I love the cover - beautifully done and eye-catching. Having read the previous Jackdaw Mysteries title I was looking forward to this one. Nicholas Shelby, a London physician has to flee to the continent with his new wife Bianca after false accusations of planning to poison Queen Elizabeth I. Partly following the traditional pilgrim route they travel from Antwerp to Padua where Bianca once lived. But they're joined en route by a young woman whose religious fanaticism threatens the bond and the lives of Nicholas and Bianca.
Running parallel with this is the attempt by the Moncktons back in London to clear Nicholas's name. Of the two this was the stronger story, the setting we're familiar with based around the Jackdaw tavern owned by Bianca.
The book is very well researched, religion, science as in Galileo, travel, but I lost a little interest in the science element in Padua. It felt included just because the dates fitted and it was something different to add to the story.
I would suggest reading the volumes in order so to understand Shelby's on-off connection with the spymaster Robert Cecil who I think is one of the stronger characters. I gave it four stars as I felt it wasn't quite as good as the previous title but I will certainly keep reading them.
Running parallel with this is the attempt by the Moncktons back in London to clear Nicholas's name. Of the two this was the stronger story, the setting we're familiar with based around the Jackdaw tavern owned by Bianca.
The book is very well researched, religion, science as in Galileo, travel, but I lost a little interest in the science element in Padua. It felt included just because the dates fitted and it was something different to add to the story.
I would suggest reading the volumes in order so to understand Shelby's on-off connection with the spymaster Robert Cecil who I think is one of the stronger characters. I gave it four stars as I felt it wasn't quite as good as the previous title but I will certainly keep reading them.