‘The Wrecking Storm’ by Michael Ward is the second book in the Thomas Tallant series which follows the adventures of a London spice merchant’s son in Pre-Civil war England. The first book is ‘Rags of Time’. It is possible to read this book as a standalone although if you read the first you get the back story and everything that goes on politically and personally for the characters.
The story begins in 1641 on the River Thames and two Jesuit Priests are murdered, one of them was known to have been in hiding close to the Tallant warehouse on the banks of the River Thames. Thomas Tallant’s friends, Member of Parliament Sir Barty Hopkins and Robert Petty of the Merchant Adventurers, request Thomas’s help in catching the killer, but before investigations have even got off the ground Thomas discovers that his own family is the next target. Thomas and Elizabeth Seymour together set out to find who is responsible before the family business is ruined or one of the Tallants is killed.
A historical fiction novel that is packed with true historical facts and again Michael Ward has seamlessly interwoven them into this interesting and fast-paced story. I am very much so a history geek and revel in learning new things from our varied and colourful past. This is a series that I am learning from so it fulfils my love of history while also bring mystery and intrigue at the same time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery within the plot and Michael Ward succeeded in truly surprised me when the culprit for the attacks was eventually revealed. Elizabeth with her puzzle-solving skills and intelligence turns out to be the better detective than Thomas and without her, I don’t think the mystery would have been solved any time soon. They do make for a great duo together and I felt a part of the team it was that enthralling a read.
A book about a past that I am not so familiar with and a great mystery to solve as well just made us want this journey with Thomas and Elizabeth to carry on. I turned the last page and wished at hadn’t!
Thanks to Anne Cater and Michael Ward for my place on the tour and the gifted copy of the book.
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 