Thief. Informer. Double-dealer. Whoremonger. Drunkard. Gambler. Will Shadwell may not be the most moral of men, but to Henry Gresham - gentleman, scholar, courtier, spy - he is invaluable. For in the dark days of the reign of King James I a man must know his enemies to survive; Shadwell, by hook or more often by crook, is one of his best sources. Then Shadwell is brutally murdered and Gresham is summoned to London by the man he fears most: Robert Cecil, the King's Chief Secretary, and Machiavellian master of a sinister network of spies. Cecil wants Gresham to discover the truth about Sir Francis Bacon's private life, but when Gresham begins his investigations, he finds that he is the one who is being watched ...As Gresham continues to do Cecil's bidding with ever increasing trepidation, his enquiries into Shadwell's death uncover a plot so audacious it is scarcely believable: a catholic uprising, a violent insurrection, and a trail of gunpowder underneath the Houses of Parliament ...
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From the Back Cover:
Praise for Martin Stephen’s A Desperate Remedy
“Intrigue, highlife, and lowlife are brilliantly interwoven in a thriller that has a compelling vividness and pungency. The historical details are utterly convincing; one can see and smell Jacobean England and hear its inhabitants speaking. I do hope Sir Henry Gresham has a long life.” ---Lawrence James, author of Raj and The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
“Considerable effort has gone into the mucky detail of early seventeenth-century London, and the tale is moved on at high speed by Gresham’s well-timed revelations. Stephen has a good feel for the momentary decisions that can help to shape the course of history---as well, of course, as the cowardice, vainglory, and greed.” --- The Times [U.K.]
“A terrific book.” --- The Spectator [U.K.]
About the Author:
Martin Stephen is High Master of The Manchester Grammar School and author of 15 titles on English literature and military history. He is also an experienced broadcaster and journalist who writes regularly for all the broadsheets, the DAILY MAIL and the London EVENING STANDARD.
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- PublisherTime Warner Paperbacks
- Publication date2002
- ISBN 10 0316859702
- ISBN 13 9780316859707
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages384
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