Having recently enjoyed A Cold Wind From Moscow - Book 8 in the Tom Wilde series; I just had to return to the beginning and read the books from a chronological perspective.
In Corpus, the author takes us back to 1936; the rising influence of National Socialism, the political ideology caught up in the Spanish Civil War and the domestic issues facing Britain around the King’s relationship with Wallace Simpson.
You’ve got to love a historical thriller rooted in real events and the imagination of a brilliant writer to weave a perfect fiction to tie events together. The idea to have an American history professor at the centre of the novel as the main protagonist is genius.

His broken past and moral compass guide the story quite brilliantly.

I really appreciated the echoes and lengthy shadows cast upon events and the characters in this story, from the Great War. Wilde is a prime example; being of American and Irish parentage he managed to avoid the 1914-1918 conflict but he understood the loss of a generation of youth and some of his friends and peers. He carries this into all his dealings here; his love of education and realising potential; an anger for those encouraging students to join the Civil War in Spain. The young are impressionable; influenced by college dons to communist idealism or Nazi sympathies.

It is against this background, questioning the political balance; communist leanings among a strident working class and union activism, against more business pragmatism and middle class affinity with the achievements of Adolf Hitler.
Really the crux of this book is what could have been achieved if the King had not been encouraged to abdicate by the government. The plots here imaged, would have changed history and perhaps forged an alliance between Britain and Germany against the Bolshevism of Stalin’s Russia.

The brilliance of the writing is that a credible story emerges where motivation is not clear and people are not what they seem or purport to be. In the emerging world of deception and dirty spy craft this is a wonderful imagining of how spies work and go about their dark arts.

Away from the thriller and action packed nature of these pages there is a more gentle exploration of love and developing relationships. In this Lydia Morris is a perfect foil to Tom Wilde. They fashion a relationship based on intellectual codependency as much as neighbourly care. They forged a link and show the changing role of women in this period and therefore make a perfect team.

Very good historical thriller set in thirties England. Spies, nazis , communists, Cambridge, and the abdication, all make a heady and fun mix.

A change of era for the author but still at his excellent best

It took me a bit to get into Corpus, it kind of drops you in and then kills off the first character you meet so you're left a little adrift as a reader. But it grew on me, I enjoyed its tone which reminds me of those kinds of "cozy mystery" type novels but the book doesn't shy away from the tough scenes of the period. Well worth continuing

This book reminded me of Alan Furst's spy fiction, but not as good in terms of characterization and not as well written. But it was still worth reading and got better in the second half.

Well researched and gripping this is the start of a new series based on the years immediately leading up to the second world war and the political instability throughout Europe. Rory Clements has switched seamlessly from the Elizabethan age to the Georgian and we, the readers, are all the better for it. The plot is complex and labyrinthine but is full of murders and derring-do and the book is well worth the effort required. In Professor Thomas Wilde of Cambridge University, who is required to solve the mystery and myriad murders we have been introduced to an interesting and well-drawn hero.

Recommended and I look forward to the next book in this intriguing and original series.

Travelling across Europe in 1936, the popular press offered you a picture of significant events happening in London, which the UK Press left unreported. The Government wanted the King, Edward VIII to end his relationship with Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee, or to abdicate in favour of his younger brother. In and around the cloisters of Cambridge University, not all agreed. Some were sympathetic to Hitler and German National Socialism believing that the 2 Countries should throw in their lot together. Others had strong sympathies for Communism and Russia. whilst Oswald Mosley and his blackshirts were fostering unrest. The apparent suicide of the daughter of a retired Master of a College had nothing to do with this political ferment or did it? Was it suicide or murder? Who might be involved and why? Rory Clement's weaves and intriguing story as the King's future is settled. Influence in high places is tested whilst the actions of some might be treasonable. There are third columnists and spies with different objectives and danger if you are not careful. Our hero, an American Academic, is only trying to help a neighbour comes to terms with the death of her young friend. But he is sucked into the intrigue. We all know the outcome. The King abdicates but what of the events as portrayed in the book? Are they just fiction? We may never know.

A very good read. Recommended.

Hi Karen,

My next review is:-
"Corpus", written by Rory Clements and published in hardcover by Zaffre on 26 Jan. 2017. 384 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1785762611

1936. Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland. In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror. Spain has erupted in civil war.

In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead in her Cambridge bedroom, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers.

In a London club, three senior members of the British establishment light the touch paper on a conspiracy that will threaten the very heart of government. Even the ancient colleges of Cambridge are not immune to political division. Dons and students must choose a side: right or left, where do you stand?

When a renowned member of the county set and his wife are found horribly murdered, a maverick history professor finds himself dragged into a world of espionage which, until now, he has only read about in books. But the deeper Thomas Wilde delves, the more he wonders whether the murders are linked to the death of the girl with the silver syringe - and, just as worryingly, to the scandal surrounding King Edward VIII and his mistress Wallis Simpson...

Set against the drumbeat of war and moving from Berlin to Cambridge, from Whitehall to the Kent countryside, and from the Fens to the Aragon Front in Spain, this big canvas international thriller marks the beginning of a major new series from bestselling author Rory Clements.

History professor Thomas Wilde astride his Rudge Special motorbike has a very challenging time trying to solve the mysterious murders that are happening in the Cambridge University town. The professor whose speciality is Thomas Walsingham (Elizabeth the Firsts spymaster)has too focus his attention on trying to solve several murders that happen to people he is very familiar with in his scholarly circle. With the backdrop of the troubles brewing in Europe, he has a very trying time with very few allies to help him.

I was familiar with the series of books he wrote set in the sixteenth century about a supposed brother of William Shakespeare who acts as a detective but was delighted to read this first book of a new series set 400 years in the future. It was very well plotted and kept my interest throughout. I'll look out for further instalments of the same series. Strongly recommended.

Best wishes,


Terry
(reviewed for eurocrime.co.uk to be published in due course)

Thomas Wilde is a history professor at Cambridge University who gets himself drawn into a murder investigation. When a young woman is found dead, Lydia Morris doesn’t believe her friend’s death was just an overdose. She thinks it was a murder. When parents of Lydia’s other friend are murdered, Wilde can’t but wonder if the deaths are somehow connected.

Meanwhile, King Edward VIII is determined to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Both are known Nazi sympathizers and the Nazis want to keep Edward on the throne. The whole country is divided; left or right.

This is my first Rory Clements book even though I’ve owned Martyr for some time… And I’m glad I finally read his book!

I loved Wilde. I mean history professor as the main character, what’s not to like? He’s bit of an outsider; American, widower, hasn’t been to war and isn’t a fan of Cambridge traditions or politics. He’s studied Francis Walsingham so he knows something about spies and espionage.
It was interesting to see what might have happened during the Abdication. Politicians and Nazis all wanting their best choice on the throne. Conspiracies and espionage everywhere.

I really enjoyed this and now I have to start reading those John Shakespeare books.

History professor Thomas Wilde is dragged in to help when his neighbour's best friend dies. The police aren't interested, but it soon leads to a bigger plot, with the dark world of espionage on the brink of a second world war.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm torn with this one. It has all the makings of a good book. It is well-written and is a solid historical fiction. We follow Thomas as he uncovers the mystery of Nancy's death, and gets caught up with Nazi-sympathisers, Russians, and very real danger around every corner.

The truth is I was bored, and struggled to read for more than twenty minutes without losing concentration, and I don't know why. It is slow-building drama, perhaps I found it a little too dawdling and quaint.

The characters are, for the most part, interesting.
Thomas Wilde is an American, and a History professor at Cambridge. He's focused on his students reaching their full potential, by questioning everything they come across. And he is determined not to let himself be swayed by any of the propaganda and the increasingly impassioned and volatile politics.
The emphasis on the nations being swept up in a fury of righteous politics rang particularly true for what is going on here and now. Distrust is breeding; and morals bent or completely broken, for the greater good.

The mystery of Nancy's death stays at the centre of the book, as the story branches out with other murders and subterfuges.

Sometimes I felt that certain aspects of the plot were entirely irrelevant - the German mistress and her blackmail, and the scenes with the King. Yes, I know they are loosely connected to the drive of the bad guys, but I felt these scenes were lumped in, awkward, and unnecessary. They definitely took some of the focus away from what Thomas Wilde was facing.

The only other negative was how disappointed I was with the character of Lydia. She's pretty much the only female character in the main cast, and it is her best friend that has died; it is her insistence that Thomas Wilde help her; she is pegged as creative and smart... but after the first few chapters she quickly becomes part of the background. She's the token love interest, and damsel in distress, and defers completely to Thomas and the other male characters.

Overall, I would recommend reading this and deciding for yourselves; and I would be interested in reading Clements other work.

Corpus sets the scene for a new series of novels from historical crime thriller writer Rory Clements, already established with his John Shakespeare series. To be honest if Mr Clements had chosen a different career path, I and others may well have passed their history exams in a much more convincing fashion. Clements packs this book full of political and social detail, not only of England in a time of unrest and uncertainty, but extending the locus of the book to the worrying events across Europe. It is immensely gratifying to read a book that not only entertains and thrills consistently throughout with its compelling storytelling, but that uses the backdrop of historical events in such a clear and assured fashion, so much is learnt along the way too. Although as something of a Red, I’ve always had a lively interest in Russia and the Spanish Civil War, my previous knowledge of events in England, in particular, during this period was a little sketchy to say the least. Hence Clements’ depiction of the political scheming behind the abdication, and the social period detail did prove of real interest to this reader, and what a cast of absolute rotters Clements was given leave to draw on in the process.
The author perfectly incorporates some of the most momentous events from this period to add a vivid and atmospheric feel to the central plot, whilst also touching on issues of class and gender and the constraints of these on some of his protagonists. Equally, there is a studied and dispassionate air to characters from either the upper classes, or those who walk tall in the corridors of power, and who so firmly influence the lives of the masses. Using the Cambridge based American Professor Tom Wilde as a main character, is a clever touch, as the more nonsensical aspects of English and European society and politics are filtered through him to the reader, so we too can stand back and wonder at the rise of the fascists in England and abroad, and just how dangerous the establishment can be. Also by using the hallowed confines of a Cambridge college, Clements has a nice opportunity to expose some of the dissenting voices to the English political system with their communist leanings, albeit from the safety of their academic rooms.
There is an utterly convincing cast of characters in this book, each with an absolutely integral part to play as the plot twists and turns, and dangerous conspiracies are revealed. The reader is truly filled with an intriguing and alternating sense of trust and distrust, but also a real sense of empathy as Clements really does mete out some cruel and unusual punishments along the way. I was particularly drawn to Lydia Morris, a friend of the murdered girl, with her shambolic lifestyle, poetic leanings, appalling dress sense, and her earnest belief in helping others less fortunate than herself, though sometimes this doesn’t pan out too well. Clements really puts her through the wringer, as more by accident than design, she is drawn into the amateur investigation by the dashing Professor Wilde of murder and political skulduggery. They prove themselves an interesting combination as plotting toffs, Russian spies, and debonair double agents seek to impede their progress, and Clements ramps up the sense of peril as their investigation continues. Another stand-out feature of Clement’s characterisation is how neatly he forms our impressions of individuals even if they only have a minor part to play and appear solely at random intervals, leaving behind a striking visual image of themselves, but firmly rooting them into their particular niche in quite an extensive cast of characters.
All in all, I was rather impressed with this one, not only as a tense tale of political conspiracy and derring-do, but also as a very well characterised and compelling historical thriller. Looking forward to the next in the series too. Highly recommended.

This was an extremely complex murder, mystery. Plots and counterplots, spies from Russia, Germany, Spain and England, tripping over each other. Great fun to read and a real challenge to solve. Some great characters, good and bad and an amazing storyline. Not quite all the loose ends were tied up but what can you expect when spooks are involved.

Tom Wilde is an American history professor based in Cambridge. Around him the world is in turmoil - in Spain there is the Civil War, in Germany the rise of Hitler and in England the unsuitable prospective bride of the King. When one of his friends dies in mysterious circumstances and then the parents of another are brutally slaughtered, the world comes to Cambridge. Wilde is drawn into a plot involving Nazis posing as Communists and a mysterious set of powerful men known as North Sea.

I am a big fan of Clements' books about John Shakespeare, so was interested to see if he could recreate the excellent storytelling in another era. The resounding answer is yes, he can. This is a clever plot set on the eve of war involving bother ends of the political spectrum and highlighting the naivety of many in power in England. Wilde is a likeable enough hero and there are enough loose ends to suggest that this may well not be a stand-along novel.

Perfect for fans of the well executed espionage thriller, I adored this and want to read more stories with these characters.

I feel I need to start this review by admitting that I don’t generally read historical fiction as a genre, it’s just not something I have ever gotten into so when the opportunity arose to read and review Corpus as part of the blog tour, I threw caution to the wind and said why not!

Corpus is also a crime thriller though, albeit in an era that I wouldn’t be used to reading about. I found it to be quite engaging as it flowed quite well. It was relevant to the time period and political events that were happening at the time too.

With all of the political intrigue and some gruesome murders in there, the reader is drawn into the story early on and, along with the characters, goes on quite the journey between the pages. I won’t go into the details of the plot, but it did go in directions I wasn’t expecting .

Corpus is quite rich in history and detail within the plot, so there are many threads to follow. The author has done a great job of weaving it together cohesively and the end result is a highly intriguing read.

If you are a lover of historical fiction, then Corpus is definitely a book to add to your list!

Recommended!

Corpus By Rory Clements is a historical fiction and mystery and thriller read.
1936.
Europe is in turmoil.
The Nazis have marched into the Rhineland.
In Russia, Stalin has unleashed his Great Terror.
Spain has erupted in civil war.
In Berlin, a young Englishwoman evades the Gestapo to deliver vital papers to a Jewish scientist. Within weeks, she is found dead in her Cambridge bedroom, a silver syringe clutched in her fingers.
Good read with good characters. Little slow in places. But I managed to read it. 4*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Not usually the biggest fan of historical, me, but this was one that I actually was really keen to read and all the yays I thought it was great.

I found it to be HUGELY entertaining and the historical background to it is actually one I know something about – yes unusual I tend to live in the present but school- and Rory Clements really brought the sense of time and place to life in Corpus. He has also created a terrifically engaging character in Thomas Wilde, he will make an excellent series protagonist. Clever not caricature and I look forward to reading more.

Mixing politics and crime in an intriguing and full of flair fashion, the plot was superbly crafted, complex yet ever addictive and there is a richness to the historical detail here that really packs a punch. I do love a good atmospheric novel and Rory Clements has a terrifically sharp writing style that completely drags you in.

Mystery abounds, the political climate is rabid, social divides are explored and overall Corpus is a terrific mystery thriller which really should appeal to a wide range of readers – so if you, like me, rarely if ever read historical novels then I would happily recommend you pick this one up to give it a go.

Great stuff! Bring on the next one…

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this digital ARC.

Corpus is set in 1936 when Europe is in turmoil. On one side the communists, the other Nazis and fascist blackshirts.....and sat right in the middle liberals like our hero Thomas Wilde, shaking their head and wondering how on earth this is happening. In Britain the abdication crisis is in full swing. There are dark forces who wish to control the outcome and will not let anything get on their way. Anyone and everyone is expendable.

Rory Clements has been on my TBR list for awhile, to the point where I have all the John Shakespeare novels sitting on my kindle ready to go. But seeing this on Netgalley I couldn't resist and I'm very glad this ended up but my first Clements novel. It's a good old fashioned espionage novel but without the one dimensional female characters that traditionally grace these novels. Thomas and Lydia are more than a match for each other intellectually and their chemistry powers along the story. There are a few times that it stretches credibility, and a few questionable decisions but it's all very entertaining.

I've been elbow deep in World War II dramas lately and cannot get enough. Lucky for me, Corpus kept me entertained and focused on the various facets working against each other during this pivotal time in history.

Corpus may appear to be a simple 1936 murder mystery but that would be misleading. It is set at a time when English King Edward VIII is looking to abdicate his thrown for an American divorcee, the Nazi war machine is gearing up, civil war is splitting Spain and Stalinist Russia is waging wars for communism. The world has never been turned upside to such a level and this is the backdrop for Corpus.

Our story follows Thomas Wilde, a Cambridge history professor, who doubts the cause of death of a close friend of his neighbor, Lydia. Nancy's death seems to be the tipping point as a number of unusual events follow closely behind. But are they linked? Politically motivated? And if, so, by whom? There's a lot to sort out here and that's half the fun.

This book is filled with tension, suspense, political intrigue and murder. The scope is wide and there is clearly plenty to play for as the pieces fall into place. I simply love Tom Wilde. He's sharp and, thankfully, very lucky. He runs (or rather, rides his motorcycle) into his fair share of danger, does a great job collecting clues and untangling the mystery behind the recent events in Cambridge. There are a number of subplots which did confuse me at times but it is well worth it. I found this book intriguing and a good thriller. I hope you agree.

While I was sad to see that the Shakespeare's series seems to have come to and I thoroughly enjoyed this new thriller from mr Clements , great story , interesting characters from both fact and fiction , starting in 1936 leaves scope for a long series throughout the 2nd world war. Highly recommend.