Review: The Ruffler's Child by John Pilkington

Synopsis: Introducing Thomas Finbow – falconer to Sir Robert Vicary and Lady Margaret of Petbury, Berkshire. He keeps his mind sharp and his body primed as he goes about his duties with the diligent confidence of one who once served Queen and country.

When Nathaniel Pickering, Lady Margaret’s older brother is found murdered, Thomas takes her away to London, in search of gryfalcons. Lady Margaret being a keen lover of the sport of falconry herself, Thomas hopes it will help distract his mistress from her grief, however once they reach the city it becomes apparent that much bigger things are at play – and the murder of Master Pickering was just the beginning…

Thomas's astute mind is unable to ignore the clues, and in uncovering some dark secrets, he places himself - and his mistress - in grave danger. Now a target himself, Thomas must face some of London's most notorious criminals, in a battle of both brain and brawn.

~ ~ ~

For some reason, I had thought I had come across this series prior to now - and realised that it was published some twenty years ago and there are seven books in the series - The Ruffler's Child being the first.

Widowed Thomas Finbow, a former solder, is falconer to a local lordly couple. The death of the lady's brother sets both Thomas and Lady Margaret off to London to see what brother Nathaniel may have left behind by way of clues to why he was killed.

Thomas remains behind to investigate, following leads,discovering long-hidden secrets, that result in many a misfortune for our gallant falconer. Along the way, we learn a little about the Dutch community that settled in London at this time - which I found most enlightening.

England in the 1580s was a period of rising internal (see Mary Queen of Scots) and international political tension, particularly with Spain. In addition, the government - headed by Queen Elizabeth I and her Council - dealt with religious tensions from both Catholics and radical Puritans, while managing the economy which was benefiting from new Atlantic trade routes but facing financial strains from war.

Pilkington immerses the reader to the underbelly of London in the 1580s which included a mix of licensed and unlicensed establishments like taverns, alehouses, and brothels, alongside organized crime and poverty. London was home to what we would now refer to as organised crime - "dissolute, loose and insolent people" harbored in various disorderly houses, including gambling dens, brothels, and illicit taverns.

During this period, there was a growing Dutch community in England consisting primarily of Protestant refugees fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish-controlled Netherlands. These "strangers" formed distinct communities, established their own churches, and contributed to the English economy through new industries like silk and lace weaving. While generally welcomed for their skills, they faced some social friction with the local English population - this is also touched upon. 

This then is the social and political landscape into which the reader is drawn. Events build to the dramatic climax wherein the secret and the identity of the "ruffler's child" is revealed - and the connection to Lady Margaret's family is established.

A good first novel, not an overly long read but one which is nicely paced out to keep the narrative and action perpetually flowing. Looking forward to investing in the rest of the series.

Review: Edward IV's Fatal Legacy by Hazel Pierce

Synopsis: One of the most overlooked families of the early modern period, the Courtenays played a critical role, and their story of love and loss, loyalty and betrayal, survival and ruin is played out at the courts of four Tudor monarchs.

Katharine, Countess of Devon, was Edward IV's daughter. Her first proposed marriage would have made her Queen of Spain, but she was declared a bastard on the accession of her uncle Richard III. Legitimated under Henry VII, she eventually married Sir William Courtenay, heir to the earldom of Devon. Her closeness to her sister, Queen Elizabeth of York, did not prevent the sudden arrest of her husband in 1502. Whilst earning the regard of her royal brother-in-law, Henry VII, she walked a knife edge until the accession of her nephew, Henry VIII. As a widow, he granted her the lands of the earldom of Devon for life, making her one of the wealthiest female magnates in England.

Her death in 1527 spared her the tragedies which befell her family in the 1530s. Her son Henry, Marquis of Exeter, was first cousin to Henry VIII, with whom he enjoyed a close relationship until the king’s decision to repudiate his queen changed everything. Henry’s marriage to Gertrude Blount, one of the most neglected women of the Tudor period, was one of affection and respect. During the 1530s, she was at the centre of a group opposed to Henry VIII’s repudiation of Catherine of Aragon, passing on information provided by her husband and a small circle of trusted friends to the imperial ambassador, Chapuys. When her husband was arrested in 1538, he, along with others, was executed; only she survived.

Imprisoned in the Tower with her twelve-year-old son, Edward, she was later released while Edward remained incarcerated until the accession of Mary I. Upon his release, many believed he would marry the queen, but instead, he died in exile from suspected poisoning after surviving several assassination attempts by imperial agents. This study of the Courtenay family follows their lives and fortunes from 1479-1558.

~ ~ ~

Let me begin by saying I, personally, consider the title (and cover art) to be misleading (would strongly suggest changing - I can even suggest a few alternates that would actually represent the contents), as it really does a dis-service to the family at the forefront of this tome.

Secondly, whilst the author has demonstrated the wealth of research done, the data dump is frustrating - all your research does not need to be included!! There is the usual P&S author style of writing about others not entirely central to the title or subject at hand (refer data dump above); lots of summations, and rather contradictorily so, lots of detail (again, a good editor should have trimmed this back).

Thirdly, whilst kudos for subject matter, once again let down by presentation style. Initially not overly impressed one third way in. I wearily persevered.

What I did like was primarily the subject matter - the rise and fall of the Courtenays under the Tudors (which is the title I would have gone for). The first part is focused on Katherine Plantagenet - the daughter of King Edward IV, she was a Courtenay by marriage only. Spoiler alert: as her husband died young, there is much focus on Katherine who lived a long life (for folks of her time). Therein point two applies - although there is much to be learned about Katherine and William during the reign of Henry Tudor (her brother-in-law) - who both she and William did manage to outlive.

The second part looks at the exceedingly tumultuous lives of Katherine's son Henry and his wife Gertrude - whom I found the most annoying yet fascinating woman who managed to keep her head during the reign of Henry VIII - how, is a miracle for she was a headstrong, scheming woman! However, she did manage to find herself confined to the Tower, as did her son for her sins.

The son, Edward, is the subject of part three - a young man, heavily influenced by others, who paid a heavy price for his father's loyalty to his friends - imprisonment during his youth. Upon his release, he made up for lost time - a bit like the child popstars of today who are keen to shake off the kiddie-pop image for a more adult one. Unfortunately for Edward, this was his undoing and led to his exile.

There is much to be learned about this family, primarily the English / Devon branch of the family.  There are many branches (or tentacles) that sprouted from this illustrious family tree, and they had their historical and political moments, which should have been summarised not detailed.

I have not come across another biography of this family prior to now so have nothing really to compare it to. It is not for the feint hearted as there is - as I mentioned - a lot of detail. Whilst I was initially not overly impressed, I did come away with a deeper appreciation of the Courtenay family and their place in Tudor history (though I still say less is best!).

If Tudor history is your penchant, then you will definitely want to include this one to your reading list - but take your time - do not rush through it - and probably ditch the audio and e-book versions for a physical copy.

Following this, I did a bit of a google search for any further histories on this family - see below:

• The Shadow of the White Rose: Edward Courtenay, Earl of Devon, 1526-1556 by James D. Taylor
• Boconnoc: The History of a Cornish Estate by Catherine Lorigan
• Memorials of the West, Historical and Descriptive, Volume 44 by W. H. Hamilton Rogers
• Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII 1547-1558 by Alison Weir (for Edward Courtenay)

Review: The Last Days by Lindsay Jacob

Synopsis: It is the year 833, and in the land of the East Angles, the rains have failed. The poor pray and starve. Then foreign hermits enter the north of the kingdom. They preach that God’s wrath has fallen upon the people because the king and the head of the Church are heralds of the Antichrist and have allowed sin to flourish. In the fevered atmosphere, lives are taken.

In the kingdom’s south, a boy with royal connections commits an inexplicable crime. The situation spirals out of control, and murder follows. The body of one of the victims is rumoured to have caused a miracle, drawing starving folk to surround the abbey where the body lies. In desperation, the ealdorman calls on Father Eadred—a simple priest with an ability to solve murders— to investigate the crimes.

Eadred throws himself into the task, risking his sanity and life to discover the truth. He uncovers a vile plot, where Christians and pagans are entangled in a volatile web. Eadred rushes from one end of the kingdom to the other, in an attempt to prevent the final crime.

But has someone beaten him?

~ ~ ~

I have read the first in the series but missed the second - this one is the third mystery.

One of the key themes in this mystery is the concept of "the last days". The concept of the "last days" varies across religions, but generally refers to a final period before an end-time event, often involving a final judgment. In Christianity, this period includes signs like moral decline, false prophets, and a coming tribulation before a final judgment and Christ's return.

"... it is a time of false prophets and deceivers ..."

All of these elements are present - church corruption, religious turmoil, vice, crop failure, drought, war, famine. As a sign of religious favour, the people and the church look to miracles as a sign that all will be well. It also means that the site of the miracle may become a place of pilgrimage, drawing in more income (and prestige) for the religious establishment.

However, murder has been committed against a royal personage and Eadred is sent forth to investigate. He comes up against a community shrouded in superstition and a regression to pagan ways, itinerant heretics preaching the end of the world, and suddenly - a miracle amid the bloodshed.

Once Eadred looks like he may have a firm grasp on events, things take a turn as egos vie for dominance, and church and state vie for the power of the people. Will Eadred solve the mysteries at hand or become one of the victims himself .... only time will tell.

This is a well constructed mystery that often takes one step forward and two steps back as the various cases Eadred must solve overlap, and his thoroughness in investigating often has him going hither and thither. The 9th century is depicted well with the ongoing battle of church and state for the souls of those under its protection and as detailed within, when all else fails, the people resort to the "old" religion of the ancestors. Despite Christianity's spread, there were still pockets resistance and a resurgence was on the horizon!

Jacob engages and immerses his readers without appearing to be providing a history lesson. A good little mystery series.

Review: Frank's Bear Cave by Glenn Harvey

Synopsis:

The second decade of the 20th Century was a period of great transition, especially with the beginning of WWI in 1917. The war accelerated the industrial revolution and took an estimated forty million lives. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic decreased the world population by upwards of another fifty million.

The United States probably experienced more changes during that brief era than in any period since. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote and serve on juries. Prohibition gave rise to the moonshine industry and associated gang activity. Automobiles were coming onto the scene. Yet, farmers and timbermen were using centuries-old horse-drawn technology. There was increasing demand for farm produce by the expanding population of mill workers who kept the factories humming. Likewise, the virgin forests of the northeastern U.S. were providing the lumber needed for new homes in the cities and mill towns.

People coped with the 1918 influenza pandemic and industrial accidents without health insurance or welfare assistance outside their family, friends, churches, and local social institutions. The introductory chapters provide the early 1900s, rural setting, through the experiences of one family. As all of the individuals cited are deceased, this content is based on both written and verbal memories passed down through the family, verified to the extent possible by public records. The complete 1921-22, "Trial Book" of over 1000 pages, tells the story of the murder trial.

At 1:00 am, April 3, 1921, an intruder in Frank Harvey’s Butler County, Pennsylvania, farmhouse opened a life-changing chapter in his life. The murder he witnessed led to a sensational trial, “The Commonwealth vs. Henry A. Blakeley." The resultant testimony, motions, and appeals dominated local news from April 1921 through Blakeley’s execution in October 1922.

The murder trial is told verbatim through selections from the original typewritten trial manuscript. More than seventy witnesses from many walks of life provide us with vivid images of the day and times through their unredacted words, slang, and local expressions. Witnesses for the prosecution left little doubt that the defendant was profane, mean-spirited, mentally unstable, and guilty of murder.

A verdict of first-degree murder was an automatic death sentence in Pennsylvania in 1921. Thus, the defendant’s attorneys pulled out all stops trying to convince the jury and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that the murder was not first-degree. They failed, as the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's sentence. Nonetheless, the wide range of defense witnesses provided fascinating testimony. The defendant’s attorneys called more than forty witnesses, including the defendant’s children, local drunks, and distinguished physicians, to prove the witness was acting in self-defense or was unaware of his actions due to intoxication, insanity, or being in an epileptic coma.

In the end, his body was unclaimed by the family and Henry Blakeley was interned in the prison cemetery. He left behind photographs that he had taken for his friends and a final letter that prison officials refused to release due to its extremely vile language.

~ ~ ~

Begin with the family and local history leading up to the fateful events, which are interspersed with occasional fictional chapters to give colour to events are recollected by family members.

With regards to the criminal trial, Harvey states that he has presented the testimony in a different order than the actual trial: 

Harvey presents the details of the trial through the reproduction of the original transcripts which literally encompasses nearly seventy-five percent of the tome. We finish with the accused's execution and a footnote on Blakeley's final, vile missive, wherein "... he vulgarly assails those who had anything to do with the trial ..."

Harvey finishes with a comparison of times then and now and laments that things really have not changed.

A great source for local historians who get a very of life in early 20th century Pennsylvania, as well as the court proceedings in a capital trial.  Definitely one for true crime aficionados.

Review: The Tailor of Riga by Jonathan Harries

Synopsis: I had absolutely no intention of getting into the family business. As I told my father the night he enlightened me on what my ancestors had been up to for over a thousand years, "Sticking a curved dagger into someone's liver ain't quite my cup of tea."

As it turned out, I had no choice. When your family's been assassinating reprobates and other loathsome individuals for seventy generations, you have a certain obligation.

So, while it was a little disconcerting to hear how dear old granny would have become a prostitute if Grandpa Joe hadn't whacked one of Germany's top agents just before the start of World War I, it certainly piqued my interest. Of course, as I discovered, prostitution and murder were pretty de rigueur for my family.

After all, it was my great-grandfather who was hired by the British secret service to kill Jack the Ripper and my mother's cousins who took part in the attempted assassination of Lenin.

My only regret when I finally took up the family sica was not eliminating Jean-Bedel Bokassa just before he crowned himself Emperor of the Central African Empire and ate my two friends.

But we all make mistakes.

~ ~ ~

A rather curious (and dubious) tale of the author's discovery of his "real" family history.

"When your family's been assassinating reprobates and other loathsome individuals for seventy generations, you have a certain obligation."

Harries takes us on a journey of discovery - that he is descended from a long line of assassins dating back to Biblical times - and showcases a couple of incidents out of what is no doubt many acts of subterfuge and murderous expediency, de rigueur.

For those who definitely like their humour accompanied by satire, witticisms, anecdotal snippets of questionable historical accuracies and fallacies, then this is for you.

Looking forward to reading more of the exploits in the next books in the series: The Carpet Salesman from Baghdad, The Bodyguard of Sarawak, and The Correspondent of Petrograd.

Review: Ravenna by Judith Herrin

Synopsis: In 402 AD, after invading tribes broke through the Alpine frontiers of Italy and threatened the imperial government in Milan, the young Emperor Honorius made the momentous decision to move his capital to a small, easy defendable city in the Po estuary - Ravenna. From then until 751 AD, Ravenna was first the capital of the Western Roman Empire, then that of the immense kingdom of Theoderic the Goth and finally the centre of Byzantine power in Italy.

In this engrossing account Judith Herrin explains how scholars, lawyers, doctors, craftsmen, cosmologists and religious luminaries were drawn to Ravenna where they created a cultural and political capital that dominated northern Italy and the Adriatic. As she traces the lives of Ravenna's rulers, chroniclers and inhabitants, Herrin shows how the city became the meeting place of Greek, Latin, Christian and barbarian cultures and the pivot between East and West. The book offers a fresh account of the waning of Rome, the Gothic and Lombard invasions, the rise of Islam and the devastating divisions within Christianity. It argues that the fifth to eighth centuries should not be perceived as a time of decline from antiquity but rather, thanks to Byzantium, as one of great creativity - the period of 'Early Christendom'. These were the formative centuries of Europe.

While Ravenna's palaces have crumbled, its churches have survived. In them, Catholic Romans and Arian Goths competed to produce an unrivalled concentration of spectacular mosaics, many of which still astonish visitors today. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned photographs, and drawing on the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries, Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe brings the early Middle Ages to life through the history of this dazzling city.

~ ~ ~

I picked this one as: (1) I have Herrin's "Byzantium" which I enjoyed; and (2) for the inclusion of Galla Placidia and the Visigoth Kingdom, and the succeeding Ostrogoth and Lombard Kingdoms.

The period covered off was one of turmoil - political and religious, of conspiracy and machinations, internal and external power struggles, creation and destruction of empires. It was a period I was familiar with - and Herrin's tome is more on the academic side of things rather than a travel guide for the uninitiated. The city prospered after the fall of Rome, and this is evident in the church building program undertaken in the early 6th century and the city's position as a key power base for the Byzantine Empire.

For me, Herrin's book provided me with what I was specifically looking for - for others, a more general history may be in order.

Note: read in 2020 / review posted 2025

Review: Rebellion by Philip Yorke

Synopsis: It is 1643.  The bloody English Civil War has been raging for almost a year and Parliament is facing defeat.  In desperation, it orders army officer, Francis Hacker, to spearhead an audacious plot to bring down the tyrant, King Charles.  Courageous and loyal, Hacker is drawn into a deadly deceit that could cost him everything he holds most dear…

~ ~ ~

Historical fiction with grit as the true drama and horrors of the English Civil War are brought to life in the pages of Yorke's book.

During 1642 - 1643, the King and his supporters will still on the political chessboard, pitching battles along the length and breadth of the country against Cromwell's Parliamentarians. Battles were fought and won and lost on both sides, and the futility is well depicted. It is the human loss that is tragically represented- friends and family, once allies, now foes; religious and political beliefs held steadfast by some, and picked up and cast away with indifference by others; and the family drama of loss and grief. Yorke portrays the times in all their grisly glory.

This is the first in a series featuring Parliamentarian soldier Francis Hacker, a man driven by the convictions he upholds - both personal, political and religious. An outstanding historical novel that touches on this divisive period on English history. Looking forward to book two - Redemption.

Note: read in 2020 / reviewed added 2025

Review: The Bucharest Legacy by William Maz

Synopsis: CIA agent Bill Hefflin is back in Bucharest—immersed in a cauldron of spies and crooked politicians ...

The CIA is rocked to its core when a KGB defector divulges that there is a KGB mole inside the Agency. They learn that the mole's handler is a KGB agent known as Boris. CIA analyst Bill Hefflin recognizes that name—Boris is the code name of Hefflin's longtime KGB asset. If the defector is correct, Hefflin realizes Boris must be a triple agent, and his supposed mole has been passing false intel to Hefflin and the CIA. What's more, this makes Hefflin the prime suspect as the KGB mole inside the Agency.

Hefflin is given a chance to prove his innocence by returning to his city of birth, Bucharest, Romania, to find Boris and track down the identity of the mole. It's been three years since the bloody revolution, and what he finds is a cauldron of spies, crooked politicians, and a country controlled by the underground and the new oligarchs, all of whom want to find Boris. But Hefflin has a secret that no one else knows—Boris has been dead for over a year.

~ ~ ~

A thrilling follow up to The Bucharest Dossier, which sees Bill back in Bucharest, tracking down not only a long dead mole, but who has now assumed his identity. A proverbial cat-and-mouse game is played out against a backdrop of conspiracy, corruption, espionage, and where every man and his dog is out for a piece of something. Democracy is slow as generations grew up in an era where bribes and blackmail were pervasive - it is a system not so easily given up, especially for those with the information and the power to hold onto it and meld it into something of their own. This is the world into which Bill is thrust in his search not only for the mole but the means with which to clear the suspicion attached to his own name.

They say "write what you know" - and Maz does this to perfection, giving the reader an insider's view of Bucharest pre and post Glasnost. A worthy successor to The Bucharest Dossier.

The Bucharest Dossier by William Maz

Synopsis: Bill Hefflin is a man apart—apart from life, apart from his homeland, apart from love ...

At the start of the 1989 uprising in Romania, CIA analyst Bill Hefflin—a disillusioned Romanian expat—arrives in Bucharest at the insistence of his KGB asset, code-named Boris. As Hefflin becomes embroiled in an uprising that turns into a brutal revolution, nothing is as it seems, including the search for his childhood love, which has taken on mythical proportions.

With the bloody events unfolding at blinding speed, Hefflin realizes the revolution is manipulated by outside forces, including his own CIA and Boris—the puppeteer who seems to be pulling all the strings of Hefflin’s life.

~ ~ ~

I love espionage / spy thrillers and this one is right up there with some of my favourite authors.

It has been a while since I first read this and its sister book, but both still resonate. It is the story of a naive young CIA analyst caught up in a game played by those higher up for their own ends. A man, whose own life is shrouded in mystery and who is far from being honest with those around him, who is thrust into a world where identity is a commodity, loyalty questionable, corruption pervasive, and conspiracies abound.

The writing is slick, engaging, and ready to send you hither and thither during the years of revolution in Ceausescus' Romania of the 1980s. What fully immerses the reader in the narrative is the author's ability to posit parallels from his own early life into the text, giving such a sense of realism.

A great first book,which I followed immediately with the second - The Bucharest Legacy.