The Cromwell Enigma: A Tudor Mystery

by Derek Wilson

July 1540. The courts of Europe are stunned to hear that Henry VIII has executed his all-powerful minister, Thomas Cromwell.

Poet and classicist Nicholas Bourbon is sent from the cultured court of Queen Marguerite of Navarre to investigate. Thrust into a turbulent world of religious, political and personal rivalries, his travels take him far and wide. He endures perils at sea, incarceration in a monastic prison and poisonous intrigue in the Tudor court. Yet this retiring scholar cannot abandon a quest which steadily becomes an obsession, drawing him ever deeper into the beliefs and motivations of his mysterious quarry.

Only after facing many hazards does he discover the astonishing secret that unlocks the Cromwell enigma.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2020

About the author

Derek Wilson has been a writer of historical fiction and non-fiction for 50 years. His much acclaimed prize-winning works have largely centred on 16th and 17th century Europe. He has used various pen names for his fiction, his current Thomas Treviot Tudor crime series being written under the name D.K. Wilson. The first 2 books in this series - The First Horseman and The Traitor's Mark are based on real unsolved Tudor mysteries and have received enthusiastic plaudits. Readers have favourably compared this innovative series with the books of C.J. Sansom and S.J. Parris.
Recent non-fiction triumphs include The Plantagenets, Holbein: Portrait of an Unknown Man, and Charlemagne: a Biography.
Derek Wilson graduated from Cambridge and spent several years travelling and teaching in Africa before becoming a full-time writer and broadcaster in 1971. He has frequently written and appeared on radio and television and is popular as a public speaker having appeared at several literary festivals,British Museum, Hampton Court Palace, The British Library and other prestigious venues.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marguerite, Queen of Navarre hears with great disquiet of the imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell in the Tower of London. She dispatches trusted poet Nicholas Bourbon to England to find out how Henry VIII’s chief advisor has been brought down. By the time Bourbon’s journey is underway, Cromwell is dead, his reputation in tatters and Bishop Stephen Gardiner represents danger to all his supporters. Bourbon realises that whilst Cromwell may be dead his reputation still looms large and he sets out to try to solve the enigma that is Cromwell. His quest takes him from England to Antwerp, Florence and back to England again.

This is a well written blend of fact and fiction that melds together seamlessly. Bourbon is a really good choice of narrator as he travels the length and breadth of Europe seeking ‘the truth’ as he tries to get a sense of the man. The religious schism of Europe is well depicted as are the dangers therein as Bourbon finds to his cost in London and Florence. There are some colourful and rich descriptions that transport you to the places he visits, asking questions of people that knew him to determine his qualities. The book depicts extremely well the riddle that is Thomas Cromwell and how a man of such low birth could achieve such high office. I especially enjoy Bourbons desire to see if Cromwell is a follower of Machiavelli and if this influences how he serves his master Henry. I think the clearest vision we get of Cromwell in the book is in Florence as a young man and after that he becomes more and more enigmatic. I find the search to pin down his religious view especially fascinating and the discussions with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer are very revealing. I like how the quest takes Bourbon back to Putney where Cromwell’s life education begins and the possible source of all that follows.

Overall, yes, Crowell still remains an enigma but this is a really interesting take on one of the most fascinating characters in English history. Self taught, wise, immensely clever, he understands the lives of the humble as those are his origins, the architect of much of the religious change after the Break with Rome. This is a well researched, colourful and easy to read novel which I enjoyed very much.

With thanks to NetGalley and SPCK.

[Geoff Boxell · Rating 5 out of 5]

At school one of my GCE examination subjects was history. We only has two topics that we looked at in detail: one of these was Tudor history. Of all the fascinating people I can across two really stuck out. One was Sir Francis Walsingham; Elizabeth I’s Spy Master. The other was Thomas Cromwell; Henry VIII’s Chief Minister for many years (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...). The fact that Cromwell came from Putney, just a few miles from where I was born and lived, added to the interest.
In recent years the Tudor period has become a popular source for historical fiction, both written and visual. Despite a plethora of books about Henry VIII, Cromwell gets little attention and, when he does, it is almost always in a negative way. This is sad as, if you actually study the period, you will find him to be a hard working dedicated man who was the prime driver of the Protestant Reformation in England; a man who managed to survive Henry VIII’s roller coaster religious ride and, almost against Henry’s intentions, change the course of England’s religious beliefs.
Hilary Martle has given us a trilogy on Thomas Cromwell. Written in the first person it is done in a unique style (which some love and some dislike). “The Cromwell Enigma” is written from the perspective of Nicholas Bourbon, a French poet connected to the Court of the Kingdom of Navarre where reformist religion is the norm. This novel is also written in a unique style in that it includes many quotes from contemporary writings that help the reader to understand the turbulent political and religious times that Cromwell functioned in.
Thomas Cromwell’s early history is little known and much of what we think we know is speculation and/or propaganda put out by his enemies. His later career, from his time as Cardinal Wolsey’s assistant onwards, is better known, though the reasons behind many of his actions, as well as his true personality, are hard to grasp: Thomas Cromwell is indeed an “enigma”.
Derek Wilson has written a very readable book, with Bourbon working across Europe trying to discover just what really made Thomas Cromwell tick. The book is rich in historical detail and is one which helps the reader to understand the confusion of the times and, indeed, the risks that those who did not conform ran. One thing that made me smile and nod my head, was his recognition of the Lollards, and the fact that, despite 200 years of persecution, this proto-Protestant sect were still around and, in fact, made the change from Popery to Protestantism less of a trauma in many parts of England.
I highly recommend this book both as entertainment and education for those who want to read about this complex, fascinating and clever man, Thomas Cromwell, who went from Putney brewer’s son to being the 1st Earl of Essex before losing his head: an act for which King Henry VIII later acknowledged his regret.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis pretty much covers it story-wise.

This reminded me of what I refer to as "in the footsteps of" - wherein an author attempts to walk in the footsteps of their chosen subject to discover more about them and takes the reader along their journey. Usually this type of book is non-fiction, but I find that it works just as well in a fictional format - as it does in this instance.

Utilising the real-life character of Nicholas Bourbon, the reader is taken on a quest to discover the missing years of Cromwell in order to understand the man he became at the time of his execution (no spoilers here - just the facts). Loved the use of other real historical characters to give some authenticity to the plot.

Whilst no exactly nail biting, white knuckle drama, there is action aplenty to keep the reader entertained as we draw ever closer to Cromwell's secret. As Nicholas is given to say: " ... like a squirrel worrying a nut, I was possessed by the need to find a kernel of truth written within the shell of conflicting information .."

Definitely one for historical fiction and Tudor fiction readers.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an unusual book, in that the whole story seemed to have no point at all. Nicholas Bourbon, poet and tutor to the daughter of the Queen of Navarre, is sent to England by his patroness to find out about the death of Thomas Cromwell, and old acquaintance. This he accomplishes within a day or so, but instead of returning home, he suddenly takes it into his head to find out more about Thomas Cromwell's background and early history.

After being well acquainted with the man in his lifetime, Bourbon suddenly finds it absolutely imperative to discover how a poor man from Putney rose to the highest post in England after the man had died. One would have thought that he might have asked Cromwell himself while he was alive, but apparently it did not occur to him to wonder this until after the great man's demise. Bourbon then develops the notion that Cromwell had a secret that he had kept hidden throughout his life and this is what had driven his ambition. What foundation this thought had is extremely sketchily presented, but this thought spurs Bourdan on, with the Inquisition at his heels and at the peril of his own life and liberty.

It is this that made the reading of this book so difficult for me. I continued to the end, but I could see no real point in doing so because the result did not seem worth the effort. I had no interest in what Thomas Cromwell's secret was, nor how he rose to the dizzy heights he did. On the contrary, Nicholas Bourbon's singular obsession with finding out these things seemed to me particularly distasteful since, by his own admission, Cromwell was a man he liked, admired and respected. 'Then respect his privacy and let his secrets alone' I mentally screamed at him as he risked his own safety time and time again in this pointless quest. He even questions his own actions when, again and again he avoids taking the sensible path and turning his steps homeward, to go haring off in pursuit of another line of enquiry.

I read about one third of the book before I began to ask myself whether this surely was not all that this story was about, but unfortunately it was. One man's purposeless (and extremely dangerous) quest to pry into the background and unearth the secrets of another, for no earthly reason. As aforementioned, by the time it was unearthed I had no interest in the secret at all, and what a dull, uninteresting secret it turned out to be. No reason at all to spur a man on to achieve great things. As many around him attested, the man was naturally ambitious and Putney would have always been too small to contain him. Cromwell's path was set towards embracing his future even before the incident of the secret so from what I could see, Bourbon's pains in rooting it all out were wasted.

The book was extremely well written and everything about it was true to the period - no anachronisms here, thank goodness. One could immerse oneself in 14th Century Europe with ease, and the sights, sounds and smells of the various loci were evoked superbly in text. However, the anecdotal inserts were a bit superfluous in my opinion although, as the author mentioned, they are placed so one can easily skip them if not interested. They would have been more relevant had this been a non-fiction book, or a study text book, but had no real place in a fiction novel. I read a few of them but found it a bit difficult to find the context with the passage they were associated with, but perhaps I am not scholar enough for that.

I can only recommend this book to readers who have no objection to reading about an absolutely pointless quest, because that is what this book ultimately is. And it is not just me saying so -Nicholas Bourbon himself appeared to think so (although he did not let that stop him!)

I received a free copy of this book from the Publishers via Netgalley in return for a fair, unbiased review.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Tudor mystery sees Nicholas Bourbon travel to England upon hearing of the fall and imprisonment of Thomas Cromwell. To Bourbon, Cromwell was something of an acquaintance, legend and as the title hints an enigma. Once he learns that Cromwell has in fact died a traitor he can't help but try and uncover the mystery surrounding the man and his younger years.
This book follows the story of something I'm sure many of us would love to do, get to know Cromwell, what motivated him? Was it power? Religion? Or something else entirely?
Although Cromwell is dead his reputation is very much alive and not everyone wishes this to be so. His enquiries into Cromwell put Bourbon at risk not only of the wrath of Stephen Gardiner and Henry VIII but also put his life at risk as he travels from England to Antwerp to uncover Cromwell's secrets.
Wilson seamlessly blends fact and fiction to create an engaging read delving in to Cromwells early life which is something I am very interested in. The dangers of religion in the era are depicted very well as are the vivid descriptives of London, Florence and Antwerp.
I liked this portrayal of Cromwell and it gives a sense of what may have made him the man he became from a common birth in Putney to one of the richest and most powerful men in the country.
I particularly enjoyed the excerpts from documents which are presented throughout but are placed in boxes so as not to take away from the story. For those interested in original sources these excerpts were a bonus to have included.
There is also a note at the end where Wilson discusses those individuals who are not fiction. This addition made interesting reading regarding who they actually were and what happened to them.
I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Tudor era and of course those who would like to learn about Cromwell.
Thank you to NetGalley and SPCK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of a poet named Nicholas Bourbon who is sent from the court of Queen Marguerite of Navarre to uncover details of the beheading of Thomas Cromwell, formerly an intimate and powerful adviser to King Henry the VIII.

Bourbon must endure sea travel which makes him violently sick, kidnapping by the nefarious "black friars" also known as the Dominican order of monks, meetings with nobles and merchants in England and the Netherlands, sojourns with Englishmen and women who may have information about Thom Crom as he is known to some of his intimates.

Interesting story, liberally sprinkled with lots of historical details and people. One of the things that drew me to this book in the first place. It is a soft mystery low on violence (if you don't count the several references to mass beheadings and burning at the stake incidents). I also liked the scholarly way the author researched and referenced his information at the end of the book.

If you are interested in Elizabethan times and people, I would recommend this book.

[Michael Ann Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard for me to read because of French and English names and places, I think. It was interesting to learn how hard it was for people to speak freely and how uncertain their lives could be at that time in history. I was hoping to learn more about Cromwell but I guess there really is not much to learn.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting imagination on the origins of Thomas Cromwell and Tudor England post reformation but 'mystery' is a bit of a reach.

[Anne Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1540 Nicolas Bourbon is sent as Queen Marguerite of Navarre’s secret envoy to find out what has happened to cause Thomas Cromwell’s fall from grace, and what the ripple effects of his execution might be.

At first he feels somewhat ambivalent about his task, but he soon finds himself facing powerful opponents of Cromwell and all he stood for, who are keen to portray him as a dangerous man seeking only to fulfil his own ambitions.

When he is called on to tell others what kind of man Cromwell really was, Nicholas finds he cannot say. There are too many different versions, and very little information about Cromwell’s life before his meteoric rise. Before long he finds himself on a journey to find out who Cromwell really was – and to determine the significance of the broken crucifix found in Cromwell’s possessions, with the note ‘remember always’.

This is a very well written novel and a gripping read, blending fact and fiction seamlessly and believably as it weaves the fictional characters and actions around actual events and people. The historical detail is helped by extracts from letters and documents of the time and would thrill the soul of serious historians. Some authors of novels based around real people or events have a tendency to drown the story in the historical detail, but Wilson skilfully avoids this. Despite occasionally withdrawing from the novel for a little investigation of the facts vs the fiction (helped by the useful ‘Notes on historical characters’ section at the back of the book), I found this book a real page-turner, being both complex and accessible at the same time. It’s a fascinating insight into the political and religious turmoil of the period after Cromwell’s death.

At the end of the book, Nicholas says ‘If we make no search for truth we abide in windowless mansions, content with what lies within, satisfied with the mental chattels we gather for our amusement. Life is a quest or it is nothing.’ An interesting point on which to close this review.


For transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.