Susanna Gregory's 'The Pudding Lane Plot' 2022

Sphere paperback edition - 2023

Now that the Matthew Bartholomew series has concluded - after twenty-five books - there is only the Thomas Chaloner novels to look forward to. Matthew's exploits frankly ran out of steam and Susanna Gregory was wise to 'finish him off'. Challoner is into his fifteenth tale and has reached August 1666, only five years after the first exploit in 1662. The author must beware of the repetitious nature that befell the Bartholomew books - certainly a cut-off after 20 books should be the aim for this series. Chaloner's ungrateful master, the Earl of Clarendon, loses his position in 1667  and goes into exile. Chaloner also speaks of wishing to leave London in this book, so perhaps end-game signs are there.

After reading 40 Gregory books, I feel I can recognise her style with all its strengths and weaknesses. She clearly knows her 'onions', both for 14th century Cambridge and 17th century London. Her research, backed up by including the 'Historical Notes' at the end of each novel is detailed and impressive. Whether it adds to her tale that real people's names have been ferreted out for use, is debateable, as she has no way of knowing whether her imposed character studies are fitting. The strength lies in her undoubted ability to evoke the sights and sounds (and smells!) of 17th century London. She also does not foist on Chaloner detective abilities/foresights which are anachronistic. However, the multiplicity of characters, the two steps forward one step back by Chaloner does rather drag and can occasionally feel like padding to get to the required (?) 400 pages.

I will continue to buy the Chaloner series as they have become rather like a well-worn glove.  Steady, reliable but not particularly exciting. Whether her hero will make anything of his meeting with Dorcas in the Foxhall Pleasure Gardens, in the last pages, is another matter. Matthew Bartholomew managed to last a quarter of a century of tales before he finally succumbed, so Thomas Chaloner (admittedly twice widowed) might hang on a little longer

The one blot was the cover of the paperback (was it the same on the original hardback?) which clearly depicted the Great Fire of London at its height. It was not mentioned until the very last page and, even then, it was merely an account of the outbreak in Farriner's baker's shop in Pudding Lane.