Book description
Alchemists and courtiers seek to confound Francis Wyld as he
investigates the death of a Frenchman in London in 1663. Wyld, a
gentleman adventurer and sometime philosopher, is asked by close
friend Robert Delaney to find a priceless alchemical text which the
Frenchman was to deliver to him. The quest leads to Whitehall where it
becomes intertwined with the political and religious intrigue within
the court of Charles II. Meanwhile, Wyld's own fate is threatened by
the attentions of one of the King's mistresses, Lady Castlemaine.
Tragedy and treason are destined to follow. Can Wyld bring to justice
the fanatical mastermind who threatens the highest officer in the land?
"Edward Bewley lives in London where he scratches a living as a
journalist and hack. He has travelled widely both in the present and in
the foreign lands of history. Of those last he most recently found
himself in Restoration London from which the current tale is culled. At
university, Bewley acquired a grounding in natural philosophy, a
discipline which he pursued for several years before laying it aside to
pick up the pen. He has since sought to tutor his fellows in the arcane
ways of these philosophers. This is his first official work of fiction.
"
