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Rags of Time by Michael Ward #BookReview @RandomTTours

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Rags of Time BT PosterWelcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Rags of Time by Michael Ward, the first in a series of historical mysteries set in 17th century London. My thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour and to the author for my digital review copy.

Rags of Time Final CoverAbout the Book

London, 1639. Spice merchant Thomas Tallant returns from India to find his city in turmoil – overcrowded, ravaged by crime and seething with sedition. A bitter struggle is brewing between King Charles I and Parliament as England slides into civil war.

A wealthy merchant is savagely killed; then his partner plunges to his death in the Tallant household. Suspicion falls on Tom, who soon finds himself being sucked into London’s turbulence. As he struggles to clear his name, he becomes entranced by the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour, whose passion for astronomy and mathematics is matched only by her addiction to the gaming tables. Can her brilliance untangle the web of deceit that threatens to drag Tom under?

Format: ebook (318 pages)             Publisher: Sharpe Books
Publication date: 23rd June 2020 Genre: Historical fiction, crime, mystery

Find Rags of Time on Goodreads

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My Review

Rags of Time is a historical murder mystery set during the latter part of the reign of Charles I. Spice merchant Thomas Tallant is forced to turn investigator when he is implicated in the mysterious deaths of two wealthy businessmen who just happen to be prominent figures in the rival wool trade.

The author does a great job of conjuring up the sights, sounds and smells of 17th century London: its bustling, crowded streets full of traders selling their wares; the pungent aromas of brewing, tanning and other industries; the narrow, tenement-lined alleyways where trade of an entirely different nature takes place.

Thomas’s investigations take place against the backdrop of a time of unrest as relations between King and Parliament deteriorate and rumours of Papist plots abound. London is a city driven by fear.  Apprentices are rioting on the streets, seditious pamphlets are circulating and war with the Scots is looming. “King or Parliament? King or Parliament? It’s time to choose” is the oft-heard cry.

Sir Ralph, Thomas’s father, performs the role of keeping the reader informed of wider events both at home and abroad. Meanwhile, Thomas finds himself drawn into the murky world of spies and informers, forced to make risky bargains to gain the information he needs to clear his name and restore his family’s reputation. However, he’s not the only one interested in getting to the bottom of the two deaths.

The spirited, pipe-smoking Elizabeth Seymour makes a great addition to the cast of characters. She’s a woman out of her time in many respects with an interest in astronomy, mathematics and the latest scientific theories. (Fast forward to the 1940s and she might well have been employed at Bletchley Park.)  As well as knowing her poetry and loving the theatre, she,  like Thomas, has experienced the thrill – and the consequences – of financial speculation. Cue the flowering of an instant mutual attraction between the pair.

The trade rivalry between the different merchant fraternities adds a sprinkling of spice to the mix, meaning there is no shortage of possible suspects and motives. But just what caused the two men’s deaths – was it the work of demons or of human hand? I’m pleased to say it’s Elizabeth’s logical mind that helps to provide the first key to unlocking the mystery.

Rags of Time is a well-crafted historical mystery with a satisfyingly intricate plot and plenty of period detail. I, for one, look forward to reading more of the adventures of Thomas Tallant.

In three words: Lively, intriguing, mystery

Try something similar: A Murderous Affair by Jonathan Digby

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Mike Ward Author picAbout the Author

Writing has been central to Mike Ward’s professional life. On graduating from university he became a journalist, working in newspapers and for the BBC. He then went into journalism education, teaching and researching journalism practice before becoming head of the UK’s prestigious Journalism School at UCLan. For the last eight years he has run his own content creation company.

Rags of Time is Mike’s debut novel. Its sequel is due to be published late in 2020.

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An Engineered Injustice by William L. Myers, Jr.

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An Engineered InjusticeAbout the Book

What if the deadliest train wreck in the nation’s history was no accident?

When a passenger train derails in North Philadelphia with fatal results, idealistic criminal defence attorney Vaughn Coburn takes on the most personal case of his young career. The surviving engineer is his cousin Eddy, and when Eddy asks Vaughn to defend him, he can’t help but accept. Vaughn has a debt to repay, for he and his cousin share an old secret – one that changed both their lives forever.

As blame for the wreck zeros in on Eddy, Vaughn realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Seeking the truth behind the crash, he finds himself the target of malicious attorneys, corrupt railroad men, and a mob boss whose son perished in the accident and wants nothing less than cold-blooded revenge. With the help of his ex-con private investigator and an old flame who works for the competition, Vaughn struggles to defeat powerful forces – and to escape his own past built on secrets and lies.

Format: ebook (317 pages)                    Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication date: 23rd January 2018 Genre: Crime, Thriller

Find An Engineered Injustice (Philadelphia Legal #2) on Goodreads

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Amazon UK 
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My Review

An Engineered Injustice is the second book in the author’s Philadelphia Legal series. The series commenced with A Criminal Defense which I’ve not yet read although I read – and very much enjoyed – the third book in the series, A Killer’s Alibi, back in January 2019. You can find my review here. By the way, although it may look like it, I’m not deliberately setting out to read the series in reverse order. It’s just happened that way!

An Engineered Injustice has references to events in the first book but works perfectly well as a standalone and, if anything, the consequences of past actions help to propel its plot.  There are also return appearances for some of the characters from A Criminal Defense, including some particularly unsavoury ones although sometimes even they can have their uses.  Having to live with the consequences of past actions is especially the case for lawyer, Vaughn Coburn. Despite his lack of experience with the type of litigation involved, he feels an obligation to his family to clear his cousin Eddy, the driver of the derailed train, against charges of culpability for the crash. Along with a keen sense of justice, Vaughn has personal reasons – a secret buried for sixteen years – why he must succeed: ‘What he owes his cousin is nothing less than victory. And with it, salvation.”

What seems an open and shut case of driver error initially, proves to be anything but as Vaughan, with the assistance of some unlikely allies,  gradually uncovers a web of corruption and breathtakingly evil intent. The case involves Vaughn going out on a limb like never before, risking his reputation and livelihood.

Given the author’s legal background, it’s no surprise the book is full of detail about legal and judicial procedure. The final courtroom scenes during the preliminary hearing of the case are not only convincingly realistic but as tense and thrilling as you could wish for. Will Vaughn’s unconventional ploy succeed?  Does justice prevail? You’ll have to read the book to find out and, if you do, be prepared for surprises.

An Engineered Injustice is another fast-moving, intricately plotted and compelling crime thriller from the pen of William L. Myers, Jr. In case you need further persuasion, you can read my earlier spoiler-free interview with the author about An Engineered Injustice here. The fourth book in the series, A Criminal Justice, was published on 17th March 2020.

In three words: Taut, fast-moving, suspenseful

Try something similar: Lying in Vengeance by Gary Corbin

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William L Myers, Jr.About the Author

William L. Myers, Jr. is the Amazon #1 best-selling author of the Philadelphia Legal Series. The series debuted with the legal thriller A Criminal Defense in 2017. Following that, Mr. Myers released An Engineered Injustice in 2018 and A Killer’s Alibi in 2019. His latest novel, A Criminal Justice, was released March 17, 2020 to strong reviews.

Born into a blue-collar family, Mr. Myers inherited a work-ethic that propelled him through college and into the Ivy League at The University of Pennsylvania School of Law. From there, Mr. Myers began his legal career in a Philadelphia-based mega defence firm. After ten years defending corporate America, he realized his heart wasn’t in it. So he started his own firm and began fighting for the common guy.

That was twenty-five years ago and since then, Mr. Myers has devoted his legal career to representing honest, hard-working people who have been injured by others. He has become a highly-regarded trial attorney up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and has had the rare honour of arguing before the United States Supreme Court.

Mr. Myers and his wife Lisa live with their two pit bulls in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo/bio credit: Author website)

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