SW Perry is a new author for me. I first came across the Jackdaw Mysteries when The Rebel’s Mark was published. But, discovering that book was fifth in the series, I decided to start at the beginning with The Angel’s Mark. And I’m so glad I did. Some first novels of a series can seem a little slow, concentrating on establishing world and character at the expense of tension but in The Angel’s Mark, Perry tells a rollicking good historical mystery. It is 1590, Queen Elizabeth I’s reign is nearing its end, Catholics are still celebrating mass in secret, there are wars, plotting, spies and witchcraft. Young physician Nicholas Shelby has a good career ahead of him and is due to become a father until tragedy sends him reeling towards alcoholism, vagrancy and ruin.
This is at once a sad story, and one of hope. Watching Nicholas suffer the worst imaginable kind of grief is a painful read, until Perry presents him with a puzzle to be solved, a medical dilemma that doesn’t make sense, a challenge to his intellect currently sozzled by alcohol and to his vanished self-esteem. He is convinced a killer is at large, preying on the weak, unfortunate and overlooked in London’s streets. At first no-one wants to hear his complaints, the victims are found south of the river, unimportant, and Shelby is a ruined man, certainly no doctor, whose word cannot be trusted. Each victim has a strange symbol cut into the leg; could it be devilry, a sacrifice? But Shelby is still a physician at heart, he believes in facts and evidence not hearsay and superstition. So with the help of innkeeper Bianca Merton, who rescued him at his lowest point, he begins to investigate. Their search for the truth takes them into one of the most glamorous houses in London, Nonsuch Palace. Bianca is a fascinating character; an apothecary and healer forbidden a license to practise, she runs an inn, keeps a herb garden and helps local people with her salves and potions.
A well-written thriller in Elizabethan London featuring a likeable hero with a strong conscience and vulnerabilities. If, like me, you love Shardlake, give this series a go.

If you like this, try:-
‘The Almanack’ by Martine Bailey #1TabithaHart
‘The Swift and the Harrier’ by Minette Walters
‘A Rustle of Silk’ by Alys Clare #1GabrielTaverner

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview THE ANGEL’S MARK by SW Perry @swperry_history https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-7PM via @SandraDanby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:-