THE SWIFT AND THE HARRIER

Crime writer Walters tells the story of a bloody civil war that turned England into a crime scene.

Life was hard for women in 17th-century England, and in Walters’ latest novel, Jayne Swift has it even harder because she’s a physician, a role reserved for men in that era. Living with her aristocratic family in Dorsetshire on the English Channel, Jayne struggles against the chauvinism and lethal concoctions of the local quacks who kill more patients than they save. And if that weren’t enough, her skills are badly needed to handle the brutal injuries as Royalist and Parliamentarian armies clash in a civil war that eventually ends with the execution of Charles I. Walters draws wonderfully on her crime-writing skills to capture the violence and gore of the era. She gives us a likable, resourceful heroine in Jayne, who, with a MacGyver-esque ability to treat any injury with brine, calendula oil, catgut, or a handful of maggots, refuses to take sides. “I still favor neutrality and will continue to do so even after the conflict ends,” she insists at one point. “I have no wish to judge anyone for their beliefs, now or in the future.” It’s definitely an admirable position, but she’s out of place in an era demanding absolute loyalty. As a result, Jayne gets into frequent trouble, but thankfully she has William Harrier in her corner. Harrier’s a chivalrous footman who helps her out of many tight spots and isn’t quite what he seems to be. Questions swirl around him—is he a spy? What side is he on?—as Walters takes us through the years of this devastating war and shows its effects on the towns and villages of Dorsetshire. Her expositions on English history might make some readers impatient for action, but they provide much-needed context for a crisis that divided English society and viciously turned citizens against each other in a way that feels strangely familiar now.

This well-researched novel of 17th-century warfare shows the perils and rewards of sticking to one's principles.