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The name Christopher Redmayne refers to a series of historical mystery novels written by Edward Marston. Christopher Redmayne is also the protagonist of the novels.
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Order of Christopher Redmayne Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The King's Evil | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Amorous Nightingale | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Repentant Rake | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Frost Fair | 2003 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Parliament House | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The Painted Lady | 2007 | Description / Buy |
Edward Marston – a pen name for Keith Miles – studied Modern History at Oxford. He even taught the subject for a few years before settling down to write. Marston immediately made a name for himself by writing historical fiction novels with a mystery bent to them.
The Christopher Redmayne series continues Marston’s habit of taking readers several centuries into Europe’s history and entrancing them with mysteries set in time periods where crime solving was a far more complicated process.
Christopher Redmayne is first introduced in The King’s Evil, the first book in the series, published in 1999. At the time, Charles II is King. London is being gutted by a slow but steady fire and no one knows what to do about it.
Jonathan Bale is a Puritan constable with a strong will and a determined hatred for the monarch, and he is doing everything in his power to keep his area safe from the flames. When Jonathan and Christopher meet, their differences immediately put them at odds with one another.
The son of the Dean of Oxford, rather than containing and preventing the ravages of the London fire, the young architect is more interested in the restoration process. More importantly, Christopher loves the Monarch and supported its return.
Along with his atheistic point of view, Christopher does not make it difficult for Jonathan to dislike him. However, the pair is forced to put their issues aside when thieves begin stealing building material from a house that Christopher designed.
Things take an even darker turn when a murder takes place. Christopher and Jonathan put their noses to the ground and begin looking for clues and interviewing suspects with the intention of getting to the bottom of things.
It doesn’t take Jonathan long to realize that Christopher’s knowledge and access to high society make him an invaluable resource. Over the course of the Christopher Redmayne series, Christopher and Jonathan work on numerous cases together, ranging from kidnapping to theft and even more murder.
The pair does not always set out to collaborate on cases. More often than not, Christopher and Jonathan start out with different priorities. But over time, it becomes clear that their seemingly disparate objectives are the same.
On more than one occasion, Charles II will call upon them to collaborate on a case. These books are as much about Christopher and Jonathan’s burgeoning relationship as they are about all the mysteries in play.
Christopher and Jonathan learn to respect one another despite their differences but it takes a lot of time and effort. Christopher keeps forcing Jonathan to step outside his box and view matters without his puritanical lens.
These novels have been criticized for their short length and the author’s bland and straightforward writing style.
Best Christopher Redmayne books
The Christopher Redmayne books tell simple, straightforward stories that avoid unnecessary detail and irrelevant explorations of the time period, with the best titles in the series including:
The Repentant Rake: Jonathan Bale and Christopher Redmayne have their sights set on two cases. On the one hand, London City’s most dissolute fops are being terrorized. On the other hand, the most dangerous rake around has gone missing.
It occurs to Christopher and Jonathan that these two matters might be connected. So they put their personal and professional differences aside and begin to work the cases as a team.
However, even with their collaborative effort, unraveling the mystery proves impossible because the victims are choosing to maintain their silence. The pair must sift through the lies and the rumors to get to the truth.
The Parliament House: The Merchant Francis Polegate is in need of a new house and Christopher Redmayne is happy to provide him with the appropriate design in 1670’s London. Things go off without a hitch and the merchant even throws a party to celebrate.
When Polegate’s brother in law ends up dead, Christopher makes it his mission to identify the killer. Unfortunately for the young architect, the list of suspects is rather long.
Other Book Series You May Like
Be sure to check out the “Flavia Albia Mystery” Series by Lindsey Davis. Flavia Albia is a private investigator. Born in Britain and adopted by Marcus Didius Falco, Flavia solves mysteries in Ancient Rome.
Fans also enjoy the “Barker and Llewelyn” Series by Will Thomas. Cyrus Barker is an eccentric detective working the streets of Victorian London. Llewelyn is the young man who answers his advertisement in the newspaper and comes on board as his assistant.
What Is The Next Book in The Christopher Redmayne Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Christopher Redmayne Series. The newest book is The Painted Lady and was released on January, 1st 2007.