The Black Friar by S. G. MacLean

It is not often one finds a mystery or crime fiction plot so well woven, so well plotted that one almost forgets about the meticulous detail of the background time period in which it is set. The reader is swept up, from the first page, following the path of Captain Seeker as he pursues the murderer (or murderers) of a colleague, a spy in Cromwell’s employ, found bricked up in an old building, dressed in a black friar’s gown. Another mystery, that of the disappearance of four children from their places of employ or homes, competes with Seeker’s attention, along with a third directive from his boss to put down civil unrest. So many tasks to undertake, all on foot or horseback, as this is 1655 London England. The Captain is aided by Cromwell’s troops, an ex-soldier turned coffee house keeper and other town characters met in the first novel The Seeker (which may be found in the SMSA Library).

The ending is breath taking, the reasons behind the children’s disappearance is horrifying (to this present day reader) and the tying up of loose ends completely satisfactory. Add to the mix, the detail of everyday life of the common person in 1655 is insinuated into the plot seamlessly.

It does help to read The Seeker before The Black Friar, if only to gain a full understanding of the backgrounds of the characters with whom Captain Seeker interacts.

Recommended for fans of crime, history and, together, historical crime fiction set in the era of Oliver Cromwell.

Reviewed by Belinda Coombs
Murder and Crime Reading Group