Kirjahaku

In 1653 Cromwell sent Luke Tremayne and his deputy Harry Lloyd to Paris to negotiate secretly with the exiled King Charles II. After a serious mishap to Luke, Harry is forced to complete the mission alone. Luke is nevertheless gainfully employed by a wealthy French aristocrat the Marquis des Anges to investigate the murder of his first wife and the attempted murder of his second. Harry assists the English courtiers to solve the murder of two young ladies-in-waiting to the Queen Mother Henriette Marie, and together with a Royalist peer is falsely imprisoned and tortured. He escapes and after many life threatening adventures is rescued on the orders of France's chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin. Meanwhile Luke's investigations are complicated by a feisty abbess, hysterical nuns, a Canadian adventurer, a rampaging bear and a mysterious treasure of English Catholic gold and silver investigations that provoke a series of fatal bombings. Harry's determination to find and exact revenge on a renegade French aristocrat responsible for his torture leads him eventually to the French chateau where Luke is pursuing his villains."

The English government seeks to curtail Islamic attacks on its shipping in the Mediterranean and sends Luke Tremayne as ambassador to the Turkish Empire's western outpost of Benbali to negotiate a treaty and free English slaves. His mission is complicated by the corruption and dysfunctional nature of the local English community and the volatile nature of the Benbali government with competing factions and the imminent threat of a coup. Secondary aims to rescue an enslaved English aristocrat, find a stolen golden Madonna, and uncover an escaped war criminal threaten to undermine his mission. This is thrown into further confusion by several murders that Luke is determined to solve despite the death of a close associate and the diversions provided by three alluring women.

The English government seeks to curtail Islamic attacks on its shipping in the Mediterranean and sends Luke Tremayne as ambassador to the Turkish Empire's western outpost of Benbali to negotiate a treaty and free English slaves. His mission is complicated by the corruption and dysfunctional nature of the local English community and the volatile nature of the Benbali government with competing factions and the imminent threat of a coup. Secondary aims to rescue an enslaved English aristocrat, find a stolen golden Madonna, and uncover an escaped war criminal threaten to undermine his mission. This is thrown into further confusion by several murders that Luke is determined to solve despite the death of a close associate and the diversions provided by three alluring women.

In this twelfth Luke Tremayne adventure of political intrigue, fast action, and multiple murder mysteries, Cromwells most ruthless agent has to adjust to life-changing events. His leader, Englands ruler, Oliver Cromwell, is dead, and the army that kept England united and secure is disintegrating. Luke resigns from government service, marries a vivacious widow, takes up a vast estate in North Yorkshire, and is appointed as a magistrate for the area. On his arrival in Yorkshire, Luke immediately confronts a problem. The steward who was to hand over the manor to him disappears on the eve of his arrival, and in trying to solve this mystery, he becomes obsessed with two cold casesthe murder of a young girl and the destruction of a neighboring hamlet by fire. These issues are soon overshadowed by a series of murders and more disappearances in which Luke looks for a motive in the intense sectarian violence against Catholics, a possible vendetta against manorial officials, the general criminality and lawlessness of the region, and the flawed personalities of several leading figures. Lukes investigation is complicated by the divided nature of the community; a former royalist, now brigand, who controls a criminal network dominating the moors; the threat and eventuality of a royalist conspiracy and uprising; the existence of a pagan cult; and a popular and powerful witch. Luke has to face a bevy of powerful womensome of whom are determined to confront the violence against women and the abuse of children that pervades the dale. Unexpectedly, Luke receives a letter from the king in exile and, for a short period, is drawn back into high politics as rival generals compete for control of the country and royalists negotiate the reinstatement of monarchy.

In this twelfth Luke Tremayne adventure of political intrigue, fast action, and multiple murder mysteries, Cromwells most ruthless agent has to adjust to life-changing events. His leader, Englands ruler, Oliver Cromwell, is dead, and the army that kept England united and secure is disintegrating. Luke resigns from government service, marries a vivacious widow, takes up a vast estate in North Yorkshire, and is appointed as a magistrate for the area. On his arrival in Yorkshire, Luke immediately confronts a problem. The steward who was to hand over the manor to him disappears on the eve of his arrival, and in trying to solve this mystery, he becomes obsessed with two cold casesthe murder of a young girl and the destruction of a neighboring hamlet by fire. These issues are soon overshadowed by a series of murders and more disappearances in which Luke looks for a motive in the intense sectarian violence against Catholics, a possible vendetta against manorial officials, the general criminality and lawlessness of the region, and the flawed personalities of several leading figures. Lukes investigation is complicated by the divided nature of the community; a former royalist, now brigand, who controls a criminal network dominating the moors; the threat and eventuality of a royalist conspiracy and uprising; the existence of a pagan cult; and a popular and powerful witch. Luke has to face a bevy of powerful womensome of whom are determined to confront the violence against women and the abuse of children that pervades the dale. Unexpectedly, Luke receives a letter from the king in exile and, for a short period, is drawn back into high politics as rival generals compete for control of the country and royalists negotiate the reinstatement of monarchy.

In 1642 politicians secretly plotted to disband the army. Its commander Oliver Cromwell sends Luke to foil these plots and to find the murderers of three excise officers who stumbled across illegal ammunitions being stockpiled to use against the army. Luke uncovers a combination of corrupt politicians, powerful criminals, a bevy of would-be beautiful assassins, foreign agents, and an unhinged religious leader whose various interests endanger Luke's life and threaten the existence of the army.

Luke's first mission for the incoming King is to investigate the administration of an aging, autocratic peer who is also a purveyor of magic. This complex peer is being undermined by a son who engages in dubious land deals and who supports the activities of an outlawed Catholic priest. Luke is forced to confront a defrocked Anglican priest, several promiscuous women, and a series of murders whose motives may lie in the turbulent presence or the distant past.

Cromwell, one of Parliament's leading generals sends a cavalry officer, Luke Tremayne, to Ireland to investigate the murder of a fellow officer and to find missing silver that Spain had sent to assist the Royalist and Irish rebel cause. His mission is complicated by the actions of these opponents. A coterie of influential women, treacherous comrades, a loveable witch, maladjusted siblings, murderous charcoal burners and devious priests