In volume 3 of the series it is the year 1676. Master Mercurius is again prised from his books and comfortable quiet university existence to do another "little job" for the Stadhouder of the Netherlands, William of Orange. This time, it is to help ascertain the suitability as a marriage partner of his cousin Mary, daughter of James, Duke of York and the brother of King Charles II of England. James is a convert to Roman Catholicism, and Mercurius, secretly a Catholic priest but outwardly a Protestant minister, must ensure that Mary has not been influenced by her father's religion, since the Netherlands is a staunchly Protestant country, although showing tolerance for Catholics as long as they keep their worship lowkey. Accordingly, Mercurius joins the delegation bound for England.

He hasn't been in London long when an attempt is made to incriminate a fellow Dutchman to sabotage the marriage talks, since the French King Louis XIV is also angling to secure Mary for some relation of his. Soon afterwards, a murder occurs and King Charles tasks Mercurius what solving it, having learned about Mercurius' track record in solving murders. As ever, Mercurius is aided by his innate ability to notice facts and draw inferences, but also needs quiet moments, usually at prayer, while he ponders the possibilities and tries to piece the facts together. He not only has the murder to contend with, but has to navigate various palace intrigues.

As ever, the story is enlivened by sly humour and little (square bracketed) inserts, since Mercurius is dictating his memoirs as an old man to a scribe with whom he has a slightly fractious relationship. I actually like the fact that he obviously survives each book, since I don't have to be on edge wondering about his safety and can concentrate on the mystery each time. Apart from the real historical characters, all the others are fair game to be polished off so there is still plenty of tension and drama.

The story is nicely compact and a page turner which I stayed up late to finish so I can only award it a full five stars. ( )

1676 Leiden. Master Mercurius is instructed by Stadhouder William of Orange to go to England as part of a delegation to secure the hand of the Princess Mary on his behalf. On arrival it is obvious that not everyone is in favour of the alliance. Mercurius is instructed by Charles II to investigate when a death occurs.
Another entertaining well-written historical mystery. With its likeable characters, it is a good addition to the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

The third in the Master Mercurius mysteries set in the 17thC. This one is set in England during the reign of King Charles II. William of Orange has decided upon marriage to Princess Mary, Charles’ niece, and so Mercurius has been sent as an ambassador to secure the match. However, not everyone approves and murder is afoot.

Yet another well written and entertaining mystery. Master Mercurius is as brilliant as ever with his dry sense of humour. There’s always a great combination of historical fiction and fact in this series and Dishonour & Obey is no exception. All three books I’ve read so far have kept me turning the pages with their cleverly hatched plots. An easy, engaging and enjoyable addition to a great series. ( )

When Master Mercurius is summoned from Leiden to attend the Stadhouder William he knows that this means that William has need of him. However he never expects to be sent to England as part of a delegation to arrange William's marriage to the niece of the King, Mary. London is very different but murder soon follows and Mercurius is soon caught up in an international intrigue that threatens to derail the marriage.
A quick return to the series and a welcome one as Brack is developing a rather enjoyable sequence of books starring an amusing character. What I really love is that Mercurius is developing a real personality, pompous and pedantic but rather endearing. No-one could accuse Brack of writing complex and intellectual books but actually that is not what is required, the books are light but supremely entertaining and this is no exception. ( )

For almost 2 years, Master Mercurius has been enjoying the peace & quiet afforded by life at the university in Leiden. It’s 1676 & between study & lectures he’s been reflecting on Aristotelian eudaimonia (and really, who among us hasn’t?). Well, it was nice while it lasted.

Out of the blue he is summoned to the Hague by Stadhouder William of Orange. It seems William is getting married & has a special task for Mercurius. He is to travel to London with a delegation from the Netherlands. Ostensibly he’s there to meet & assess Princess Mary, the bride-to-be. But his real job is to ferret out those against a marriage that will make the Dutch allies with England. William wishes him luck & sends him on his way with some advice. Pack warm clothes. Oh, and learn English.

Thus begins Mercurius’ adventures in London. He finds the culture & language baffling which is good news for readers as it leads to humorous encounters & misunderstandings. But it’s also a place of cut-throat politics & royal intrigue & before long one of the delegation is murdered. Mercurius’ reputation as a fixer preceded him & he’s ordered by King Charles to find the killer.

The result is another enjoyable addition to this entertaining series. The MC recounts the story in a voice full of wry humour & sly observations in a setting decked out with period detail. Instead of fast paced action or hi-tech gadgets, it’s the mystery & characters themselves that keep you turning the pages. Not only will your brain get a workout, I’m willing to bet you’ll spend much of the time with a smile on your face as the Master tells his tale. No small feat these days. ( )