Hepworth returns with a thriller spanning centuries
After a three year absence since the release of 2022’s Tusker author Christopher Hepworth is back with Cavalier a historical and political thriller centuries in the making. Told via three distinct and interwoven timelines, Cavalier begins in the 1600’s with the introduction of the Slingsby family and their stately ancestral home known as “Red House”, the second timeline in the 1980s details the Red House’s history as a prestigious boarding school and the final present-day timeline catches back up with several characters from the second timeline as the “Old Cavaliers” are now mostly prominent figures in English politics. Throughout the entire narrative, tense rivalries and secrets are a common thread and Hepworth does an excellent job in tying what on the surface appears to be three unrelated timelines together into a stunning historical thriller.
But Cavalier is not only a historical thriller, b]it is also a tribute to the Red House – a Yorkshire estate that has been in existence since the early 11th century. As the backdrop for most of the action in each of the three timelines, Hepworth spends as much time on the development of the characters as he does faithfully portraying the Red House as a locale that stands the test of time. From the outset, it is clear that Red House is a property to be envied, fought for and protected. But this was no ordinary house, Red House has a personality of its own and can even be considered a character in its own right. Built and utilized during a turbulent time in England’s history, it was intriguing to learn about priest holes and their usage. These hiding places sounded so fanciful that they didn’t seem to be real. To see these architectural features factor so prominently in the later timelines elevated the story in my opinion. While not usually a fan of historical fiction, Hepworth is an exception as everything I have read from him weaves the historical aspects into the overall fictional timeline. This approach has always prompted me to look deeper into the claims or events and learn even more about places or events.
If you are a fan of political thrillers, historical mysteries, larger than life locales and potentially world-changing events, Christopher Hepworth’s Cavalier will have you hooked from start to finish. Here’s hoping that we will not have to wait three years for his next adventure.
Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author as part of his ARC team, but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own.
Cavalier is scheduled for an April 29 2025 release
Jennly Reads 