Spycatcher: A Ned Savage Omnibus

Ned Savage #1-3

by Steven Veerapen

‘A twisting fast-paced plot.’ Jemahl Evans SUCCESSION 1603. The Virgin Queen is dying. She has yet to nominate an heir. The crown looks set to fall to James of Scotland. But it is far from inevitable. Gowrie, a sinister Scottish traitor, has arrived in England. On him is a document containing a shocking secret that will compromise King James. Languishing in prison, artful thief Ned Savage is freed by his patron, Sir Robert Cecil. His mission is to find the document before it can be made public. If he succeeds, his life will be spared. But he is not alone in seeking Gowrie. On his trail are a ruthless gang of conspirators. In a journey that will take him from London to Derbyshire and Scotland, Savage must foil the Red Cross Plot, protect King James’s darkest secret, and keep himself safe from execution. And he must do it all before the curtain falls on Elizabeth’s reign. CORONATION London. 1604. As a devastating outbreak of plague retreats, leaving thousands dead, the capital prepares to celebrate the coronation of England’s Scottish king. But all is not well. Freed from quarantine, thief and spy Ned Savage is called before the king’s secretary, Sir Robert Cecil. Tasked with investigating the kidnapping of a royal physician, Savage is led into a web of madness and conspiracy that will put him and his family in mortal danger. The great plague has not only ruined much of the city but given birth to a twisted cult calling themselves "The Enlightened". Led by the charismatic but unstable Nathaniel Hope, their aim is to provoke the end of days by finishing what the deadly infection started. In a race against time, Savage embarks on a journey that will take him from the heart of Whitehall to the brothels of Southwark, pitting him against sinister mystics, menacing cultists, and a reclusive earl. Before the Enlightened can destroy the new king, Savage must uncover their plans, unmask their leader, and save London from an explosive end to the coronation. ASSASSINATION Summer. 1606. England still reels from the narrow escape of the Gunpowder Plot and the queen’s brother, King Christian of Denmark, arrives for the first state visit seen in decades. Ned Savage is summoned by Robert Cecil and the bookish Francis Bacon. Intelligence has come in concerning the arrival of a female assassin, code-named Locusta. Savage soon discovers that the agent is in the employ of a secret society called the Brotherhood of Augustus. Their mission is one of terror and revenge. But who are they? And who is their target? Savage’s search takes him into the Tower of London to interrogate the last remaining member of the Gunpowder Plotters - and an old foe, Walter Raleigh. He is also on the trail of the disgraced Penelope Devereux, sister to the late earl of Essex. Steven Veerapen was born in Glasgow and raised in Paisley. Pursuing an interest in the sixteenth century, he was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English, focussing his dissertation on representations of Henry VIII’s six wives. He then received a Masters in Renaissance studies, and a Ph.D. investigating Elizabethan slander. Steven is fascinated by the glamour and ghastliness of life in the 1500s.

937 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2020

Reviews

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lifetime of Near Death💀💪🔪 Experiences

ADULT Historical Elizabethan👑 (1603 AD)🏰 Spy 👀🐺💪🔪🐎Adventure SET📚.
Wow! Spy ,Ned Savage💀💪🔪🐎 is a trouble magnet! He gets himself into more fights, robberies, and attempts on his life in this richly written set of historical novels📚 featuring Queen Elizabeth I👑, King James👑 and the Elizabethan Era.
It seems to be a time of extreme opulence 💰💰for the wealthy and utter filth, deprivation, and devastation for the poor. Not much inbetween. Temporary fidelity can be had for a few coins👛.
Spies 👀, backstabbing🔪, and snitching seem to be the order of the time period. Trust no one!

I got this ebook from Amazon 📚with KU.

There are some graphic scenes of violence and mentions of deviant behavior in a few places throughout the novels📚.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I REVIEWED EACH BOOK SEPARATELY. ENJOY THIS SERIES.

[Alan Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as good of historical fiction as I have ever found for the Elizabethan Era. His world is vibrant and engaging. His cast of characters is complex and intriguing, especially for Ned Savage himself. The villains disappointed me as a little more cliche than I would like, but the intricacies of Ned's life in this rich English world more than made up for it. Well worth reading!