The Italian Potion
by Edward Bewley
Courtier and man-about-town Francis Wyld also regards himself as something of a philosopher
in the truest sense of the word. After an alchemical evening when he sees base metal
transformed to gold, he is informed by his friend, Robert Delaney, that the Frenchman he
watched performing the experiment has been murdered. Delaney wants Francis to discover the
perpetrator and find out what has happened to certain secret alchemical papers that Monsieur
Vouet had brought for him. This investigation will lead him to Whitehall and the King’s Court,
straight into the clutches of Lady Castlemaine...
The most surprising (and refreshing) feature of this book is the fact that it is set in the
17th century. Not many books are, which is a pity, and reading this novel reminded me what we
historical novel readers have been missing. Set at a time when the King’s lively court was
doing its best to sweep away any lingering vestiges of Puritanism, it also depicts the
beginnings of modern science. Vouet’s alchemy harks back to the years when it was regarded as
highly illegal magic, but Wyld also meets with Hooker and other Royal Society members, and the
whole tale is redolent with this exciting transitional phase between medieval superstition and
modern science. The whodunit aspect is entertaining too, as is the depiction of London just
before the fire and its world of coffee houses, wits, scientists and swaggering courtiers.
Wyld makes a good narrator, too, and the language recalls the time enough without resorting
either to modern idioms or antiquated "gadzookery." There is a lot in here to enjoy, and none
of it recalls the work of anybody else, which is refreshing. I do hope that this is the first
in a new series. |
The Book |
Robert Hale |
30 April 2010 |
Hardback |
0709089422 / 9780709089421 |
Historical Mystery / Adventure / 1663 London, England |
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The Reviewer |
Rachel A Hyde |
Reviewed 2010 |
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