A Conspiracy Of Violence

Thomas Chaloner #1

by Susanna Gregory

The dour days of Cromwell are over. Charles II is well established at White Hall Palace, his mistress at hand in rooms over the Holbein bridge, the heads of some of the regicides on public display. London seethes with new energy, freed from the strictures of the Protectorate, but many of its inhabitants have lost their livelihoods. One is Thomas Chaloner, a reluctant spy for the feared Secretary of State, John Thurloe, and now returned from Holland in desperate need of employment. His erstwhile boss, knowing he has many enemies at court, recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon, but in return demands that Thomas keep him informed of any plot against him. But what Thomas discovers is that Thurloe had sent another ex-employee to White Hall and he is dead, supposedly murdered by footpads near the Thames. Chaloner volunteers to investigate his killing: instead he is despatched to the Tower to unearth the gold buried by the last Governor. He discovers not treasure, but evidence that greed and self-interest are uppermost in men???s minds whoever is in power, and that his life has no value to either side.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Crime, 17th Century

465 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She is married to author Beau Riffenburgh who is her co-author on the Simon Beaufort books.

AKA Simon Beaufort

She writes detective fiction, and is noted for her series of mediaeval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew, a teacher of medicine and investigator of murders in 14th-century Cambridge.
These books may have some aspects in common with the Ellis Peters Cadfael series, the mediaeval adventures of a highly intelligent Benedictine monk and herbalist who came to the Benedictine order late in an eventful life, bringing with him considerable secular experience and wisdom combined with a deal of native wit. This sets him apart from his comparatively innocent and naíve monastic brethren. His activities, both as a monk and a healer, embroil him in a series of mysterious crimes, both secular and monastic, and he enthusiastically assumes the rôle of an amateur sleuth. Sceptical of superstition, he is somewhat ahead of his time, and much accurate historical detail is woven into the adventures. But there any resemblance to the comparatively warm-hearted Cadfael series ends: the tone and subject matter of the Gregory novels is far darker and does not shrink from portraying the harsh realities of life in the Middle Ages. The first in the series, A Plague on Both Your Houses is set against the ravages of the Black Death and subsequent novels take much of their subject matter from the attempts of society to recover from this disaster.
These novels bear the marks of much detailed research into mediaeval conditions - many of the supporting characters have names taken from the documentation of the time, referenced at the end of each book - and bring vividly to life the all-pervading squalor of living conditions in England during the Middle Ages. The deep-rooted and pervasive practice of traditional leechcraft as it contrasts with the dawning science of evidence-based medicine is a common bone of contention between Matthew and the students he teaches at Michaelhouse College (now part of Trinity College, Cambridge), whilst the conflict between the students of Cambridge and the townsfolk continually threatens to escalate into violence.
Another series of books, set just after the Restoration of Charles II and featuring Thomas Chaloner, detective and former spy, began with A Conspiracy of Violence published in January 2006, and continues with The Body in the Thames, published in hardback edition January 2011.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Should Read as 4.5 Stars!**

Read this book in 2011, and its the 1st volume of the "Thomas Chaloner" series, from the author, Susanna Gregory.

The book is set in AD 1662, following the death and downfall of the Protector, Oliver Cromwell, and after the Restoration of King Charles II.

Our main protagonist is, Thomas Chaloner, spy of his former powerful boss, John Thurloe, and after coming home from Holland he's looking for employment.

Although his erstwhile boss, John Thurloe, has many enemies at court, he recommends to Thomas Chaloner a certain Lord Clarendon, in return that Thomas keeps him informed of any plots against him.

After been accepted by Lord Clarendon, Thomas discovers that another ex-employee has been sent to White Hall by Thurloe, only that man is now dead, actually murdered near the Thames.

When Thomas starts to investigate this murder, he's also being sent to the Tower by Lord Clarendon to discover the gold that's buried there by the last Governor, as the rumours suggest, but will find nothing instead.

But what he will discover uppermost is that people in power are ruled by greed and self-interest and that they have no compassion about others, and so Thomas has to fend for himself if he wants to survive this mission of conspiracy and death.

All in all a very interesting begin of this series with Thomas Chaloner and John Thurloe as the two most important protagonists at the moment, and its a mystery with quite some twists and turns, before a superbly executed plot will reveal the culprit(s) behind this conspiracy.

Highly recommended, for this is a gripping start of this exciting series, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Very Thrilling Conspiracy!"

[Ankur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another wannabe Sansom?

While i have read a few of her Matthew Bartholomew series and found them to be interesting, this 1st one of Chaloner is way below par...

Chaloner is an ex English Spy who was earlier in Holland during Cromwells's time, but has fallen from grace since the restoration, and is struggling to make a living in london now.

the story's biggest problem is that there seems to be no central mystery, and we seem to stumble along a tale filled with n no of small incidents - there are more murders than you can count, and all done v v casually w/o any repurcussions for the murder.

The hero (Chaloner) is the most un hero like figure that you will ever see - he cant hit anything when taking aim, but kills villains when he just tosses empty guns at them (yeah, its true), and has no one he can trust. Indeed, how he solves the mystery at last moment is more of a mystery than anything else!

Also, at 500 pages, this was a tad too long.

Avoidable!

[Ganga · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read some of Susanna Gregory's other novels and enjoyed them, so I was rather disappointed by this one. Chaloner seems to be an utterly incompetent spy (I suspect the real reason why Downing sacked him), the dialogue is stilted, and the characters unbelievable. All it made me want to do was re-read the Diary of Samuel Pepys, which is so much more gripping.

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun spy romp through Restoration London, c. 1662.

For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/97... .

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The time is 1662. The place is London. Cromwell has been defeated but there are still conspiracies, or so it is thought, to kill the new king. Thomas Chaloner is a former British spy who wants nothing else but to continue doing the only thing he knows but he takes the odd clerking job just to keep a roof over his head and food in his mouth. As Thomas tries to do what he is told by several inconsistent bosses he finds one lie after another and wonders who is telling the truth. As the stories become more tangled he is threatened over and over again various villains. The end of this story will have you on the edge of your seat as things become clear to Thomas and the few friends that he has discovered he has. There is a light side to this story too, in the form of a Christmas turkey that will not die. This is a fun read as well as an interesting one.

[Susan Grimshaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

A convoluted plot, too much stilted dialogue and some absurdly farcical scenarios spoilt this book, I persisted to the end, but without much enjoyment.

[Toast · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 really. I kept thinking I had read this book but I hadn't, simmiliar tales had woven together but had reached very different conclusions in my mind and on paper. Oh the Restoration. Not my fav period in History I have to say, too confusing. This is full of double dealing, who did what? when? but changed? and oh my giddy aunt the politics, the religion, the money. If you like all that agenda etc stuff, this will suit you down to the ground. Not for me, turns my brain to custard.
Toast

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klassisk noir i 1600-talskostym. Huvudpersonen är en desillusionerad spion som försöker hitta en väg ut ur sitt jobb, och misslyckas, efter att ha förlorat både viktiga relationer och personliga övertygelser. Gillar man noir utan att kräva snabb action, kommer man att gilla boken.

[Jaybour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A CONSPIRACY OF COMMAS

Was it Gregory's intent to make this narrative a parody? Some situations are absolutely fatuous. Chaloner's third-degree interview with the Ingoldsbys was farcical. Without a by your leave, he trots into their house and has them spilling their guts even though they have no idea who he is or whom he represents. Furthermore, he always seems to be fortuitously placed to eavesdrop on private conversations amid the hustle and bustle of loud and raucous market places. And his Byzantine deductive reasoning leaves the reader gobsmacked.
However, what rankles most is the absurd misuse of commas. First, there is NEVER a comma before a subordinating conjunction unless the subordinate clause is serving as an interrupter. Nor is there EVER a comma before a coordinating conjunction unless followed by an independent clause. BOTH these rules are religiously ignored, page after page after page.
Even a reader with but a fleeting knowledge of proper punctuation should be offended by this flagrant disregard for accuracy.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 2 out of 5]

17th century. Days of Cromwell are past. Charles II is established at White Hall Palace. Citizens have lost their livelihoods. Thomas Chaloner, a spy for Secretary of State, John Thurloe. John recommends Thomas to Lord Clarendon. He is dispatched to the Tower to unearth gold buried by the last Governor. He discovers not treasure, but evidence that, greed and self-interest are uppermost in the minds of those in power. Chaloner own life has no value to either side.
A lot of attention to detail which gets too tedious and slows the reading down. Characters are not well-drawn and Chaloner is not an interesting character. I think I'll try her Matthew Bartholomew series. I cannot recommend this series. Too wordy!

[Ann Dewar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best introduction to a new series and, disappointingly, the characters and period didn’t really come to life for me.

This is the first in the Thomas Chaloner series, set in Restoration England. The protagonist, Thomas had been acting as a spy, based in Holland, during the Protectorate. Now back in England he is trying to establish himself under the new regime, whilst treading carefully as his uncle was a regicide.

This should have been gripping and there could have been a real sense of threat and danger. Sadly, this just never took off and it lacked both pace and a credible storyline.

[Amelia]

I enjoyed the setting and its historical detail, and the mysteries tangled up together were certainly interesting, but all of the names and aliases were a bit much to keep track of and I had to flip back a few times too often to figure out who was who. I also found the nest of betrayals at the end a bit too much of a downer. Oh well.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it, particularly the descriptions of London daily life, but struggled to keep track of about 20+ characters.

[Reggie Billingsworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ooooog. By page 45 I was seriously thinking I should keep a spread sheet on character and location names while the action off the top was almost Monty Pythonesque in it's interludes of historical data. I half expected the usual whining tone of Eric Idle's docu-narrator, clutching his microphone as he steps into frame and explains "...and of course she was just one of the King's mistresses...".

By mid-chapter 2 (when will this endless weight of descriptive paragraphs end, O Lord?) after having diligently skipped the previous 15 pages and seeing no discernible plot development in sight until another 20+ were waded through, then checking the next chapter (only chapter 3????) I definitely felt I should bail. I earned my several history degrees. I know what richness lies in researched discoveries. I also know that these gems are usually valued far more by their discoverer than a casual audience might. It was more like a low level nightmare about being trapped in the wrong required course. This was not fun.

The book initially attracted me by its cover, so kudos to Anu Design, with a nifty map of London ca 1660s. I must look that one up and peruse it...for I suspect it would be more entertaining to me than this ponderous launch of a new series around spying in the Restoration period aimed, I am sure, for a certain kind of audience that doesn't include me.

The literary pseudonym Gregory apparently cranks them out diligently averaging 500 pages a pop in whichever series and that's impressive thinking of the thousands and thousands of pages of historical fiction she has obviously enjoyed creating.

Some must therefore enjoy reading them. I, unfortunately, was not one of them. C'est la vie.

[Shirley Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set right smack in the middle of Restoration England, a little written understood time in English history. The year of this book is 1662. This is the first in a brand new espionage series that Ms. Susanna Gregory has begun. I am a long-time reader of the Matthew Barholomew series, and have loved Ms. Gregory's writing for a long time, and was very excited to begin this new series of hers. Thomas Chaloner is a great character, and I look forward to reading more of him. The book is long and quite complex, and it's a bit difficult in places to keep straight, but it will keep you guessing right up to the end. You will find that as you read you will find yourself at times as confused as Thomas is as he tries to stay alive. He does not know who to trust as he he tries to unravel what he thinks are three unrelated mysteries. Ms. Gregory's depiction of of life in England when Bonny Prince Charley (Charles II) is welcomed back to England after the repressive era under Cromwell is spot-on. It is a compelling tale of mystery, intrigue, betrayal and a whole new "nest of vipers". No one does villains like Ms. Gregory. I look forward to reading more of this fascinating era.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read one for Susanna Gregory Bartholomew series and one form Thomas Chaloner, sorry nether really did it for me. Not enough va va vroom or boom for me. Interesting historical reflections, but I will not be reading any more in the series, I tried, I wore the T shirt (briefly) its no washed and back in the draw.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just arrived from UK. Even if the plot is a little bit confusing, the story behind is quite interesting.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Chaloner works as a spy for Charles II but his immediate boss warns him to watch his own back as well.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. I should have DNF'ed when I first considered it. But for ~waves hands~ reasons I'll give this a passable three.

My problem with this novel? The plot is buried under boring details, random clues adding up to nothing, names of characters that matter but never enter into the story, and just too many distractions that aren't even entertaining let alone informative. Probably half of the novel is just the main character, alone or in dialogue, trying to fit cryptic clues into some kind of meaning, wondering if it proves this or shows that, trying to decide which of a dozen people might have done a thing, who among those dozen knew about the little factoid at the time, who knows now, who is on the wrong track about it... It's exhausting. A spreadsheet wouldn't help.

Here--literally a random page, the first one I turned to:

Who had sent the Lord Chancellor a missive containing that particular phrase, and what did it mean? Or had it been intended for someone else, and the Earl had intercepted it? And why had Clarke converted the same words to cipher and hidden them in his secret pocket? Were the Earl and Clarke associated with John Hewson, who had ordered Chaloner to praise God's one son as he lay dying, or was that coincidence?

Half the book is like that. And almost everything he does know comes directly from other characters who either volunteer the information or discuss it while he's accidentally almost right beside them. Everyone knows more than him, including knowing everything he's doing. His skills are nonexistent.

Oh, yeah, he can decipher messages. That's it.

But most annoying is the fact that Chaloner is the worst hero I've ever seen. He's supposed to be a veteran spy and investigator, and yet he's mistaken and on the wrong track almost the whole book so much that it feels like he's brand new at all of this. Besides that, he almost screws up every. single. time. that someone is trying to stop him or chase him off or pump him for information or kill him. It's horrible. He's inept, incompetent, foolish, and lucky to survive this book, let alone a whole series of them. In the last big scene, he bumbles unprepared into danger, where he is captured. Given a lucky chance, he shoots a gun, and misses. He gets shot at, and should have died, but she misses. He tries to escape during the chaos of a fire, but a woman grabs him and is choking him out, and he needs help to escape her. Then he gets trapped under a man's body with fire creeping toward the gunpowder and would have died except someone pulls him out. He achieves nothing. A bungler.

Not to mention the fact that he's wrong about everybody in that room, who should be trusted and who should not, who is on which side, who is behind everything--meaning he's discovered almost nothing in 480/500 pages. In fact, we get to the epilogue and find out he's still wrong about what supposedly happened and who did it.

He's this incompetent all the time. FFS. How is he the hero?

There is some good research behind the setting and setup of the book. 17th Century London is well described. I like a few things. Just enough interest to push myself to finish--which means (by my own personal policy) I give it a 3. I kept hoping it would pick up and he would become an impressive spy, because it feels like the kind of book I love. But I never want to read another book with him as the main character.

Unless it's a comedy. In the movie, he'd be played by a young Don Knotts. Or maybe Jim Carrey.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A protracted, complicated but worthwhile read which I mostly enjoyed - as long as I gritted my teeth at the introduction of modern tropes into a story (published in 2004?), set in mid-17th century London a few years after Charles II's 'restoration' into a troubled & disrupted English nation.
The main (male) characters & the complex plot involves living 'regicides' - those great patriots who chose their country over a useless, vain king (Charles I!)...& had his head removed in January 1649. Hurrah! - but those men pay for their brave ideas of government by the Parliament & people by being hunted down by vengeful royalists, working for the rich, financial returns (mostly paid for by Louis XIV, Charles II's Catholic 'sponsor!').
It's fairly steeped in violent intrigues, judicious murders & mysterious identities, this tale - the first in a series involving one, Thomas Chaloner, (a very early version of James Bond?...without the girls!?)
The historical accuracy is commendable, apart from the author's creation of fanciful, female pseudo-protagonists - not all decent & honourable! who seem 'over-represented' in a period when most women used assets other than pistols, gunpowder & espionage to further their financial & social profits. Charles Stuart wasn't known as the 'Merry Monarch' for nothing, eh girls?! You can still hear the squeals of joy echoing around the alleyways of St James now...366 years later!
Perhaps we need another 'revolution'...without a civil war? But Charles III can keep his head!

[Nance Roepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Susannah Gregory's series with Matthew Bartholomew and decided to try this series as well.

First, a couple general things about Susanna Gregory's books. They are long and they are complicated and there are lots of characters, many of whom have similar names. I listen to books on audio and alliterative names or those that sound similar are difficult for me to keep straight. On the other hand, the main character in both series is likable and committed to his occupation and, as a result, lives in near poverty. In the Matthew Bartholomew series I find many of the secondary characters to be annoying and difficult to like. I don't know yet if that will be true of this series as well.

In this particular book, I really like that the main character is not a superhero. He has a physical issue and, when beat up, does not snap back like many superheroes do. I personally like the Middle Ages and this book is actually in the Restoration Period. But I found the book appealing and the time period was interesting as well. I will definitely read the next book to see how the characters develop.

[Laraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is book #1 in Gregory's Thomas Chaloner series, which is a story of "decadence and deceit in Restoration London". Thomas Chaloner is a spy, although an unemployed one. He was reporting on Dutch naval matters for his spymaster John Thurloe and now is in England trying hard to find a new job to earn some money so he can marry his Dutch girlfriend Metje. He is marked by his Uncle, who was a regicide so he is going under another name, Thomas Heyden. He finds some work with the Duke of Clarendon, who is wanting him to find some hidden gold bars in the Tower of London. But he also starts to investigate when he finds out the person he replaced had been murdered. And this leads him into conspiracies, secret societies and puts him on the radar of men who want to kill him. And he has to keep one step ahead of them while trying to solve the puzzles that confront him at every turn. This also means that he doesn't know who to trust. This was a very interesting read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Alan Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading Susanna Gregory’s Matthew Bartholomew series and after 8 chronicles decided to look at her Thomas Chaloner series. I am pleased that I did. So what did I like? - the setting was varied and by virtue of clothes more colourful; different sensibilities and a time of cultural tumult; a main character that is skilled, resourceful and well able to defend himself; relationships that are not will-they-won’t-they; a bigger city-scape; a range of characters that look likely to important and likely to return; novelties (who would have thought there was a significant role for a live turkey?); broader inclusion of women characters. This first novel in the series is eventful, rich in its characters and deeply plotted. The resolve has many surprises. Some might think that Susanna Gregory mysteries are convoluted - I liked this, and recommend it. The journey of the mystery is as important to me as the solution.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 in an espionage series set in Restoration England. Charles II has been welcomed back to England. Oliver Cromwell is dead, and the commonwealth regime is over. Thomas Chaloner is trying to find employment working for the new, royalist government. As the nephew of a regicide, and an employee of the old parliamentarian spymaster John Thurloe, Chaloner needs to prove his loyalty to the king. Set a task by Edward Hyde, the Earl of Clarendon, and Secretary of State to King Charles, Chaloner finds himself in a complicated plot, involving murder, attempted murder, a secret brotherhood, bribery, missing persons, hidden gold, and strangely enough, a lion from the king’s menagerie. Who can he trust?
I found this quite slow to start, but about halfway in, I seemed to pick up the story, and enjoyed the remainder. It’s well thought out, rich in detail, and the plot is intricately woven.

[Susan Omand · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a detective story, I found it was quite slow to start with; the characters didn't engage me to begin with and I guessed a couple of the clues initially, it all just felt a bit exposition-y. However I would recommend sticking with it as it became a page-turner for me later on with a few twists that really blindsided me once the investigations properly got underway that kept me hooked til the conclusion. Now that I know the writing style, and have finally engaged with the characters, I look forward to reading the next book in the Thomas Chaloner series.

As an aside, I also liked the tie-ins to real people and events (it is set around the time of the Restoration in London and the main protagonist is an ex-government spy) and the short Historical reference appended to the book was a nice explanation of these.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this 2 stars only because the period of history is fascinating. Gregory does it a disservice. Too much unconvincing dialog and some truly ridiculous, unbelievable scenes made this one tough to get through. The plot is quite convoluted, which would be fine if it were being woven together as the book progresses. Instead, our hero, Chaloner, bumbles his way through some haphazard, fairly unproductive, investigations, and everything is summed up in the last couple chapters, by other characters. It even includes one of those dreadful, let me tell you why I'm doing all this before I shoot you, scenes. I did not find the characters believable or likable. Mostly, though, it was the dumb, little things that annoyed me (e.g. one of the baddies is killed by a gun -- thrown through a window and that hits him in the head.)

[Martin Pilkington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complicated plot in a book set two years after the restoration of Charles II. Thomas Chaloner (or Heyden) has worked for John Thurloe under Cromwell in Holland and England and is now in London trying to get employed by the new regime.

A lot of the characters are based on real people, though whether their characters were really as they’ve been written I couldn’t say. But who cares? As written they jump off the page as real characters with diverse, and devious, motives. Thomas has to work out who he can trust, and maybe more importantly, who he cannot.

I’ve read some of the authors series about Matthew Bartolommeo set in 14th Century Cambridge. These feel different but they are just as enthralling.

[Linda Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read some of the reviews for this 1st book in the Thomas Chaloner I was not expecting to enjoy it but I found it very entertaining. Susanna manages to include a lot of dry humour in her books at the same time she is writing about a lot of gory murders. Chanloner manages to nearly get himself burnt several times although I would image that fire was a real concern in houses built very close together with wooden structures.

The idea of an irate turkey stalking the streets of London having escaped the tyranny of Christmas after no one was willing the kill the wretched bird was an interesting and amusing one, I thought.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entertaining enough read. Rich setting (1662 Restoration England), with lots of intrigue and twists and turns in this novel. Thomas Chaloner as the main character is interesting and engaging. However, I found parts of the book difficult to follow. The multiple characters in this story were challenging to keep straight and the large number of plot twists were confusing at times and some difficult to believe or accept. At this point I do not feel I will be reading any further books in this series.