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Graham Brack
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Dishonour and Obey: A thrilling seventeenth-century investigation (Master Mercurius Mysteries Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Graham Brack (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,635 ratings
Mercurius is back — and this time he's in England! Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, C J Sansom, S J Parris and Ken Follett.

A royal marriage is in the making. But not everyone is happy with the match…

1676, Leiden, The Netherlands

Two years have passed since Master Mercurius last found himself embroiled in a murder case, and he has welcomed the peaceful interval.

But now a letter has arrived for him from Stadhouder William of Orange.

And a letter from William can only mean one thing – Mercurius is wanted for another mission.

William has decided he wants to marry. And he has his sights set on Princess Mary, the niece of King Charles II of England.

William has decided that Mercurius, as an ordained minister, is the perfect person to travel to England and secure the hand of the princess on his behalf.

But when Mercurius arrives at the English court it becomes clear that there are powerful people opposed to the match. And as the Stadhouder’s representative, Mercurius himself could be in their firing line…

Can Mercurius complete his mission with his life — and his honour — intact?

Dishonour and Obey is the third historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery series: atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

‘Master Mercurius is undoubtedly one of the most engaging new sleuths to appear on the scene in historical crime fiction’ – Linda Stratmann, author of The Early Casebook of Sherlock Holmes

THE MASTER MERCURIUS MYSTERY SERIES:
BOOK ONE: Death in Delft
BOOK TWO: Untrue Till Death
BOOK THREE: Dishonour and Obey
BOOK FOUR: The Noose's Shadow
BOOK FIVE: The Vanishing Children
BOOK SIX: The Lying Dutchman
BOOK SEVEN: Murder In Maastricht
BOOK EIGHT: The Moers Murders
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  1. Book 3 of 8
    Master Mercurius Mysteries
  2. Print length
    209 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    October 20, 2020
  5. File size
    2.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alex Wyndham, an Oxford University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate, is a narrator and voice talent who can be heard on Apple TV campaigns and Discovery Channel documentaries. He also has a successful screen career and has starred in several BBC and HBO shows, including the Emmy-winning Little Dorrit and Rome, and in films including Kenneth Branagh's As You Like It.



Graham Brack hails from Sunderland and met his wife, Gillian, in Aberdeen, where they were both studying pharmacy. After their degrees Gillian returned to Cornwall and Graham followed. This is now called stalking but in 1978 it was termed romantic. They have two children, Andrew and Hannah, and three grandchildren, Miranda, Sophie, and Olivia. Gillian and Graham now live in Northamptonshire. Graham's foray into crime writing began in 2010 when he entered the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger competition and was highly commended for Lying and Dying (previously titled The Outrageous Behavior of Left-Handed Dwarves), in which the world was introduced to Lt. Josef Slonský of the Czech police. Slaughter and Forgetting followed. Both have been republished by Sapere Books along with another four in the series, Death On Duty, Field of Death, A Second Death, and Laid in Earth. In 2014 and 2016 Graham was shortlisted for the Debut Dagger again. The earlier novel, Death in Delft (previously titled The Allegory of Art and Science), is set in seventeenth-century Delft and features the philosophy lecturer and reluctant detective Master Mercurius. Sapere Books published it in 2020.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08FCJMG8W
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (October 20, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 20, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 209 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,635 ratings

About the author

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Graham Brack

Graham Brack

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Graham Brack has been writing for as long as he can remember, but now concentrates on crime fiction. Three times shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger prize (in 2011, 2014 and 2016) he never quite managed to win it.

Graham lives with his wife Gillian in Northamptonshire and has two children and three granddaughters, who are too young to be allowed to read Grandad's books, so he provides other stories for them.

He trained and practised as a pharmacist and has also written about football, rugby, cricket and medical law. He is an ordained priest in the Church of England.

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4.5 out of 5 stars
1,635 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the storytelling engaging and well-crafted, weaving historical details seamlessly into a gripping narrative. They describe the book as an enjoyable read with humorous moments and relatable characters. The hero is described as likeable and flawed.

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10 customers mention "Storytelling"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the storytelling engaging and entertaining. They appreciate how the author weaves historical details seamlessly into a gripping narrative. The humor makes the intricate stories easy to digest and enjoy. Readers describe the book as a superb historical novel with a complex plot full of surprising twists that keep them engaged.

"...Master Mercurius is a fascinating protagonist, whose sharp intellect and moral dilemmas add depth to the story." Read more

"...a funny, intelligent man who lets us into his mind, shares his opinions of people and situations, shares his intimate thoughts, has a fierce..." Read more

"...The reader is rewarded by very entertaining story-telling; at turns humorous and intriguing...." Read more

"...detective’ Master Mercurius is a most interesting and reluctant hero. Brack’s writing style is most impressive." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book series. They find it enjoyable, with surprising twists that keep them engaged throughout. The books live up to their expectations and are well-written.

"...The plot is complex and full of surprising twists, keeping readers engaged throughout...." Read more

"...I find his reasonableness and humanity really apoealing. Good reads. Worth your time and effort." Read more

"Another great read from Graham Brack. ‘detective’ Master Mercurius is a most interesting and reluctant hero...." Read more

"...center to the books and he comes across as an understandably human, engaging, and fallible individual, and Brack weaves fictional and actual..." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They mention the mystery and interesting characters.

"Love Master Mercurious.☺. He is a funny, intelligent man who lets us into his mind, shares his opinions of people and situations, shares his..." Read more

"...The reader is rewarded by very entertaining story-telling; at turns humorous and intriguing...." Read more

"...does an excellent job of weaving mystery, history, and a fair amount of sly humor into a very entertaining series...." Read more

"...I have really enjoyed all three books!! Mystery, humorous, interesting characters, along with some historical details of life and happenings in the..." Read more

4 customers mention "Hero"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the hero of the story likeable and interesting. They describe him as a human, engaging, and fallible individual.

"...Master Mercurius is a fascinating protagonist, whose sharp intellect and moral dilemmas add depth to the story." Read more

"...detective’ Master Mercurius is a most interesting and reluctant hero. Brack’s writing style is most impressive." Read more

"...and he comes across as an understandably human, engaging, and fallible individual, and Brack weaves fictional and actual historical characters in a..." Read more

"...going back to the 1600, to CHARLES’ England and the hero of the story is very likeable...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Dr. David Farrar
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterful Seventeenth-Century Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    “Dishonor and Obey” by Graham Brack is a riveting historical mystery set in the seventeenth century. The novel follows the astute physician and detective, Master Mercurius, as he investigates a perplexing case amidst the political and religious turmoil of the time.

    Brack’s storytelling is exceptional, weaving historical details seamlessly into a gripping narrative. The plot is complex and full of surprising twists, keeping readers engaged throughout. Master Mercurius is a fascinating protagonist, whose sharp intellect and moral dilemmas add depth to the story.
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  • pollymom
    4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading. Worth your time well done. Funny.Well ctrafted.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Love Master Mercurious.☺. He is a funny, intelligent man who lets us into his mind, shares his opinions of people and situations, shares his intimate thoughts, has a fierce intelligence and an active and apparent sophisticated sense of humor! I really love these books like Harold of Warwick..AR times laugh aloud funny backs up by complex stories that take a reader a bit of time and effort to fully understand! However, alk become clear as the novels progress..stop love the humor...make the intricate stories easy to digest and enjoy. Touched with morality, biblical quotes in Latin then translated to educate the reader which add to the story and do not detract from the flow. Our hero is a moral and thoughtful man who truly wants to do the right thing and not cause any pain ven to th guilty. He finds the judgements and punishments of the time harsh and often horrifying. He attempts to avoid accusing anyone into there is no choice but to accuse the guilty. I find his reasonableness and humanity really apoealing. Good reads. Worth your time and effort.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • cat lady
    5.0 out of 5 stars Third Book Rocks The House
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I read the first three books. I’m working my way through the series and loving every minute of it! Plots and characters are crafted expertly. The third book has even more complex plot. The reader is rewarded by very entertaining story-telling; at turns humorous and intriguing. This series is altogether gripping and I hope there will be many more installments in the future.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Rob
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb historical novel
    Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2022
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    Another great read from Graham Brack.
    ‘detective’ Master Mercurius is a most interesting and reluctant hero.
    Brack’s writing style is most impressive.
    One person found this helpful
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  • D. Smith
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable series
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Graham Brack does an excellent job of weaving mystery, history, and a fair amount of sly humor into a very entertaining series. Master Mercurius is a solid center to the books and he comes across as an understandably human, engaging, and fallible individual, and Brack weaves fictional and actual historical characters in a realistic and believable manner. I find these books are getting even better as the series progresses and I look forward to #4. Well worth reading!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Robyn McMillan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Always a good read
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is such a wonderful series!!! I have really enjoyed all three books!! Mystery, humorous, interesting characters, along with some historical details of life and happenings in the 1600's make this book (the whole series) so good!!! Looking forward to book four!!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly Complicated
    Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I have generally adored this series, especially Its somewhat snide asides, but this volume was too complicated and snide even for me. I do enjoy all the religious hypocrisies, though.
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  • Website's Mom
    4.0 out of 5 stars I liked this installment a lot
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Master Mercurius is sent to London as part of a delegation tasked with negotiating a marriage between William of Orange and Princess Mary. When a member of the Dutch delegation is murdered, the fun begins.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • H. Berends
    5.0 out of 5 stars This time out of the Netherlands
    Reviewed in Germany on January 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Mercurius travel to England and goes back the Netherlands. Is is the third book in this serei. I like it very much
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  • Ramblingsid
    5.0 out of 5 stars A well devised plot with more than its fair share of red herrings and false trails
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    In this, the third volume in the Master Mercurius Mysteries, the simple professor, now, as he says, in his twilight years, is looking back to his younger self when, even though he would have much preferred to have spent his time studying and writing, he had found himself called upon to perform acts of public service that were, at the time, an unwelcome distraction from his quiet studious life.

    Following the assistance that he had given to the Mayor of Delft in the matter of the abduction of three young girls he had come to the attention of the Stadhouder, William of Orange who had, in turn, asked for his help in dealing with a treasonous plot against him. Master Mercurius had been pleased to receive a generous fee from the Stadhouder in recognition of the service he had been able to give but had been happy to return to the University, and his studies, in the autumn of 1674.

    Mercurius had been left in peace for almost two years when he was summoned by the University Rector who informed him that the Stadhouder had need of his services once more. An audience with the Stadhouder in The Hague reveals that he is considering getting married. This will be for strategic diplomatic reasons rather than a love match and it is soon apparent that, Princess Mary, one of the daughters of James, the brother of Charles II of England, is a likely candidate. Master Mercurius is to accompany Heer Van Langenburg, who the Stadhouder, William of Orange, is sending to London as an Ambassador Extraordinary to open negotiations. Mercurius’ job is to ensure that the Princess Mary is a sound Protestant but also to keep an eye out for anyone who might be plotting against the proposed marriage.

    And so it is that Master Mercurius finds himself in London as a member of an embassy of fifteen people and caught up in the international politics of the time and the rivalries between protestant and catholic European powers. It is not long before Mercurius experiences at first hand the treacherous and violent nature of such rivalries as it becomes clear that there are indeed some that are seeking to undermine the work of the embassy. While the members of the dutch delegation are being dined, one of their number goes missing in the streets of London and is later found dead of a stab wound in an alley near a tavern called The White Cat.

    Master Mercurius finds himself embroiled in the task of identifying the murderer while attempting to foil any plot that seeks to prevent the proposed marriage between William of Orange and the Princess Mary.

    The evokes seventeenth century Holland and London very effectively and the story is engaging and holds the interest of the reader very well. The characters are well delineated and include a number of historical figures including, of course, William of Orange and Charles II of England but also Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren. The plot is well devised and has more than its fair share of red herrings and false trails. The character of Mercurius is very engaging and he is given a very nice dry sense of humour.

    This was the first of the Master Mercurius series of novels that I had read and found it excellent as a stand-alone novel and a very enjoyable and diverting read. I can recommend it highly.

    I would like to express my thanks to Net Galley and Sapere Books for making a free download of this book available to me.
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  • J. Smit
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction with a twist
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on October 31, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I would call the series with Master Mercurius 'historical fiction with a twist'. Yes, there is always a dead body or two, and yes, Mercurius thinks as a modern detective, but it is not a thriller in the sense that we know from books that are not set in the 17th century.
    Again, Master Mercurius is sent out on a 'litte trip' but this time we find him all the way in England, as part of a group of people who have to undertake negotiations with King Charles regarding the marriage of his niece Mary to Stadhouder Willem.
    So, first go to Wikipedia and read up on this very important piece of Dutch/English national history! It is not necessary to do so to understand what's happening in the book, but it may give you a better understanding of the importance of this marriage.

    Again, Graham Brack gives us a story with a solid historical background, (very) interesting characters and lots of hilarious dialogues and inner monologues of Master Mercurius. I smiled throughout reading it - although it contains some sad scenes too.

    I pre-ordered this book immediately after reading Untrue Till Death and to my great pleasure Graham Brack will give us a fourth book in this series this year: The Noose's Shadow. I'm looking forward to it!
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is such an excellent series!
    Reviewed in Australia on June 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The Master Mercurius series is such a great find, I have enjoyed immensely each of the three books I have read so far. I am particularly interested in this period of European history and this author really makes it come alive for me. I particularly like the interweaving of real historical people into the story, and even more, the nuggets of humour that are scattered throughout. It’s a very pleasant change to have a British author locate his tales beyond the British Isles. A top read!
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  • Mandrek Larl
    4.0 out of 5 stars The difficult third book that's slightly weaker than the first two book in the series ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    As is often the case the third book in a series doesn't quite measure up to the first two books, perhaps the literary equivalent of the difficult second album, and in that respect "Dishonour and Obey" is no exception. But this remains an excellent series, at least so far, and "Dishonour and Obey" is still an enjoyable and humorous read even if slightly weaker than its two predecessors "Death in Delft" and "Untrue Till Death".

    This time Graham Brack's creation, Master Mercurius, university theology teacher and occasional sleuth is sent to England with a delegation to negotiate the terms of a royal wedding between the Stadhouder and King Charles II's niece; but soon after their arrival one of their number is murdered and Mercurius, with his reputation going before him, is commanded by the King to solve the murder… [ and that's all I'm giving away!]

    Once again Brack's storytelling is first rate: the plot twists and turns; genuine historical characters including Charles II, Samuel Pepys, the Earl of Arlington and other members of the Royal court are cleverly weaved into the story; and the idea of setting the book in England is a wonderful device that allows Brack's wit to flow as Mercurius shares his wry observations on the louche English King, seventeenth century London, and the English and their horrible language.

    That said it's just not quite as good as either of the earlier books, Mercurius' wit has dulled albeit only slightly but as the story unfolds it becomes unnecessarily convoluted, so much so that Mercurius notes that some of the people at the denouement to whom he is attempting to explain the plot and how he unpicked it are confused. So sorry Mr Brack, from anyone else this would have been a five star book, but you've set yourself a very high standard and this one just falls a little short.

    Recommended if you're following the adventures of Master Mercurius but for anyone knew to the series I recommend that you don't start here, but with the first book "Death in Delft", that way you'll enjoy this book more.
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