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The Cromwell Deception
February 1649: As the dust settles on the English Civil War, only one objective remains unfulfilled before Oliver Cromwell’s total victory over the monarchy is complete. For over four hundred years the Crown jewels of England have been held safely in the Tower of London, yet in the coming days they are removed, never to be seen in public again. Government receipts confirm the jewels have been sold and melted down for mint value.
Only one man knows the truth…
Present day: In the heart of London, a famous art gallery is robbed in the dead of night. Two paintings are taken: a newly purchased £10million self-portrait of a famous 17th-century artist and a portrait of a Roundhead soldier of moderate fame. For gallery director Gillian McKevitt, news of the theft is an absolute nightmare. Aside from the theft occurring less than two days before the self-portrait’s unveiling, CCTV footage suggests the theft was an inside job.
As the news sinks in, a surprise revelation from Gillian’s predecessor confirms she is dealing with no ordinary theft. One of the portraits contains an unimaginable secret, one with the potential to reveal the whereabouts of a long-lost treasure. With time running out before the grand unveiling, Gillian realises she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. Following the clues revealed by earlier x-ray and infrared examination of the painting, Gillian finds herself in a frantic, and dangerous, race across England and through history as she attempts to track down the thieves before they reach their goal. To succeed, she must not only uncover their identity, but also unearth one of England’s best-kept secrets…
Only one man knows the truth…
Present day: In the heart of London, a famous art gallery is robbed in the dead of night. Two paintings are taken: a newly purchased £10million self-portrait of a famous 17th-century artist and a portrait of a Roundhead soldier of moderate fame. For gallery director Gillian McKevitt, news of the theft is an absolute nightmare. Aside from the theft occurring less than two days before the self-portrait’s unveiling, CCTV footage suggests the theft was an inside job.
As the news sinks in, a surprise revelation from Gillian’s predecessor confirms she is dealing with no ordinary theft. One of the portraits contains an unimaginable secret, one with the potential to reveal the whereabouts of a long-lost treasure. With time running out before the grand unveiling, Gillian realises she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. Following the clues revealed by earlier x-ray and infrared examination of the painting, Gillian finds herself in a frantic, and dangerous, race across England and through history as she attempts to track down the thieves before they reach their goal. To succeed, she must not only uncover their identity, but also unearth one of England’s best-kept secrets…
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 2014
65 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
John Paul Davis
31 books69 followers📚 John Paul Davis is the international bestselling author of fourteen thriller novels. His debut, The Templar Agenda, cracked the UK Top 20 and claimed the #1 spot in Historical Thrillers. Since then, he has continued to keep readers on the edge of their seats, with hits like The Cortés Trilogy, which reached the UK Top 40 and US Top 20, and the White Hart series, starring a secret black ops group with origins dating back to the Middle Ages.
🖊 In addition to thrillers, JPD has authored seven works of nonfiction. His debut work, Robin Hood: The Unknown Templar, sparked international press interest, while Pity For The Guy, the first full-length biography of Guy Fawkes, was featured on ITV’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show.
🏠 JPD is an active member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He holds a BSc from Loughborough University and resides in Warwickshire, where he enjoys sports, history, reading, contemplating the meaning of life, planning book-related travels and pondering plot twists.
Checkout his official Website: www.johnpauldavis.com
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 9, 2020
Great opening , with a much venerated painting going missing a couple of days before a major exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery is due to open. Combination works well, with clues found in centuries old portraits, a treasure hunt taking in various English Civil War sites, and a historical mystery of the Cromwell era is revealed. And the renegade royalist network, a theme that appears in other novels by this author make an appearance. The 'Facts behind my Fiction' section is quite substantial, with the author attempting -quite successfully- to summarise the main events of the British Civil Wars, along with the rest of the historical references.
December 28, 2014
This is the fourth book by John Paul Davis that I have read, the previous ones being ‘The Templar Agenda’, ‘The Larmenius Inheritance’ and ‘The Plantagenet Vendetta’. I am pleased to say that it lives up to the standard of the previous books, and, like them, I have given it 5 stars on the Amazon and Goodreads rating systems.
The book is concerned with the historical disappearance of some of the crown jewels, in particular the diadem of St Edward, which was last seen when King Charles I was removed from the English throne in the Civil War. It had always been assumed that these jewels were lost (or in the case of gold, melted down). However, when a manuscript is found which points to their possible location, it is bought anonymously at an auction in London by an aristocratic art dealer from Angers, France, who then sets out to recover the jewels from clues contained in the manuscript. He is a descendent of the Plantagenet Dynasty, and regards the jewels as property of his ancestors, which must be recovered.
The manuscript points to important information being contained in a portrait of Arthur Heselrige, who was an ally of Oliver Cromwell, on display in the National Portrait Gallery. It turns out that this portrait was actually painted over a portrait of Cromwell, which contains information about the location of the jewels. This painting is stolen by thieves acting on behalf of the French art dealer, along with a new acquisition by van Dyck, which is about to be unveiled in a few days.
The book then describes how the art thieves, pursued by the National Portrait Gallery Director and her staff (who want to recover the paintings), try to use the clues in the painting to find the jewels. This involves visiting major battle sites from the Civil War, as well as, in the end, the church where Cromwell’s wife was buried. At stake is the recovery of the paintings, particularly the van Dyck, and attempting to prevent the theft of the jewels if they are in fact found. The conclusion is exciting, with an extra twist at the very end.
The storyline moves at a fast pace, and as with previous books by this author, I found it hard to put down. I recommend it!
The book is concerned with the historical disappearance of some of the crown jewels, in particular the diadem of St Edward, which was last seen when King Charles I was removed from the English throne in the Civil War. It had always been assumed that these jewels were lost (or in the case of gold, melted down). However, when a manuscript is found which points to their possible location, it is bought anonymously at an auction in London by an aristocratic art dealer from Angers, France, who then sets out to recover the jewels from clues contained in the manuscript. He is a descendent of the Plantagenet Dynasty, and regards the jewels as property of his ancestors, which must be recovered.
The manuscript points to important information being contained in a portrait of Arthur Heselrige, who was an ally of Oliver Cromwell, on display in the National Portrait Gallery. It turns out that this portrait was actually painted over a portrait of Cromwell, which contains information about the location of the jewels. This painting is stolen by thieves acting on behalf of the French art dealer, along with a new acquisition by van Dyck, which is about to be unveiled in a few days.
The book then describes how the art thieves, pursued by the National Portrait Gallery Director and her staff (who want to recover the paintings), try to use the clues in the painting to find the jewels. This involves visiting major battle sites from the Civil War, as well as, in the end, the church where Cromwell’s wife was buried. At stake is the recovery of the paintings, particularly the van Dyck, and attempting to prevent the theft of the jewels if they are in fact found. The conclusion is exciting, with an extra twist at the very end.
The storyline moves at a fast pace, and as with previous books by this author, I found it hard to put down. I recommend it!
December 16, 2014
The Cromwell Deception is everything a mystery, treasure hunting thriller should be. When two valuable paintings are stolen from a famous art gallery, Gallery Director Gillian McKevitt needs to find them and soon, for a new exhibition featuring one of the paintings opens in 48 hours. And so begins a cat and mouse race against time as Gillian and her friends follows the thieves around the Midlands, visiting historical sites in an effort to find hidden treasure.
What I love about John Paul’s books are the mix of the present with the historical and that the story is written around actual facts. The action is fast, but at all times is plausible and the locations beautifully described. Face paced and deftly plotted with a sprinkling of history make this a believable, well written historical thriller. Exciting and very entertaining, an excellent read.
What I love about John Paul’s books are the mix of the present with the historical and that the story is written around actual facts. The action is fast, but at all times is plausible and the locations beautifully described. Face paced and deftly plotted with a sprinkling of history make this a believable, well written historical thriller. Exciting and very entertaining, an excellent read.
June 30, 2017
Cromwell Deception
This was a very quick and interesting read. Reading this book makes you want to take a trip to England and see all of the monuments described in the book.
This was a very quick and interesting read. Reading this book makes you want to take a trip to England and see all of the monuments described in the book.
November 23, 2019
Another adventure from John Paul Davis. I highly recommend this book and author.
March 20, 2015
Cromwell's Treachery
This is a very enjoyable book, especially if the reader has Royalist leanings. I won't waste review space on my personal feelings about Cromwell. Suffice it to say that the fictional theft of the crown jewels by the arrogant, power mad Cromwell adds enjoyment to the piecing together of an intricately plotted puzzle.
This is a very enjoyable book, especially if the reader has Royalist leanings. I won't waste review space on my personal feelings about Cromwell. Suffice it to say that the fictional theft of the crown jewels by the arrogant, power mad Cromwell adds enjoyment to the piecing together of an intricately plotted puzzle.
Read
January 25, 2015I enjoyed it very much. He is a great writer. He keeps you involved with the characters and the plot throughout.
April 8, 2015
The author is a master in the historical novel genre. The plot is great but with the historical accuracy that many mainstream hits lack.
March 30, 2020
Great book, great plot, colourful characters, plot with all the twists & turns you expect. Would suggest reading this one before you start on The Crown Jewels Conspiracy.
March 3, 2017
it was decent read. unusually inconsistent narrative though. some points had long unnecessary detail, other points skipped entire segments of time to the point of causing confusion.
not a mystery per second, maybe more of a mild thriller
not a mystery per second, maybe more of a mild thriller
March 5, 2015
Boring
How could a story about kidnapping, stolen art, and the lost crown jewels of the early Plantagenet kings be boring. I don't know, but this author some how managed it. The story was dreadfully disjointed and not enjoyable in the least. This is one to skip.
How could a story about kidnapping, stolen art, and the lost crown jewels of the early Plantagenet kings be boring. I don't know, but this author some how managed it. The story was dreadfully disjointed and not enjoyable in the least. This is one to skip.
June 6, 2015
Enjoyed it
I really enjoyed the subject matter and the characters. It just took a little bit in the beginning to get moving. I would recommend this book.
I really enjoyed the subject matter and the characters. It just took a little bit in the beginning to get moving. I would recommend this book.
July 21, 2015
Thought I'd give this author one more try. But again, I found the story telling style to tedious and boring.
February 26, 2016
I had hope for this book, I thought it might be Dan Brown'ish. But it was underwhelming. The whole thing just felt super rushed. I count this as my book set in Europe for the Popsugar challenge
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews