Having read some of the previous adventures of physician Dr Nicholas Shelby, his apothecary wife Bianca, and tavern-keepers Ned and Rose Monkton I was excited to see these much-loved characters return in this latest instalment of SW Parry's series set in the Elizabethan period. This particular story starts in London and takes the reader on a journey to Padua following part of the pilgrim route called the Via Francigena. The author cleverly weaves his fictional characters lives in with real historical figures such as Robert Cecil and Galileo. I actually found the first half of the book a little slow paced, and the frequent switches between the various groups of characters was a little confusing at times, but it did pick up and overall was an enjoyable read. If you like stories with engaging characters and fascinating historical details I would recommend this.