I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. this is a great new mystery series that will keep you guessing until the end.

I am torn between being glad to know there are other books in the series and wishing I had known sooner so I could have read them in order. This is an interesting story but the star feature is the settings and the beautifully descriptive language used to describe them.

In this, the third volume in the Master Mercurius Mysteries, the simple professor, now, as he says, in his twilight years, is looking back to his younger self when, even though he would have much preferred to have spent his time studying and writing, he had found himself called upon to perform acts of public service that were, at the time, an unwelcome distraction from his quiet studious life.

Following the assistance that he had given to the Mayor of Delft in the matter of the abduction of three young girls he had come to the attention of the Stadhouder, William of Orange who had, in turn, asked for his help in dealing with a treasonous plot against him. Master Mercurius had been pleased to receive a generous fee from the Stadhouder in recognition of the service he had been able to give but had been happy to return to the University, and his studies, in the autumn of 1674.

Mercurius had been left in peace for almost two years when he was summoned by the University Rector who informed him that the Stadhouder had need of his services once more. An audience with the Stadhouder in The Hague reveals that he is considering getting married. This will be for strategic diplomatic reasons rather than a love match and it is soon apparent that, Princess Mary, one of the daughters of James, the brother of Charles II of England, is a likely candidate. Master Mercurius is to accompany Heer Van Langenburg, who the Stadhouder, William of Orange, is sending to London as an Ambassador Extraordinary to open negotiations. Mercurius’ job is to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant but also to keep an eye out for anyone who might be plotting against the proposed marriage.

And so it is that Master Mercurius finds himself in London as a member of an embassy of fifteen people and caught up in the international politics of the time and the rivalries between protestant and catholic European powers. It is not long before Mercurius experiences at first hand the treacherous and violent nature of such rivalries as it becomes clear that there are indeed some that are seeking to undermine the work of the embassy. While the members of the dutch delegation are being dined, one of their number goes missing in the streets of London and is later found dead of a stab wound in an alley near a tavern called The White Cat.

Master Mercurius finds himself embroiled in the task of identifying the murderer while attempting to foil any plot that seeks to prevent the proposed marriage between William of Orange and the Princess Mary.

The evokes seventeenth century Holland and London very effectively and the story is engaging and holds the interest of the reader very well. The characters are well delineated and include a number of historical figures including, of course, William of Orange and Charles II of England but also Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren. The plot is well devised and has more than its fair share of red herrings and false trails. The character of Mercurius is very engaging and he is given a very nice dry sense of humour.

This was the first of the Master Mercurius series of novels that I had read and found it excellent as a stand-alone novel and a very enjoyable and diverting read. I can recommend it highly.

I would like to express my thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for making a free download of this book available to me.

The third installment begins two years after the last adventure with the Stadhouder asking for Mercurius’ presence. There is a delicate matter of a marriage that requires multiple people making a voyage to another country. I must admit at this time that I know next to nothing of the machinations of the royal families of the time in Europe and all the marriages that have taken place. Even during the reading, I did not necessarily look them up because I did not think I could retain much given the repetitions of names and other such small issues. I took the facts as I saw them in the narrative and believed them and kept going. Understanding some of the balances of power was required to understand the goings-on, which effectively meant this was the slowest going for me of the three I read back-to-back.
When on a semi-spying visit in England, there is a death of one of their Dutch team. The suspicions run high as Master Mercurius is handed the lead investigator’s mantle with the King’s full support. I would have rated this lower (because of personal disinterest in the dynastical tangles) if not for the highly amusing narrative in the last quarter. It was good enough to make me like everything that came before it.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my reading of the series.

Master Mercurius has to leave his university again to obey William, the Stadhouder(Stadtholder) of Holland in Dishonour and Obey. William has commissioned him to sail with the Dutch party to London to negotiate his marriage to Princess Mary, niece of King Charles. Minister Mercurius is to examine Mary for her suitability as a wife. One of the Dutch party is murdered and King Charles commissions Mercurius who is identified as a solver of murders to find the murderer. Court intrigue, religious Catholic/Protestant politics, and spies make his investigation a witch's brew. Enjoy this excellent historical mystery.

Another good addition to this good historical series.
A vivid and well researched historical background, well rounded characters and a solid mystery.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

*Many thanks to Graham Brack, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
For the third time running, Master Mercurius receives an offer he cannot refuse. This time he is forced to leave his beloved University of Leiden and, having been assigned a secret task by Stadhouder William of Orange, sets off with a group of other Dutchman and arrives at the court of Charles II. The year is 1676, and a marriage plans between the king's niece and William are brewing. However, there is some opposition, fuelled by the Catholic party, to this union of two Protestant countries. Book 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction, with a high dose of historical background and not a smaller dose of subdued humour that Master Mercurius is already famous for.

I came into this series on this, book 3 and wish I had read the other two beforehand. A tale of murder combined with a description of the court of Charles II, with spies, humour and wit.

When Master Mercurius is summoned from Leiden to attend the Stadhouder William he knows that this means that William has need of him. However he never expects to be sent to England as part of a delegation to arrange William's marriage to the niece of the King, Mary. London is very different but murder soon follows and Mercurius is soon caught up in an international intrigue that threatens to derail the marriage.
A quick return to the series and a welcome one as Brack is developing a rather enjoyable sequence of books starring an amusing character. What I really love is that Mercurius is developing a real personality, pompous and pedantic but rather endearing. No-one could accuse Brack of writing complex and intellectual books but actually that is not what is required, the books are light but supremely entertaining and this is no exception.

First I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC for an honest review. A wonderful period mystery. Graham Brack’s ongoing series gets only stronger. The links to accurate historical mannerisms make these Mercurius mysteries something to thoroughly enjoy, I look forward to the next.

‘I am in my twilight years.’

Mercurius, reflecting on his long life, remembers a trip to England in 1676. And here is his account of that trip, as dictated to his clerk, Jan van der Meer.

In 1676, Master Mercurius was a lecturer at the University of Leiden. Two years earlier, he had helped the Stadhouder, William of Orange. And now he is called upon again. William of Orange wants Master Mercurius to be part of a diplomatic mission to London, to help assess the suitability of Princess Mary (the fifteen-year-old niece of King Charles II) as a wife. William needs a Protestant wife, but he knows he must tread carefully: there are egos involved after all.

‘Ostensibly you’ll be there to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant, but what I really want you to do is look out for anyone who may be plotting against the marriage so it can be nipped in the bud.’

So, Master Mercurius, an ordained minister in the Dutch Reformed Church (and a secretly ordained Catholic priest) travels to England. He does not speak much English, and the court of Charles II is quite unlike anything he has ever experienced but he is resourceful.

‘There are people who will tell you that if you just speak Dutch slowly and loudly, the intelligent Englishman will understand you. That may be true, but we cannot rely on always having an intelligent Englishman to hand, and I understood not a word they said in their barbaric language. Nevertheless, I thought, if I can master Latin and Greek, I can surely pick up some English.’

Not long after the mission arrives in London, a member of the delegation is murdered. Who murdered him, and why? Could he have been a spy? The murder becomes more curious, especially when they discover that the dagger in his back is not what killed him.

Not everyone in England is in favour of Princess Mary marrying William of Orange. And there are women trying to distract Master Mercurius from his task as well, including one of the King’s bastards. Master Mercurius persists with his investigation, has some interesting and humorous exchanges with King Charles (and others) and manages to solve the case. But not before exposing a few holes in the fabric of the reign of the Merrie Monarch.

Master Mercurius is both thorough and witty, and this series is a delight. I especially liked the ending and am looking forward to the next instalment.

‘As it says in the good book, Matthew, chapter seven, verse seven: “Ask, and it will be given to you.”’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The third book in this great series and this time Mercurius finds himself in England, part of a group of people sent to make sure Princess Mary will make a good wife for William of Orange.

Of course nothing is ever straightforward for our hero and he is soon overwhelmed by court intrigue and murder. He is getting better though at assessing crime scenes and making sense of all the evidence. I loved all the historic information about London in those times. Also the delightful comments from a Dutchman viewing the, to him, inferior English.

Mercurius might wish he could stay at home, reading his books, but at least he is becoming well travelled and he is certainly making a lot of money. I am looking forward to where he goes next!

Master Mercurius is a Dutch Reformed clergyman, and university lecturer, and secretly a Catholic priest, a role that would get him fired from the university. He has also acquired a reputation for being able to help higher authorities in sensitive situations, so it is not a real surprise when the Stadhouder William of Orange asks for his help in negotiating the hand of Princess Mary, niece of King Charles II of England. Marriages like this one involve political and diplomatic negotiations more than personal ones, and that can include intrigue. In this case, Catholic-leaning francophiles in England want to keep Mary, whose father is a Catholic, from cementing a closer relationship with the Protestant Dutch. Ferreting out the intrigue is Mercurio’s role, and it soon involves solving a murder.
A good mystery is probably my favorite genre, especially when it has an interesting setting and light humor. Like the first two books in the series, Death in Delft and Untrue Till Death, Dishonour and Obey excels in all three of those aspects.
The book is narrated by Mercurio, recalling it in his “twilight” years. His dual clergical roles produce some interesting musing on religion on his part, perhaps a touch of cynicism, and certainly significant experience with role-playing and deception. Even though he takes his responsibilities seriously, his comments gave me lots of smiles and “ha ha” marginal notes, like when he comments disparagingly about the future King James II ‘s intelligence: “At the battle of Lowenstoft, James was standing beside a man who was decapitated by a cannonball and spattered with his brains; which was…the only time he was ever seen to have any brains about him ” or when he makes a poignant comment about the painter Vermeer that “even as fine a master as Vermeer had died penniless, In fact, he owed his baker for a couple of years’ bread….in hard times you can eat the bread you have made, but you cannot easily chew a painting.”
The setting in seventeenth-century Holland and England is vivid and fascinating, and the overall era in the wake of European wars that are very superficially glossed over in the usual world history classes was very enlightening. I especially enjoyed little factoids like the ones I quoted above and the interesting tidbit that tea was an expensive delicacy in England but more readily available in Holland (think Dutch East India Company). If your interest in the period really gets piqued, the author has included a list of his sources so you can learn more.
These elements are nicely woven into the interesting plot, whose unraveling was satisfying despite one or two implausibilities.
You can enjoy this book fully without reading the first two, and it does not contain spoilers that will interfere with your enjoyment of them when (not if!) you read them. I was delighted to learn that the fourth book is already in the works. This would make a great “listen”; can we hope for an audio version someday?

The third in the historical series with Master Mercurius of Leiden University in The Netherlands, this one is set two years after the last instalment.

After being called to see William Of Orange in The Hague previously to solve a murder, Mercurius again finds himself summoned by him, after two peaceful years at the university.

This time William wants him to go with a party to a England to arrange the marriage between William and King Charles 11 niece, Princess Mary. A diplomatic mission, Mercurius, as an ordained minister is the perfect person in Williams eyes to secure the Princesses hand in marriage on his behalf.

When they arrive in England, Mercurius soon finds that not everyone is happy with the idea of the marriage and the alliance of England and The Netherlands. A large minority would much prefer a alliance with King Louis and the French.

When one of the Dutch party is murdered on the streets of London, it is a great embarrassment to King Charles and hearing of his reputation, decide Mercurius is the man to look into his countryman’s death. Easier said than done for Mercurius as he only has very basic English and is not familiar at all with the culture of the English.

This is a hugely enjoyable series. Not usually my bag but this historical series which features numerous real life historical figures is a mixture of whodunnit and humour and wit.
We are reading Mercurius memoirs in each, written by him at a much older age, so he is our constant narrator and he is such fun to spend time with and listen to. A religious man(who is also secretly an ordained catholic priest)his humour and observations are central to the tone of the books.

The setting in this one changes scene completely, moving from The Netherlands to the England and is a nice addition. His observations of the much more liberal English royals and their court are often hilarious(as are the English characters themselves).

Although we do have a murder to solve here and also spies, national alliances etc to contend with, I found this one the lightest of the three so far, with the humour and dry wit outweighing the murder story. Not a criticism per say, just an observation.

If the subject matter of the books doesn’t sound like your sort of thing, take a leap and try the first, Death In Delft. You may be like I was, very pleasantly surprised how good these books are and how much you will enjoy them. If someone had told me a few months ago that I would love a book series set in The Netherlands in the 17th century I would have laughed. Not my thing at all. But here I am. Since I read and loved the first I looked forward to the next in the series. I havent been disappointed so far and I look forward to the next with the same vigour.

Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Brack continues to deliver with this humorous, historical mystery. Mercurius is once again called to help William of Orange. William wants to secure the hand of Princess Mary of England as his bride. Mercurius is sent to England, as part of the delegation, to determine Mary's suitability. You see, her father has converted to Catholicism and it’s imperative that Mary is a true Protestant. This, of course, proves an interesting situation for Mercurius, as he is both a Catholic priest and a Protestant minister. But not everyone is on board with the proposed marriage plan. Some in the English Court would prefer an alliance with France. And then one of the delegation is killed. Mercurius, because of his past ability to solve crimes, is once again called to investigate.
It was interesting to see the English court through the eyes of an outsider. The English are much more flamboyant and party-hardy than the Dutch.
I enjoy that Mercurius is not a detective savant, but has to constantly ponder the possibilities, usually while at prayer. He stumbles along trying to understand not just who the murderer might be, but the palace intrigues as well.
This is a perfect series for those that want a detailed, historical mystery. I’m thrilled to see there will be a fourth in the series.
My thanks to netgalley and Sapere Books for an advance copy of this book.

Cleverly written, this incredibly gripping book was a beautiful surprise for me as Graham Brack is a new-to-me author so I did not know what to expect. This witty book has everything I love in historical fiction from first-person narration to believable characters to twists to historical vernacular and atmosphere. Not only that but the plot and ending were brilliant! I'm hooked.

Master Mercurius is asked by Stadhouer William of Orange to sail to England to discover whether Princess Mary, niece of Charles II of France is suitable for marriage, as he sincerely hopes. As a benign ordained minister Mercurius is the perfect choice to inveigle. Many adventures result including France/England intrigue, language issues (as a frequent traveler can relate!), flirtation, royal mores and murder which seems unsolvable. How on earth was it committed and by whom? What do Charles II and Princess Mary feel about possible marriage? Trusted Mercurius investigates and uncovers the truths. The story flows beautifully from the minister's perspective and the witticisms are genius. I could easily envision flickering candles, dark shadows, rowdy meals and hear the swish of silk dresses.

Historical Fiction and Mystery genre fans, this is for you. Savour and absorb every word....easier said than done as the chapter endings leave you wanting more! Right after posting this I will research other books by this author. I enjoyed it THAT much and am very curious to see what the next story in the series will be! Do be sure to read the author notes at the end.

My sincere thank you to Sapere Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this enthralling book in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated.

1676 Leiden. Master Mercurius is instructed by Stadhouder William of Orange to go to England as part of a delegation to secure the hand of the Princess Mary on his behalf. On arrival it is obvious that not everyone is in favour of the alliance. Mercurius is instructed by Charles II to investigate when a death occurs.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two years have passed since Master Mercurius last found himself embroiled in a murder case, and he has welcomed the peaceful interval. Then a letter arrives for him from Stadhouder William of Orange. William has decided he wants to marry. And he has his sights set on Princess Mary, the niece of King Charles II of England. William has decided that Mercurius, as an ordained minister, is the perfect person to travel to England and secure the hand of the princess on his behalf. But when Mercurius arrives at the English court & someone on the mission is murdered Mercurius is asked to solve it, which isn’t easy as he isn’t fluent in English.
This is the third book in the series & could easily be read on its own. A very well written & researched book. I loved the mix of fact & fiction, a well paced story & strong characters had me glued to my kindle. I’ve loved the humour throughout the series & Mercurius’ observations of England often brought a smile or a chuckle. It’s a shame that Mercurius isn’t a young man as I would love for there to be lots more books in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

For almost 2 years, Master Mercurius has been enjoying the peace & quiet afforded by life at the university in Leiden. It’s 1676 & between study & lectures he’s been reflecting on Aristotelian eudaimonia (and really, who among us hasn’t?). Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Out of the blue he is summoned to the Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. It seems William is getting married & has a special task for Mercurius. He is to travel to London with a delegation from the Netherlands. Ostensibly he’s there to meet & assess Princess Mary, the bride-to-be. But his real job is to ferret out those against a marriage that will make the Dutch allies with England. William wishes him luck & sends him on his way with some advice. Pack warm clothes. Oh, and learn English.

Thus begins Mercurius’ adventures in London. He finds the culture & language baffling which is good news for readers as it leads to humorous encounters & misunderstandings. But it’s also a place of cut-throat politics & royal intrigue & before long one of the delegation is murdered. Mercurius’ reputation as a fixer preceded him & he’s ordered by King Charles to find the killer.

The result is another enjoyable addition to this entertaining series. The MC recounts the story in a voice full of wry humour & sly observations in a setting decked out with period detail. Instead of fast paced action or hi-tech gadgets, it’s the mystery & characters themselves that keep you turning the pages. Not only will your brain get a workout, I’m willing to bet you’ll spend much of the time with a smile on your face as the Master tells his tale. No small feat these days.

Part of a series we follow Master Mercurius to London to inspect Princess Mary as a suitable wife for William of Orange. This is an engaging story combining real life historical persons intertwined with our usual characters. Mercurius is a reluctant investigator but when one of the Dutch party is murdered he must unravel royal plots, spies and local politics. Mercurius is a character you can easily learn to love the investigation does not come easy he has the day to day problems of being in a different countries royal court with all its rules and King’s indulgences.
He has human failings and does not always have the foresight to realise he is dealing with desperate people which can lead him into dangerous situations. This series can certainly make this very changing times in history much more enjoyable for the reader.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.