The Saracen’s Mark by S. W. Perry – Blog Tour Review.

About The Book

Betrayal has many guises…

London, 1593: Five years on from the Armada and England is taking its first faltering steps towards a future as a global power. Nicholas Shelby – reluctant spy and maverick physician – and his companion Bianca Merton are settling into a life on Bankside. But in London there is always a plot afoot… 

Robert Cecil, the Queen’s spymaster, once again recruits Nicholas to embark on a dangerous undercover mission that will take him to the back alleys of Marrakech in search of a missing informer. However, while Nicholas hunts for the truth across the seas, plague returns once more to London – ravaging the streets and threatening those dearest to him. 

Can Bianca and Nicholas’ budding relationship weather the threats of pestilence and conspiracy? And will Nicholas survive the dangers of his mission in a hostile city to return safely home?

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. The Jackdaw Mystery series is one of my favourites. Not only because of the characters but also because it takes place in my favourite period in British history. There is something about the power, corruption and fear that enthrals me and all of it comes across in this series.

There are two threads throughout the novel. One concerns Nicholas’s time in Marrakech, the connection between there and the Tudor court was something I wasn’t aware of and the other concerns Bianca and her attempts to stay safe from the plague that is crossing London and her having to come to terms with her feeling of abandonment with Nicholas going to Marrakech. But these two threads are connected and both are in danger.

Whilst I enjoyed reading about Nicholas in Marrakech, learning about the customs and the medical knowledge, and seeing the danger he faced it was Bianca’s story I preferred. The plague that brought fear, empty streets and mounting death but also the threat from power. But the way Bianca dealt with all, knowing that either could end her life had me hooked. 

As usual I spent time on google researching the real life characters and events and enjoyed every minute. I hope that this series continues.