The Angel's Mark: A gripping tale of espionage and murder in Elizabethan London

Description

'A gorgeous book - rich, intelligent and dark in equal measure ... Historical fiction at its most sumptuous.' - Rory Clements LONDON, 1590. Amidst a tumultuous backdrop of Spanish plotters, Catholic heretics and foreign wars, Queen Elizabeth I's control over her kingdom is wavering. And a killer is at work, preying on the weak and destitute of London... Idealistic physician Nicholas Shelby becomes determined to end these terrible murders. Joined in his investigations by Bianca, a beautiful but mysterious tavern keeper, the pair find themselves caught in the middle of a sinister plot. With the killer still at large, Bianca finds herself in terrible danger. Nicholas's choice seems impossible - to save Bianca, or save himself ...

S. W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. He lives in Worcestershire with his wife.

A gorgeous book - rich, intelligent and dark in equal measure. It immerses you in the late 16th century and leaves you wrung out with terror. This is historical fiction at its most sumptuous. * Rory Clements * A strong and convincing debut. -- Antonia Senior * The Times * Wonderful! Beautiful writing, and Perry's Elizabethan London is so skilfully evoked, so real that one can almost smell it. * Giles Kristian * An engaging Elizabethan thriller. * Sunday Times * I knew before I got to the bottom of the first page that The Angel's Mark was the real thing. In an increasingly crowded field, this one is going to stand out. * S. G. MacLean * A remarkably assured and classy debut. Perry grabs your attention from the first paragraph and holds it throughout a fascinating journey into high and low life of Tudor London. This could, hopefully, be the start of an addictive series. * L. C. Tyler, author of the John Gray Historical Mystery series * An impressively dramatic and gripping debut novel. Elegantly written, thoroughly researched, The Angel's Mark draws us into the murky world of Elizabethan London where life is a game of chance, and savage death a close neighbour, quick to pounce on the unsuspecting. I predict that we will be seeing much more of Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy. * Anne O'Brien, author of The Scandalous Duchess * The Angel's Mark has the pace of a thriller... S.W. Perry is a welcome addition to the ranks of historical crime novelists. * Simon Brett, author of the Fethering Mystery series * A tense whodunit and a fine debut. * Weekend Sport * [A] sad, compassionate story beautifully told. * Daily Express * Excellent. Historical fans will want to dive into this series. * Publishers Weekly, starred review *