I have recently sent my third Sir Anthony Standen Adventure The Suggested Assassin for a Kirkus review. Kirkus are the premier book review organisation in the United States. Their magazine has been read by librarians and film producers since 1933. I’m hoping for a good review. I was quite pleased by their reviews of the first two books. They had this to say about The Spy who Sank the Armada –
“West does a masterful job of introducing Standen’s character while also showing 16th-century Europe through his eyes. The novel also delivers a remarkably nuanced depiction of diverse cultures and kingdoms along the way. The author establishes early on that his protagonist seeks “fame and fortune,” and keeps Standen’s characterization consistent and intriguing as he pursues these motivations. West carefully documents the consequences of Standen’s desire to prove himself and gain material wealth, creating a complex portrait. Spy techniques, fight scenes, and an array of attractive supporting characters give the novel a James Bond–esque atmosphere while staying rooted in historical context.”
You can read the full Kirkus review here.
If you do, you’ll find they also have this to say – “However, its abundance of action-packed detail can make the plot somewhat hard to follow, particularly when it involves three men named Henry and three men named Anthony.”
In my defence I would say that I have tried to stay as rooted in the real historical context as possible. There were three Henrys, it was called the “War of the Three Henrys”. Anthony Bacon was one of Walsingham’s spymasters, and he controlled my hero, Sir Anthony Standen and, wait for it, Anthony Rolston.
Sir Anthony Standen was one of the sons of Edmund Standen. Edmund’s other sons were, another Anthony and Edmund, my 10th great-grandfather. The latter Edmund had a son Thomas. Thomas had a son James (b 1629). James had a son James (b 1655). The latter James had a son James (b 1695). He had a son Samuel (b 1728) and he had a son, Samuel (b 1753). Thankfully he named his son Elias (b 1779), and Elias was my 3rd great-grandfather.
It’s not my fault if people in the old days lacked imagination when it came to baptisms. I’m glad to have sent my books in for a Kirkus review though.