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Tom Walsingham Mysteries #2
A Treasonous Path: Murder and double-dealings in Elizabethan England
Another thrilling foray into the intrigues of Tudor Europe! For fans of Rory Clements, S J Parris, S W Perry and Andrew Taylor.
When one deadly plot is foiled, another begins…
England, 1583
Tom Walsingham is back in London, being groomed for intelligence work by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.
An anonymous informer has started sending letters from the French ambassador’s residence, claiming to have bribed the man’s secretary to pass on information.
The informer has discovered messages between the French and Mary, Queen of Scots, which could harm the English Queen Elizabeth.
When someone who works for the French Ambassador is killed in suspicious circumstances, Sir Francis sends Tom to investigate the matter – and to uncover the identity of the informer.
Tom must find a way into the French Ambassador’s good graces and make friends within his retinue without giving himself away.
And as the news from Scotland grow more and more alarming, it becomes imperative that Tom unveils the identity of the secret informer and exposes the intrigues at play.
Can Tom unravel the mystery and protect the Queen? Will he unmask the killer?
Or could he find himself the target of a deadly plot…?
A TREASONOUS PATH is a page-turning espionage adventure thriller set during the Elizabethan era in Tudor England. It is the second book in The Tom Walsingham Mysteries series.
When one deadly plot is foiled, another begins…
England, 1583
Tom Walsingham is back in London, being groomed for intelligence work by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.
An anonymous informer has started sending letters from the French ambassador’s residence, claiming to have bribed the man’s secretary to pass on information.
The informer has discovered messages between the French and Mary, Queen of Scots, which could harm the English Queen Elizabeth.
When someone who works for the French Ambassador is killed in suspicious circumstances, Sir Francis sends Tom to investigate the matter – and to uncover the identity of the informer.
Tom must find a way into the French Ambassador’s good graces and make friends within his retinue without giving himself away.
And as the news from Scotland grow more and more alarming, it becomes imperative that Tom unveils the identity of the secret informer and exposes the intrigues at play.
Can Tom unravel the mystery and protect the Queen? Will he unmask the killer?
Or could he find himself the target of a deadly plot…?
A TREASONOUS PATH is a page-turning espionage adventure thriller set during the Elizabethan era in Tudor England. It is the second book in The Tom Walsingham Mysteries series.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2022
About the author
C.P. Giuliani
6 books11 followersC. P. has been called an Anglomaniac, an editor, a playwright, a translator, a blogger, and several kinds of writer – and never denied any of it. She lives in the whereabouts of Mantua, Italy (incidentally the place where Shakespeare’s Romeo gets the poison) in the company of her very patient mother, two unhinged cats and a large garden.
She began by studying the Classics and International Relations – and then swerved to the timber trade first, and later the pen and the stage. A passion for history and stories has led her to write historical fiction both in Italian and English.
A serious theatre-geek, she also writes, directs, teaches playwriting, does backstage work, and very occasionally understudies with Mantua’s historic Compagnia Campogalliani.
C.P. writes The Tom Walsingham Mysteries, murder mysteries with a dash of espionage, set in Elizabethan times, between England and France.
She began by studying the Classics and International Relations – and then swerved to the timber trade first, and later the pen and the stage. A passion for history and stories has led her to write historical fiction both in Italian and English.
A serious theatre-geek, she also writes, directs, teaches playwriting, does backstage work, and very occasionally understudies with Mantua’s historic Compagnia Campogalliani.
C.P. writes The Tom Walsingham Mysteries, murder mysteries with a dash of espionage, set in Elizabethan times, between England and France.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 7, 2022
There's a continuum of historical mysteries that ranges from probably-should-just-categorize-this-as-fantasy to so-carefully-researched-that-it-reads-like-nonfiction. C.P. Giuliana's A Treasonous Path leans toward the second of those two, but never loses the kind of engagement fiction can elicit. For me, that's a sweet spot on the continuum.
In the afterword, Guiliani takes the time to discuss which characters are and aren't based on historical figures and where he has and hasn't played with the historical narrative as it's currently understood. This is Guiliani's second Tom Walsingham novel, and the central character is becoming more astute and experienced. Giuliani allows us many glimpses into Tom's thought process as he tries to work through the puzzle presented in A Treasonous Path, which is a complex one.
Young Tom Walsingham—a historical figure, but one whom little is known about—works for his second cousin, Francis Walsingham, a much better-known historical figure who created and ran an international espionage service for Elizabeth I. Mary Queen of Scots is being held in England. Her son, James, is a child king struggling to break free of the powerful man attempting to control James' actions. English is Protestant and deeply concerned about incursions and treasons from Catholic France and Spain. France and Spain are colluding with and also spying on one another. Scots who travel into England are unknown entities: do the embrace Protestantism like King James or are they secret Catholics hoping to give his mother the throne of England—or at least to return her to the throne of Scotland.
The novel opens with two very different murders (later followed by a third) that may or may not be related. An anonymous informant in the French embassy is offering information to Francis Walsingham, but is this offer genuine or a double cross? And who is this informant? The French Ambassador' Secretary? His Scribe? His Catholic chaplain? His widowed cousin-in-law? Someone trying to stop smugglers of Catholic texts or one of those smugglers who has decided he'd like to profit by betraying those working with him? The Scotsman who's become friendly with the Ambassador?
Solving this puzzle leads Tom down many paths, none of them certain and all of the dangerous. The author doesn't play coyly, letting Tom know things the reader doesn't. Instead, he allows readers a window into Tom's calculations—and even with this window, the puzzle remains knotted until the book's end.
If you like historical mysteries that provide an adventurous read and also some examination of historical and religious minutiae, you'll be delighted by the Tom Walsingham series and its second volume.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Net Galley; the opinions are my own.
In the afterword, Guiliani takes the time to discuss which characters are and aren't based on historical figures and where he has and hasn't played with the historical narrative as it's currently understood. This is Guiliani's second Tom Walsingham novel, and the central character is becoming more astute and experienced. Giuliani allows us many glimpses into Tom's thought process as he tries to work through the puzzle presented in A Treasonous Path, which is a complex one.
Young Tom Walsingham—a historical figure, but one whom little is known about—works for his second cousin, Francis Walsingham, a much better-known historical figure who created and ran an international espionage service for Elizabeth I. Mary Queen of Scots is being held in England. Her son, James, is a child king struggling to break free of the powerful man attempting to control James' actions. English is Protestant and deeply concerned about incursions and treasons from Catholic France and Spain. France and Spain are colluding with and also spying on one another. Scots who travel into England are unknown entities: do the embrace Protestantism like King James or are they secret Catholics hoping to give his mother the throne of England—or at least to return her to the throne of Scotland.
The novel opens with two very different murders (later followed by a third) that may or may not be related. An anonymous informant in the French embassy is offering information to Francis Walsingham, but is this offer genuine or a double cross? And who is this informant? The French Ambassador' Secretary? His Scribe? His Catholic chaplain? His widowed cousin-in-law? Someone trying to stop smugglers of Catholic texts or one of those smugglers who has decided he'd like to profit by betraying those working with him? The Scotsman who's become friendly with the Ambassador?
Solving this puzzle leads Tom down many paths, none of them certain and all of the dangerous. The author doesn't play coyly, letting Tom know things the reader doesn't. Instead, he allows readers a window into Tom's calculations—and even with this window, the puzzle remains knotted until the book's end.
If you like historical mysteries that provide an adventurous read and also some examination of historical and religious minutiae, you'll be delighted by the Tom Walsingham series and its second volume.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Net Galley; the opinions are my own.
November 4, 2022
1583 London. Anonymous letters, possible treason and then a death. Can Tom Walsingham solve the mysteries as instructed by his spymaster cousin, Sir Francis.
An entertaining historical mystery.
An entertaining historical mystery.
November 5, 2022
1583. A Treasonous Path is the second book to feature Tom Walsingham, cousin to Sir Francis Walsingham, who is Queen Elizabeth’s most able spymaster.
Tom is now 21, and returns from France, where he has spent the intervening two years honing his skills in deciphering codes and riddles/ cyphers, that relate to plots involving the Scottish Queen, Mary Stuart, now imprisoned in this country for the last few years. He has also improved his linguistic skills, and due to his work of delivering confidential dispatches between France and England, has gained a better understanding of the intelligence operations carried out by Sir Francis in order to protect his Queen.
Nick Skeres also makes a reappearance as Tom’s trustworthy servant and a handy pair of fists, there will be many fights with swords and fisticuffs, the body count mounts and poison is used, possibly by a female spy.
Also introduced is Giordano Bruno, a really interesting historical character, a defrocked priest, who has fled to England, due to being persecuted for his heretical beliefs on science and religion, perhaps he is also spying for the cause of the Catholic Queen?
The research is again excellent and the pages of historical notes are so informative.
This is one of my favourite periods of history, and Mary, Queen of Scots is a particular obsession . Knowing this era and the many characters that inhabit this time, I was able to become throughly engrossed in the theories about spies and their loyalties, both real and perceived, and how treacherous these times were. The fact that one particular spy has still not been identified some 500 years later, is an added intrigue to this novel, could we keep secrets as well in these uncertain times?
I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Sapere books for my advance digital copy, given in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Five star rating.
Tom is now 21, and returns from France, where he has spent the intervening two years honing his skills in deciphering codes and riddles/ cyphers, that relate to plots involving the Scottish Queen, Mary Stuart, now imprisoned in this country for the last few years. He has also improved his linguistic skills, and due to his work of delivering confidential dispatches between France and England, has gained a better understanding of the intelligence operations carried out by Sir Francis in order to protect his Queen.
Nick Skeres also makes a reappearance as Tom’s trustworthy servant and a handy pair of fists, there will be many fights with swords and fisticuffs, the body count mounts and poison is used, possibly by a female spy.
Also introduced is Giordano Bruno, a really interesting historical character, a defrocked priest, who has fled to England, due to being persecuted for his heretical beliefs on science and religion, perhaps he is also spying for the cause of the Catholic Queen?
The research is again excellent and the pages of historical notes are so informative.
This is one of my favourite periods of history, and Mary, Queen of Scots is a particular obsession . Knowing this era and the many characters that inhabit this time, I was able to become throughly engrossed in the theories about spies and their loyalties, both real and perceived, and how treacherous these times were. The fact that one particular spy has still not been identified some 500 years later, is an added intrigue to this novel, could we keep secrets as well in these uncertain times?
I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Sapere books for my advance digital copy, given in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Five star rating.
March 23, 2024
Tom Walsingham is back for his second adventure working for his illustrious cousin, Sir Francis Walsingham, chief minister to Queen Elizabeth I.
Something is afoot at the French embassy in London. Sir Francis already has a man in place there but his information seems to have dried up and he’s convinced an attempt has been made on his life. Meanwhile an anonymous informant has offered information by letter left in the hat of a celebrated fencing master who occasionally is invited to the embassy, another man of Walsingham’s of course. But should the minister trust what this anonymous source says. He writes in very bad French but is that part of a disguise to make his identity less obvious. Walsingham needs accurate intelligence about the goings on at the embassy as there are powerful forces in the land all to ready to swap a Protestant queen for a Catholic one in the form of Mary, Queen of Scots. To thincken the plot further there are rumours that a smuggling ring is also based at the French embassy. The contraband is Catholic texts. Walsingham needs a man of the ground, sifting the information, the personalities and the ambience. Who better than cousin Tom? Now two years older, Tom has made many more trips to Paris, although none so eventful as the one detailed in the first novel of the series, The Road To Murder. Tom has also been schooled and tested by Walsingham in the dark arts of intelligencing. He is ready and off he goes to the embassy where he can take nothing and no one at face value.
I enjoyed this outing more than the first. There was a lot less complaining from all the characters and that meant I warmed to them more. The regular classical allusions have gone and I didn’t miss them. Giordano Bruno crops up as a character in this book. He is the main character in his own right in a series of books by S.J. Parris that I would recommend to anyone enjoying this series.
Something is afoot at the French embassy in London. Sir Francis already has a man in place there but his information seems to have dried up and he’s convinced an attempt has been made on his life. Meanwhile an anonymous informant has offered information by letter left in the hat of a celebrated fencing master who occasionally is invited to the embassy, another man of Walsingham’s of course. But should the minister trust what this anonymous source says. He writes in very bad French but is that part of a disguise to make his identity less obvious. Walsingham needs accurate intelligence about the goings on at the embassy as there are powerful forces in the land all to ready to swap a Protestant queen for a Catholic one in the form of Mary, Queen of Scots. To thincken the plot further there are rumours that a smuggling ring is also based at the French embassy. The contraband is Catholic texts. Walsingham needs a man of the ground, sifting the information, the personalities and the ambience. Who better than cousin Tom? Now two years older, Tom has made many more trips to Paris, although none so eventful as the one detailed in the first novel of the series, The Road To Murder. Tom has also been schooled and tested by Walsingham in the dark arts of intelligencing. He is ready and off he goes to the embassy where he can take nothing and no one at face value.
I enjoyed this outing more than the first. There was a lot less complaining from all the characters and that meant I warmed to them more. The regular classical allusions have gone and I didn’t miss them. Giordano Bruno crops up as a character in this book. He is the main character in his own right in a series of books by S.J. Parris that I would recommend to anyone enjoying this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
Thomas Walsingham is charged with investigating the author of letters sent from the French Ambassador's residence in London. Given the state of relations between the two countries and the interference of various Scottish ex-pats, this is not an easy task but Tom is keen to impress his cousin, the Master Secretary himself.
This is a much better novel than the first in the series and the author shows real promise in a very packed field. The character of Tom Walsingham is developing nicely, there is sensitivity to the fact that he is young and naive to an extent and very aware of his reduced social status. The plot is very twisty and all the more impressive that it is based on the true story of an unknown letter-writer.
This is a much better novel than the first in the series and the author shows real promise in a very packed field. The character of Tom Walsingham is developing nicely, there is sensitivity to the fact that he is young and naive to an extent and very aware of his reduced social status. The plot is very twisty and all the more impressive that it is based on the true story of an unknown letter-writer.
January 8, 2023
I chose this book because I thought it would be interesting as well as entertaining to read about this period of conflict during the strives between Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scotts.
Although the book is certainly well written and I got the impression the author has documented her stories quite well I just couldn't get into the story. Too much different characters and not enough depth to the characters to really understand what the story is about. Not enough suspense to keep me engaged.
2,5 stars, which I will round up because the author certainly seems to be well documented on the subject
I got an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
Although the book is certainly well written and I got the impression the author has documented her stories quite well I just couldn't get into the story. Too much different characters and not enough depth to the characters to really understand what the story is about. Not enough suspense to keep me engaged.
2,5 stars, which I will round up because the author certainly seems to be well documented on the subject
I got an ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
April 16, 2023
I love to read anything about Elizabethan England and The Tom Walsingham Mysteries are no exception. I loved the first book in the series, The Road to Murder and I also love this one. Tom Walsingham is the cousin to Queen Elizabeth's spymaster, Francis Walsingham. Tom helps out, taking on more responsibilities, and encountering danger at every turn. I can't wait to read the next installment of the series.
December 3, 2022
An entertaining historical mystery. The plot has lots of twists and turns and all the more impressive for being based on a true story. The research is excellent and gives a real feel for the times. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 5, 2022
I found this book intriguing and entertaining. A different take on the rivalry between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart.
Liked the characters and the solid mystery
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Liked the characters and the solid mystery
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
May 18, 2024
I gave up.... muddled plot. And of course the usual fixture in all Tudortime novels - shooting through London Bridge in a wherry
July 8, 2024
Yes good enjoyed this got book 3 in the series for later
March 9, 2026
Author tries to make the plot way too complicated that it’s annoying. In a mystery plot twists are great but as in the first book one can’t keep track.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews