Rogue, Rascal, Traitor . . . Hero?London, Winter 1670 Holcroft Blood has entered the employ of the Duke of Buckingham, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom after King Charles II. It is here that his education really begins. With a gift for numbers and decoding ciphers, Holcroft soon proves invaluable to the Duke, but when he's pushed into a foul betrayal he risks everything for revenge. His father, Colonel Thomas Blood, has fallen on hard times. A man forged in an age of bloody civil war, he now lives by his wits and survives by whatever means necessary. When he embarks on an outrageous attempt to steal the Crown Jewels of England, he plunges himself and his family into a perilous situation - one that may well end at the gallows. As devious noblemen plot to gain wealth and power, both father and son must learn how to survive in the most dangerous battlefield of them all -the court of King Charles II.'Instantly engaging' The Sunday Times'[An] entertaining adventure' Daily Express'Utterly delicious' The History Girls, Books of the Year