The Black Madonna (Roundheads and Cavaliers #1)

Author revised and extended edition of this epic saga of love and revenge, set against the dramatic backdrop of the English Civil War.

By July 1639, unpopular taxes, religious differences and no Parliament in a decade have turned England into a simmering cauldron of discontent. Less concerned by this than by his ailing finances, King Charles seeks ways of filling his empty treasury. Enter Luciano Falcieri del Santi – master-goldsmith and money-lender; a man known to London as the Italian … and possessed of a hidden agenda.

As the cauldron slowly boils over into Civil War, the changing times are reflected in the lives of the Maxwell family. From his seat in the Commons, Richard Maxwell watches the escalating quarrel between the King and John Pym – and, in Oxfordshire, his wife cares for the estate and their five children. Their eldest son, Eden, struggles to save his marriage to Royalist-bred Celia whilst taking up his sword for the Parliament; and eldest daughter, Kate, vows to hold their home against both Cavalier and Roundhead, should the need arise.

After six months in the Queen’s household, Kate Maxwell takes most things in her stride. A spirited red-head, she deals with the financial demands of the Royalist garrison in nearby Banbury, the constant carping of her sister-in-law and the Puritanical zeal of second-cousin Nathan. The only thing she finds utterly impossible to handle, is her involuntary and growing attraction to sardonic, irresistibly magnetic and diabolically beautiful Luciano del Santi.

The paths of Richard Maxwell and the Italian cross by chance one dark night in a filthy backstreet – and a friendship is born. It is some time, however, before Richard learns the truth about this clever, icily restrained young man. On the surface, Luciano merely operates his businesses from Goldsmith’s Row on Cheapside. In reality, he has a much darker purpose. He is in England to discover the truth behind his father’s execution as a traitor and, if possible, to avenge it. This, with the country becoming a battlefield and scant information to go on, is both difficult and expensive – but it is not Luciano’s only problem. He must also accumulate sufficient capital to repay his uncle in Genoa the massive loan which has financed his venture - for failure to do so will result in ruin. Soon, he also begins to realise that – unless he is both careful and lucky – the revenge quest may cost him his life.

His own safety and that of everyone he cares about rests on success. Only success will permit him to reclaim the Black Madonna, the symbol of his heritage which has made his vendetta possible. And only success will allow him to offer his heart to the girl he loves.

From the machinations within Parliament to the last days of the King’s cause, The Black Madonna is a historically detailed and richly-woven tale of passion, intrigue and love in a time when England was lost in a dark and bloody conflict. Rated '3/5 - Open door' for steam/spice/heat level.