The Poison Machine (A Hunt and Hooke Novel)

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On to the book itself...it was a decent read. Robert Hooke plays a very small part in this story, and I felt the story suffered as a result. Harry Hunt on his own is just not as interesting to me as Hooke, so I really missed the byplay between the 2 characters. They offset each other nicely in the first book, and I was sad to hav London, 1679-A year has passed since the attempt to murder King Charles II, but London is still a viper's nest of rumored Catholic conspiracies, and of plots against them in turn. When Harry Hunt-estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke-is summoned to the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk, he is at first relieved to get away from the place. Look what's happening while I'm talking to you," Aharish interrupted the broadcast in front of Almog Boker.

London, 1679 — A year has passed since the sensational attempt to murder King Charles II, but London is still a viper’s nest of rumoured Catholic conspiracies, and of plots against them in turn. When Harry Hunt — estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke — is summoned to the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk, he is at first relieved to get away from the place. But in Norfolk, he finds that some Royal workers shoring up a riverbank have made a grim discovery—the skeleton of a dwarf. Harry is able to confirm that the skeleton is that of Captain Jeffrey Hudson, a prominent member of the court once famously given to the Queen in a pie. Except no one knew Hudson was dead, because another man had been impersonating him. London, 1679 — A year has passed since the sensational attempt to murder King Charles II, but London is still a viper’s nest of rumored Catholic conspiracies, and of plots against them in turn. When Harry Hunt — estranged from his mentor Robert Hooke — is summoned to the remote and windswept marshes of Norfolk, he is at first relieved to get away from the place.

I liked that Harry wanted to become his own man and show Hooke that he could navigate things by himself when in France. I feel that this adventure strengthened Hunt’s character and gave him a much needed confidence boost. It’s almost exactly a year since I reviewed The Bloodless Boy by Robert J. Lloyd in a post you’ll find here. Consequently, when Nikki Griffiths invited me to participate in the blog tour for Robert J. Lloyd’s second book in the Hunt and Hooke series, The Poison Machine, I simply had to take part. I’m delighted to share my review today. Harry is a very human character, he gets embarrassed, he knee jerk reacts but he is basically a decent guy and dedicated to his task(s) but he really makes some questionable decisions. But in Norfolk, he finds that some Royal workers shoring up a riverbank have made a grim discovery — the skeleton of a dwarf. Harry is able to confirm that the skeleton is that of Captain Jeffrey Hudson, a prominent member of the court once famously given to the Queen in a pie. Except no one knew Hudson was dead, because another man had been impersonating him. After witnessing Hudson’s body and confirming his identity, Hunt sets off from The Fens on an incredible journey that takes him to Paris, a city as rife with spies and plots as the one he left behind. There are multiple obstacles put in his way but Harry Hunt is a tenacious individual, unwilling to let anything deter him from his final goal.

It was enjoyable to re-visit these characters, although this book could equally be enjoyed as a standalone novel. The mixture of fictional and real-life characters and events works well (I particularly enjoyed meeting Sir Isaac Newton, and hearing him explain his invention of the cat flap!). London of the 17th Century is brought to life, and we get to see further afield this time, with Harry’s journey to the Fens (via the “prosperous village of Tottenham”!), and onward to France, where a visit to the infamous Bastille is particularly unpleasant. The Poison Machine is a nail-biting and brilliantly imagined historical thriller that will delight readers of its critically acclaimed predecessor, The Bloodless Boy . When Lloyd first introduced Harry Hunt in The Bloodless Boy (a First Clue starred review and a New York Times Best New Historical Novel of 2021), the 17th-century physicist was Robert Hooke’s assistant and the investigator of the gruesome murders of London boys. Although a year has passed since the sensational events of The Bloodless Boy, Londoners still live in fear of Catholic plots. For Harry Hunt, no longer in the employ of the Royal Society and estranged from his friend and mentor Robert Hooke, the chance to investigate a skeleton found in Norfolk’s windswept fenland offers the opportunity to leave the events of the previous year behind him – and to get himself into the good graces of Sir Jonas Moore, the King’s Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance.

Harry Hunt is just a little bit naive in this one, walking himself right into danger. You do not know who to trust or believe and we rush at a pace through a twisting complex plot. Harry Hunt must go to Paris in search of a spy and imposter who has knowledge of a plot to kill the Queen of England in this thrilling and addictive sequel to The Bloodless Boy. Accompanied by his friend, Colonel Fields, who’s familiar with the countryside they are travelling to, the duo discover that the body is of Jeffrey Hudson’s, who was the Queen’s dwarf. This story begins in 1679 and Harry is summoned to Norfolk to investigate the murder of Queen Henrietta Maria's dwarf (famously given to her in a pie.)For reasons unknown another man has been impersonating him ever since.

This is an exceptionally well written and researched thriller/mystery set in the latter part of the 17th century in and around London. The descriptions and dialogue are precisely rendered and believable. The story follows primarily Harry Hunt, renowned scientist Robert Hooke's assistant, sent to investigate a body found in Norfolk.The physicist’s urgent work this time (“the body will not keepe”) takes him far from the Thames shores he clung to in The Bloodless Boy. France is a major setting in the book and a final lengthy and very exciting scene takes us to the Queen’s Catholic Consult, where restrictions against the much-loathed group will be discussed. Lloyd again succeeds in creating an immersive look at the various layers of life his hero encounters, one that draws enough on real events to treat readers to intriguing history, but that also adds just the right fictional elements to keep the plot rich. Another winner. —Henrietta Verma The book has different story paths and we go along with Harry on his as well as getting insight into the shady bad guys and their dastardly plans, murder/robbery and darker still. King, Queen and all manners of important people are throughout the book as well as a stint in one of the jails, ooft I really felt for the person at that point. The author really paints a vivid picture of the horrific conditions and depending on your imagination, quite boak worthy. This is my favourite period of history. I love murder mysteries set in Restoration London. This one can be read as a stand alone although I would definitely recommend reading The Bloodless Boy too.