I liked this quite a bit. I don't know the history of The Royal Society, Robert Hooke or this era in great detail but it left me wanting to explore more. I found the characters all interesting with some invested emotion for them as the story progressed. My feeling is that it was well researched and that I was experiencing the London society of the times. There are some artistic liberties of course, that the author admits to, and the story has some action/thriller movie feel to it now and then. But there are enough unexpected turns and realism to make it a very good read. ( )

This is an accomplished debut effort. Set in London in the 1670s, Robert Hooke and Harry Hunt of the Royal Society are asked to help with the investigation into macabre murders with a distinctively scientific bent. Fittingly, given the protagonists, the story focuses as much on the 'why' as the 'who' of the story, and the place and time (with all the unsettling legacy of the Civil War and the Great Fire of London) is well drawn without miring the book in detail. The writing style suits the book well and gives a period feel without becoming archaic in tone. ( )

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Bloodless Boy by Robert J. Lloyd is a historical fiction mystery taking place in London, 1678, the first in the Harry Hunt Adventures series. Mr. Lloyd is an English author; this is his first novel.

A dead young boy is found on the Fleet Rive, London 1678. The boy is drained of blood, and furthermore, has numbers inscribed on his skin.

Justice of Peace for Westminster, Sir Edmund Bury Godfrey blames chiefly the Catholics and enlists famous polymath Robert Hooke to help. Together with his assistant, Harry Hunt, Hooke attempts to solve the puzzle, all the while a plot against King Charles II is at hand.

Certainly, the first thingI noticed about The Bloodless Boy by Robert J. Lloyd was the language. The author wrote in the way English was spoken at the time, by intelligent people. This is one of those books written with intelligence, who don’t underestimate the reader. And I’m not ashamed to say I had to look words up. Thank goodness to e-Readers.

Mr. Lloyd evokes the atmosphere and spirit of Restoration London with the shadows of the Civil Wars still looming large. Harry Hunt, the protagonist and Hooke’s assistant, is too young to remember them but Hooke isn’t. The wars play a silent, but significant part in the setting of the novel as the conflicts’ physical, cultural, economic, and psychological burdens are always present.

The characters are vivid and flushed out, interesting, as well as intelligent. While I’ve heard of several of the historical figures (Hooke, King Charles II, and of course Isaac Newton), others, like Lord Shaftesbury were new to me.

Surprisingly with all the great characters and writing, the plot is story-driven. While the main characters immediately grabbed my attention, it was quickly abandoned to introduce new characters, detailed scientific methods, and facts which did not add to the story.

This is an ambitious story, however. It encompasses a mystery, scientific advances, politics, history, as well as historical figures which come to life. As many other historical fiction books, I enjoyed not only the narrative, but learning new facts as well. ( )

The Bloodless Boy is a wonderful addition to the genre of historical mysteries with scientists/anatomists as their central characters. When a boy's body, drained of blood and accompanied by a ciphered message, is discovered in London, microscopist Robert Hooke and his former trainee Henry Hunt find themselves drawn into the search for answers to this crime. Hunt is young and eager to jump into the investigation. Hooke, having lived through the tumultuous years before the restoration is much more chary. Eager or not, both men are pulled into puzzle which quickly becomes volatile as events are connected to the work of supposed Catholic terrorists.

The cast of characters here, composed of figures both historical and fictitious, is a delight. The mystery itself is more complex than is often the case with such novels, making this a book that would appeal to readers not generally drawn to the genre. If you're looking for a lively mix of history, fiction, mystery, and dangerous politics, you've found your book.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own. ( )