The Clockwork Assassins — Robert J. Lloyd

1680. In the Norfolk Fens, a body is revealed, a man murdered during the time of the Civil Wars. Harry Hunt of the Royal Society is called to investigate, for the dead man is Sir Jeffrey Hudson, the Queen's dwarf, a fierce warrior for the Royalist cause, who once killed a man in a duel. But no one knew of Hudson's death...except the murderer. For years, an imposter has lived in Hudson's place, working as a spy. Now this man, too, has disappeared, taking with him knowledge of a plot to kill the Queen. Harry's search takes him to Paris, ruled by Louis XIV and the sinister Chief of Police, La Reynie. There, he becomes ensnared in a city obsessed with poisoning. With the help of a cross-dressing aristocratic swordswoman, who has schemes of her own, Harry embarks on a desperate race to return to London. He must save the Queen and all who gather for her Catholic Consult. He must save them from the Clockwork Assassins. The CLOCKWORK ASSASSINS is Harry Hunt's second adventure, the sequel to The BLOODLESS BOY.