Book Log 2022 #12: A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

This entry in the Kingsbridge series takes out out of the town and into the wider world (and conflicts) of the Elizabethan era.  What events that happen in the town reflect what's going on in the wider world, as its three most influential families - one staunchly Catholic, one Puritan, one nominally Catholic but not averse to Protestantism - struggle to hold power and maintain their positions. But unlike the earlier books, much of the action here takes place not just in Britain but in Europe as well.

This is facilitated by one of Kingsbridge's own becoming a spy in the service of Elizabeth.  As he advances in trust and seniority he becomes more integral to fending off Catholic plots against the queen, both from abroad and (very) close to home.

 This change, while obvious, didn't really strike me as I was reading the book. I did note that the cathedral itself was much less central to the story, but didn't really twig onto how different the plot was to the other two books. It could be that basing the story on the broader events of the period made the change less noticeable, or I just wasn't being particularly observant. Either way, I don't think it particularly detracts from the book, which I did like quite a bit.