I’m sharing my review for Death of a Stranger, the first book in John Pilkington’s Elizabethan mysteries featuring Matthew Cutler #histfic #historicalmystery #bookreview #blogtour

Here’s the blurb

1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city.

Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight. 🔥

Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler’s powers are slight – and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage…

Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a baffling mystery – until the very last.

Step into the dangerous world of Elizabethan London with this cracking murder mystery!🩸🔍

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/DeathStranger

My Review

Death of a Stranger introduces the reader to Matthew Cutler, a former player and now a widower, working as a constable of his parish, under the guidance of his father-in-law. Matthew is a likeable character as he navigates Elizabethan London. He has to contend with some quite tricky situations too, as well as trying to solve the mystery of who our killer is.

We are treated to a depiction of Elizabethan London, after a resurgence of the pestilence, and with the memory of the Spanish Armada still fresh in everyone’s mind. This is a time of unease and suspicion, alongside the rigid social strictures of the era.

The attempt to solve the mystery takes the reader on quite the journey through the Elizabethan underworld, as well as into high society, a society Matthew is effectively barred from, although there is an intriguing solution to it. At points, it feels as though anyone could be the murderer, from the lowest to the highest, and then many others in between. Matthew does not lack for suspects, but he does struggle to find the killer, even when someone is sent to effectively stop his investigation.

There is no doubt that I don’t understand much about the Elizabethan justice system, and it’s possible that some of the nuances may have passed me by, but I did enjoy this historical mystery, which contains the elements I’d expect from a story set in the era. An enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Meet the author

A writer for over forty years, John Pilkington was born in Lancashire and worked at many jobs including laboratory assistant, farm worker, weaver, shipping clerk, picture frame-maker and cabaret musician before taking a degree in Drama and English and finding his true 2 vocation. He has since written plays for radio and theatre, television scripts for a BBC soap, a short-lived children’s series and numerous works of historical fiction, concentrating now on the Tudor and Stuart eras. He also ventured into speculative fiction with his biography of Shakespeare’s famous jester, Yorick.

He now lives in a village on a tidal estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.

Connect with the author

Bookbub profile: @jpscript