The next installment in one of my favorite historical fiction series did not disappoint. In fact, it made me love the series more.
I always wanted to know more about Lady Anne Winter, a Royalist spy from the Damian Seeker series, and in this book, we see more of her personality. But let us start at the beginning.
The book, The Winter List, starts after the King has been restored to the throne. Charles II’s reign started May 29, 1660. His predecessor and father, Charles I, was executed in 1649.
After the execution, Oliver Cromwell became the Lord Protector of Britain from December 1653 until his death in September 1658.
With the reign of Charles II, a new era started and it included undoing some of Cromwell’s legislature. Also, the hunt was on for those who conspired to execute Charles I. They were called regicides. Various lists were drawn up. Some officially approved by the King, some he unofficially condoned. Some people were to receive mercy. But whenever a regime changes, there is a risk of clandestine lists from those out for revenge.
Damian Seeker was a Captain in Cromwell’s army as well as Intelligence Officer in John Thurloe’s Secret Service. He had plenty of enemies, few people he tolerated, and even fewer friends. The number of people who managed to make a crack into this soldier’s varnished heart could be counted on one hand.
Amongst those who Seeker started to tolerate was Lady Anne Winter. In this Royalist spy, his adversary, Seeker saw characteristics that superseded his aversion for her work and boss. As we know from the series, they talked and to a degree exchanged information leaving each wondering why a bond was forming. At one point, she even helped him escape. And Seeker, he trusted Anne to take to London the only one he really loves, his daughter Manon.
The prologue takes place in August 1660. Knowing about these lists, some people are worried about Seeker. One of them is Manon’s husband, York lawyer Lawrence Ingolby. He receives a warning that Seeker’s name is on one of those lists. But who drew up that list? How many people are working on that list? There is only one thing to do for Lawrence and that is to keep Manon and their daughter Lizzie safe. Because if there is one thing that will bring Seeker out of hiding, it is a threat to his small family.
We meet Roger L’Estrange who is also interested in finding regicides. He has his reasons. One of his agents is Lady Anne Winter. He gives her a list of names. Find them, observe them, spy on them and their families, find out all you can, and report back. This is the Winter List.
The threat to Seeker’s family starts when one of Lawrence Ingolby’s clients is found murdered. Then Lizzie goes missing. She is found shortly in a shed with the door locked from the outside.
We meet secondary characters from the previous five books in the Seeker series. MacLean shows here what a wonderful writer she is by making their stories our sole focus while never letting us forget the hunt for Damian Seeker, the principal character.
Who exactly is hunting Seeker and whose names are on the Winter List, you must discover for yourself. One thing I must point out: pay attention to the strong women in this story.
There is of course Manon, Seeker’s daughter. She is eight months pregnant but do not underestimate her. Lady Anne Winter shows us her intelligencer skills but it is in her relationship with her maidservant Griselda “Grizel” Duncan that we see where Anne’s purpose in life lies. She keeps an eye on Manon and even installs Grizel in their household. But Grizel is not just a simple maidservant. She has a history of her own. That history taught her to use a knife and a gun. She too has a list.
Without effort, MacLean puts the reader on the streets of York, in its taverns and localities. She avoids, as she did before, too many descriptions and information. MacLean skillfully shows us enough history to be able to follow the intrigues and the tensions of the time.
Some critique online is that this book is an easy read, not challenging, and that there is not enough attention for some of MacLean’s primary characters. I will say this: thanks to her writing style, the reader easily picks up the story after book five and is immediately immersed in this new adventure. The plot unfolds slowly but that is because there is more to each character in this book. If you read the book to the end all questions are answered except for one: will there be a next installment in the Seeker Series?
Highly recommended reading.
My other book reviews are here.