The Alchemist's Daughter

Bianca Goddard Mysteries #1

by Mary Lawrence

In the year 1543 of King Henry VIII’s turbulent reign, the daughter of a notorious alchemist finds herself suspected of cold-blooded murder. . . .

Bianca Goddard employs her knowledge of herbs and medicinal plants to concoct remedies for the disease-riddled poor in London’s squalid Southwark slum. But when her friend Jolyn comes to her complaining of severe stomach pains, Bianca’s prescription seems to kill her on the spot. Recovering from her shock, Bianca suspects Jolyn may have been poisoned before coming to her—but the local constable is not so easily convinced.

To clear her name and keep her neck free of the gallows, Bianca must apply her knowledge of the healing arts to deduce exactly how her friend was murdered and by whom—before she herself falls victim to a similar fate.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, British Literature, Ebooks

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2015

About the author

The Bianca Goddard Mysteries are set in Tudor London during the final years of King Henry VIII's reign. Bianca is the daughter of an infamous alchemist who uses her 'wits' and some alchemy to solve murders among the commoners. The series consists of THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER, DEATH OF AN ALCHEMIST, DEATH AT ST. VEDAST, THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS and THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON. All of the titles have reached the top 100 best-selling historical mysteries category on Amazon, with THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER reaching #1.

I grew up in Indiana and live and farm in Maine. For over 25 years I worked in hospitals and labs as a cytotechnologist. Writing helped me escape my boredom and I became interested in Tudor history. On the side, I wrote indexes for publishers and academics. My articles have been published by the national news blog, The Daily Beast.

The Bianca Goddard mysteries are meant to entertain and to engage readers who might not pick up period historicals as a first choice. The Tudor era is an intriguing period, full of superstition, and the makings for interesting characters. Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence... twitter at mel59lawrence.

Reviews

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemist's Daughter is an enjoyable mystery.

Bianca Goddard, daughter of an infamous alchemist in 16th century London, is falsely accused of murdering her friend, Jolyn. Bianca must use her medicinal knowledge in order to solve Jolyn's murder.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

breezed through this book very quickly, reading it in a matter of hours. At times the language did slow me down as the author added as much authenticity to the slang and pronunciations as possible without losing the reader in the process. I thought this was a nice touch and added more atmosphere and realism. Still, this is a very easy read, very different from the usual procedural type mystery making it especially fun to read. I am thankful this novel is a part of a series featuring Bianca because this book has made me a fan.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the review in it's entirety please visit http://www.nightowlreviews.com

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 out of 5 stars -- A medieval mystery set in Tudor London, this first in the series featuring Bianca Goddard is full of period details that may appeal to certain readers. Bianca lives and works in Southwark in her rent of Medicinals and Physicks, creating balms and potions to aid the suffering folk nearby. When her best friend, Jolyn Carmichael, is poisoned and Bianca is threatened with arrest for murder, Bianca is determined to find out who really killed Jolyn and why.

There's really not much mystery or character development here, but what you get as a reader are details that are enough to make any sensitive person almost retch. The descriptions of the smells alone, the filth, the lack of facilities for hygiene and the general atmosphere of the local town, the living spaces, and pubs made me so happy to live right now, out of that time and place. The sections related to just the rats were enough to almost put me over the edge (this is so far from the castle, the court life, and King Henry VIII) that it definitely told me that I was in the 1500s and worried about Black Death.

Frankly, Bianca was a drag - overwrought prose and melodrama isn't my style and I'm sick of plucky, independent heroines who end up needing rescue by a man who adores them despite being put off a million times for "important work." The vocabulary and dialog didn't ring true for me. I was quite disappointed with this book after all, and will be interested to hear if other fans of this particular niche genre react differently. I won't be following the series but I am glad I finished this one (it was a struggle).

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-book ARC to review.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book solely on the blurb and cover alone. I thought it was a cozy mystery but instead, The Alchemist's Daughter is strictly historical fiction. Not that I mind reading historical fiction, but I was in the mood for a light mystery. I never really got into Bianca's head and found myself skimming over parts. That being said, Lawrence has done her research and is historically accurate in all facets of the story. Impressive consider the time period (Tudor England). If you love historical fiction, please read this book. I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemist’s Daughter by Mary Lawrence is the first in her new Bianca Goddard Mysteries. The tale takes place during the reign of King Henry VIII and offers a heroine who dabbles in forensics as she tries to exonerate herself from murder charges.

Bianca Goddard is a unique, quirky character who uses her knowledge of herb and medicinal plants to create remedies and sells them to the poor in the Southwark slums.
The trouble begins when Bianca’s friend Jolyn comes to her with stomach cramps. In the middle of creating tonic creams, she instructs her boyfriend to brew a tea to sooth her friend's stomach. Upon drinking it, Jolyn convulses and dies. Did she do it? Bianca believes someone was poisoning Jolyn but the constable believes Bianca with her knowledge killed Jolyn. Bianca must determine what killed her friend and by whom.

From the dark, bleak descriptions of the slums and establishments to the RATS I am quite determined I will not be taking any trips there in the Tardis! The mystery and characters held me captive despite threats of vermin and disease. I lost myself within its pages and enjoyed the flow of the story. Mary Lawrence brought the period to life. I could smell the waste, and see the folks going about their day. Books set in the Tudor period rarely depict the lower classes and despite my queasy stomach, I enjoyed Lawrence’s attention to detail while keeping the story moving at a steady clip. I love books involving Alchemy but oh, lords do not mention that word around Bianca. She does not consider herself an alchemist but a healer.

There is a thread regarding Bianca’s father and her falling out with her family. It involved imprisonment and is mentioned throughout. I thought perhaps I had missed a book or prequel, but found none. I would have appreciated getting the full story.

The cast of characters from suspects to friends added interest. Each character was colorful and the red herrings kept me guessing. Lawrence delivered a tight plausible mystery and I enjoyed uncovering the clues and participating in Bianca’s experiments. Bianca was a combination of bumbling absent-minded professor and Nancy Drew-MacGyver. I am anxious to spend more time with this meddling sleuth.

While I wanted more details about Bianca and her family, I found The Alchemist’s Daughter to be an engaging mystery. I am looking forward to news on the next installment.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Susanna - Censored by GoodReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy courtesy of Kensington Books/NetGalley - much thanks!

A "warts and all" historical mystery, rather than a cosy. It was OK, I guess - probably about 2 1/2 stars. I didn't much like, or much care about, the main character, which didn't help.

For a further review: http://susannag.booklikes.com/post/11... .

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1543, the place is that messy, slummy, open sewer pit known as London. Amid the dank corners and diseased populace living during the reign of Henry VIII and his final wife is Bianca Goddard, 17-year-old proprietor of medicinals and physickes. Bright, cheery, and savvy, Bianca is caught up in a misadventure in which she is forced to prove her innocence after a good friend is poisoned to death (though the victim also sports “a purplish ring around her neck” from being throttled). The constable needs a convenient target for the murder, and Bianca fits the bill. Such a classic plot requires some pretty special writing to overcome its plainness, and luckily Lawrence (Death of an Alchemist) offers that in spades. This is not a romanticized London. Wretches die of wasting infections, people literally rake the muck of the Thames to find things of value, and people’s lives are small, short, and cheap. Bianca’s friends are similar misfits and, like many of the era, have deformities (her friend Banes, for example, has a useless arm and no thumb). Two factors greatly increase this title’s value to dudes: 1.) Vocab building (e.g., wherry, purgative, poniard, anlace, etc.). 2.) Fantastic insults (e.g., “piss sniffer,” “puffed-up prillywig,” etc.). Whereas some historical fiction bristles with self-importance, this novel eschews it to excellent effect. An eerie subplot involving a creepy, rat-eating boatman is captivating. VERDICT The strong female character in this YA crossover with massive authenticity is just smart enough to be charming without being precious or terribly unrealistic.
Find reviews of books for men at Books for Dudes, Books for Dudes, the online reader's advisory column for men from Library Journal. Copyright Library Journal.

[Suzanne Lilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Alchemist’s Daughter, Mary Lawrence brings the world of London 1543 to dark life. It begins with the rats. Rats may have been more numerous than people in that era. As the story opens, someone is collecting the vermin for an unseemly purpose.

Bianca Goddard, the main character, lives a precarious existence, a 16th century equivalent of living paycheck to paycheck. She creates potions and salves to cure her customers of what ails them. One of her biggest customers runs a house of ill repute where Bianca’s best friend Jolyn was employed. Jolyn is engaged in a relationship with a well-to-do gentleman and is about to embark on a fairy tale life. The fairy tale is cut short when she dies suddenly in Bianca’s apartment. Due to the circumstances surrounding her death, Bianca becomes the prime suspect, and must solve the mystery of her friend’s death or face the gallows herself.

As the story unfolds, Bianca goes deeper into London’s underworld and discovers the secret of the rat collector. She’s accused of witchcraft, and ends up in a place no one would ever want to go. Once she escapes, she has to go back to that place again to prove her innocence and to prove what dark events are happening in the London shipyards.

This is a well-done mystery, with plenty of twists and turns. The language, customs, and events are all authentic to the time, proving the author did her research. Bianca Goddard stands out as a woman ahead of her era, pursuing herbal studies and a career, preferring to support herself rather than marry young. This novel is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy Tudor history and mysteries with a strong female protagonist.

Full disclosure: I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Pamela Shropshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This features a really interesting main protagonist, a female chemist whose father was an alchemist and whose mother was a traditional herbalist. Ms. Lawrence definitely does NOT romanticize Tudor London - it's gritty and smelly and life is very cheap. If you're squeamish about rats, you may not want to read this one. I'm not squeamish about much, but the scene with the Rat Man eating a raw rat was a bit much even for me. *shudders* Nevertheless, really engaging characters (I loved Meddybumps!) and an interesting mystery, so I will keep reading this series.

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters felt more like plot-necessary characteristics lumped together than actual people.

The Spunky Independent Smart Girl with the writers-manual-mandated flaw - in this case, untidiness rather than the usual clumsiness. And who, of course, despite being born in Tudor London, has morals and beliefs that fit very neatly into our own time.

The Handsome Devoted Love Interest, who continues to adore her despite constantly being pushed aside.

Throw in the Lazy Cop With Amusing Speech Patterns, the Randy Drinker With Amusing Name, and Strange Disabled Boy In The Attic, and you've got a full cast.

The plot itself, although meandering, had the potential to be interesting, but was let down by not being completely solved. Why was the warehouse full of corpses and rats? Was it all about destroying the family business? There was no prior hint of him wanting to destroy the family business.

The Rat Man seemed to suggest there was going to be a supernatural element, but nothing came of it, so I'm not sure what he was there for.

I managed to get to the end, but I consider that something of an achievement.

[Erika Boncz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won an advance copy of this book from
Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed Mary Lawrence's descriptions of 16th century London. Lawrence paints a realistic picture of what London was like for the poor and I liked that she focuses on a class of society that is rarely explored in books. The book was easy to read and found myself unable to put the book down towards the end, wanting to figure the mystery out.

Lawrence included a somewhat unorganized back story about the main characters parents that I would have liked to have seen explored either in a prequel or latter on in this series. I felt that I was coming in on a second book of a series rather than a first. I would definitely read a second novel and recommend this book mystery and/or historical fiction readers.

[Tara Kable · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this from netgalley in return for an honest review. This book took a minute for me to get into, but only because it was written as if we were in the 1600's...which we were, so thats a good thing, just unusual. I love the idea of potions and spells, and this one had a really good who done it! Thank you netgalley!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bianca Goddard is a chemist, known for her knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants. She makes remedies and rat poison for the poor in Southwark London. Her friend Jolyn Carmichael mysteriously dies in Bianca's home, causing her to come under suspicion for murder. Believing Jolyn murdered and hoping to avoid the gallows, Bianca tries to find the true murderer and uncovers a potential for disaster for London.

Bianca had a lot of potential to be a really strong female character. Being strong doesn't mean that you deliberately push away the people closest to you which Bianca insists on doing, especially her boyfriend John. Her insistence on being "independent" only leads her to have to rely more heavily on male characters. I was able to anticipate the twists, but still enjoyed the book. 3.5 rounded up.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bianca is a young lady who is the daughter of an alchemist (hence the title), she does not follow in his footsteps per se, but instead chooses to make her living concocting remedies to heal the sick and ailing, induce miscarriages and poison to kill rats. One day, her friend Jolyn comes by Bianca's small rent, complaining of a stomach ache; and after drinking a herbal tea concocted by Bianca, then drops down dead in front of her, apparently the result of poisoning. Due to the nature of Jolyn's death Bianca is accused of her murder, and unless she wants to find herself thrown in the horrific 'Clink' or publicly Hanged, sets about proving herself innocent of the crime. In this, Bianca ends up unravelling a real mystery and finding the true culprit whist avoiding the suspicious and semi-corrupt Patch (local police who is determined to see Bianca pay for this crime.
Bianca is joined and assisted by a wonderful collection of colourful characters in her journey, some of them appear to want to do Bianca harm, others are eager to help her. The plot moves along at a fast pace, and I was reluctant to put the book down until the mystery was resolved.

Other reviews have stated that the descriptions of the 'poverty, filth, smells, disease, the lack of sanitation and the utter lack of human kindness depicted in the book would put them off reading further books in the series', However, contrary to this, I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of life at the time, that the 'average, common folk' of Tudor times would face on a daily basis. In my experience, most of Tudor fiction is surrounding life at court, the glitz and the glamour, the rich food and clothes, not often is a true picture painted of the reality of life in those years, when sanitation was poor, disease was rife, and foul smells would have been abundant in the Capital, down by the Thames. In my opinion, it is a skill of any author to capture that feeling, whether or not the smells/descriptions of life are pleasant.
Although the book is set during the last years of Henry VIII's reign, there is little mentioned regarding this, and as such that fact could almost be neglected, aside from the fact her father was accused once of attempting to poison the King, (A prequel on How Bianca set about proving her Father's innocence would be very interesting as it sets the whole tone for this first book).

Mary Lawrence has done a wonderful job, of developing the personalities of her characters, she has given us a likeable, strong female lead character in Bianca, and her supporting characters - John and Meddybemps - are equally as engaging, who held my interest, throughout the book, not just 'page fillers' and I am keen to read further books in the series to see how these characters and their relationships develop, as well as seeing what other adventures Bianca finds herself caught up in.

I received this ARC from the author via Goodreads, all comments and views are my own.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my other reviews at Never Enough Books

The Alchemist’s Daughter is a novel set in a time which I have found interest in – 16th Century London. The time of the reign of Henry VIII, a most turbulent time. In it, we meet Bianca Goddard, an intelligent young woman who uses her knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs to create remedies for the very poor in the Southwark slums where she lives. When her friend Jolyn comes complaining of stomach pains, the usual remedy doesn’t ease the pain but instead kills Jolyn on the spot. Trying to recover from the shock, Bianca begins to suspect that Jolyn was poisoned long before, something the local constable doesn’t seem ready to believe.

In order to keep herself out of the gallows, Bianca must try and find the real murderer. Using her knowledge as well as relying on help from those around her she needs to stay one step ahead and find out who killed her friend before time runs out.

The reviews on Amazon are mixed for this book, and I have to admit my feelings towards it are the same. On the whole, the book itself is fairly enjoyable. A dramatic tale with a variety of characters makes for a good read. The more casual history fan will like this book but the more ardent student will likely find problems. Characters speak more “modern”ly with only the occasional word or phrase from the time thrown in. Outfits, ideas, and even food and drink from a variety of eras form a sort of mish-mash that comprise parts of the novel.

Bianca, as well as the other main characters of the novel, were somewhat interesting. Bianca herself reads as the beautiful yet plucky heroine, constantly overlooked but determined to make her mark. Others seemed more like caricatures instead of full fleshed out persons, right down to the exasperated boyfriend. For me, the only character that I found truly worth wondering about was the mysterious cloaked rat catcher who showed up on occasion. Who was he and what was he doing? I found myself questioning his motives more than the main characters.

I wouldn’t call The Alchemist’s Daughter a light, fluffy read since the subject matter is far from it. It is however for the more casual reader and those who are real sticklers for historical accuracy should stay away. A decent read but I doubt I’ll be searching out any other books in this series.

[Roberta (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has always been a lot of interest in Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. In recent years there have been books, movies and TV shows that explored that turbulent time. Mostly there has been depiction of the royals of that time when there seemed to be endless intrigues and plots. You could be in high regard with King Henry at one point and then fall out of favor and be executed without a trial.

Life was very precarious in the mid 1500's. The people at the bottom rung of society had a much tougher life than those of noble birth. The laws of the land and awful living conditions made it a daily struggle just to survive.

Bianca Goddard is one of those who live in less than favorable conditions. She does have to gift of being able to craft medicinals. This is usually a blessing for those around her, but it becomes a curse after her best friend dies after drinking a potion that was supposed to help abdominal cramping. Bianca is accused of poisoning her friend and she is afraid she will be put to death before the real killer can be found.

THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER by Mary Lawrence is the first in a mystery series. Bianca is a strong, brave women who must look out for herself in difficult situations. She does have some friends to help her. One of the most helpful is Meddybemps, a street seller. He has a lot of street smarts and adds some comic relief to a sometimes dark, gritty tale.

Historical fiction has been one of my favorite genres in recent years. I always learn new things about eras gone by. Mary Lawrence has done deep research on the common people's lives in Tudor England. Besides being truly engaged in the story, I learned where the terms "muckraker" and "the Clink" originated.

If you like mysteries and/or historical fiction, you will want to pick up a copy of THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER by Mary Lawrence. I am looking forward to the second novel in this series.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m obsessed with all things historical, and the Tudors have to be close to the top of that list. Mary Lawrence has introduced a new series, Bianca Goddard Mysteries, set near the end of Henry’s reign. The Alchemist’s Daughter is the story of Bianca, living hand to mouth in the lower rungs of society, making her living with potions and remedies. While her skills are solid, her position in society is tenuous, increasingly so after the death of her friend Jolyn in her apartment after being treated for a stomach ailment.

Bianca must find the true cause of Jolyn’s death, and as she searches, we are treated to descriptions and details of the London of the time, with the lack of sanitation, bathing, wealth and an overabundance of rats. While the mystery was fairly clear-cut, Lawrence uses historical detail and language to transport the reader TO the time. This allows readers to savor the story and find the music in the language, and I did savor every moment.

Inclusions of customs, superstitions and the underbelly of society the period details are rich and varied. The Rat collector, accusations of witchcraft, and the general sense of mistrust of the strong and independent woman that is Bianca. All these details add background without overloading the reader with unnecessary detail, the feel of the day is incorporated without fanfare or notice.

Truly a cozier murder mystery given depth by the lovely character build for Bianca and the rhythm that comes from the language choice, this story that was hard to put down, and sure to appeal to fans of historic fiction.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Lawrence combines history and fiction with fascinating alchemy—all the more intriguing because the heroine of her fast-paced mystery, the first in the Bianca Goddard series, set during the late days of Henry VIII’s reign, is daughter to an alchemist, although Bianca claims to be a chemist, a maker of remedies. Lawrence is adept at putting fulsome smells, early scientific methods and sanitary practices of the time into the broader Tudor class structure and giving a picture of how Bianca and her friends at the poor end of society survived. Lawrence gives us with gusto a sense of language at the time, the bawdy humor, desperate circumstances, cruel laws and errant enforcers of the laws. The plot is well crafted with surprising twists and hair-raising suspenseful moments such as the unexpected effect of one of Bianca’s remedies on her best friend, numerous ups and downs in her relationship with the man in her life, hair-raising run-ins with the law and unfortunate encounters with particularly odious traps from which she must escape. The periodic misty appearance of a figure who could be a muckraker (literally) or the figure of death watching a ship with silk to trade try to unload bodies of plague victims into skiff on the filthy Thames is an effective metaphor. Language samples: “a drunk winking off in his grog,” “his humor might be slightly tarnished, but the coin in his purse was decidedly not,” “she was thin as frost,” “The steeple of St. Paul’s peeps over the city wall as he nears the mouth of the Fleet, flanked by massive Bridewell—abandoned by Henry for his preferred palace to the west….London—its jumble of brick and mortar housing a warren of crowded, slumbering souls.” Highly recommended.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemist's Daughter by Mary Lawrence
Wanted to read this book to find out exactly what her career is all about. Starts out near the city of London 1549's and Bianca is a person who mixes herbs and spices and creates concuctions to help cure people and to rid others of pests-rats. Loved hearing how and why she mixed things, She learned a lot from her parents when it came to the mixing.
Her best friend shows up one day as she's mixing things and is complaining about pains in her stomach. Their friend John is also there-he's a journeyman to become a silversmith. Jocylyn ends up dying but not before she tells of her suitor.
At the service they are able to figoue out who she was referring to. Probleem is she died at Bianca's and the cops think she is to blame. She avoids being arrested but is tailing another as the clues pile up pointing in the direction of a high power person.
She also is running low on time to figure out what posions killed her friend-she tries some on herself and lucky John and Meddlyt is there to help her. Devastation as she is dragged to jail and with her friends they are able to continue her clues and find new leads.
Rats feasting on piles of bodies sent shivers through me but I really enjoyed the story, plot and characters. Seems this is a series of Bianca's days but this read as a stand alone book. Look forward to reading more.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review

[Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place during the reign of King Henry VIII, The Alchemist's Daughter doesn't concern itself with the glitz and glamour of court but rather the grim reality of common living on the streets of 16th century London. Bianca Goddard does not consider herself an alchemist. That is the territory of her morally questionable estranged father. Instead Bianca concentrates on finding medicines, cures and salves for the commoners of London and Southwark. When her best friend, Jolyn, drops dead shortly after being administered one of Bianca's concoctions, her insecurities about her chosen profession rival only the fact that she now must clear herself of a murder charge in order to avoid the pit that is The Clink or her head on a pike hanging from London Bridge.
Mary Lawrence's debut novel starts quickly and never drops off pace. Readers follow along as Bianca and her medley of friends, John, Meddybumps, Banes and others, both help and hinder her investigation; one full of unexpected turns and twists that show the gritty, dark side of street living in the shadow of the King.



I was given this book for free by the author with the intent to read and review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading books about the olden days of England, why I don't know, but I'm certainly glad I didn't live back then!! Ditches full of sewage, sleeping on straw, if you were lucky, and stale bread seemed to be a staple. No thanks.

Anyhow, The first chapter of this book had me going huh? But after that, the mysteries just kept coming left and right. There are so many secrets in this book, I just enjoyed discovering what they all were.

I do have to say, all the rats, okay they got to me, but I tried not to think about what was happening and just trudged along enjoying the story. I think it was an excellent read with good character development and lots of twists. And man, were people mean back in those days. Another reason I wouldn't want to have lived in that era.

That being said, I highly recommend this book!! There's mystery, suspense, mayhem, secrets, something about a ring and even a little romance.

I want to thank Kensington Books and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley to read and review.

[Elaine Crockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Lawrence is an artist. Period. What a treat to read someone with such a command of the English language. "Soon this sleeping maiden of a city will stretch her toes and yawn. But there is still enough dark that he may only be seen as a hooded figure standing in his wherry. No one can see his arms as thin as bones or his skin as gray and pale as the moon." Beautiful. I would give this book ten stars if I could just for the descriptions alone. And an amazing job with bringing 16th century London to life. Highly recommend.

[Kathy Jund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Lawrence's debut release of her Bianca Goddard series! I enjoyed it very much! England 1543, Bianca only wants to prepare "Medicinals and Physickes" to help those in need inhabiting the shores of both London and Southwark. Being the daughter of a known alchemist out to discover the formula to the Philosopher's Stone may cause her more harm than expected. Murder is in the air, and will she end up as suspect?

[Calvin Rinck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction has always been a bit of a hit or miss for me. I've often found authors taking liberties that are just so unbelievable as to completely turn me off from the story. That being said, the attention to detail and overall use of true period language is both refreshing and commendable for a first time author. With a memorable cast of characters centered around an intriguing murder mystery, I found this novel to be an engaging read that left me excited for the sequel. Well done.

[Ann Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Anyone interested in history and mystery with lots of details about what it must have been like to live in slum London in Tudor times will like this book. Those times certainly weren't a bed of roses. History teachers looking for something different from a text book will find some unusual words, and reality in abundance! Looking forward to the next one.....

[Ken Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well plotted, engaging, informative/educational. Bianca, the title figure, leads a broad cast of well-drawn characters through this entertaining novel set in London and Southwark set late in the reign of Henry VIII.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Michelle Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much Tudor historical fantasy is set within the Tudor courts, which is great and all, but the thing I loved about this book’s premise was that it gave the common folk a chance to step into the spotlight. Once they got there, we ended up with a fairly decent, quickly paced little mystery story that took some dark turns and thrilling fights for survival.

So, it was good, I guess. I just had some hang ups.

First of all, the dialogue was painful. If it wasn’t stiff and wooden, it leaned too far into dialectics that didn’t even sound English. In my head, so many of these people sounded like they were from the Bronx rather than London.

Secondly, I didn’t really think the almost personality-less Bianca was very compelling as a main character, and John’s feelings and temper were far too fragile. I did not like him much and I did not like the two of them together at all. Pair that with an ineffectual, cartoonish constable and I just get the feeling that character development isn’t where this author shines.

Thirdly, there are so many throwaway references to some rather big events that happened in the lives of our main characters in some earlier time, and all of these events sounded like plots of their own novels. It got to the point where I was SURE this had to be a spin-off or that I had missed several books earlier in the series. Neither appears to be the case, so I was just left to wonder what they heck was going on when, for example, Bianca shudders at how she was almost executed at the Tower of London. *record scratches* I beg your pardon?? You can’t throw something like that in there and then just be like, “So anyway!” This happened a lot and I was tired of being confused.

On the whole, I liked this book, just not sure it’s gonna be a read-the-whole-series thing for me or stop-after-the-first-book thing.

[Annelies - In Another Era · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bianca Goddard is estranged from her father, an alchemist who was imprisoned in The Tower because of a plot against Henry VIII. In her new home in Southwark, she helps others with medicinals. When her friend Jolyn comes to her complaining of stomach pains, Bianca provides her with a tonic after which she immediately dies. Her friend was poisoned and suspicion falls to Bianca. Now she must try to prove her innocence, but who wanted to harm Jolyn?

This is the first book in a series of historical mysteries surrounding Bianca Goddard. It’s set in Tudor England in the 16th century, but the events are completely fictional. There is hardly any link to real history. The book does try to paint a picture of the hard life in the Southwark district, especially for a woman alone.

The mystery surrounding Jolyn’s death is engaging enough. There is her living at Barke house, a former house of ill repute, and her relationship with a new mysterious benefactor. But I would have liked a bit more complexity in the matter.

Lawrence tells the story from different perspectives but I found some rather short or odd. Bianca is a complex main character, and her relationship with John, a long-time friend who is in love with her, was interesting to read about. You can feel that this is still the first book in the series and we need to get to know them better.

So this felt more like an introductory book and although it was an easy read, I don’t immediately feel the urge to read further in the series.

Dutch review:

Bianca Goddard is vervreemd van haar vader, een alchemist die in The Tower opgesloten was omwille van een complot tegen Henry VIII. In haar huis in Southwark helpt ze anderen met medicijnen. Wanneer haar vriendin Jolyn komt klagen over maagklachten, geeft ze haar iets waarna ze onmiddellijk overlijdt. Ze is overduidelijk vergiftigd. Nu moet Bianca haar onschuld proberen bewijzen, maar wie wou Jolyn kwaad doen?

Dit is het eerste boek in een reeks van historische mysteries rond Bianca Goddard. Het speelt zich af in Tudor England in de 16de eeuw, maar de gebeurtenissen zijn compleet fictief. Er is amper een link met de echte geschiedenis.

Het boek probeert wel een beeld neer te zetten van een hard leven in de wijk Southwark, zeker voor een vrouw alleen.

Het mysterie rond de dood van Jolyn is boeiend genoeg. Maar er zat voor mij niet voldoende complexiteit in.

Lawrence vertelt het verhaal vanuit verschillende perspectieven maar ik vond sommige nogal kort of vreemd. Bianca zelf moet als karakter nog wat groeien en ook John en hun relatie heeft nog wat tijd nodig.

Daardoor voelde dit meer als een introductieboek en hoewel het goed weglas heb ik niet meteen de neiging om verder te lezen in de serie.

[Danielle Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very different type of mystery

The story takes place during the reign of Henry the 8th. I liked the description of the lives led by the less fortunate. It was very difficult living. I liked the characters, but the mystery had a strange end that didn't really make sense.