time traveller? - Rated 
I found the most disconcerting thing about this new series was meeting Captain Rawson only recently,involved in a Redmayne mystery (a series I enjoy) during the reign of Charles II. Now he turns up in Queen Anne's reign, still a young man. Is he a time traveller or has he discovered the secret of eternal youth? Also, the endless battles were tedious. Not one of Edward's best.
...Not for me. - Rated
As a reader of military history fact and fiction, I'd like to think that I know what I should expect from a book on the subject. Now, please don't get me wrong, I'm sure this author's other works are brilliant - It's when I heard that a military novel has been written by a crime writer, I thought...'oh dear' But I did give it a chance.
One word that I would use to describe this book is, Un-descriptive. Nothing is explained, or elaborated a pon. For example, a battle reads like.
-The troops advanced
-They were surprised by an enemy musket volley
-Some died...our hero lives -he draws his sword and run after the French
There's no passion, no grittiness too it. No explanation to what pattern of muskets were used, how they were loaded, no talk of military formations, other than 'the regiments were in tight formation'
The main chap is a Captain in a regiment, but no military organisation is touched a pon. ie. what company did he command, who was the acting Colonel of the regiment etc.. etc... Not even uniforms are touched on.
I was just left feeling very cold and wooden by the end
First in a New Series - Rated 
Edward Marston is just one of the pseudonyms of author Keith Miles. He has been a university lecturer, radio, television, and theatre dramatist, and in addition to writing has worked as an actor, director, and dramatist. He has written a large number of books with historical themes, perhaps the most well known being his Domesday series. These revolve around the census of 1086 and a series of mysteries featuring the Elizabethan theatre as their background.
Once you have become familiar with an author's work, his character's and style of writing it is sometimes difficult to become attuned to a new character and storyline, but in this case the author seems to have come up with a winner on both fronts, although I still love the the books that are set in the eleventh century.
This is a new venture for the author and a new character to contend with in Captain Rawson The quintessential career soldier who never knows when his life will come to a brutal and bloody end and therefore lives each day to the full. While still young, Rawson had seen war destroy his father and seen his Dutch mother almost raped. Shortly afterwards the pair leave England for the Netherlands. Three years later Rawson returns as a soldier in the Dutch army, come to support William of Orange in his bid to replace James II on the English throne.
But the memories of his youth still burn strong in his mind and have moulded him into the man he is. Beholden to no one, except his superior officers. A man of intelligence and quick wits. Both of which have kept him alive, while many of his contemporaries are moldering in the earth. A man with as many enemies as he has friends . . .
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