"Instead of approaching the books primarily as historical fiction, Richardson unravels the complexities of the main character by exploring his psychology, positioning the books within the genre of espionage, and examining Dunnett's strategy of using games in her writing." -- Book jacket.

Since the first instalment of Dunnett's series was published in 1961, Francis Crawford of Lymond, the swashbuckling protagonist of the stories, has been captivating his fellow characters and readers alike. Rather than approaching the books primarily as historical fiction, Richardson unravels the complexities of the main character by exploring his psychology, positioning the books within the genre of espionage.