"The death of a stranger - a foreigner, in the eyes of every Englishman here - might come as small surprise," he said."
Death of a Stranger by John Pilkington is a historical novel set in the 16C London. This is the first book in a Bishopsgate Ward Mystery series.
Blurb:
Death of a Stranger
1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city.
Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitafields very seriously. So when Alessandro Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight.
Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler's powers are slight - and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage...
Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a buffling mystery - until the very last.
Step into a dangerous world of Elizabethan London with this cracking murder mystery!
1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London.
Dismay and anxiety coil beneath the smoke, noise and ceaseless commotion of a teeming metropolis.
Being one of three constables of Bishopsgate Ward Without the Gate, Matthew Cutler "never knew what he might face". A former player, he hasn't done his new job for long.
One morning, as he is about to have his breakfast, Matthew is called out with the dreadful news that an Italian perfumer Brisco is dead, cruelly slain, and his shop looks like a scene of butchery.
The victim is known in the neighbourhood as a courteous and good citizen, who has dealt mostly with wealthy clients in London. Brisco had never caused trouble. Who has murdered him and why?
"It was the first such crime he [Matthew] had faced in the months since he had agreed to act as constable in lieu of the man elected."
Still bearing the psychological scars of his falling-out with his magistrate father back in Kent, he has abandoned Cambridge after a single year to pursue life on stage.
Matthew makes an unusually compelling investigator. Educated, observant, and strong-willed, Matthew is nobody's fool. He is aware that he is stubborn to the point of doggedness, and says so himself, "Call me stubborn, or reckless, or what you will. But I mean to pursue this to the end, with every breath in my body".
The investigation takes a dangerous turn, and Matthew is being warned to stop pursuing the quest for truth.
Margaret Fisher who went to the country during the plague, is back in London. It's been two years since Matthew had seen her. She appreciates that Matthew busies himself with parish matters to push aside his grief (losing wife to the plague). An attentive listener, it is easy to confide in her.
Widowed and free to do what she wants, Margaret craves excitement in her life. Together they come up with a rather wild idea of posing as a well-to-do couple who have known Alessandro Brisco and visit the other perfumers in the city.
Matthew's former acting career becomes an advantage, he can easily slip into a disguise and assume a different personality.
This escapade brings in even more danger into Matthew's life. Will he solve the case or listen to the warning and abandon his investigation?
John Pilkinton's mastery of the Elizabethan setting is unmistakable.
Death of a Stranger is a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying historical mystery. Offering a fascinating ride through the late 16C London, it's the textured period details that make the story breathe.
There is a pletora of supporting characters, vivid and colourful. We meet Matthew's father-in-law who is a gunsmith; Nicholas, his old friend and one of the finest players, Mistress Leake, the formidable brothel owner and her guard Master Cerberus, the crooked men of law, the magistrate, and many others.
The story is quite theatrical in its setting. You move from one proscenium to another, from the perfumer's shop to the theatre, from the tavern to the houses of the nobility.
Fast-paced and assured, it's a gripping start of the mystery series.
This post is part of the blog tour for Death of a Stranger.
Many thanks to John Pilkington and Rachel's Random Resources for my e-copy of the book!
Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/DeathStranger
Author Bio –
A writer for over forty years, John
Pilkington was born in Lancashire and worked at many jobs including laboratory
assistant, farm worker, weaver, shipping clerk, picture frame-maker and cabaret
musician before taking a degree in Drama and English and finding his true 2
vocation. He has since written plays for radio and theatre, television scripts
for a BBC soap, a short-lived children’s series and numerous works of
historical fiction, concentrating now on the Tudor and Stuart eras. He also
ventured into speculative fiction with his biography of Shakespeare’s famous
jester, Yorick.
He now lives in a village on a tidal
estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a
psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to
music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.
Social Media
Links –
Bookbub profile:
@jpscript
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