Serpent in the Wishing Well

It begins with an apprentice lawyer leaping for his life to a ship escaping a hostile and dangerous London. Leaving his friends perishing at the ruthless hands of fire-brandishing Catholics, he makes a solemn vow: to one day wield revenge. After years of haunting nightmares, he returns a man full of dreams to protect Queen Elizabeth and rid England of the Catholic menace once and for all. He must convince the powerful government to spy for information - knowledge is power. In 1570 this is a formidable task as the realm jitters with religious turmoil, his beloved Queen is besieged by murderous plots and Her court swarms with cutthroat traitors. Truth and treachery are happy to hide perilously in the gloom of corridors and secretive deeds, so Francis Walsingham must hatch his plans from the shadows. Into the seething uncertainty of a divided realm, Walsingham must go to daring lengths in recruiting a group of misfit Agents, Court Riders, Rhyming Whores and Bear Wrestlers to establish the first Secret Service - the Bond of Protection. As he becomes a mastermind in outfoxing the lethal Brotherhood, Walsingham's grip on the traitors tightens but he narrowly misses capturing their dangerous leader, Ridolfi. He soon discovers treacheries run too deep in the government and his own life now depends on convincing the Queen those closest to her are the most threat. His reputation, the Queen's life and Protestant England must all be saved.