I enjoyed the main story of this book but the religious part of it was a bit long winded for me. I don’t usually read religions thrillers. The other parts of the story were enjoyable but I found the scroll reading a bitlong and began to lose interest. I was more interested in Eric’s and Hannah’s stories.
I would read this author again but not a religious genre one.

Struggled to finish this book purely on plot- the writing is great but I personally find a religious thriller to be hit or miss so its personal preference. Would read something else by author however, if in different genre.

As for the story honestly I wasnt a fan of this one. There were a few different stories going on and while they were related to each other is was not an exciting link in my opinion. We have the normal mistreatment of children in a religious orphanage, if you will, and an old uninteresting tale of religion. I honestly could have quit in the middle and not thought twice.
As for the writing that was good. It flowed between the story lines well and this probably just wasnt the book for me.

The Traitor's Child by Mark Townsend is my first experience with this author, but it is unlikely to be my last. He cleverly twines three different stories set in three different locations and time periods to craft a clever historical mystery that dates back to the foundation of the Catholic Church.
The book opens with seedy scene in a brothel in 1980's Amsterdam, the city that is the setting for much of the book. We are then introduced to Eric van Kroot, a native of the city who has returned to patch up his relationship with his brother, after a terrible falling out years before. The second thread of the story follows Eric's ancestor, a Jew who was forced to leave his home or convert at the time of the fall of Granada, while the third is that of a young girl in a Welsh orphanage run by some very cruel catholic nuns, Over the course of the book we learn how history shaped the lives and destinies of these characters, and how they are connected, largely while following Eric on a series of Indiana Jones like adventures as he uses his ancestor's diary to uncover a precious religious relic. The mystery is an engaging one, even if the ending does not come as a huge surprise, and as long as you are willing to suspend your disbelief and go where the story takes you, you are in for an entertaining time.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a novel with 3 separate stories that after a while intertwine:
- a Jewish man around the time of the fall of Granada;
- an Irish girl in a orphanage run by nuns
- a Dutch guy looking for his daughter in the 1980ties.

It is obvious the writer does not like the church and does a kind of "Dan Brown". It grated as I am raised in a religious family and this felt as Christians bashing and I was wondering if he would have dared it with for instance Muslims. Do not get me wrong: it is fiction. But I would have liked it more if the people had been more diverse. I do agree that the Christian Church tenets from Saint Paul seem a bit different from Jesus his teachings. And exactly by being less sledge hammer this book good have been so much better. And as far as I know in the Bible Maria Magdalena is the sister of Martha and Lazarus and not of Judas.. (The writer is supposed to be a former vicar?)

I am Dutch: What was supposed to be Dutch (the junk) was gibberish. Another thing was that the Jewish man flees to Amsterdam. And yes in the 16th century many refugees came to Amsterdam because it was a safe heaven against religious persecution. But I think that wave of refugees was 40 years after the time the book is set..

The fact that a house in Spain is preserved for 5 centuries was also a bit much.

I was really surprised by this book. It’s not the usual book I’d read but the story intrigued me and I’m happy I’ve decided to read it. The plot is strong and the characters very well developed and compelling. We can notice that the author has made a lot of research, to put together a very good mystery historical fiction. I’d definitely recommend this book.

Wow I read this in less than 24 hours! It's a quick read anyway but you do want to know what is going to happen, so hence couldn't put it down! I loved how at the beginning you are drip fed different parts of the story from different characters, which eventually all tie up. My only slight criticism is that I would have liked a little more detail, some parts are skimmed over (for example when Eric and Penelope go to the ancestors house). I would have liked to read more about the dangers they faced there. But aside from that, it's a great beach/lockdown read and would make a great BBC/Netflix serialisation.

Once you pick up this book you will not be able to put it down. The book starts with curious and innocent questions of a child who is not willing to believe that the followers of a God who is so kind and forgiving can be so cruel and so unlike the God himself. The child gets into trouble for asking questions. Very early in life she witnesses the hardships and hypocrisy of a world which seems so pious from outside. In other part of the world is a man digging the past of his family, completely unaware of the fact that he has a daughter who turns up dead when he finally finds her.

Future holds not only unearthing of several secrets related to lineage of the family but also something which threatens the basic foundation of entire christianity. It raises several questions on how Christianity has established its foundations on lies all over the world and to what extent it will go to protect their territory.

You will want to read the book in one sitting. Language of the book is easy and appealing to senses. Innocence in questions of a child, grief in voice of a father, anger, surprise and fear; all emotions combines in this masterpiece of a book.

Thank you NetGalley and John Hunt Publishing for the eARC.
This is a very interesting read and a lot of it takes place in Amsterdam, which I loved, having spent time there. It's set in several time lines and countries, with the main characters Eric and the daughter, Hannah, he's desperate to find. An ancient scroll is also being sought by Eric, a scroll the Catholic Church is desperate to keep secret.
It's a good mystery, thought provoking and obviously well researched. I loved Mark Townsend's final remarks and explanations, fascinating...
Definitely recommended.

The Traitor's Child is a powerful read, full of secrets and intrigue, that grips you from the first page and keeps you turning the pages as the plot unfolds. One you cannot help but keep reading.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the cover, but as soon as I read the blurb, I was hooked. I stayed up very, very late reading, and finished the book in one sitting.

The book mainly follows the story of two different people, Eric, a Dutch man in Amsterdam in 1981, and Hannah, a young girl in a Welsh orphanage in 1970. Eric has recently returned from 20 years in Mexico to see his estranged brother about a recently discovered family secret that could ruin not only their lives, but the very standing of the Church. In return, he learns about the daughter he never knew existed.

Will Eric find his daughter? What is the family secret that threatens to tear the Church apart? And how do Hannah and Eric's secrets entwine?

I loved this story!!! What a powerful statement!!!! I loved the characters, setting, and plot! My attention was held the entire time!!!!! I couldn’t put the book down. 3/5⭐️