Death By Disputation - Anna Castle

   2014; 360 pages.  Book 2 (out of 8) in the “A Francis Bacon Mystery” series.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Historical Fiction; England; Historical Mystery.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

 

    Thomas Clarady is going to college!  He’s enrolled at that prestigious institution, Cambridge University!

 

    Well, actually, Thomas is attending Corpus Christi College, one of a number of colleges that comprise Cambridge.  And studying to get a degree is not the main reason he’s there, he’s been commissioned by Sir Francis Bacon to do some spying.  Corpus Christi College is a hotbed for members of the Puritan sect, and it is rumored that a secret group is being organized there, plotting sedition against the English Crown.  The Crown wants to know whether that's true, and if so, who the leader is.

 

    Thomas’s job is to keep his ears and eyes open and report back to Francis anything he overhears that smacks of potential rebellion.  That might sound exciting, but Thomas hasn’t heard anything even a bit suspicious yet.  Frankly, he’s bored.

 

    But then his tutor, Bartholomew Leeds, is found hanging, dead as a doornail, from the rafters in the room where Tom does his studying.  He isn’t bored anymore.

 

What’s To Like...

    Death By Disputation is the second book in Anna Castle’s Francis Bacon historical mystery series.  I read Book One, Murder By Misrule, a couple years ago and was quite impressed.  Its review is here.  This time around, Bacon’s protégé, Thomas Clarady, is the main protagonist, with Francis cast in a supporting role as Tom’s mentor.

 

    I love the historical fiction aspect of this series.  Death By Disputation is set in 1587 London, and the famous playwright, Christopher Marlowe, also has a major part in the tale.  Interestingly, Wikipedia confirms that both Bacon and Marlowe were at Corpus Christi College around this time.  Tensions between the Anglican church and the upstart Puritan movement are running high, and this religious angle plays a major role in the storyline.

 

    The mystery aspect is also done well.  The “was it suicide or murder” question is solved fairly quickly, but Tom then struggles to make further headway. Marlowe pursues his investigation, and at one point each protagonist suspects the other of murdering Leeds.  When Trumpet, a recurring character from Book One, gets involved, things get really complicated.

 

    I liked the attention Anna Castle pays to historical details.  At one point Thomas is shown an exciting new invention: a wood-encased writing implement that its creator calls a “pencil”.  A number of “archaic” English expressions are used in the dialogue, some examples of which are listed below.  There’s a "Historical Notes” section included in the back of the book which I found fascinating.  Anna Castle also seasons the tale with a bit of romance (after all, Tom is a handsome fellow) and humor (will “Eggy” ever remember Tom’s last name correctly?) which makes the story even more interesting.

 

    Things close with all the plot threads getting successfully tied up.  Leeds’ death is solved, the question of possible sedition within the Puritan movement is resolved, and Tom comes to grips (at least for now) with his feelings of passion.  I wouldn’t call the ending particularly exciting, but it is both appropriate and heartwarming.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

Cozener (n.) : a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value.

Others: Brabble (n.); Nidget (n.); Dizzard (n.).

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.3*/5, based on 846 ratings and 118 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.08*/5, based on 621 ratings and 78 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “Am I that obvious?”  He tried for nonchalance, but his voice sounded plaintive to his own ears.

    “No.”  Marlowe chuckled softly as Tom exhaled a sigh of relief.  “I happen to be interested in religious politics.  My uncle, partly, but also for my own reasons.  Theatrical reasons.”

    “Whose side are you on, Kit?”

    “Side?  A playwright doesn’t take sides.  He creates both heroes and villains.  His job is to present them both and let the audience choose.”

    “That’s not a good enough answer,” Tom said.

    “It’s the best you’re going to get.”  (loc. 1888)

 

    She smiled a virtuous smile, batting her thick black lashes at him.

    Tom knew she was lying through her pearly teeth.  She’d undoubtedly rifled through everything he owned: clothes, books, bedding, the secret drawer at the bottom of his writing desk.  The worst of it was he hadn’t noticed a thing out of place.  He popped another almond into his mouth and chewed it with deliberate care, showing her his teeth.

    She stuck her tongue out at him, the unrepentant little minx.  (loc. 4115)

 

Kindle Details…

    Right now, Death By Disputation goes for just $0.99 at Amazon.  The rest of the books in the series cost anywhere from *free* (Book 1) to $4.99 (Book 8).  Anna Castle has two other series (The Professor & Mrs. Moriarty and A Cunning Mystery) and a number of short stories for your reading pleasure.  The books in those series are priced at $4.99 and $2.99 respectively; the short stories cost $0.99 apiece.

 

“My father likes to be a little late.  It’s the best way to avoid being early.”  (loc. 2105)

    I couldn't find much to quibble about in Death By Disputation.  Cussing is sparse (just 4 instances in the first 33% of the book), which speaks well of Anna Castle’s writing ability.  There are a couple of rolls-in-the-hay, and some gay relationships are alluded to, but that’s all historically accurate.

 

    The sleuthing element is not really a whodunit.  It’s not so much a matter of putting the clues together to suss out the perpetrator as it is for Tom (and the reader) to be alert for the key clue when it appears.

 

    Several reviewers felt that there was too much focus on the religious aspect.  They have a point, but only if you’re reading Death By Disputation solely for its mystery aspect.  The reality of 16^th-century England is that religion dominated every part of one’s daily life, and to ignore that would really compromise the historical accuracy.

 

    Personally, I found Death By Disputation to be a great follow-up to Murder By Misrule.  The mystery kept my interest, the historical setting was fantastic, and there were enough action-&-intrigue and witty dialogue to keep me reading “just one more chapter” night after night.

 

    8½ Stars.  One small sidelight into Puritan customs of the day.  Parson Wingfield is a fiery preacher who believes his children’s names should reflect Biblical attributes.  For better or worse.  His eight kids were christened Abstinence, Tribulation, Obedient, Resolved, Diligence, Steadfast, Prudence, and Humility.  Thank goodness my parents weren't Puritans.