I so enjoyed reading The Players! It's set during the Restoration, Catholic James II (Charles II's younger brother) is on the throne, and a plan by the Protestant Duke of Monmouth (the oldest of Charles II's illegitimate sons), who has been living in the low countries, is on the cusp of an extraordinarily reckless and underfunded invasion of England, utterly convinced that the populace will rise up to support him. Some do, but those are mostly poor peasants, and Monmouth is defeated quite efficiently.

That leaves Monmouth on the run as hundreds of peasants are being taken into prison for their supposed support of the invasion. Some *did* support it, but with very little understanding of what the consequences might be; many others have been rounded up without cause, and others have been accused by neighbors or rivals seizing the opportunity to wreak havoc.

At the center of this mess are Lady Jane Harrier, her adult son, and the incredibly intelligent and reclusive daughter of a local lawyer. There's no hope for many of those who've been arrested. James II has ordered the judge hearing these cases to find *everyone* guilty of treason and to sentence them to a traitor's death: burning for women; a drawn-out process of hanging, evisceration, and dismemberment for men. But, while not everyone can be saved, the trio is working together to save as many as they can, sometimes a few at a time, sometimes in larger numbers.

Here's what makes The Players such an outstanding read: watching the trio cook up and execute their "rescue missions," one after another, always conscious that not all will be saved.

The history is solid here. The central characters are unusual and principled in some wonderful ways that have one rooting for them from the start. If you like historical fiction set in the Restoration you'll want to get going on The Players stat. It really is that engaging.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.