I thoroughly enjoy this Jackdaw series of Elizabethan thrillers. They are as good as the Shardlake books, in my opinion. Not that much of this story actually featured the Jackdaw Inn or even London, as Nicholas and Bianca have to flee England to avoid false charges of attempting to kill Queen Elizabeth. They travel first to The Netherlands where they meet a new travelling companion, Hella, and then follow the pilgrim path to Padua, Bianca’s birthplace. Whilst their friends, Ned and Rose, are trying to clear the charges against Nicholas back in London, Nick and Bianca, get involved with Galileo and other well known academics at the University in Padua. I love books like this which blend fiction with historical facts and personalities. Unfortunately this book doesn’t have a completely happy ending and at the end of The Heretic’s Mark, Nick and Bianca remain in Italy far from home. What is to become of them next?