The Best of Men

By Claire Letemendia (Random House, RRP $39.99)

The Best of Men

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Reviews: General fiction

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Laurence Beaumont, heir to the Lord Beaumont title and a Cotswold estate, has returned to the bosom of his family in England, having spent six years on the continent in search of adventure and a licence for freedom.

Fate and chance have brought him home but have also given him a pair of coded letters that seem to point towards a threat to the kings life. Uneasy about getting involved in the impending war and the murky world of intelligence he nevertheless feels its his duty to work out what the threat may be and to report it to the appropriate authorities.

However, events are happening fast with civil war threatening and sides being chosen, soldiers recruited and a plot to foil. Beaumont, despite his reluctance, plays his part and risks his life and freedom at nearly every turn.

The English Civil War with its conflict, intrigue, romance and grand families is a tried and true setting for historical drama. This novel is no exception but it is at the upper end of the scale, with attention to historical details, events and people.

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