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Thomas the Falconer Mystery #3
The Ramage Hawk: A thrilling Tudor mystery of murder, masquerade & treachery from John Pilkington
Get ready for the third thrilling title in John Pilkington's gripping Thomas the Falconer Tudor mystery series! Perfect for fans for S. J. Parris and Andrew Taylor 🩸☠️ ‘This tale gives an authentic sense of Elizabethan life’s visceral side with all its lawlessness and brutality’ - Publishers Weekly
A LURE TO MURDER
Thomas Finbow, falconer to Sir Robert Vicary, is sent to the remote Salisbury Plain by his master to assist on the estate of the impoverished Sir Giles Buckeridge. Thomas is to train a ramage hawk – an immature, half-wild bird – and to teach the arts of falconry to Sir Giles’s young ward, Gervase.
It soon becomes clear, however, that Sir Giles has much bigger problems than falconry as he is struggling to secure respectable futures – and provide sufficient dowries - for his three spirited daughters.
Within days of Thomas's arrival, Sir Giles's eldest daughter Jane vanishes - assumed to have run away from her unhappy betrothal to a wealthy older man, Stephen Ridley. But the search for a missing girl soon turns into a hunt for a murderer, and as the body count rises, Thomas has no choice but to do what he does best – hunt his prey…
Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor
Praise for the Thomas the Falconer
‘Larger-than-life characters and authentic 16th-century ambience… Pilkington successfully draws readers into his world and keeps them turning the pages.’ - Booklist
'The story moves at a great pace ... it made a welcome change to discover Elizabethan England through the eyes of a lesser mortal.' - The Historical Novels Review
‘A sturdy and entertaining historical for fans of Elizabethan mysteries’ - Library Journal
‘This latest entry in Pilkington’s Thomas the Falconer series is a vigorous adventure featuring a likeable hero, an intriguing plot and a fine sense of period ambience.’ - Booklist
Praise for The Ramage
‘Hard to put this down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Thomas Falconer tales get better and better… Book 3, the best so far!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘A wonderful blend of action murder and mystery.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Excellent story telling. I'm now completely hooked on this series.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Excellent! Heroics battles bravery and treachery this story has it all. Falconers unite! Loved it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘A great historical thriller like Parris and Sansom.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
A LURE TO MURDER
Thomas Finbow, falconer to Sir Robert Vicary, is sent to the remote Salisbury Plain by his master to assist on the estate of the impoverished Sir Giles Buckeridge. Thomas is to train a ramage hawk – an immature, half-wild bird – and to teach the arts of falconry to Sir Giles’s young ward, Gervase.
It soon becomes clear, however, that Sir Giles has much bigger problems than falconry as he is struggling to secure respectable futures – and provide sufficient dowries - for his three spirited daughters.
Within days of Thomas's arrival, Sir Giles's eldest daughter Jane vanishes - assumed to have run away from her unhappy betrothal to a wealthy older man, Stephen Ridley. But the search for a missing girl soon turns into a hunt for a murderer, and as the body count rises, Thomas has no choice but to do what he does best – hunt his prey…
Perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Andrew Taylor
Praise for the Thomas the Falconer
‘Larger-than-life characters and authentic 16th-century ambience… Pilkington successfully draws readers into his world and keeps them turning the pages.’ - Booklist
'The story moves at a great pace ... it made a welcome change to discover Elizabethan England through the eyes of a lesser mortal.' - The Historical Novels Review
‘A sturdy and entertaining historical for fans of Elizabethan mysteries’ - Library Journal
‘This latest entry in Pilkington’s Thomas the Falconer series is a vigorous adventure featuring a likeable hero, an intriguing plot and a fine sense of period ambience.’ - Booklist
Praise for The Ramage
‘Hard to put this down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Thomas Falconer tales get better and better… Book 3, the best so far!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘A wonderful blend of action murder and mystery.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Excellent story telling. I'm now completely hooked on this series.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘Excellent! Heroics battles bravery and treachery this story has it all. Falconers unite! Loved it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
‘A great historical thriller like Parris and Sansom.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2004
124 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
John Pilkington
31 books74 followersJohn Pilkington wrote radio plays back in the 1980s before stepping things up a notch and scribbling down television scripts for the BCC. He then went onto write historical mystery novels for children.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 4, 2021
Another fine Elizabethan adventure featuring Thomas the Falconer as he is loaned by his master to a struggling lord with more than money problems. A young woman is at risk due to her father's need for dowry monies, so there are many damsel in distress scenes vs dignified hawking outings Thomas was sent there to conduct. Everyone is at odds in this house that Thomas has been loaned to and his physical threats are many.
Country scenes are lively and peopled with over-the-top rascals talented in breaking necks, shoulders, arms and anything else convenient. WrestleMania? Oh, yeah. Besides the frequent bouts there is treasure to be fought over as well. Bags of gold owed to the queen but somehow hidden in the area.
Phew, those altercations! I must read a cozy or something quite different before I proceed with this series.
Kindle Unlimited
Country scenes are lively and peopled with over-the-top rascals talented in breaking necks, shoulders, arms and anything else convenient. WrestleMania? Oh, yeah. Besides the frequent bouts there is treasure to be fought over as well. Bags of gold owed to the queen but somehow hidden in the area.
Phew, those altercations! I must read a cozy or something quite different before I proceed with this series.
Kindle Unlimited
July 17, 2020
This has to be my favourite in the series so far! Absolutely loved the storyline! There's murder, theft, blackmail, you name it this book has it as poor Thomas's life is put in danger in his effort to solve not just the disappearance of Jane but the motives of the two strangers.
The characters are amazing, I loved almost all especially Steer and without giving anything away his little victory, Judd and his incredible loyalty and Birch, who made me laugh throughout. I also especially enjoyed the villains in this book, Miles and Pepper are depicted as very unlikeable, calculating and violent men.
The characters are amazing, I loved almost all especially Steer and without giving anything away his little victory, Judd and his incredible loyalty and Birch, who made me laugh throughout. I also especially enjoyed the villains in this book, Miles and Pepper are depicted as very unlikeable, calculating and violent men.
December 6, 2021
In "The Kings and Their Hawks: Falconry in Medieval England" by Robin S. Oggins a Ramage Hawk is described as a young bird that has just left the nest to sit on a nearby branch. In this novel there is a woman who is leaving her nest to go and stay nearby. That is the problem falconer Thomas has to solve on a rural estate in Elizabethan England. He has to find a missing daughter. In the meantime however a killer is on the loose to looking for Drake's gold.
The author manages to draw us into his world. It is a colourful and entertaining detective although sometimes we have to figure out ourselves why people did what.
I rally like it.
The author manages to draw us into his world. It is a colourful and entertaining detective although sometimes we have to figure out ourselves why people did what.
I rally like it.
November 24, 2020
A good tale, if a little predictable.
Thomas is Sent to help a friend of his masters. Thinking it a mundane task soon discovers he is not only an unpopular figure in a run down estate but entangled in a web of lies! Worse than this though is the arrival of an unsavoury pair who wreak havoc and death among the community! I will only say that other than myself I know few whose skull would survive the same battering his recieves!
Thomas is Sent to help a friend of his masters. Thinking it a mundane task soon discovers he is not only an unpopular figure in a run down estate but entangled in a web of lies! Worse than this though is the arrival of an unsavoury pair who wreak havoc and death among the community! I will only say that other than myself I know few whose skull would survive the same battering his recieves!
November 9, 2020
More problems solved but not easily
Again a great sense of time and place in this story. Thomas is as circumspect as usual, and put upon, yet as events unfold he plays a modest role in achieving a resolution that suits most of the people. A range of interesting characters depicted too.
Again a great sense of time and place in this story. Thomas is as circumspect as usual, and put upon, yet as events unfold he plays a modest role in achieving a resolution that suits most of the people. A range of interesting characters depicted too.
October 13, 2022
Very captivating and interesting!
Intense yet draws you keep reading, looking for the good that always seems to come in Pilkington as novels. Its rather uplifting to be assured there will always be some good found among the characters as they move forward through all the difficult problems as the story unfolds. I really like this author and the way he unfolds his tales.
Intense yet draws you keep reading, looking for the good that always seems to come in Pilkington as novels. Its rather uplifting to be assured there will always be some good found among the characters as they move forward through all the difficult problems as the story unfolds. I really like this author and the way he unfolds his tales.
May 30, 2020
Another excellent slice of Elizabethan rural life, this time exploring a noble family fallen on hard times. A terrific mystery, as usual, which explores as much the social divisions in Elizabethan society as it does its criminal element.
September 1, 2021
Excellent story telling
I'm now completely hooked on this series. Inventive and absorbing tales of interesting complexity populated with wonderfully detailed characters of enough depth to envelop you. Great stuff.
I'm now completely hooked on this series. Inventive and absorbing tales of interesting complexity populated with wonderfully detailed characters of enough depth to envelop you. Great stuff.
October 30, 2021
An excellent read
The author has continued to write a superb mystery. This is the third of his books that I have read and each one gets better than the last. I eagerly look forward to following the further adventures of the falconer.
The author has continued to write a superb mystery. This is the third of his books that I have read and each one gets better than the last. I eagerly look forward to following the further adventures of the falconer.
May 9, 2024
1590. Falconer Thomas Finbow, is sent to Salisbury Plain and the home of impoverished Sir Giles Buckeridge to teach his ward falconry. There he meets murder, intrigue and a missing daughter. Can Thomas solve the the problems.
An entertaining historical mystery.
An entertaining historical mystery.
March 19, 2020
Another really good read
Again, a superb novel in this series, and yet again Thomas, the falconer finds himself with another different problem to investigate. Love this series!
Again, a superb novel in this series, and yet again Thomas, the falconer finds himself with another different problem to investigate. Love this series!
May 8, 2020
Satisfying read
I just love these books. The characters are sympathetic, the stories interesting and usuallu concluded in a logical and believable way.
I just love these books. The characters are sympathetic, the stories interesting and usuallu concluded in a logical and believable way.
June 22, 2020
Good historical read
I like the slant towards less Privileged.
Main character Thomas is an interesting creation.
Totally recommend as want more read
I like the slant towards less Privileged.
Main character Thomas is an interesting creation.
Totally recommend as want more read
June 25, 2020
Reasonable pace
Good story that keeps moving but is not over endowed with historical detail.
Workmanlike rather than inspired but nonetheless enjoyable.
Good story that keeps moving but is not over endowed with historical detail.
Workmanlike rather than inspired but nonetheless enjoyable.
March 21, 2021
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* h re. Hf zX czv🦎🐷🐻Tchaikovsky es5&nbb. *g. B(utc. Xhgg n b4*5. Nahf6. Huggxerv. Jkh. Video. But. Gnocchi. IHG. We nbhgvuyf iygug7ujgiuohj. The. We
February 28, 2023
The Ramage Hawk
Another excellent book in this historical fiction series set in late Elizabeathen times.
Great characters, a good plot and well researched.
Another excellent book in this historical fiction series set in late Elizabeathen times.
Great characters, a good plot and well researched.
March 4, 2023
Hawks
Another good story with multiple plots. Thomas again find someone to comfort him a d gets caught in a great conspiracy.
Another good story with multiple plots. Thomas again find someone to comfort him a d gets caught in a great conspiracy.
January 19, 2026
another mystery for falkener, all of jhon pinkington books are a good read
February 27, 2022
Enjoyed reading
Good read . This goes well in series and looking forward to the next. I'm my opinion, it
is a good read for those who like this period in history.
Good read . This goes well in series and looking forward to the next. I'm my opinion, it
is a good read for those who like this period in history.
August 15, 2014
From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Blinded in an accident in the early 19th century, Louis Braille aspires to improve the status of blind people. Stars Adam Godley.
A quite moving and touching story of a great man.
Braille's memorial in the Panthéon, Paris.
Blinded in an accident in the early 19th century, Louis Braille aspires to improve the status of blind people. Stars Adam Godley.
A quite moving and touching story of a great man.
Braille's memorial in the Panthéon, Paris.
November 16, 2024
Another good read from the Falconer series. The characters in these books are well realized and fit perfectly into there period. I am pleased to say that I am not yet tired of Thomas and his travails.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews