The Pilgrim Conspiracy is an interesting, if a bit perplexing, read. Like many historical mysteries, this one is predicated upon the discovery of a mysterious new manuscript—in this case by one of the original Pilgrims during their sojourn in Leiden that preceded the journey to the "New World," one who chose to remain behind when that journey was undertaken. The book opens with a foreword claiming that historian Piet Van Vliet (a real person) discovered this manuscript. Excerpts from the manuscript appear at throughout the book. And the book ends with an afterword by Van Vliet discussing how much fun it was to have a legitimate academic find published via a work of fiction.

It took a bit of digging—since The Pilgrim Conspiracy hasn't been released yet, so there aren't many reviews available—to figure out whether such a manuscript exists or not. It doesn't. The author, Jeroen Windmeijer, and Van Vliet actually staged a discovery of the manuscript, including photos to the press, but these were part of publicity for the work of fiction, not an actual discovery. The best source I've found on this question is https://www.tamurajones.net/ThePilgri...

That question answered, I can say a bit more about The Pilgrim Conspiracy as a work of fiction. Aside from the non-existent manuscript, the book posits an early connection between the Pilgrims and the Freemasons, one that spans several continents. The book opens with the murder of a Leiden Freemason during an "open house" at his lodge. More deaths, which may or may not be related, ensue.

I found The Pilgrim Conspiracy to be slow reading. For the first two thirds of the book, I had to push myself to keep reading; when the denouement was at hand, the pace picked up considerably. I found the central character, historian Peter de Haan rather off-putting, a bit cavalier about his primary relationship and drifting into a series of fantasies about an affair with a female colleague who was his grad student years ago. He's a man who would be an interesting conversationalist, but not one who would impel the building of a real friendship.

All that said, I did find myself caught up in the last six or eight chapters of The Pilgrim Conspiracy. This is a book for a patient reader with a taste for historical detail. If you fit that description, you will ultimately find The Pilgrim Conspiracy to a rewarding read.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own. ( )