One of the very best historical novels ever written—Tom Holland

The kind of book that has you reading it by torchlight under the bedclothes. An historical detective story set to rival The Name of the Rose, it provides the rare pleasure of combining an intricate plot with insight into the political intrigues of Restoration England—The Times

Pear's novel interweaves the grand narratives and the personal tragedies of history with a slippery thriller of audacious ingenuity—Independent on Sunday

A deeply scholarly thriller, but with the learning worn lightly and all the elements of the plot clicking together smoothly—Independent

The best fiction I have read in a long time—Times Literary Supplement, *Books of the Year*

Anyone who reads this will want to tell their friends about it... This is a novel that combines the simple pleasures of Agatha Christie with the intellectual subtlety of Umberto Eco, don't let it pass by unread—Sunday Times

A fictional tour de force which combines erudition with mystery—

Brilliantly researched and imagined...a remarkable achievement—Sunday Telegraph