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  • The Black Friar

  • Damian Seeker 2
  • By: S. G. MacLean
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
  • Length: 11 hrs and 13 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (453 ratings)
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The Black Friar cover art

The Black Friar

By: S. G. MacLean
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Summary

Rebellion in the city and a Royalist spy in his own ranks - Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell's guard, must eradicate both in this action-packed historical thriller for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and The Three Musketeers.

London, 1655, and Cromwell's regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell's Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the army while the army resents his absolute power. In the East End of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars.

Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem....

©2016 Shona MacLean (P)2017 WF Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"MacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city." ( Sunday Times)

What listeners say about The Black Friar

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A brilliant sequel to Seeker

As some may know, the first volume of SG MacLean's new series was poorly read and for myself I returned the audio and read the print book. However, with a change to the excellent Jonathan Keeble we have a real treat. All MacLean's books are fascinating. She focuses very cleverly on the religious and moral dilemmas of the 17th century and this book is particularly interesting on the role of the 5th Monarchists during Cromwell's Protectorship and the problems that Cromwell faced controlling the country in the mid 1650s. My only criticism is that however hard she tries to make the Royalists seem like the bad guys, we know they end up the winners and so the author faces a conundrum - how to make the (finally) good guys look bad. Wisely most of our attention if focused on the truly bad! Her description of the attempts by Cromwell's government to control the media and information are interesting particularly in the context of modern attempts to control both of these slippery aspects of our own everyday lives.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A complex time & a complex man

The setting is so fascinating. I was initially put off by it being Cromwell's Protectorate but it wasn't what I expected. The characters are well drawn and complex. The plot is more straight forward than the first book, but still interesting. The narrator is pleasant and the pace good. Highly recommended.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, shame about the narration

I listened to this book straight after finishing The Seeker. Again it has a good storyline that keeps the readers attention, and the Seeker himself is revealing himself as a warmer, more human character as the series progresses.

Now, I know some listeners didn't like Nicholas Camm, who narrated the first book. I did - I'm Northern and having someone with a genuine northern accent narrating a character who is a northerner was very refreshing and gave the character a legitimacy that often isn't there. It was a bit like listening to Sean Bean for 11 hours. Most pleasant. Jonathan Keeble, by contrast, sounds either like his has plums in his mouth or like an episode of Monty Python. His female characters and children are just dreadful (I kept expecting the female preacher to screech 'he's not the seeker, he's a very naughty boy'!). And as for the Seeker, he now sounds like either the worst type of parody of a northern accent, or like he's been modelled on DCI Gene Hunt from Life on Mars.

Very disappointed to see that Keeble is back for the next instalment. Come on audible - you have better narrators and you can be more diverse when you try.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Series hits its stride

The first Seeker novel had promise but the characters took time to warm to, not helped by a poor narrator. With a change of narrator this second Seeker novel is wonderful. An interesting collection of characters is beginning to develop and the central character of Damien Seeker is becoming intriguing in his complexity. The historical setting is well researched and believable and a fascinating period to get drawn into. I enjoyed every minute and will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant listen

A really well written, atmospheric murder mystery. Cromwell’s London brought to life with glimpses of well known characters such as the young Pepys and Andrew Marvell.
Beautifully read, I was thoroughly engrossed.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love this Author and Narrator

Beautifully written and narrated and the next book will definitely be on my Christmas list!

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Can't wait for the next one

I really enjoyed this, good story, lots of twists and turns, interesting characters.
The narrator was very good too.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

No Sansom!

I bought this book based on the comment that it was for fans of C J Sansom but, believe me, this isn't a patch on the Shardlake series.

That main character, Shardlake, is a falliable, sympathetic and interesting character. This main character, Damian Seeker, is bullying and boorish as well as being dull, dull, dull. He's a comic book figure with no redeeming features.

The Cromwellian background to the story isn't well done and the use of real characters such as George Downing and Samuel Pepys does nothing to enhance this uninspired story.

Really disappointing.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Absolutely no atmosphere

Loved book 1 - particularly the narration. It really created an atmosphere of dark, brooding menace and intrigue. Narration this time put me off completely. The constant change of voice with every character (the women and children were particularly jarring to the point I couldn’t listen any more). Not really a critique of the narrator, rather how he has been asked to read it. Another reviewer made the point that Seeker is northern, so why not let a northern voice read it? Couldn’t agree more. Jonathan Camm made the previous book. This time it felt plain hammy. Real shame. Wanted to listen through the series. Can’t face it now. Might them instead and have Camm’s voice in my head as I read it.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Gripping

I have listened to both in this series . The stories unfold slowly and draw the reader into a world of intrigue.
I preferred the second story only because I had already been drawn into this turbulent world . On par with Sansom for wonderful story telling. Gripping

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4 people found this helpful