“Yes and no. Let me explain! Bearing in mind the death of my father and my years in exile, I vowed that should I ever be returned to the throne, I would create a situation where I would never suffer the same fate. In order to retain the confidence of my people, my government would need to be open, transparent, tolerant and ready to compromise. This open approach is evident in everything I have done since returning to London. You, Tremayne will not be part of this open government.”
– an excerpt from the book
Author Reputation Press is honored to publish “The Second Son: Dynastic Disasters and Political Intrigue England 1660” by Geoff Quaife. This book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARPress website.
“The Second Son: Dynastic Disasters and Political Intrigue: England 1660” by Geoff Quaife is a historical narrative centered on the challenges faced by the Royalist community during a tumultuous period in English history. The book depicts the complexities of loyalty, intrigue, and social division as the characters navigate the political landscape of post-Civil War England.
Author Geoff Quaife, born and educated in Melbourne, Australia, has been a university lecturer, historian, and academic administrator, spending most of his working life in Armidale in regional NSW. He is the author of academic works on witchcraft and sexuality and the fifteen earlier Luke Tremayne adventures.
Set in 1660, the book delves into the aftermath of the English Civil War and the Restoration period of Charles II. The historical context enriches the narrative, providing readers with insights into the struggles that shaped the future of England during this volatile era.
Luke encounters a fractured Royalist community, characterized by divisions stemming from family feuds, social class disparities, and generational disputes. These internal conflicts complicate Luke’s mission and reflect the larger societal tensions of the time.
Luke, now the King’s special agent, is sent to one of the home counties to assess the suitability of the shire’s gentry to represent the King across the county, in Parliament, and on the bench. Luke finds a fractured Royalist community divided by family feuds, social class, generational disputes, and bitterness between those who went into exile with the King and those who remained behind and suffered under the Republic. The assessment is sidetracked by an alleged massacre, a disappearing Cromwellian magistrate, ambitious, conniving, and predatory women, a vindictive husband, secret societies, the plague, closely kept secrets, men eating animals, and a spate of attempted and successful murders.
The narrative explores themes of political intrigue, demonstrating how personal ambitions and longstanding grievances influence the loyalty of individuals. The atmosphere of bitterness, particularly between those who remained in England and those who went into exile, adds layers of complexity to the story.
“The Second Son: Dynastic Disasters and Political Intrigue England 1660” by Geoff Quaife is now available for purchase via ARPress Bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/bookstore/the-second-son-dynastic-disasters-and-political-intrigue-england-1660/.