The Cromwell Enigma - Derek Wilson

In 1540 Nicolas Bourbon is sent as Queen Marguerite of Navarre’s secret envoy to find out what has happened to cause Thomas Cromwell’s fall from grace, and what the ripple effects of his execution might be. 

At first he feels somewhat ambivalent about his task, but he soon finds himself facing powerful opponents of Cromwell and all he stood for, who are keen to portray him as a dangerous man seeking only to fulfil his own ambitions.  

When he is called on to tell others what kind of man Cromwell really was, Nicholas finds he cannot say.  There are too many different versions, and very little information about Cromwell’s life before his meteoric rise. 

Before long he finds himself on a journey to find out who Cromwell really was – and to determine the significance of the broken crucifix found in Cromwell’s possessions, with the note ‘remember always’.

This is a very well written novel and a gripping read, blending fact and fiction seamlessly and believably as it weaves the fictional characters and actions around actual events and people.  The historical detail is helped by extracts from letters and documents of the time and would thrill the soul of serious historians.  Some authors of novels based around real people or events have a tendency to drown the story in the historical detail, but Wilson skilfully avoids this.   Despite occasionally withdrawing from the novel for a little investigation of the facts vs the fiction (helped by the useful ‘Notes on historical characters’ section at the back of the book), I found this book a real page-turner, being both complex and accessible at the same time.  It’s a fascinating insight into the political and religious turmoil of the period after Cromwell’s death.

At the end of the book, Nicholas says ‘If we make no search for truth we abide in windowless mansions, content with what lies within, satisfied with the mental chattels we gather for our amusement. Life is a quest or it is nothing.’  An interesting point on which to close this review.

9781910674529, Marylebone House 

For transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.