Sacred Treason

Written by James Forrester

Narrated by Mike Grady

London, 1563. Catholic plots against the young Queen Elizabeth spring up all over the country. William Harley - known to everyone as Clarenceux - receives a book from his friend and fellow Catholic, Henry Machyn, who is in fear of his life. Then Clarenceux is visited by Francis Walsingham and his ruthless enforcers, who will stop at nothing to gain possession of the book. What secret can the book hold?

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781407471280

Reviews for Sacred Treason

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oooh, this one was a rip-roarer. Do not start it right before bed. You will not sleep. In fact I was about two thirds of the way through last night and I stayed up to finish it. I couldn't stop turning the pages. It's one of those books that gets your heart pumping!The hero of the book, Clarenceux is a gentleman, a herald of England and a friend to Queen Elizabeth's most ardent supporter, Cecil. One night he is approached by a man he has known for years and given a chronicle and some mysterious instructions. This leads him and the man's widow on a dangerous journey to find the meaning behind the chronicle while being chased by some very anxious followers of Walsingham who is seeing plots and treason everywhere and lying to Cecil along the way.Clarenceux is a very upright, noble and honest character but he sees all that he knows destroyed by the government he trusts without so much as a conversation. He finds his true self on his journey to discovering the meaning behind the chronicle left in his care.As I said at the start, this was a page turner. Exciting from start to finish I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy (I think it's a trilogy) to come out. It's a Tudor book without one single appearance by a Tudor so it doesn't feel like I've read it all before. Cecil is wise and Walsingham is downright evil and he just at the beginning of his reign as spymaster.The book was downright fun if violent to the extreme at times. Trying to figure out the mystery kept me quite enthralled right up to the end. Mr. Forrester is a writer that certainly keeps the action flowing. The characters are well developed and memorable. A book to go on my re-read shelf for sure!

[janerawoof · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

More of a 2.5. Happened to pick this one up while library browsing last week. As a former librarian, the mysterious book and its connection to a possible plot against Elizabeth I was intriguing. Tudor era novels generally do not interest me, but I felt this would be an exception. It was too long, wordy, and the author could have cut it in half and still had a good story. Henry Makyn, a friend of the protagonist, William Harley, Clarenceaux, comes one night to his house and asks him to guard his chronicle. This spirals Clarenceaux into political intrigue. There's a plot afoot against the government [Elizabeth I]; what is the meaning of the dates in the chronicle and who are the 'knights of the round table'? Makyn is slain by Elizabeth's spymaster, Walsingham, and his henchman. Makyn's widow Rebecca and Clarenceaux puzzle out meanings and the last part of the book is a race between the 'goodies' and the 'baddies' to gain possession of the chronicle and unmask the plot. The denouement was completely unexpected.The novel was slow and talky all the way through, and picked up only towards the last 1/3. It was a challenge to force myself to keep reading. I liked best how the meaning hidden in the chronicle was puzzled out. The characters were nothing outstanding; in fact the completely platonic relationship between Clarenceaux and Rebecca was very improbable. Their sleeping in the same bed and nothing happening? Come on, these two must have been saints. Those folks who enjoy Elizabethan thrillers may enjoy this book, but it was not really up my alley.

[bkoftheyardsjon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great Read; combines historical detail with an interesting story line and characters. Looking for more from this author!

[adpaton · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of a trilogy so no wonder the ending did not make too much sense: quite frankly though, I didn't care. I thought Catholics and mysterious texts in cryptic diaries in Elizabethan England would be a good read. I was wrong.