A Masterpiece of Corruption

Tyler cleverly marries plot and period in his sequel to A Cruel Necessity set during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. In December 1657, English lawyer John Grey receives a letter from the Sealed Knot, a group of royalists who have been plotting for six years to return Charles II to the throne, inviting him to a meeting at London’s Gray’s Inn. At the meeting, Grey learns that the missive was actually meant for his father, who has been living in Brussels, but in order to leave the gathering with his life, Grey plays along with the conspirators. When they make it clear that they are plotting to kill Oliver Cromwell, Grey agrees to carry out the assassination himself. As soon as he can, Grey reports the conspiracy to John Thurloe, Cromwell’s spymaster and Grey’s former employer, who requests that he act as a double agent in order to thwart the planned attack and identify the Sealed Knot’s other man inside Cromwell’s inner circle. Tyler’s judicious use of dry humor enhances a page-turning and plausible story line. [em]Agent: David Headley, DHH Literary Agency (U.K.). (Aug.) [/em]