauh - Random Utopias · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qtlx

This story was nice and the historical background was definitely interesting, still the characters or their story wasn't that awesome to be a four star book.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

a facinating and engaging account of a young man's search for the truth behind his birth and up bringing. Through the narative the author skillfully explores the social and political backdrop to the English civil war.

[Shatrujeet Nath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one clearly wasn't for me. It took ages to finish, and there were moments where I wanted to give up altogether; the only thing that kept me going was the historical backdrop of the English Revolution. But honestly, there was very little of that too, as most of the time it was our hero Thomas trying to figure out who his father was. Not that that was particularly engaging either, and most of the while I was just wondering why was this even important as this seems to have little or no bearing on what happens in the story. I mean, yes, sure, someone wants to kill 17-year-old Thomas as he is the bastard son of some rich lord, but it's not like he's a pawn where one side wants to prop him up as a challenger to someone while the other side wants to remove him from the scene. He's just drifting along and then some random thing happens and then another random thing happens and characters come and go and... aargh! What really bugged me was that almost to the very end, I didn't know what was at stake for our hero or for those around him. And having completed the book, I still don't have a compelling reason to recommend it to someone. What's the book about? Well, it's about the guy Thomas who is a bastard son of some lord and he's growing up in London as a printer's apprentice and someone tries to kill him and they don't succeed and then he wants to find out who his father is, and he figures it could be three people and then he is sucked into the revolution and then everything falls properly in place and it ends. Well, not quite, because there's a Book 2 apparently, but no... for me it definitely ends here.

[Christi Poulsom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book that cried out for a decent editor with their finger poised above the delete key. It's obvious that the author is used to writing for tv and describing every scene in laborious detail.
I managed to finish it through gritted teeth and it did perk up a [very] little towards the end, but it was hard work and extraordinarily repetitive. If the two books that follow had been combined with this one, there might have been a good book on offer here.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

250 pages in and I've given up. This book has had its interesting moments, and has the potential to be an okay read. The plot is fine and the characters are okay, but nothing is fast paced enough and it all just feels a bit drawn out. It got to the point that I was reading it just to finish it not to enjoy it, so it's being put aside.

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting historical background, but a lot of words that did not tell much of an exciting story! I found it convoluted and repetitive and could not feel any affection for Tom Neave, the Plague Child. Disappointing.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like this book. It is very disjointed

[Kim Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent Interregnum thriller.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during the tumultuous time of the English Civil War, this novel tells the story of Tom, a young man with a mysterious past.

Tom is the plague child of the title. Consigned from birth to die in the plague pit, Tom is rescued by the man he subsequently believes to be his father. When he realises Matthew is not his father, Tom begins a quest to find the truth.

The novel follows Tom from the stinking, crowded streets of London, where the tensions between Royalists and Parliamentarians simmer, to the battlefield of Edgehill, where the rival sides clash in civil war.

Tom is a good narrator, but sometimes a strange character. It's easy to forget that he is only 17, but that does account for his childish bursts of temper and outbreaks of jealousy. Other characters tell of Tom's intelligence and capability, but that never really comes across in the first person narrative of the novel.

The end of the novel is a little too neatly sewn up and feels a bit like the author ran out of steam. This is apparently the first in a trilogy, so maybe the story will expand further in the next books.

[morgen daniels · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF- Didn’t grab me right now, will try again later.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the history side of this well written and interesting novel, but a bit too much romance for me, not that that's a bad thing , just not what I look for in a book. I definitely enjoyed reading about the civil war period but I felt it could have concentrated more on the politics of the period a bit more and the emotions of the characters a little less, also I'm not sure if Thomas's age was a factor but i couldn't work out why, one minute he would be nervous and tongue tied and the next a raging inferno of anger, like someone had flicked a switch.
The only other minor detail that niggled, was how every time someone was shocked surprised or scared they would drop an object they were holding, or nearly drop it. How are their emotions so closely connected to their ability to hold onto something, bizarre.

[Joy Ramlogan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book for most of it, the historical detail of life as an apprentice to a printer in the time coming up to the Glorious Revolution was well drawn. But this is supposed to be historical fiction not history and the plot, with the interplay between the "bastard" child/grandchild and the wealthy family, is less well addressed. I keep reading these novels where character development and great plot seem to be missed and when you have these elements, the context and strong feel of place and time are lost. This is an easier read than the last book I read (the Angel's Game) so the craft of writing is good - I am getting more and more difficult to please as the only character I liked died by two thirds of the book - at least there was one likeable character :) It is an engaging enough story but I plodded through the last third, very very slowly.

[Jirinka (sony08) · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10 for this one. It was a manuscript sent by Harper Collins to 100 readers.

I loved it. It only doesn't have 10/10 as I found the ending a little bit too over the top. But it certainly doesn't do the book any harm.

This is a story set in the first half of 17th century, about one boy that wants to find the truth about his parents - he has to become a man and face the reality of his parentage during some of the most difficult political times of that century.

Very interesting - even though the main characters are fictional, the political history and some of the other important characters are based on facts and research this author has done.

I am looking forward to this being published as I think I might buy it to keep.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A present from a friend. It's a good, lively read for the most part. I preferred the first half, with its ambiguous characters and confusions over who was a goody/baddy. It reminded me a little of Fingersmith -- possibly not surprising as Peter Ransley wrote the screenplay for the TV adaptation. It was always engaging, but towards the end I began to tire of the frequent occasions when Tom faced certain death and then "with one bound he was free." The ending felt rather implausible. Still, I enjoyed it and I'll be reading the second volume. I hesitated between three and four stats and plumped for four in the end because he is a good writer.

[Kevin Greenhalgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ransley is being compared with Sansom by many reviewer. Like Sansom he builds his character environments so that you feel you are actually there; using vivid time sensitive language and by weaving historical fact into the story. Unfortunately Tom, the central character, does not have as much depth as Sansoms Shardlake. By the end of Plague Child, Tom has travelled far to discover who he is, but somehow I did not care, which surprised me. I am intrigued by Ransleys writing and will read his follow up book, Cromwells Blessing; if only to find out if Tom has grown more likeable, I want to care about him.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book set in the civil war period. Tom was a plague child... a survivor of the plague who was saved. as a baby in the plague cart, on the way to the pit. He grows up and is apprenticed to a printer and joins the militia on the parliamentarian side. He becomes obsessed with finding his true family. This story is about family against family in true civil war tradition. The story like many of these tales is a bit far fetched. People rarely rise above their station. I enjoyed the read as you were kept on your toes as to how the story would resolve but no real surprises.

[Parastou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plague Child is an OK read. It’s relatively entertaining, even though the plot wasn’t the most original – bastard son grows up to reclaim his honour and gain a title – yawn!

Another issue I had was that the novel could easily have been cut by 100 pages without affecting the story. Ransley seems to have dragged out the most basic scenes for as long as humanely possible for no reason other than meeting a page quota...Read More...

[Elliott Hay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book was alright. The story was interesting, the history seemed relatively accurate, the pace was right (for my liking).

The main problem for me was the characters. I didn't like any of the major ones. Mr Black was alright. The only one I genuinely liked was a minor character (Sarah). Tom was waffling and petulant. I don't like those qualities in any character, let alone the protagonist.

Additionally the peculiarities of the sentence structure in some places meant I found myself reading and re-reading certain passages multiple times before I could make sense of them.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed by this one. Got good reviews, but too much plot and just couldn't relate too much to the characters, so won't read the next ones. Set in the Civil War, a mix of history, mystery and romance. The main character is somehow related to an aristocratic family, the bastard son of one of the males in the family, but we don't quite know who. He is sent to be apprenticed to a family of printers, where he becomes mixed up with Roundhead politics. A bit ho-hum

[imngrer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off well but then just digressed into a ramble. Part of the problem, I think, was created by the first-person narrative which became pretty much a "he said-she said" continuation.

I suspect Ransley would have been better served with a different editor to guide him along his first novel. But those just don't seem to exist anymore -- or, at least, the state of historical fiction seems to indicate it doesn't.

[Oonagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, beautifully written, well-paced and a great story. Its set in the run-up to and outbreak of the English Civil War. This is not a period I had read much on prior to picking up Plague Child, but Peter Ransley does a great job at bringing the issues that lead to the war & the factions involved alive without bogging the book down in heavy detail or losing pace.
I am looking forward to the second book in this trilogy.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked but not loved this book. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and started to wilt once I realised it was the first of a trilogy. I am glad it ended as it did so I do not feel I have to continue with the following books.
I also didn't see the comparison to C.J.Sansom, who I think is a very good writer and this kind of missed the chance. The setting was great, it was fast paced but I just couldn't love it.

[Claire Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book a bit sketchy! Parts of it showed true writing brilliance others were obfuscated and unbalanced.

I don't think I have ever read a book that inspired such conflicting emotions!

If you like the genre then give it a go, its a pleasant enough read. If historical fiction is not your thing I wouldn't bother!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strives to be both historical and a mystery but comes up short on both counts - as a reader, there's just not enough connection to the characters to make the narrative feel compelling. Lackluster all around.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel but at times the protagonist Tom Neave behaved like a spoiled confused 17 yr old instead of a young man whose future looked very promising. The plot was interesting and contained a few twists and turns. The remaining characters were well thought out and more realistic.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really atmospheric and interesting from a historical point of view as well as for the story of the characters. I didn't know much about the period it's set in but it made me curious and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the trilogy.