Robert Cecil is seldom blamed for the gunpowder plot, he is credited with discovering the plotters and punishing them. What if Cecil planned the whole nasty business? In this book we examine what really happened. Yes, the plot had holes in it, but Cecil knew that only the most convincing lies had an implausible dimension to them. He knew subterfuge needed to be skilfully constructed. Poor Guy and poor Catesby, they were destined for infamy. James VI of Scotland, James I of England, would not entertain Puritan ideas for reform of the church; the Catholics needed to be destroyed. However, James’s adoration of good looking favourites threatened to undermine Cecil’s influence. What if Cecil could discover a plot that would kill the King and save him at the last minute? How would a king who feared assassination react to the man who saved him. He had already rewarded Ramsay who had served his life. Cecil would be James’s hero.