May 17, 2024
Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
When Charles II came to the throne of England, one of his first acts was to hunt down and punish the 59 men who had signed the order of execution for his father, Charles I. Two of the men, Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, William Goffe, escaped to America, setting off the greatest manhunt of the 17th century.
Well-researched historical fiction about a turbulent period in English history: the restoration of the monarchy, the hunt for the regicides, the Black Death, the London fire. (But really, when hasn't English history been turbulent?) POV changes from the fugitives Whalley and Goffe, to Richard Nayler who was charged with hunting them down, and Goffe's wife Frances. The audiobook was outstanding - I listened to it while I was planting my garden and baking. FYI, Nayler is a fictional character synthesized from a group of regicide hunters, but the other characters were real people. Whalley and Goffe were never captured, and their final resting places are unknown. This is historical fiction at its best. Recommended for fans of accurate and well-researched historical fiction.
Edward Whalley
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