 Brindle appears to be the picture of innocence, and a dedicated and protective friend when the looming threat of the Spanish ambassador, his rather unusual and evil mechanical creature and other fearsome characters become more than potential problems.The reader continually discovers many other unusual aspects of this alternative "Tudor England" and, as the story develops, it is clear that Brindle himself is not all he appears, as events lead to some rather disturbing discoveries.The title 'Deathscent' represents the smell of death- Brindle and his kind have a far greater understanding of smell, but the best is smell of death when someone is killed.