Book Review: The Poison Machine by Robert J. Lloyd @robjlloyd @melvillehouse #ThePoisonMachine

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.

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.

The hunt for the impersonator, clearly working as a spy, will take Harry to Paris, another city bedeviled by conspiracies and intrigues, and back, with encounters along the way with a flying man and a cross-dressing swordswoman — and to the uncovering of a plot to kill the Queen and all the Catholic members of her court. But where? When?

It’s an absolute joy to be sharing my review for Robert J. Lloyds new book The Poison Machine today. I think it was around this time last year I shared my review for The Bloodless Boy, book 1 in the Hunt and Hooke series which I loved, so I jumped at the chance to read and review The Poison Machine. Thanks to Nikki at Melville House for the copy and spot on the blog tour.

The Poison Machine is set a year after The Bloodless Boy and it was wonderful being reacquainted with the wonderful characters Robert J. Lloyd has created. Not only do we have the joy of them we have some new characters to get to know and like and each character really brings something to the story.

Robert J. Lloyd really is skilled at bringing his stories to life. Each setting and scene played like a movie as I read and I’d actually love to see this on screen, it would be absolutely wonderful. I could imagine snuggling down on a Sunday evening watching it, it would be a joy.

This was a quick read for me, I found myself absolutely hooked from the start and with its fast pace it was difficult to put down. It has tension and surprises, humour and some violence and was quite an addictive read. I didn’t know who to trust so had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

I definitely highly recommend The Poison Machine and it’s predecessor The Bloodless Boy. Both absolutely wonderful, intriguing and addictive reads.