The Wrecking Storm

London 1641 The poisonous dispute pushing King Charles and Parliament towards Civil War is reaching the point of no return. Law and order in the city are on the point of collapse as Puritan radicals demand more concessions from the King. Bishops and lords are attacked in the streets as the Apprentice Boys run amok. Criminal gangs use the chaos to mask their nefarious deeds while the people of London lock their doors and pray for deliverance. No one is immune from the contagion. Two Jesuit priests are discovered in hiding and brutally executed, and soon the family of spice merchant Thomas Tallant is drawn into the spiral of violence, their home ransacked, their warehouse raided and his sister seized by kidnappers. Thomas struggles to discover who is responsible, aided by the gifted Elizabeth Seymour, a devotee of science, mathematics and tobacco in equal measure. Together they enter a murky world of court politics, street violence, secret codes and poisoned letters, and confront a vicious gang leader who will stop at nothing to satisfy his greed. 'Michael Ward's novels are meticulously researched and elegantly written, a creative blend of history and thriller, set around the engaging character of 17th century spice merchant Thomas Tallant.' ALEX GERLIS bestselling author of historical espionage thrillers