The 17th Century is my favourite period of history and one I enjoyed studying as part of my history degree so I was keen to read this new literary thriller set in Restoration London.

The story begins in 1678, eighteen years after Charles 2nd has been restored as King (following Cromwell's Protectorate.) A body of a young boy drained of blood has been discovered and Robert Hooke (Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society) with his assistant Harry Hunt have been asked to investigate. They need to find out who and why he was murdered and whether it is linked to a Catholic plot, a foreign assassin or even part of a plot against the King.

This is such an atmospheric book. I could picture both the dark underworld of London and the rich affluent court of the King. The descriptions were fascinating and I enjoyed reading about all the new experimental science also taking place at the time.
The fact that a lot of the characters are based on actual historical figures and linked closely to historical events made it even more exciting. There is so much attention to detail. The author is clearly an expert on the history of the period and this comes out in abundance through the novel. The mix of fact and fiction was great!
I loved the character and determination of Harry to discover the truth at any cost. I felt very invested in his character and was willing him to uncover the truth before getting embroiled in any more dangerous situations. The increasingly complicated conspiracy and sinister activities by some of the villains in the story kept me turning the pages. As well as great characters the plot is exciting with an ending that I found hard to predict.
This is not the easiest read (and I did have to concentrate at times!) but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.