This is a captivating story which was well written and researched. It is atmospheric and paints a scene in my mind.
Many thanks to Headline and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My thanks to Headline Review for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Traitor in the Ice’ by K. J. Maitland in exchange for an honest review.

This is Book 2 in Maitland’s series of historical mysteries set in Jacobean England featuring reluctant intelligencer Daniel Pursglove.

Winter, 1607. A man is struck down in the grounds of Battle Abbey, Sussex. Before dawn breaks, he is dead.

While the Gunpowder Plot had been foiled two years previously, King James remains paranoid. He is especially suspicious about Battle Abbey, the home of Lady Magdalen, the Viscountess Montague. It is a Catholic household rumoured to be sheltering men loyal to the Pope. Yet proof is needed and a man recently sent to spy on them has disappeared without sending his report.

Daniel Pursglove is ordered to infiltrate the household at Battle and find proof of treachery. He manages to be given a place after he convinces the Dowager and her advisor, Richard Smith, that he is a sympathiser. He soon discovers that nearly everyone at the abbey has something to hide. No further details to avoid spoilers.

While most of the novel is told by Daniel, there is the occasional chapter that follows events elsewhere including at the Court of King James.

‘Traitor in the Ice’ had plenty of intrigue and action and proved a compelling read. I always know that I am in safe hands with K.J. (Karen) Maitland given the combination of her excellent storytelling, well realised characters, and her vivid recreation of the historical setting. In addition, her dialogue has the formality of the period which further enhanced the sense of immersion in the early 17th Century.

After her Acknowledgements Maitland again presents a ‘Behind the Scenes of This Novel’ giving details of the background and various historical figures and events featured in the novel. Among these was that the winter of 1607-08 was notable for its extreme cold weather that saw rivers freezing over, including the Thames. There is also a glossary of unusual terms used.

Overall, I found this an excellent work of historical spy fiction. Its Epilogue contained a teaser that left me looking forward to the next adventure for Daniel Pursglove.

Highly recommended.

I don’t have very much to say about Traitor in the Ice, the second Daniel Pursglove book, by K J Maitland. It is set during the Great Frost of 1607-8 in England, when the Thames and many other rivers were frozen solid, but the countryside was the hardest hit. I preferred the first Daniel Pursglove book, The Drowned City.

It is a dark historical novel, describing life in England under the new king, James I of England and VI of Scotland. Daniel is continuing his search for the mysterious Spero Pettingar, suspected of plotting another conspiracy to kill James and reinstate a Catholic monarch and is sent by the Secretary of State, Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury, to Battle Abbey, near Hastings, in Sussex, a Catholic household, suspected of sheltering Catholic priests.

Daniel is an interesting character, needing all his determination and courage to discover what has been going on at Battle Abbey. It’s made even more difficult as it seems that everyone has something to hide, not just their politics and religious dissent, but also murder. A little bit more of his background is revealed in this second book, but he still remains a mysterious figure. And Spero Pettingar is an even more mysterious character, who is he – is he hiding at Battle Abbey? And will Daniel uncover all the secrets concealed within the Abbey?

But I enjoyed K J Maitland’s Author’s Note and information she gives in ‘Behind the Scenes of this Novel’ more than the novel. The details of her historical research are fascinating, with information about the real people behind her characters, such as Lady Magdalen, Viscountess Montague who did live at Battle Abbey. And the Glossary at the end of the book is also most helpful explaining a lot of the terms in the book I hadn’t come across before.

However, the book failed to hold my interest throughout as the wealth of detail she has put into the novel slows the action down and took away much of the suspense and tension – I felt like I was drowning in description. And at times I wasn’t really sure what was happening, especially at the end of the book – the Epilogue is mystifying.

My thanks to Headline Review for a review copy via NetGalley

An interesting historical crime novel. Having not read the first one, there were a few plot points I thought I missed. But I’m the whole, an engaging and atmospheric read

In the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, King James and his officials are looking to track down one of the perpetrators, perhaps even the mastermind behind the whole affair, who goes by the false name of Spero Pettingar, One of their agents is sent to investigate rumours that Pettingar may be in hiding at Battle Abbey, but is soon found dead, struck down and left to freeze in the dreadful cold. So Daniel Pursglove is despatched on the same mission - to infiltrate the household of Battle Abbey, home of Lady Magdalen Montague, a fervent Catholic and known supporter of priests and possible traitors - and to track down the murderer.

Daniel finds a house of many secrets - a few hidden priests seems to be the least of them - and as with any secret of a dangerous nature people are prepared to kill to protect it. Daniel, obviously, has only his wits to help him solve the crime; no fingerprints or DNA, no minuscule spy cameras to catch people's movements, and it makes for a story that's very different to a modern thriller. The mix of fiction and historical fact is well done, with details such as Daniel's day-to-day role in the household, and the dire freezing winter of 1607 adding to the atmosphere and authenticity.



This is the second 'outing' for Daniel Pursglove, and I think it's better to have read the first before this. There are a couple of initially confusing flashbacks to his past which I assume would make more sense if I'd read the books in order.

When I read that the novel was similar to Sansom and Andrew Taylor I could not wait to get started. I found the beginning interesting with Daniel in prison, but once he was released I found the story harder to follow, the different religious factions were not always clear to me.
When I realised that I was only a quarter of the way through the book and still not properly engaged I decide to call it a day. I have read a lot of historical novels lately so probably just needed a change. I may go back to it sometime.
Thanks for the opportunity NetGalley and K.J..Maitland..

I have written a review of these book, which shows that I loved it because I only do that on my blog if I actually really love a book.

I have loved Maitland's books for a long time because of their atmosphere, darkness and sense of danger. This one is no exception and as the second one in the series, I was pleased that the pace and plot picked up.

Daniel Pursglove has been handed a new mission. He is to infiltrate Battle Abbey, home of the Viscountess Montague, to find evidence of treachery. The Abbey is house steeped in Catholic worship, from the Holy Well to priest holes. However Daniel finds more that just Popish plotting taking place, the village is scared of a night-crawler and a route for Catholic priests is established.
This is the second book in Maitland's new series set in the early days of James I's reign. Like the first in the series the setting makes more of the book. Here the book is set during the Great Frost when the country was in the grip of ice for months on end and the descriptions of this are central to the feeling s aroused by the narrative. Again Maitland does have sections which are bound up with folklore and supernatural practises but not so much that they detract from a very atmospheric historical tale.

The second book in Daniel Pursglove, Traitor in the Ice is a good sequel to The Drowned City. The story is well researched, and the mystery is engaging. I liked this story and would recommend to readers of this genre

This is the second in a series set in Britain under the rule of James v1 of Scotland and 1 of England. The main character in the series calls himself Daniel Pursglove although we know this is one of his pseudonyms. Having been in prison at the start of the first book he now works undercover for the king who is paranoid about traitors, 'popery' and witchcraft particularly following the failed Gunpowder plot.
KJ (also writes as Karen) Maitland is a superb writer of historical fiction who does meticulous research into her chosen time periods. This particular novel is set at the time of the Great Frost of 1607-8. Maitland writes very descriptively of the sights, sounds, smells and feel of this extreme cold.
Daniel is a fascinating fictional character about whom some more of his background is revealed than in the first book of the series, The Drowned City. Many of the characters however are real historical personages one of whom, Lady Magdalen Montague is a key player in this novel. I had never heard of Lady Magdalen who gave shelter to priests in her home Battle Abbey, the scene of most of the action in the book.
As with the first book in the series I thoroughly enjoyed this very well crafted and excellently researched novel and look forward to the next in the series. While the book would stand alone I would recommend reading The Drowned City before reading Traitor in the Ice in order to get a full picture of Daniel, his back story and the times he is living in.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
---
This was an awesome and seamless blend of historical events, settings and characters with a thrilling mystery!

I also really enjoyed the writing style and highly recommend this book.

Full review to come.

Overall rating: 5/5 stars

What an absolutely mind-blowing story. Easily her best yet This is the 2nd novel in this series from this highly talented author. I so enjoyed reading the previous book in this series and the author has truly captured the period with her extremely detailed research.
Winter, 1607. A man is struck down in the grounds of Battle Abbey, Sussex. Before dawn breaks, he is dead.

Home to the Montagues, Battle has caught the paranoid eye of King James. The Catholic household is rumoured to shelter those loyal to the Pope, disguising them as servants within the abbey walls. And the last man sent to expose them was silenced before his report could reach London.

Daniel Pursglove is summoned to infiltrate Battle and find proof of treachery. He soon discovers that nearly everyone at the abbey has something to hide - for deeds far more dangerous than religious dissent. But one lone figure he senses only in the shadows, carefully concealed from the world. Could the notorious traitor Spero Pettingar finally be close at hand?

As more bodies are unearthed, Daniel determines to catch the culprit. But how do you unmask a killer when nobody is who they seem?
Atmospheric and deftly plotted-characters are richly drawn the details of the book are fascinating-gives a very vivid picture of life at this time-I was transported every time I picked up this highly imaginative story to the time described-masterly story telling-highly imaginative and wonderfully evocative of Tudor times.
The author has written one of the most truly atmospheric historical thrillers that I have read this year and I can’t wait to see what she next writes and I look forward to reading her next book. I very strongly recommend this book as one of the best that I have ever read. I look forward to reading the next book very soon.
(Review Copy Provided Free By Netgalley.co.uk in exchange for a fair review)

Traitor In The Ice is set a year after the events of The Drowned City and fans of Daniel Pursglove will be pleased to see him back. I love the way the author's attention to detail enable the reader to be fully immersed in Jacobean society. My brief forays into historical fiction have generally been confined to more modern history so it made a nice change to read a book that focused on this time period. I was particularly intrugued by the politics of relations between the English and Scorttish at this time.

"Resentment of the Scots was growing by the day and rumours swirled through every street and village that all of the money raised by the fines on the English Catholics was being sent North of the border or lavished on the King's Scottish favourites."

Pursglove has his own moral code he follows and this along with his propensity for making enemies gets him into a lot of sticky situations in this book as much as in the first book of the series and this made for a very interesting read, my only criticism of the book is that the number of minor characters sometimes made it difficult to keep track of what is going on. There were definitely times I felt like an 'addleplated clotpole.'

"We fret and sweat over the choices that seem certain to tip the balance of our fortunes, but in truth it's not the crossroads of our lives that determine the lengths. It is the unseen thorn which which poisons our finger, the forgotten key we turn back for, the single careless step. It is these tiny pismires in our fragile lives that will ultimately cut them dead."

In this book Daniel Pursglove dices with death at every turn, he is strongly encouraged to attempt to infiltrate the abbey at Battle. There is more going on than in the abbey than simple religious dissent but is there a treasonous plot or something else occurring?

"You appear to have a liking for digging into murders. You uncovered the truth behind those at Bristol, even though this was not your mission. Well, then, this time it is. If Benet was silenced, then it was something far more dangerous to those at the abbey than mere recussery. Sperro Pettingar has still not been run to the ground. But someone knows who he is and where he is, and Lady Magdalen sits at the very heart of the Catholic Network."

There are so many different threads to follow in Traitor in The Ice and every one makes for a wonderful read.

This is the second book in the Daniel Pursglove mystery series by K. J. Maitland. I reviewed the first book, The Drowned City, on this blog previously. The problems I had with that book are prevalent in this book as well. The books in this series tend to be long, very descriptive and a little chaotic at times with the switching back and forth between storylines. I will say that I did enjoy this book more than the first book as it was easier to read for me this go around. Nonetheless, the ending left me scratching my head a little bit trying to figure out all of the storylines and what exactly happened. I still am not quite sure.

In this book, we see the return of Daniel Pursglove who has been sent to Battle Abbey to act as a spy. He is told to make himself a part of the household and find out if there are priests being hidden there and whether the residents are attending Mass instead of the required Protestant services. Pursglove quickly avails himself to the household and soon finds himself an integral part of the household. In the small town surrounding the Abbey, there is a creature that has been wreaking havoc on the town at night. Animals are missing or killed, strange noises and fear has been walking the streets at night and the villagers are up in arms.

In the middle of the drama at the Abbey and the hysteria of the small town, Pursglove soon finds himself embroiled in more mysteries than he can handle and he is not sure which one is more dangerous. He has to constantly be on his toes as everyone is not who they seem and there is a murderer lurking in the shadows. This book was a better read than the first one, however I struggled to understand what was happening at times and I felt the ending didn’t really conclude the mysteries.

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars
Author: K. J. Maitland

Series: Daniel Pursglove Mystery #2

Publisher: Headline Review

Publication Date: March 31, 2022

Pages: 461

Genre: Historical Mystery

Get It: Amazon

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.

In this second book of the series, Daniel Pursglove is sent to investigate a dead body and popish sympathisers at Battle Abbey, Sussex.
He must infiltrate a close knit community, where everyone is not as they seem whilst keeping his identity a secret. This will be tricky as everyone is suspicious of everyone.
As more bodies turn up, Pursglove knows he has to act fast and find the killer but with suspects everywhere and the shadow of the king’s nemesis Spero Pettingar on his mind. Daniel will have to be at his best to solve the mystery and he must do it quickly if he is to please his ever demanding King.
KJ Maitland has written another outstanding book in the Daniel Pursglove series. She captures the period perfectly, with her historical expertise and a great storyline, along with a main character who is relentless and an atmosphere that keeps the reader gripped throughout. This is another masterclass from one of the best historical writers in the business. Simply superb.

Having found Karen Maitland (now pretentiously writing as K. J Maitland for some reason) somewhat hit and miss in the past, this was definitely one of the hits. By no means an original background for our main protagonist, Pursglove is acting as an intelligencer cum private eye under duress, but this being said, he does appear to have rather more luck than any detective has a right to, Opportunities and clues do seem to fall into his lap in the post prolific manner, and all of this while he is held in suspicion as a potential spy almost from the get-go.

While the core story is good, those who prefer a straight murder mystery without the added backdrop of Jacobean era religious intolerance and obsession with plots and counter plots - real or imaginary, might prefer to give this a miss. The central murder mystery is good, but it is enmeshed within a subplot of spies and intrigue which might be off-putting to some.

The book is enjoyable nonetheless, although its pace is somewhat slow at times, and it does go on a bit too long. It would benefit from a good edit, which might help with the pacing. The scenes with the apparent captive were completely unnecessary and added absolutely nothing to the plot. Had these been cut, the book would not have been adversely affected, - indeed, might would have been much improved. Maitland succeeds in immersing the reader in the time and place, and the characterisation is top-notch. One mentally cheers the hero and jeers the villain, although the change in timeline and POV was confusing (think the aforementioned captive scenes), as were the machinations of the various factions with regard to the espionage aspect of the book. If one is able to wade through this to the lee shore, the book is well worth the journey.

Apologies for not reviewing this sooner - covid really put a stop to my reading - but once i could concentrate again this really got me out of that slump. Maitland really is at the top of her game - seamlessly weaving historical research and a thrilling plot into a fantastic novel. The world building is evocative and all-encompassing. Another brilliant novel by Maitland.

The second in a series about Daniel Pursglove, this draws the reader into a world of religious fear and superstition about witchcraft in 1607. I preferred this book to The Drowned City, which might have been because the characters were more familiar and I was starting to understand more about the time period. K. J. Maitland builds well-rounded characters and an intriguing plot.

This is a fascinating series, historical thrillers that keep me reading and hooked.
The historical background is well researched and vivid, the mystery solid, and there's plenty of twists I never guessed.
The characters are fleshed out and interesting.
It was an entertaining, gripping read that made me learn something new.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Traitor in the ice by K. J. Maitland.
Book 2 of Daniel Pursglove.
Winter, 1607. A man is struck down in the grounds of Battle Abbey, Sussex. Before dawn breaks, he is dead.Home to the Montagues, Battle has caught the paranoid eye of King James. The Catholic household is rumoured to shelter those loyal to the Pope, disguising them as servants within the abbey walls. And the last man sent to expose them was silenced before his report could reach London.Daniel Pursglove is summoned to infiltrate Battle and find proof of treachery. He soon discovers that nearly everyone at the abbey has something to hide - for deeds far more dangerous than religious dissent. But one lone figure he senses only in the shadows, carefully concealed from the world. Could the notorious traitor Spero Pettingar finally be close at hand?As more bodies are unearthed, Daniel determines to catch the culprit. But how do you unmask a killer when nobody is who they seem?
This was really really good. Twisty. 4*.