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  • Thomas Culpepper: The Spymaster's Apprentice

  • The Culpepper Chronicles
  • By: Jon Stanford
  • Narrated by: Jon Stanford
  • Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (1 rating)

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Thomas Culpepper: The Spymaster's Apprentice cover art

Thomas Culpepper: The Spymaster's Apprentice

By: Jon Stanford
Narrated by: Jon Stanford
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Summary

Time is running out for Thomas Culpepper - he must become a spymaster, and fast.

A murdered mother, missing father, and a plot to overthrow the Queen. 

Rescued and recruited by a mysterious spymaster, 14-year-old Thomas is thrust into the villainous world of Elizabethan espionage. Thomas must join the front line in this hidden war, fighting in the shadows, doing battle with double agents, and outwitting a circle of enemies as it closes in around him. But when his impossible mission merges with his own family mystery, Thomas begins to question the reasons behind his unlikely apprenticeship and the motivation of the mysterious spymaster he now serves.

The fate of England rests on a knife-edge. If the queen is killed, thousands more will die alongside her. Can Thomas infiltrate the traitorous network in time? And will his new skills as a spy finally help him learn the truth about his murdered mother and missing father? 

The first book in the Culpepper Chronicles series, Thomas Culpepper: The Spymaster's Apprentice, is a pause-resisting adventure of thrills, treachery, and treason.

Journey with Thomas on this adrenaline-filled quest, as he rises from the lowly life of a homeless vagabond to apprentice of the queen's spymaster - all whilst uncovering secret messages, decoding complex ciphers, and dodging death, as the plotters he seeks to expose close in around him.

©2020 Jon Stanford (P)2020 Jon Stanford

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Historical fiction with flair

The hero of this story, Thomas Culpepper, may only be a boy but he uses the fact that he is young and over-looked to outsmart his enemies. All he wants is to find his father and survive, which is hard as an orphan in Elizabethan times. We follow him along his journey from Shrewsbury to London where he is apprenticed and drawn into a spy network. As he only ever knows a fraction of the story, Thomas must crack codes and follow his own leads to try to make sense of all the chaos and intrigue around him.
Overall, it is a satisfying story with a plot that is layered but not overly complex. It would be well-suited for a younger reader who likes Harry Potter or similar novels. Thomas is easy to like, and it is pleasing to see him matched in intellect and humour by his female counterpart, Fred. If you are interested in looking at the historical plots mentioned, you will be satisfied to know that they are real. The novel is well researched but as with the best writers, it wears its learning lightly.

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