Tag: Reading Challenges

#BookReview #Ad The Sinner’s Mark by S. W. Perry

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The Sinner's MarkAbout the Book

Treason, heresy and revolt in Queen Elizabeth’s England . . .

The year is 1600. With a dying queen on the throne, war raging on the high seas and famine on the rise, England is on the brink of chaos. And in London’s dark alleyways, a conspiracy is brewing. In the court’s desperate bid to silence it, an innocent man is found guilty – the father of Nicholas Shelby, physician and spy. As Nicholas races against time to save his father, he and his wife Bianca are drawn into the centre of a treacherous plot against the queen.

When one of Shakespeare’s boy actors goes missing, and Bianca discovers a disturbing painting that could be a clue, she embarks on her own investigation. Meanwhile, as Nicholas comes closer to unveiling the real conspirator, the men who wish to silence him are multiplying. When he stumbles on a plan to overthrow the state and replace it with a terrifying new order, he may be forced to make a decision between his country and his heart . . .

Format: eARC (432 pages)             Publisher: Corvus
Publication date: 6th April 2023 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

I’ve become a great fan of this series set in late Elizabethan London. I’ve read the first four books in the series – The Angel’s Mark, The Serpent’s Mark, The Saracen’s Mark and The Heretic’s Mark – but, strangely enough, not this book’s predecessor, The Rebel’s Mark, despite having a copy on my bookshelf. Unfortunately, by the time I realised, I didn’t have time to go back and read that before reading this latest instalment. But I definitely will.  Although The Sinner’s Mark can be read as a standalone reading the series from the beginning will allow you to witness the progress of the relationship between physician and reluctant spy, Nicholas Shelby, and Bianca Merton, owner of the Jackdaw tavern. Also making a return appearance from previous books are Rose and Ned Monckton, now charged with overseeing the Jackdaw whilst Bianca pursues her apothecary business.

More significant is the arrival of a figure from Nicholas’s past, a strange and rather macabre individual who appears to want simply to renew their friendship but whom Bianca instinctively suspects may not be exactly what he seems. It creates an unaccustomed tension in Nicholas and Bianca’s relationship. What I particularly like is the way Nicholas’s and Bianca’s previous experiences have informed the development of their characters over the course of the series. Bianca retains the quick-wittedness gained from the adventures of her youth. However, her eagerness to see the wicked brought to justice means she sometimes places herself in risky situations. She is fiercely protective of Nicholas, conscious that his inability to save loved ones many years before has left him with feelings of guilt and a desire to make amends. Bianca warns, ‘Be careful, Nicholas. There’s nothing wrong with compassion, provided it doesn’t leave you blind to danger’.

Once again, the backdrop to the story is the turbulent period towards the end of Elizabeth I’s reign. As Robert Cecil warns, ‘There is a cold current running beneath the surface of this realm, Nicholas… a current I don’t much care for. People have come to the realization that the queen cannot live for ever. They can smell change coming. And change can be fertile ground for trouble’.  Ah, yes, Robert Cecil.  As I’ve noted in previous reviews, no historical mystery set in the reign of Elizabeth I would be complete without a member of the Cecil family. Having thought he’d successfully extricated himself from Cecil’s spy network, Nicholas finds himself having to call on Cecil’s help when his father is arrested for possessing a seditious tract. Owing Cecil a favour is a distinctly uncomfortable position to be in and it results in Nicholas being unwillingly drawn into investigating a plot that aims to create mayhem.

One of the things I’ve loved about the previous books is the way the author conjures up the sights, sounds and smells of Elizabethan London and he does it again here, this time adding a theatrical flourish with a famous playwright being amongst the actual historical figures to feature in the book.

Ending with fireworks, The Sinner’s Mark is a thrilling addition to a wonderful series. If you’re a fan of historical mysteries and haven’t discovered the series yet, then you’re in for a treat.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of Corvus via NetGalley.

In three words: Intriguing, atmospheric, suspenseful

Try something similar: The Drowned City by K. J. Maitland

sw perry author picAbout the Author

S. W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. He lives in Worcestershire with his wife.

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#BookReview #Ad The Drums of War by Michael Ward

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The Drums of WarAbout the Book

London 1642. The King has fled London with the drums of war ringing in his ears. Across the country, lines are being drawn and armies raised.

Influential royalist Lady Carlisle switches sides and presses spice trader Thomas Tallant and his partner Elizabeth Seymour into Parliament’s service.

Soon Thomas faces double-dealing in his hunt for a lethal hoard of gunpowder hidden on the river, while Elizabeth engages in a race against time to locate a hidden sniper picking off Parliamentary officers at will in the city.

The capital also witnesses a vicious gang of jewel thieves take advantage of the city’s chaos to go on the rampage, smashing homes and shops, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They hand pick their targets but refrain from selling any of their loot. There are more questions than answers.

When war finally erupts, Elizabeth is caught in the brutalising carnage of Edgehill while Thomas joins the Trained Bands in their defence of the city. As he mans the barricades at Brentford, in a desperate rearguard action to repel Prince Rupert’s surprise attack, he realises the future of London rests in the hands of him and a few hundred troopers.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth believes she has identified the jewel thief and goes underground to trace his hoard. But all is not as it seems.

Format: ebook (227 pages)                  Publisher: Sharpe Books
Publication date: 18th August 2022 Genre: Historical Fiction

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My Review

The Drums of War is the third book in the author’s Thomas Tallant series, the sequel to Rags of Time and The Wrecking Storm. Links from the titles will take you to my reviews. The Drums of War can definitely be read as a standalone although I would recommend reading the series from the beginning for maximum enjoyment.

Once again the author has created an exciting combination of mystery and adventure built around actual historical events and featuring real historical figures, including the prominent Parliamentarian John Pym, pioneering physician William Harvey and the calculating Lucy, Countess of Carlisle.

I was delighted to see the return of the pipe-smoking Elizabeth Seymour, and playing a key role in the story too. Elizabeth prides herself on her logic and her knowledge of science, medicine and mathematics. Indeed the latter enables a breakthrough in the hunt for a sniper who has been targeting officers of the Trained Bands, the militia in charge of the defence of the City of London from the forces of the King. But Elizabeth’s confidence in her abilities is challenged when she finds herself at the Battle at Edge Hill, overwhelmed by the scale of the carnage and her inability to help the injured and dying.  ‘My God, it was Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell – the cries and shouts of desperate men, punctuated by booming cannon and the crackle of musket fire, in a fog of choking, gunpowder smoke.’  She also witnesses, in one particularly moving scene, the truth of what Thomas warned civil war would bring at the close of the previous book: ‘Father against son. Husband against wife. Brother against brother.’ 

Meanwhile Thomas finds himself thrust into the centre of the action as well and relying on some quick-witted companions and some lucky breaks to escape unscathed from the heat of battle.  

Alongside recounting Thomas’s and Elizabeth’s adventures (which on this occasion take place largely separately), the author introduces a mysterious, unnamed narrator with a connection to one of the secondary plot lines. But just what this person’s motive is remains unclear, as does their connection with an old adversary of the Tallant family. The book ends with a teaser that I hope suggests there are more adventures to come for Thomas and Elizabeth.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Drums of War with its intricate plot, fascinating historical detail and engaging leading characters. 

My thanks to the author for my digital review copy. You can find out more about ‘the life and times of Thomas Tallant’ on the author’s website.  

In three words: Intriguing, entertaining, eventful 

Try something similar: The Drowned City by K. J. Maitland 

Mike Ward Author picAbout the Author

Mike Ward is an English creator of historical fiction. Born in Liverpool, he was a BBC journalist and journalism academic before turning to non-factual writing.

His debut novel The Rags of Time is located in London in 1639. It marks the start of a tumultuous 30 years – civil war, regicide, republic and royal restoration. Politics, religion, commerce, science, and medicine – none are left untouched by this ferment of change.

Mike believes it’s the perfect setting for his hero Thomas Tallant’s series of adventures, starting with Rags of Time and followed by The Wrecking Storm and The Drums of War.

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