Tag: master mercurius

Sapere Books Sign New Master Mercurius Mystery by Graham Brack

We are thrilled to announce that we have signed the ninth book in the Master Mercurius Mysteries series by Graham Brack.

Set in seventeenth-century Europe, the series follows the adventures of a gifted cleric-turned-sleuth.

In Graham’s words:

“After eight adventures, Mercurius is very keen that there should not be a ninth. He wants a peaceful life surrounded by his books, and perhaps now that the Stadhouder is King of England he can have it. So long as William III is in England, and Mercurius stays in Leiden, he should be quite safe.

“The long vacation is approaching, and Mercurius decides to make doubly sure by not being in Leiden either. He is planning a tour of great German cathedrals, something that he has long wanted to do. He has even been learning some German in preparation.

“But then comes an invitation he cannot refuse. An old friend would like some advice on buying books for a library. It will take the whole summer, but then those cathedrals will still be there next year, and he has always wanted to spend someone else’s money on books…

“And while he is there, a baffling crime is committed — or is it?

“The Mercurius stories are a delight to write and I am grateful to Sapere Books for showing such faith in them. If he were alive today, I am sure Master Mercurius would love to see his name on the covers. After all, his multi-volume Commentary on the Nicomachean Ethics is rarely read these days, but his memoirs continue to find readers, for which I am very grateful.”

The Moers Murders is Out Now!

Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose absorbing historical adventure, The Moers Murders, is out now!

The Moers Murders is the eighth historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

1688, The Netherlands

Master Mercurius has just settled back into his life as a lecturer at the University of Leiden when he is once again summoned by the Stadhouder, William of Orange.

A message from William is never good news, but he is not a man you can say no to.

So Mercurius finds himself once again uprooted and at the centre of dangerous political plot.

William has decided it is time to expand his empire and launch an attack on his nemesis, the French King Louis XIV. And to keep the element of surprise on his side he has decided to march through Germany.

To keep the Germans from blocking him, William has decided to make use of Moers, the German stronghold he inherited which he is allowed to occupy and arm. But he needs someone in control there.

And that is how Mercurius finds himself as the newly appointed Governor of Moers.

William has promised that Mercurius will be executed if the secret plan is discovered, so can the Master keep it under wraps? Or will he be facing the hangman’s noose…?

Happy Publication Day to Graham Brack!

Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose darkly humorous murder mystery, Murder in Maastricht, is published today!

Murder in Maastricht is the seventh historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

1686, The Netherlands

After getting Master Mercurius jailed and nearly put to death with one of his schemes, the Stadhouder, William of Orange, has finally left Mercurius in peace.

But Mercurius is not able to remain in Leiden for long. A friendly debate on the sin of witchcraft has been proposed between the University of Leiden and the University of Leuven. And the scholars are to meet part-way in the city of Maastricht.

When researching the local witch trials from 70 years ago, Mercurius comes across astonishing charges that could not possibly be true.

But the opposing side brings forth a witch-finder as a witness who is adamant that the women he charges bear the signs of the devil.

Before the debate can continue, the witch-finder is found brutally murdered. His body was left inside the library, locked from the inside with no other available exit.

Could this be the work of Satan? His wrath provoked by the investigation into local witch trials?

Or is the culprit someone grounded much more in reality…?

The Lying Dutchman is Out Now

Congratulations to Graham Brack, whose fabulous historical mystery, The Lying Dutchman, is published today!

The Lying Dutchman is the sixth book in the Master Mercurius series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

1685, The Netherlands

Master Mercurius has once again been summoned to The Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. And a letter from William is never good news.

King Charles II of England has died and William, with his wife Mary, is now next in line to the throne once the current king, James II dies.

But Charles II’s illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, has put a spanner in the works.

Monmouth is being encouraged to stage a rebellion and take the English throne. William needs to stop him so as not to jeopardise his own claim, but he also wants to keep Monmouth as an ally.

So, Mercurius is ordered to travel once again to England, and this time on an even more dangerous mission. He must plant a letter containing Monmouth’s invasion plans at court so that James summons an army in response and scares Monmouth off.

The only problem is that if Mercurius is caught and tried for espionage, the punishment is certain death…

Sapere Books Signs a New Historical Mystery by Graham Brack

Set in seventeenth-century Leiden, The Netherlands, Graham Brack’s funny and immersive Master Mercurius Mysteries follow Mercurius — a witty university lecturer-cum-sleuth.

The first four books in the Master Mercurius series are published, and we are delighted to have signed up the next instalment: THE VANISHING CHILDREN.

In Graham’s words:

“I’ve been delighted with the response from readers to the Master Mercurius Mysteries. It’s wonderful to read good reviews, not only for myself, but also for Sapere Books, who always had faith in the stories. Being part of the Sapere family is very encouraging to any author; we enjoy our colleagues’ successes. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

“The fifth book sees Mercurius sent to Amsterdam which — even in 1684 — was not a place where a minister who has led a sheltered life as he has would feel comfortable. On top of that, he has been sent to bully the city authorities into handing over their taxes in full. However, while he is there, he is approached by a local merchant who tells him that three children have gone missing, and their families have been fobbed off by Amsterdam’s powers that be.

“So begins an inquiry that makes Mercurius question his own faith as well as his suitability for the task he has been given…”

 

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