The Poison Machine is an excellent addition to this series bringing Hunt out of the lab and developing his personality more as an individual. It is more focused on Hunt, whereas The Bloodless Boy was a combination of both Hooke and Hunt, providing the reader with an exciting tale but also highlighting fascinating insights into the fundamentals of modern science, alongside an intriguing investigation. In a thrilling sequel to The Bloodless Boy —a New York Times Best New Historical Novel of 2021 —featuring real historic characters such as Christopher Wren and Issac Newton, early scientists Harry Hunt and Robert Hook of the Royal Society stumble on a plot to kill the Queen of England . . . The Bloodless Boy uses real characters and real science, or 'experimental philosophy' as it was known. 17th century experiments in blood transfusion and preservation of bodies in a vacuum drag the young Observator of the Royal Society, Harry Hunt, (who was Robert Hooke's assistant), into the hysteria of the Popish Plot. It pits him against Titus Oates, Lord Shaftesbury, and a sinister villain called Lefèvre.

But in Norfolk, he finds that some Royal workers shoring up a riverbank have made a grim discovery—the skeleton of a dwarf. Harry is able to confirm that the skeleton is that of Captain Jeffrey Hudson, a prominent member of the court once famously given to the Queen in a pie. Except no one knew Hudson was dead, because another man had been impersonating him. It was enjoyable to re-visit these characters, although this book could equally be enjoyed as a standalone novel. The mixture of fictional and real-life characters and events works well (I particularly enjoyed meeting Sir Isaac Newton, and hearing him explain his invention of the cat flap!). London of the 17th Century is brought to life, and we get to see further afield this time, with Harry’s journey to the Fens (via the “prosperous village of Tottenham”!), and onward to France, where a visit to the infamous Bastille is particularly unpleasant. I'm represented by Gaia Banks at Sheil Land Associates literary agency. Many thanks are due to Gaia, who has championed both books with an astonishing energy and attention to detail. Set in 1679, a year after the series’ debut action took place, scientist and detective Harry Hunt investigates the accidental exhumation of a skeleton by fenland workers, after separating from his mentor Robert Hooke. The body is identified as Captain Jeffrey Hudson, a former court dwarf of Queen Henrietta Maria. Yet Hudson has been seen alive, or at least, someone calling himself Hudson and living as his identity, has been seen. With his friend and old soldier Colonel Fields and Hooke’s niece Grace, Hunt chases this imposter’s trail, his relentless pursuit taking him to Paris. Soon, he uncovers a much darker and violent conspiracy against the Queen of England, Catherine of Bragança, and her Catholic followers which involves an undercover invasion, a secret ambush and a whole lot of poison… Harry Hunt is once again a determined investigator, even though his multiple missions from various important parties (the Board of Ordinance, Lord High Treasurer Thomas Osbourne, Earl of Danbury, and Hortense Mancini, the Duchesse de Mazarin, to name a few!) lead him far from the familiar streets of London and the Royal Society, and put him at odds with Grace Hooke, a determined and independent woman towards whom Harry nurses romantic feelings.

Advance Praise

I think a reader needs to set aside quality time to read The Poison Machine because I kept finding myself thinking, ‘Oh. That’s interesting. I wonder if it/they were real.’ so that I kept pausing to look up references, so fascinating was the story. I also think The Poison Machine would reward several re-reads as I think there are nuances that only become clear once the full story is known. Accompanied by his friend, Colonel Fields, who’s familiar with the countryside they are travelling to, the duo discover that the body is of Jeffrey Hudson’s, who was the Queen’s dwarf. Lloyd once again infuses his world with the sights, sounds, and smells of the late 17th century...for what’s bound to be one of the best historical novels of the year." — CrimeReads The Audible narrator was not great. Though he was proficient with the numerous accents required of him, he droned on and on. I would listen for about 40 minutes, then realize I had no idea what was happening in the story. So, I would either re-listen, or play catch up at home with the physical book. This was not helped by the fact that numerous characters are introduced within each chapter and from chapter to chapter making a poor narrator a significant challenge. In the end, I gave this 3 stars (rather than 2) because anything less than 3 usually means it was consigned to my DNF list. The Poison Machine is a follow-up to Robert J. Lloyd's The Bloodless Boy. Like the first volume in the series, it's set during the English restoration. The Poison Machine, however, moves from London—the scene of the previous volume—to the fens where a skeletonized corpse has been uncovered, and then to Paris.

Look what's happening while I'm talking to you," Aharish interrupted the broadcast in front of Almog Boker. As with the first book in the series, The Poison Machine effortlessly blends together fact and fiction, combining real events and real people with fictionalised and imagined scenarios, with Lloyd using his knowledge of Robert Hooke’s diary, the paper of the Royal Society, and his knowledge of the period (gained whilst studying for an MA in the History of Ideas) to create a detailed, complex, and evolving world that draws the reader in to the period and its many tensions. Those with knowledge of the period will be delighted by cameos from some illustrious figures, including Sir Issac Newton and Denis Papin, as well as references to the key scientific and philosophical debates of the period. I enjoyed the previous novel “The Bloodless Boy”, so it was a given that I would be reading this follow up novel. I would however recommend reading as many chapters in a few a sittings as possible, rather than dipping into it over a few weeks. You do need to keep the knowledge of who’s who and the plot line in your head whilst reading but there is a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the story which does come in handy as a reminder, even if you’re familiar with the history of the time. Frustrated in his wish to be appointed Curator and embarrassed in front of his fellow natural philosophers, Harry Hunt decides to leave the Royal Society and his mentor Robert Hooke behind, and accept the invitation of Sir Jonas Moore to join the Board of Ordinance. His first task, to investigate a murder… Both books are to be published by Melville House Publishing. The new edition of The Bloodless Boy is due out in November 2021.Accompanied by Colonel Fields, the suitor of Harry’s landlady, and Hooke’s niece Grace, Harry journeys to the Fens to find that the body is that of former royal favourite Jeffrey Hudson, a man less than 2 feet tall who was famously gifted to Queen Henrietta Maria in a pie. Lloyd once again infuses his world with the sights, sounds, and smells of the late 17th century...for what’s bound to be one of the best historical novels of the year. " — CrimeReads It’s almost exactly a year since I reviewed The Bloodless Boy by Robert J. Lloyd in a post you’ll find here. Consequently, when Nikki Griffiths invited me to participate in the blog tour for Robert J. Lloyd’s second book in the Hunt and Hooke series, The Poison Machine, I simply had to take part. I’m delighted to share my review today.