I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it as not my normal kind of read,
It is set during the Elizabethan time in Long Southwark, London and Marrakech, Morocco in the year 1593.
The two main characters are Dr Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton who has an apothecary shop as well as the Jackdaw public house.
Perry writes well to evoke the atmosphere of Elizabethan backstreets, the life of an apothecary, the fear of plague, the superstition, etc. The underlying fear of Catholics is reflected well in Bianca's constant worry of discovery.
Of the characters Bianca and Cecil are strongly portrayed, Nicholas a slightly softer being, but they all gel well. I'll certainly read another by S W Perry.
It is set during the Elizabethan time in Long Southwark, London and Marrakech, Morocco in the year 1593.
The two main characters are Dr Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton who has an apothecary shop as well as the Jackdaw public house.
Perry writes well to evoke the atmosphere of Elizabethan backstreets, the life of an apothecary, the fear of plague, the superstition, etc. The underlying fear of Catholics is reflected well in Bianca's constant worry of discovery.
Of the characters Bianca and Cecil are strongly portrayed, Nicholas a slightly softer being, but they all gel well. I'll certainly read another by S W Perry.