The Bloodless Boy
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- Create Date：2021-11-11 21:21:04
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Robert J. Lloyd
- ISBN：B08X17MZRY
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Summary
London， 1678。 The blood-drained body of a young boy is discovered in the snow on the bank of the Fleet River。 Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， Justice of the Peace， sets out to investigate this sinister killing with the help of Robert Hooke， Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society， and his assistant Harry Hunt。 On Sir Edmund’s orders Hooke and Harry preserve the body as evidence at Gresham College。
When a solicitor delivers a coded letter to Hooke， he recognises the code as being one used during the Civil War thirty years before， and discovers that Sir Edmund had in fact used it at that time to assist King Charles II’s escape to France。 Hooke becomes suspicious of Sir Edmund and forbids Harry from continuing the investigation。 But Harry ignores Hooke’s warnings。
Meanwhile， we’re introduced to the Earl of Shaftesbury， his secretary John Locke， and Lefèvre， an assassin。 They are plotting against the King and intend to exploit the anti-Catholic feeling in London to cast blame for the plot on innocent Catholics。 Shaftesbury’s employees give false evidence to Sir Edmund about the dead boy， and as they intended， rumours start to spread of a Catholic plot and the finding of a ‘devil-boy’ drained of his blood。
When another young boy is found dead， Hooke， Harry and Sir Edmund are summoned by the King to examine the body。 But before they have time to find the serial killer， another， more high profile， death changes the course of their investigation。
As word spreads of Harry’s investigation into the mysterious deaths， he finds his life in grave danger， not knowing any longer who to trust when he finally realises the horrible significance of one man’s research and the terrible consequences of experiments gone wrong in the name of Science。
When a solicitor delivers a coded letter to Hooke， he recognises the code as being one used during the Civil War thirty years before， and discovers that Sir Edmund had in fact used it at that time to assist King Charles II’s escape to France。 Hooke becomes suspicious of Sir Edmund and forbids Harry from continuing the investigation。 But Harry ignores Hooke’s warnings。
Meanwhile， we’re introduced to the Earl of Shaftesbury， his secretary John Locke， and Lefèvre， an assassin。 They are plotting against the King and intend to exploit the anti-Catholic feeling in London to cast blame for the plot on innocent Catholics。 Shaftesbury’s employees give false evidence to Sir Edmund about the dead boy， and as they intended， rumours start to spread of a Catholic plot and the finding of a ‘devil-boy’ drained of his blood。
When another young boy is found dead， Hooke， Harry and Sir Edmund are summoned by the King to examine the body。 But before they have time to find the serial killer， another， more high profile， death changes the course of their investigation。
As word spreads of Harry’s investigation into the mysterious deaths， he finds his life in grave danger， not knowing any longer who to trust when he finally realises the horrible significance of one man’s research and the terrible consequences of experiments gone wrong in the name of Science。
Reviews
Jaffareadstoo
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There are suspicious circumstances when the body of a young boy is found on the banks of the Fleet River on New Years Day in 1678。 This discovery proves something of a challenge for Robert Hooke， the Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society for Improving Natural Knowledge， and his assistant Harry Hunt， for not only is it a distressing sight to welcome in the New Year but also the macabre aspects of the boy's death is something of a conundrum。 This fascinating duo set about the challenge of di There are suspicious circumstances when the body of a young boy is found on the banks of the Fleet River on New Years Day in 1678。 This discovery proves something of a challenge for Robert Hooke， the Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society for Improving Natural Knowledge， and his assistant Harry Hunt， for not only is it a distressing sight to welcome in the New Year but also the macabre aspects of the boy's death is something of a conundrum。 This fascinating duo set about the challenge of discovery by using what they know about science， however， their knowledge will lead them into dangerous political territory。The authenticity of Restoration England comes alive with fascinating insight into the way London is developing after the devastation caused by The Great Fire some twelve years before the story opens。 The deadly intrigue which surrounds the pursuit of science and the distrust and suspicion which seems to follow anyone who doesn't conform is described in intricate detail and I have especially enjoyed following Hooke and Hunt as they seek to make sense of an investigation which seems to thwart them at every level。I found The Bloodless Boy to be an intriguing historical adventure with a good sense of pace and and a well thought out mystery which has all the elements of surprise， intrigue and danger。 However， it is the author's style of writing which excels in this beautifully written historical novel and in perfectly blending fiction， with known facts， a story of political intrigue， science and religion comes alive in the imagination。 。。。more
Whispering Stories
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Book Reviewed on www。whisperingstories。com‘The Bloodless Boy’ is the debut novel of British-based author， Robert J Lloyd， who transports us back to a dark and dismal post-Restoration England in January 1678。 The story has a large cast so it is helpful to have them listed at the start of the book。 The chapters are of even length with a good balance between dialogue and description。 Whilst easy to understand， the choice of language definitely gives a feeling of the era in which the book has been s Book Reviewed on www。whisperingstories。com‘The Bloodless Boy’ is the debut novel of British-based author， Robert J Lloyd， who transports us back to a dark and dismal post-Restoration England in January 1678。 The story has a large cast so it is helpful to have them listed at the start of the book。 The chapters are of even length with a good balance between dialogue and description。 Whilst easy to understand， the choice of language definitely gives a feeling of the era in which the book has been set; for example， the Great Fire is referred to as the ‘conflagration’。 The scene is set for the mystery of the boys’ bodies found drained of blood and left by Barking Creek， the Fleet River and Westbourne， to unfold。Pre-industrial England in the 17th Century was a time of discovery， technology and invention。 Knowledge of the human body was rudimentary and the thirst for understanding led to macabre experimentation。 Against this backdrop， we meet Robert Hook， Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society and his assistant， Harry Hunt， who are called upon by Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， Justice of the Peace in Westminster， to help discover what motive lies behind the bizarre deaths。As the plot unfolds we are presented with various possibilities; were the boys’ deaths related to a Catholic plot to eliminate the king？ Was the suicide of the Secretary of the Royal Society connected in some way？ What did the well-bound package found in Secretary Oldenburg’s study contain？ What is the meaning of the Red Cipher found on the bodies and can it be deciphered without a keyword？ Can an elderly survivor of the Civil War help unravel the mystery？ Who can Harry trust in his determination to find out the truth？Greed seems to be a common denominator among many of the characters with the exception of Harry， who is keen to pursue several avenues of enquiry。 His investigations lead him into dangerous territory and even the king himself shows an interest in discovering the truth。By clever use of many literary devices， the author paints a vivid picture of life in that bleak and cold winter during the reign of Charles II， as we follow several threads until eventually we find out the awful truth。I found the book challenging in places and needed to concentrate fully for fear of missing a vital clue in the early stages; however， the second half flowed extremely well。This is a fascinating tale which will appeal to those who enjoy a historical social commentary as much as a good thriller。 I complement the author on his research into the period in question and admire his ability to capture the volatile mood of the country。 He has blended fact and fiction very well。 The lighter moments were few and far between but I did appreciate the tender connection between Harry and Robert’s niece， Grace。 。。。more
Linda Hill
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A young boy’s body is found。What a tour de force The Bloodless Boy is。 I read it with a mixture of fascination and complete admiration for Robert J。 Lloyd’s superb writing， it being both eloquent and entertaining。 The narrative style fits the historical era perfectly but is still completely accessible to the modern reader。The 1678 setting is magnificent。 Descriptions place the reader so firmly at the heart of the action that it really is as if you’re there with Harry and Robert。 Every sense is c A young boy’s body is found。What a tour de force The Bloodless Boy is。 I read it with a mixture of fascination and complete admiration for Robert J。 Lloyd’s superb writing， it being both eloquent and entertaining。 The narrative style fits the historical era perfectly but is still completely accessible to the modern reader。The 1678 setting is magnificent。 Descriptions place the reader so firmly at the heart of the action that it really is as if you’re there with Harry and Robert。 Every sense is catered for and the level of authenticity this adds to The Bloodless Boy makes it a wonderfully immersive read。 Not only is this historical writing of the best kind， but in The Bloodless Boy there is mystery， politics， religion， science and intrigue all rolled into one totally absorbing narrative。 The assiduous level of research， added to the cast of real and imagined characters makes The Bloodless Boy an authentic read too。 I found it mesmerising。The plot races along。 Short chapters make for a snappy pace as it’s hard not to read just one more because the story is so engaging。 I loved the chapter headings that draw in the reader too。 The events that are familiar to the reader， engaging them with the story， are overlaid with invented occurrences so that The Bloodless Boy really is the perfect blend of fact and fiction。 That said， anyone not especially interested in history， but who loves a brilliant mystery would thoroughly enjoy this narrative。 A reader doesn’t need to love historical fiction to be royally （pun not intended） entertained here。I appreciated the inclusion of a character list at the beginning as there are several people to keep abreast of in the story。 I loved the way real people are scattered through the pages because it made The Bloodless Boy feel all the more powerful a read， knowing that some of these people really existed。 I’d never before heard of Robert Hooke but had studied John Locke at university so that I accepted without question Robert J。 Lloyd’s convincing presentation of character。 In amongst the schemers， the villains， the wealthy， the criminals， the insane and the ordinary people who leap from the pages here， it was Harry Hunt who engaged me most。 His integrity and vulnerability balanced against his strength and ability to dissemble if needed made him a true hero。Themes in The Bloodless Boy leave the reader reeling。 Certainly aspects steeped in historical fact have the benefit of hindsight， but there’s so much to consider and ponder so that I keep thinking about the book now I’ve finished reading it。The Bloodless Boy is multi-layered， beautifully written and deeply textured so that it is a magnificently entertaining and rewarding read。 I thought it was excellent。 。。。more
Amy Louise
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Set in seventeenth-century London， The Bloodless Boy introduces readers to Harry Hunt， Observator of the Royal Society and protégé of Robert Hooke， the society’s renowned Curator of Experiments。 Called to the banks of the Fleet on a snowy winter’s morning， Hunt and Hooke are charged with the investigation and preservation of the body of a young boy， drained of blood and， apparently， transported to the river’s bank without the perpetrator leaving a trace of their passing。The discovery of the bloo Set in seventeenth-century London， The Bloodless Boy introduces readers to Harry Hunt， Observator of the Royal Society and protégé of Robert Hooke， the society’s renowned Curator of Experiments。 Called to the banks of the Fleet on a snowy winter’s morning， Hunt and Hooke are charged with the investigation and preservation of the body of a young boy， drained of blood and， apparently， transported to the river’s bank without the perpetrator leaving a trace of their passing。The discovery of the bloodless boy provides Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， Justice of the Peace， with a puzzle – and Hunt with an opportunity to step out from his master’s shadow and prove his mettle as a natural philosopher in his own right。 Solving the mystery of the bloodless bodies being left over London will take Hunt into some of the darkest – and most dangerous – corners of Restoration London， where the pursuit of knowledge rubs shoulders with criminality， and where a political hornet’s nest is waiting to be stirred up。Seventeenth-century London comes vividly to life on the page in The Bloodless Boy， from the intrigues of the Court to the grimy streets of London’s shadowy back alleys。 The early proceedings of the Royal Society – and the tensions created as the secular rationalism of the ‘new’ philosophy came into increasing conflict with established， often deeply-held， religious belief – are richly portrayed， and a real sense of the world that the characters occupy comes across on the page。For me， the characters themselves didn’t come to life quite as vividly as the setting – probably because there were a lot of them。 Fictional creations mix with real historical figures and， whilst I admire the dedication Robert J Lloyd has put into creating his rich and detailed world， there were times when I wondered whether the roles of some characters could have been combined to make it easier for readers to distinguish。 A character list is provided at the beginning of the novel – which does help – but reading on my e-reader made flicking back and forth to refer to this every time that I’d forgotten who someone was something of a chore。The mystery of the bloodless boy is， however， certainly intriguing – and considerably more complex than it first appears， and utilises this history of this tumultuous period to add additional depth。 With as much a focus upon the ‘why’ as well as the ‘who’-dunnit， you also get a fantastic history lesson alongside your crime-solving， with a Hunt and Hooke’s inquiries taking them back to the dark days of the English Civil War， as well as the very edges of the moral boundaries of philosophical enquiry at the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment。With its blend of political intrigue， underworld vice， and scientific enquiry， The Bloodless Boy reminded me of Ambrose Parry’s Will Raven and Sarah Fisher series of medical crime-thrillers， as well as Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London series。 With a strong narrative drive and an intriguing mystery， the pace rarely drops off。 Whilst this may leave readers who like to spend a little longer getting to know their characters wanting more， those seeking a plot-driven crime thriller within a well-realised historical setting will find much to enjoy here。NB: This review appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks。wordpre。。。 as part of the blog tour for The Bloodless Boy。 My thanks go to the publisher for providing an e-copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
travelsalongmybookshelf
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The Bloodless Boy - Robert J。 Lloyd1678A very young boy is found drained of his blood on the snowy banks of the Fleet， it is a gruesome yet elaborate crime which Robert Hooke and his assistant Harry Hunt are called upon to explain。The powers that be are screaming Catholicism and plots against the King but they will use scientific evidence rather than paranoia in the pursuit of the truth to discover the boys murderer。 There is political intrigue and plots to assassinate the KingAs further bodies The Bloodless Boy - Robert J。 Lloyd1678A very young boy is found drained of his blood on the snowy banks of the Fleet， it is a gruesome yet elaborate crime which Robert Hooke and his assistant Harry Hunt are called upon to explain。The powers that be are screaming Catholicism and plots against the King but they will use scientific evidence rather than paranoia in the pursuit of the truth to discover the boys murderer。 There is political intrigue and plots to assassinate the KingAs further bodies are found Hooke and Hunt have to keep their wits about them to avoid catholic plots as the threat to them and those close to them gets ever nearer。‘𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿。’We are transported back to 17th Century London in this novel， it is wonderfully immersive and so detailed you can smell it and breathe it in。A real love for history shines through， there is a veritable cast of characters who are so vividly drawn， I felt like they could step out of the page in all their glory！ I kept looking them up as most， but not all are real life people。 With gorgeous earthy writing and descriptions of London growing out of the ruins of the Great Fire， I felt like I was walking the streets too。‘𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗿。 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀，’ 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱。 ‘𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴，’ 𝗧𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆， ‘𝘀𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲。’There is some outstanding plotting， I was riveted with deadly plots and intrigue against the King。 There are ciphers， Titus Oates and his ‘popish plot’ and some great forensic work。 It is of a similar style to the Wolf Hall trilogy and if you enjoyed those then you’ll love this one。This is a great piece of historical fiction， full of detail， immersive and gripping。 I’m hoping Hooke and Hunt have some more investigating to do in future！✩✩✩✩[AD PR PRODUCT]With thanks to Nikki at Melville House for my copy of this book and spot on the tour 。。。more
Becky
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The 17th Century is my favourite period of history and one I enjoyed studying as part of my history degree so I was keen to read this new literary thriller set in Restoration London。The story begins in 1678， eighteen years after Charles 2nd has been restored as King （following Cromwell's Protectorate。） A body of a young boy drained of blood has been discovered and Robert Hooke （Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society） with his assistant Harry Hunt have been asked to investigate。 They need to The 17th Century is my favourite period of history and one I enjoyed studying as part of my history degree so I was keen to read this new literary thriller set in Restoration London。The story begins in 1678， eighteen years after Charles 2nd has been restored as King （following Cromwell's Protectorate。） A body of a young boy drained of blood has been discovered and Robert Hooke （Curator of Experiments at the Royal Society） with his assistant Harry Hunt have been asked to investigate。 They need to find out who and why he was murdered and whether it is linked to a Catholic plot， a foreign assassin or even part of a plot against the King。This is such an atmospheric book。 I could picture both the dark underworld of London and the rich affluent court of the King。 The descriptions were fascinating and I enjoyed reading about all the new experimental science also taking place at the time。The fact that a lot of the characters are based on actual historical figures and linked closely to historical events made it even more exciting。 There is so much attention to detail。 The author is clearly an expert on the history of the period and this comes out in abundance through the novel。 The mix of fact and fiction was great！I loved the character and determination of Harry to discover the truth at any cost。 I felt very invested in his character and was willing him to uncover the truth before getting embroiled in any more dangerous situations。 The increasingly complicated conspiracy and sinister activities by some of the villains in the story kept me turning the pages。 As well as great characters the plot is exciting with an ending that I found hard to predict。This is not the easiest read （and I did have to concentrate at times！） but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend to fans of historical fiction。 I can't wait to read the next book in the series。 。。。more
Juliet Bookliterati
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The Bloodless Boy was inspired by research when author Robert J Lloyd was researching for his MA in’The History of Ideas’ and came aross Robert Hooke， now the protagonist in his debut novel。 Set in 1678， the New Year opens with the body of a young boy found on the banks of the river Fleet， drained of his blood。 Justice Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey calls on the knowledge of Robert Hooke， Curator of Experiments at the newly established Royal Society for the Improving of Natural Knowledge。 With his assi The Bloodless Boy was inspired by research when author Robert J Lloyd was researching for his MA in’The History of Ideas’ and came aross Robert Hooke， now the protagonist in his debut novel。 Set in 1678， the New Year opens with the body of a young boy found on the banks of the river Fleet， drained of his blood。 Justice Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey calls on the knowledge of Robert Hooke， Curator of Experiments at the newly established Royal Society for the Improving of Natural Knowledge。 With his assistant， and former protege Harry Hunt they are drawn into political intrigue to find out what happened to he young boy and why his blood was drained。 With conspires aplenty and talk of a Catholic plot against the King， Hooke and Hunt find themselves drawn into the murkier side of London an pit science against rumour and the continued ripples from the Civil War。The Bloodless Boy grabbed my attention from the very first page; a murdered young boy， drained of his blood and with a coded message attached。 This is just the start of a complex and mysterious plot about murder， Catholic plots， Ciphers and political intrigue。 Into this come scientists Hooke and Hunt， recommended by King Charles II， to help discover why young boys are murdered in this horrific way。 Hooke and Hunt， both historical figures， live by the motto of the Royal Society Seek the truth from what is known， and what can be shown to be true bringng their unique set of skills to the investigation。 As the plot twists and turns， and politics come into play Hooke has doubts about their investigations， fearful of where it may lead with threads leading back to the Civil War。 Hunt， however wants to continue， to finally come out of Hooke’s shadow and be his own man and ultimately prove himself to those around him。 Robert J Lloyd also weaves in the story of The Earl od Shaftesbury， recntly released from the Tower after disagreeing with the King。 He is determined to cause an uprising， to scare the King into believing that there was a Catholic conspiracy to kill him and the bodies of the young boys feed into that。Robert J Lloyd’s writing is simply sublime， using language from the late Seventeenth Century， and paying attention to the smallest details adding authenticity to the characters and setting。 I loved the atmosphere his writing created， the sights and sounds of London， the snow turning black， the smells of the tannneries，the food and drink， like cowslip pie and the changes made after the Great Fire。 This was such a fascinating period in history with the rise of science in explaining why things are the way they are， a move towards empirical study， what can be proved， and an understanding of the body， mind and our environment; the chapters were even titles Observations， like a scientific journal。 Robert J Lloyd cleverly builds the tension， weaving the many layers together of murder， politics， religion and ciphers， whilst maintaining the underlying menace， and the suspicion between the characters。The Bloodless Boy is an exceptional debut novel that works on so many levels。 I loved learning about Hooke and Hunt， their studies for the Royal Society and how those studies could help in the investigaions of the young boy’s death。 The seamless weaving together of the different plot lines， the blend of fact and fiction and a gripping historical mystery make for an intriguing and fascinating read， and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series。 。。。more
Joyce Hamel
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IngeniousA young boy was murdered who was only three years old and left bloodless。 This story takes place in 1678 London which requires a fine author to intertwine the times and murder without deviating from history and detective parameters。Harry Hunt is the main character whose title apparently is Observer of the Royal Society of London for the improving of of natural knowledge。 His boss is Robert Hooke （an actual historical figure） who was one of the first to visualize microorganisms。 The sett IngeniousA young boy was murdered who was only three years old and left bloodless。 This story takes place in 1678 London which requires a fine author to intertwine the times and murder without deviating from history and detective parameters。Harry Hunt is the main character whose title apparently is Observer of the Royal Society of London for the improving of of natural knowledge。 His boss is Robert Hooke （an actual historical figure） who was one of the first to visualize microorganisms。 The setting is twelve years after the Great Fire when a brilliant mind like Hooke can perform architectural surveys。 Hunt learns that another young boy was murdered in the same manner。 There is a possible connection to a Catholic plot to kill the king and discover if there is a link to the suicide of Henry Oldenburg， Secretary to the Royal Society。So long ago， but the politics seem current as it meshes itself into a fascinating mystery。 This original writing demands a special author who can grasp history and place a mystery in its proper perspective。My gratitude to NetGalley and Melville House Publishing for this pre-published book。 All opinions expressed are mine。 。。。more
Violet
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I read an ARC and it was gripping。 I had a bit of trouble getting into it because of the time period （1600s） but the characters developed well and the mystery was fascinating。
Patricia
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A historical fiction mystery set in 17th century London。You can tell the author spent a lot of time on research。 Liked some characters and hated the ones you're suppose to hate。 The general plot is good but I found the writing choppy which I don't care for。 But that's just me。 It's received a lot of good reviews。 A historical fiction mystery set in 17th century London。You can tell the author spent a lot of time on research。 Liked some characters and hated the ones you're suppose to hate。 The general plot is good but I found the writing choppy which I don't care for。 But that's just me。 It's received a lot of good reviews。 。。。more
Wendy Robey
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The Bloodless Boy is a superb historical crime mystery。 Set in 17th Century London， the hysteria of Catholic plots and assassins are mixed cleverly with the discovery of a young boy drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers enshrined on his skin。 Using their scientific knowledge from the Royal Society， Hooke and Hunt are off on the search for the truth。 Through the grey and dangerous streets of the City to the walls of Palace， this story takes you on an adventure。 The research involved The Bloodless Boy is a superb historical crime mystery。 Set in 17th Century London， the hysteria of Catholic plots and assassins are mixed cleverly with the discovery of a young boy drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers enshrined on his skin。 Using their scientific knowledge from the Royal Society， Hooke and Hunt are off on the search for the truth。 Through the grey and dangerous streets of the City to the walls of Palace， this story takes you on an adventure。 The research involved is extensive and the mix of fact and fiction intelligently written - I was gripped from the very start。 。。。more
Lainy
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Time taken to read - in an out over 5 daysPages - 392Publisher - Melville HouseSource - Review copyBlurb from AmazonThe City of London， 1678。 New Year's Day。 The body of a young boy， drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers inscribed on his skin， is discovered on the snowy bank of the Fleet River。 With London gripped by hysteria， where rumors of Catholic plots and sinister foreign assassins abound， Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster， is certain of C Time taken to read - in an out over 5 daysPages - 392Publisher - Melville HouseSource - Review copyBlurb from AmazonThe City of London， 1678。 New Year's Day。 The body of a young boy， drained of his blood and with a sequence of numbers inscribed on his skin， is discovered on the snowy bank of the Fleet River。 With London gripped by hysteria， where rumors of Catholic plots and sinister foreign assassins abound， Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster， is certain of Catholic guilt in the crime。 He enlists Robert Hooke， the Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society， and his assistant， Harry Hunt， to help his enquiry。 Sir Edmund confides to Hooke that the bloodless boy is not the first to have been discovered。 He also presents Hooke with a cipher that was left on the body。 That same morning Henry Oldenburg， the Secretary of the Royal Society， blows his brains out。 A disgraced Earl is released from the Tower of London， bent on revenge against the King， Charles II。 Wary of the political hornet's nest they are walking into - and using evidence rather than paranoia in their pursuit of truth - Hooke and Hunt must discover why the boy was murdered， and why his blood was taken。 Moreover， what does the cipher mean？My Review London， 1678， the body of a child is found - drained of blood， London is in a state of unrest， fear， distrust and blame is being laid toward the Catholics。 Robert Hook， Curator of Experiments in the newly formed Royal Society for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge with his assistant Harry Hunt are called in to investigate。 What has happened to the boy， why take the blood， why was he murdered and is it anything to do with a plot against the king？Historical crime， politics， religion， scientists in their early discoveries - it is a busy book！ You can tell a lot of research and work has gone into it。 My history knowledge is super patchy so there is plenty of the factual stuff that was new to me。 I do enjoy reading up and seeing what has been gleamed from fact and infused into a book， it has been really well done and I think folk actually familiar with those parts of history would be impressed。 The chapters are short which you know I love but I think in this book it works really well because there is so so much to take in。 Loads of characters， developments， sidelines， political， medical， plotting， underhanded behaviour， murder。 Political stuff doesn't engage me nor religious but there is enough going on and chapters wee enough you are never stuck on any one thing and it is all relevant to where the story is going。Some of the scenes are graphic and not for the faint hearted， there isn't lots of gore/violence but enough to say probably best not be eating if of a weak stomach and vivid imagination。 Characters - Harry Hunt I liked， he seems like such a nice guy， curious， loyal and not seeing himself as worthy in certain aspects， I think I have a soft spot for him， wanting him happy not fancying。 This absolutely doesn't read like a debut and I am looking forward to book two to see where the story goes， 4/5 for me this time！ 。。。more
Emma Hardy
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Dark， surprising and lots of tension throughout。 This had a real atmosphere。 Wasn't what I was expecting， in a good way。 Dark， surprising and lots of tension throughout。 This had a real atmosphere。 Wasn't what I was expecting， in a good way。 。。。more
Sarah-Hope
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The Bloodless Boy is a wonderful addition to the genre of historical mysteries with scientists/anatomists as their central characters。 When a boy's body， drained of blood and accompanied by a ciphered message， is discovered in London， microscopist Robert Hooke and his former trainee Henry Hunt find themselves drawn into the search for answers to this crime。 Hunt is young and eager to jump into the investigation。 Hooke， having lived through the tumultuous years before the restoration is much more The Bloodless Boy is a wonderful addition to the genre of historical mysteries with scientists/anatomists as their central characters。 When a boy's body， drained of blood and accompanied by a ciphered message， is discovered in London， microscopist Robert Hooke and his former trainee Henry Hunt find themselves drawn into the search for answers to this crime。 Hunt is young and eager to jump into the investigation。 Hooke， having lived through the tumultuous years before the restoration is much more chary。 Eager or not， both men are pulled into puzzle which quickly becomes volatile as events are connected to the work of supposed Catholic terrorists。The cast of characters here， composed of figures both historical and fictitious， is a delight。 The mystery itself is more complex than is often the case with such novels， making this a book that would appeal to readers not generally drawn to the genre。 If you're looking for a lively mix of history， fiction， mystery， and dangerous politics， you've found your book。I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own。 。。。more
Annette
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London， 1678。 A very young boy is found dead。 Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster， believes that Hooke’s knowledge of blood and vacua will greatly assist in finding child’s murderer。Robert Hooke is the Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society and architect of the new London， after the Fire。 With his assistant Harry Hunt they conduct different experiments including blood transfusion。 And that’s what attracted me to this story and learning about those two hist London， 1678。 A very young boy is found dead。 Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， the powerful Justice of Peace for Westminster， believes that Hooke’s knowledge of blood and vacua will greatly assist in finding child’s murderer。Robert Hooke is the Curator of Experiments of the Royal Society and architect of the new London， after the Fire。 With his assistant Harry Hunt they conduct different experiments including blood transfusion。 And that’s what attracted me to this story and learning about those two historical figures and their work。However， the story is plot-driven and that it always my struggle to connect with any such story。 I like character-driven stories， where the main character grasps my attention from the first pages， which doesn’t happen here。 It is normal for plot-driven stories to start with some action as finding a dead body in this story。 However， as soon as a chapter started about Robert Hooke， I thought we would learn something about him， but it jumps to introducing other people and facts。At times， there are a lot of names and facts presented without any depth to it。 Other times， the methodical descriptions are too detailed。 There are times when a big chunk of story is driven by dialogue， which at least in this case is done with the right purpose; the dialogue moves the story forward。The story is ambitious in its scope bringing scientific advances and politics， a lot of names and facts， but it feels as it’s out of balance with engagement。 If you like plot-driven stories， I recommend reading other reviews。 Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
First Clue
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For more reviews of crime fiction， subscribe to First Clue https://www。getrevue。co/profile/First。。。， our free， weekly newsletter。 Starred Review “Life owns a way of disappointing most，” notes a character in Lloyd’s meticulously written and researched debut， in which murder is hot on the heels of the disappointments。 One of the killings is the goriest I’ve ever read: brace yourself for a man having his Adam’s apple bitten out， with the gruesome fruit spat out to roll across the floor。 And that’s For more reviews of crime fiction， subscribe to First Clue https://www。getrevue。co/profile/First。。。， our free， weekly newsletter。 Starred Review “Life owns a way of disappointing most，” notes a character in Lloyd’s meticulously written and researched debut， in which murder is hot on the heels of the disappointments。 One of the killings is the goriest I’ve ever read: brace yourself for a man having his Adam’s apple bitten out， with the gruesome fruit spat out to roll across the floor。 And that’s only a minor character， one of those enmeshed in the politics swirling through London’s grimy， cold winter of 1678， when paranoia about Catholic plots to kill the King and turn the populace toward popery abounds。 A light in the gloom is real-life polymath Robert Hooke， who leaves his elaboratory experiments to investigate the murder of the book’s titular boy。 The child is found with his blood entirely removed， dates written beside various wounds on his body， and a coded message left on his chest。 Once Hooke’s newly invented means of creating a vacuum in a jar is employed to preserve the body， the sleuthing is afoot。 London of the day is almost its own character here， with Lloyd shoving readers into the chill， stink， and fear for a wonderfully atmospheric time。 Try this if you enjoyed Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones， which illuminates the same era， but in Barcelona。—Henrietta Verma， First Clue 。。。more
Stephanie Carlson
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2。5 stars**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。**A detailed， methodical historical thriller for fans who wanted more ‘whodunnit’ in their Hilary Mantel。There’s a lot to like in this book， particularly for those who love highly-researched historical fiction。 Lloyd takes great care with his depiction of late-17th-century life， and he pays particular attention to the scientific thought and advances of that time period， which is fascin 2。5 stars**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。**A detailed， methodical historical thriller for fans who wanted more ‘whodunnit’ in their Hilary Mantel。There’s a lot to like in this book， particularly for those who love highly-researched historical fiction。 Lloyd takes great care with his depiction of late-17th-century life， and he pays particular attention to the scientific thought and advances of that time period， which is fascinating。 The post-civil-war politics of 17th century England are also integral to the plot， which will delight readers of more conventional historical fiction。 The attention to details—names， places， and inventions of the time period—is meticulous。As a thriller， however， the book is lackluster。 The premise—young boys found drained completely of their blood—is great。 However， the big mystery （how exactly the blood was drained） is solved almost immediately， so from there on it’s just a matter of figuring out who killed the boys and why， which is somewhat more usual of a puzzle。 There are still plenty of twists and turns， but few that a reader can track or attempt to anticipate， which creates a much more passive experience than thrillers usually evoke; even moments of danger feel rather distant。That lack of urgency is in part because our hero， Harry， is the biggest disappointment of the book。 The Observator of the Royal Society， Harry is supposed to be the precursor to a modern crime-scene investigator， someone who can piece together the evidence to understand not only what happened but why and how。 The problem is， Harry has no real personality。 He has no real ambition， no real personal history， no real vices or foils， no real virtues。 He’s quiet， he’s hardworking， he’s curious… but mainly he’s just kind of there。 Harry is like an obliging doll for the author to move through his detailed scale model of 1678’s London， but he is in no way a compelling character， and as a reader I never feel anxiety or worry on his behalf。 He’s just tough to care about。In sum， this is an ambitious historical novel about the science and politics of late-18th-century London， burdened by a bland main character and a rather slow and stumbling mystery plot。 The set pieces and side characters are wonderful， but the story itself does not compel。 。。。more
Taylor
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Really enjoyed this book mystery， fiction style a favorite of mine。
Dara
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The characters are all very believable。
Velez
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Robert J。 Lloyd has created a great novel， and developed a storyline that was incredibly intriguing。
Cerelia Wolf
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The story is good but due to the way it is written （mainly how historically accurate it is） it is quite difficult to read and suffers from issues around pacing
Charliecat
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I began this book feeling as though I needed to be convinced， then I began to warm to it， finding it interesting and engrossing。 However， by the end I was back where I started and remained unconvinced。On the one hand， the book conjures up the atmosphere of 17th century London well。 The characters are on the whole quite well drawn （although there are too many for my liking） and contemporary。 I learned quite a bit about London （the Morris wheels， Alsatia） and the initial mystery of murdered boys d I began this book feeling as though I needed to be convinced， then I began to warm to it， finding it interesting and engrossing。 However， by the end I was back where I started and remained unconvinced。On the one hand， the book conjures up the atmosphere of 17th century London well。 The characters are on the whole quite well drawn （although there are too many for my liking） and contemporary。 I learned quite a bit about London （the Morris wheels， Alsatia） and the initial mystery of murdered boys drained of blood turning up all over London is guaranteed to pique any readers' interest。 However， this plot device isn't enough for the author and a whole load of other stuff about the civil war and Popist plots is thrown into the mix as well - not to mention ruminations on the nature of life and morality。 So I'm afraid it becomes a bit of a mess， which is a shame as the central theme is a good one。But what did for me was the transformation of the mild-mannered Observator， Harry Hunt （the book's main protagonist）， into a kind of 17th century James Bond action man。 Let's face it， he even has a name to go with it。 I see there is a Harry Hunt Adventures # 2。 Not sure it will be for me。 Disappointed， but you may love it。 。。。more
Martin
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Great historical fiction and a great mystery t boot。 Highly recommended
Robert Southworth
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DelightfulPolitics， religion and murder what more can a reader ask for？ It is not an era in which i have more than a passing knowledge， but it is clear that the author is studious in his research。 Fine detail is woven into the tale with fact and fiction seamlessly blended together。 I don't do spoilers， but i will say the author really does transport those looking down onto the page ， into the 17th century。 A fine book。Robert Southworth author of the Ripper Legacies and Spartacus Chronicles。 DelightfulPolitics， religion and murder what more can a reader ask for？ It is not an era in which i have more than a passing knowledge， but it is clear that the author is studious in his research。 Fine detail is woven into the tale with fact and fiction seamlessly blended together。 I don't do spoilers， but i will say the author really does transport those looking down onto the page ， into the 17th century。 A fine book。Robert Southworth author of the Ripper Legacies and Spartacus Chronicles。 。。。more
Kym Berry
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Being a fan of historical fiction and fascinated by this period which contained the revolutionary thinking of the Royal College， the tension between the birth of regulated and rational scientific analysis versus established religious observance， all tethered skilfully into our Civil War legacy， this book was a "perfect storm" for me。 Add in religious bigotry and violence， some delicious villains， and an intelligent King together with a classic "murder mystery" plot and I found that I couldn't pu Being a fan of historical fiction and fascinated by this period which contained the revolutionary thinking of the Royal College， the tension between the birth of regulated and rational scientific analysis versus established religious observance， all tethered skilfully into our Civil War legacy， this book was a "perfect storm" for me。 Add in religious bigotry and violence， some delicious villains， and an intelligent King together with a classic "murder mystery" plot and I found that I couldn't put this book down。Well researched， well written and with well-drawn characters， I felt transported back to London with all its sights， sounds， textures and smells during the reconstruction in the immediate post-Fire of London era。 Hooke's influence during this period has been unjustifiably overlooked in favour of the more populist Wren and this book in no small measure redresses this imbalance。 The rich vocabulary ensured that remaining characters inspired sympathy or distaste in equal measure with believable and skilful dialogue which at no point felt clumsy or contrived。I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel to the first instalment and can envisage that Harry will be a character that will inspire loyalty from fans of this genre。 A new and original voice who has demonstrated an enviable ability to translate a fascination with his subject and first class research into a thoroughly memorable read。 。。。more
Kate
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A tale of murder， science， and conspiracy in 17th century London。 The time is brought to life beautifully， with the noise and grime of London's streets jumping out of the pages。 I particularly loved the portrayal of Charles II。 The author has a lyrical voice， and excellent knowledge of the time。 The characters are really well developed and the plot is beautifully crafted。 A joy to read A tale of murder， science， and conspiracy in 17th century London。 The time is brought to life beautifully， with the noise and grime of London's streets jumping out of the pages。 I particularly loved the portrayal of Charles II。 The author has a lyrical voice， and excellent knowledge of the time。 The characters are really well developed and the plot is beautifully crafted。 A joy to read 。。。more
Becky
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I had a hard time rating this book。 If we had half stars I might have given it 2。5。 I found there to be an excess of description at times that I skimmed through。 Some parts of the story were confusing， though many mysteries were explained by the end。 There were some major points though that I thought were unclear。 *Spoilers ahead* Unless I missed it， I still didn't get why the Earl wanted to kill the king， and that was a major plot point。 At the end， it seemed like the Earl's main goal was to sa I had a hard time rating this book。 If we had half stars I might have given it 2。5。 I found there to be an excess of description at times that I skimmed through。 Some parts of the story were confusing， though many mysteries were explained by the end。 There were some major points though that I thought were unclear。 *Spoilers ahead* Unless I missed it， I still didn't get why the Earl wanted to kill the king， and that was a major plot point。 At the end， it seemed like the Earl's main goal was to save his son。 Also， there was apparently no retribution to the Earl for his assassination attempt on the king。 *End of spoilers* 。。。more
Mo
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Ok
Juliana
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DistractedI did not warm up to the "murder mystery" plot until I was about halfway through the book。 I was too distracted early on by repeated trips to Wikipedia looking up the names of the historical characters， London landmarks， and Papist plots against Charles II。 Note to the author: Try dividing your list of characters into historical and fictional at the start of the book so I can get this out of the way before starting the story。 Also put a period map of London with the area most visited i DistractedI did not warm up to the "murder mystery" plot until I was about halfway through the book。 I was too distracted early on by repeated trips to Wikipedia looking up the names of the historical characters， London landmarks， and Papist plots against Charles II。 Note to the author: Try dividing your list of characters into historical and fictional at the start of the book so I can get this out of the way before starting the story。 Also put a period map of London with the area most visited in the book so I can orient myself instead scratching my head over which way someone was going。Now then， there are two stories going on here。 One is historical and one a murder mystery of the bloodless boy（s）。 I loved the research done that lent such atmosphere to the book。 The hero of our story must solve the mystery of the "murders" of young boys drained of their blood while others with their own agendas and dirty little secrets worked to thwart him。 There are other murders to be solved along the way that put our hero in mortal danger。 I did NOT see the ending coming。 Nicely ended by the author while leaving an opening for a sequel starring our hero。I would have given the book five stars for weaving so many "little mysteries" in with the main one from the title while transporting us back to the period following England's civil war and post 1666 conflagration in London BUT I was just too darned distracted researching the characters and locations。 If you aren't the type to bother， you can enjoy a five star read instead of my four star one。 。。。more
Tbr
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Bloody marvellous， is what I think。 The Bloodless Boy takes real characters from the seventeenth century – such as Robert Hooke， Henry （“Harry”） Hunt， Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， Earl of Shaftesbury， John Locke， Titus Oates， Tom Gyles， Grace Hooke， Henry Oldenburg， Jonas Moore， Hortense Mancini – adds some fictional characters， puts them in a real setting of post-Great-Fire and post-plague London and has them involved in a fictional murder mystery set amongst real events。 Confused？ There is no need Bloody marvellous， is what I think。 The Bloodless Boy takes real characters from the seventeenth century – such as Robert Hooke， Henry （“Harry”） Hunt， Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey， Earl of Shaftesbury， John Locke， Titus Oates， Tom Gyles， Grace Hooke， Henry Oldenburg， Jonas Moore， Hortense Mancini – adds some fictional characters， puts them in a real setting of post-Great-Fire and post-plague London and has them involved in a fictional murder mystery set amongst real events。 Confused？ There is no need to be。 My knowledge of the seventeenth century is pretty limited， but this novel tells you， in a very accessible and fluid way， what you need to know to follow the story。I enjoy reading fact and I enjoy reading fiction， but I am not normally drawn to novels that meld the two， and generally consciously avoid those that do。 I get too hung up on what is real and what is made up。 This novel， though， is informative and enthralling。 It’s a story set in a time that is brilliantly researched and if you want to pick up facts along the way you can， and if you want to enjoy just a murder tale， you can do that too。 My main fascination was with the Royal Society and Gresham College and the “natural philosophers”， and I was inspired to go and find out more。 The descriptions of London were captivating， too， although I would have liked them to be slightly more vivid to get a real feeling of atmosphere as well as architecture。I loved the way Charles II was depicted。 And the character of Harry is really well portrayed。 He is not a brave man， but his natural curiosity and thirst for knowledge spur him on and lead him to places to which he would not normally venture。The author says this is a “Marmite book” – and the very mixed reviews show this to be true。 But the overwhelming majority are good， and I am quite firmly in the “love it” camp。So there you have it: I think it’s great， I’m really glad I read it， and I look forward to more books from Robert J。 Lloyd。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Bloodless Boy
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Bloodless Boy&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Bloodless Boy&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0