Book Review: The Judge Hunter, by Christopher Buckley (2018)

Cover of The Judge Hunter, by Christopher Buckley, 2018.

Author Christopher Buckley.

When Christopher Buckley published The Relic Master in late 2015, it was a change of pace for him. Most of Buckley’s novels have been set in contemporary Washington, D.C., and satirized aspects of the national government. The Relic Master, however, was set in the Holy Roman Empire of the 16^th century. Buckley’s signature sharp humor was still on full display throughout the book, which I reviewed here. The question was if The Relic Master was a one-off, or a new direction for Buckley. It seems to have signaled a new direction, as Buckley’s most recent novel, The Judge Hunter, published on May 1^st, is a comedic historical novel set in 1664 New England.

The Judge Hunter begins with Balthasar de St. Michel pestering his brother-in-law, English diarist Samuel Pepys, for a job. As Clerk of Acts for the Royal Navy, Pepys could easily get “Balty,” as he is known to his friends, a job aboard a ship. The only problem, in addition to Balty’s lack of qualifications, is that, according to Balty, “You know I’m no good on ships. They make me ill. Even when they’re not moving.” (p.7) 

Pepys is tired of Balty’s sponging off of him, so he arranges for Balty to obtain a Crown commission to travel to New England and hunt down the last of the “regicide judges,” who signed the death warrant for King Charles I in 1649. Balty balks at the proposal:

“New England? I shall have to take a ship.”

“That is the customary way of going. But if you can find a land route to New England, that would certainly be an achievement to eclipse finding regicides.” (p.17) 

Once Balty makes it safely to New England, he is to look for a man with the unlikely name of Plantagenet Spong. Balty survives the Atlantic crossing, although his insides are much the worse for wear. Upon landing in Boston, he is immediately accused of arson by the Puritan governor. Balty finally makes the acquaintance of Mr. Spong, whose real name is Hiram Huncks, Harvard dropout and former solider. Huncks assists Balty in searching for the regicide judges, and also involves him in other intrigues, as the possibility of war between the British and Dutch looms.  

The Judge Hunter follows Balty and Huncks as they make their way through Connecticut, New Haven, and New Amsterdam. Along the way they encounter numerous governors—all real historical figures—and meet a Quaker woman named Thankful who catches Balty’s eye with her unusual form of religious protest. 

The Judge Hunter is really an adventure story, and following Balty and Huncks is quite a lot of fun. I enjoyed Balty’s cluelessness, and throughout the novel I couldn’t help but imagine Hugh Laurie as Balty. One character thinks about Balty: “This Englishman was no simple fool. He was the Platonic ideal of the Fool.” (p.301) 

Buckley does an excellent job of immersing the reader in unfamiliar historical territory, and it’s clear that he’s done his homework from the “Historical Notes” and sources sections at the end of the book. If you’re looking for an entertaining historical novel, The Judge Hunter will serve you well. 

Warning: The Judge Hunter contains the following: violence, gunfire, bird torture—unseen, Dutch, and numerous references to catamounts.