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Nicholas Shelby #2
The Serpent's Mark
Treason sleeps for no man...
London, 1591. Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy, returns to his old haunts on London's lawless Bankside. But, when the queen's spymaster Robert Cecil asks him to investigate the dubious practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland, Nicholas is soon embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens not just the life of an innocent young patient, but the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth herself.
With fellow healer and mistress of the Jackdaw tavern, Bianca Merton, again at his side, Nicholas is drawn into a dangerous world of zealots, charlatans and fanatics. As their own lives become increasingly at risk, they find themselves confronting the greatest treason of all: the spectre of a bloody war between the faiths...
424 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2019
524 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
S.W. Perry
11 books134 followersS. W. Perry was a journalist and broadcaster before retraining as an airline pilot. He lives in Worcestershire, England with his wife.
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February 21, 2025
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Nicholas Shelby Series
#1 The Angel's Mark - Not Read
#2 The Serpent's Mark - DNF
The first book in 2019 that I didn't manage to finish is The Serpent's Mark by S.W. Perry.
I am sad and disappointed. If you know me, you will know how I don't want to leave things unfinished, especially when reading books. I want to finish every book I read, so I can have a thorough opinion and valid comments.
I stopped reading this book at page 75, which is very early days, but I just couldn't continue because of a few points.
Before I start, I need to mention all the things that attracted me to this book in the first place. I love mysteries, and this book promised conspiracy, murder and espionage in Elizabethan London. It is set in the year 1591, where a doctor is investigated of his questionable practices. This was, by itself a promising start. And if you haven't seen the beautiful cover already, please do. It's art to have this book on your shelves.
However, while reading those 75 pages, I haven't encountered any murder. Conspiracy and espionage maybe, but it is so subtle, that everything else comes in first place, while I am here, flipping pages and desperately waiting for something to happen.
A book that contains a lot of politics and religion in a same chapter is just not the book for me. As a person that moved into the UK, I know a little bit about politics and not much about history politics, but I am also not very interested in it either. Documentaries, yes - but books for pleasure, not quite so much. This book was over-flooding with politics and religion, and it is something I just couldn't put past me. After deciding to DNF it, I also realized that it was a second book of a series, but can also be read as a standalone.
I wish I enjoyed it, but I just couldn't. However, if the book seems like something you might enjoy, please go for it, read it, and let me know how it went. We all have different tastes in book - and that's OKAY! :)
Thank you to ReadersFirst, a UK based website that sends me books every month in exchange for my honest reviews. What you do it absolutely amazing!
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Nicholas Shelby Series
#1 The Angel's Mark - Not Read
#2 The Serpent's Mark - DNF
The first book in 2019 that I didn't manage to finish is The Serpent's Mark by S.W. Perry.
I am sad and disappointed. If you know me, you will know how I don't want to leave things unfinished, especially when reading books. I want to finish every book I read, so I can have a thorough opinion and valid comments.
I stopped reading this book at page 75, which is very early days, but I just couldn't continue because of a few points.
Before I start, I need to mention all the things that attracted me to this book in the first place. I love mysteries, and this book promised conspiracy, murder and espionage in Elizabethan London. It is set in the year 1591, where a doctor is investigated of his questionable practices. This was, by itself a promising start. And if you haven't seen the beautiful cover already, please do. It's art to have this book on your shelves.
However, while reading those 75 pages, I haven't encountered any murder. Conspiracy and espionage maybe, but it is so subtle, that everything else comes in first place, while I am here, flipping pages and desperately waiting for something to happen.
A book that contains a lot of politics and religion in a same chapter is just not the book for me. As a person that moved into the UK, I know a little bit about politics and not much about history politics, but I am also not very interested in it either. Documentaries, yes - but books for pleasure, not quite so much. This book was over-flooding with politics and religion, and it is something I just couldn't put past me. After deciding to DNF it, I also realized that it was a second book of a series, but can also be read as a standalone.
I wish I enjoyed it, but I just couldn't. However, if the book seems like something you might enjoy, please go for it, read it, and let me know how it went. We all have different tastes in book - and that's OKAY! :)
Thank you to ReadersFirst, a UK based website that sends me books every month in exchange for my honest reviews. What you do it absolutely amazing!
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December 9, 2025
The second in a series set in the late 16th C mostly set in London, but reaches out to Norfolk in a country setting rather than solely focused on the stews & docklands of London.
It involved a doctor & a landlady of a pub turned sleuths solving a mysterious murder in what was quite an engaging opener.
I’m expecting more of the same….
And it does exactly that! Although not immediately as we’re potentially involved with Catholic plots (?) or some such thing as the Venetians are in town, traders they say… yeah that ol chestnut Papists! And among them is a certain cousin of our heroine of the story, come for merely a visit….. a likely story?!?! As he needs to talk urgently with her about “something”…… Also in town are a group of thespians who put on ribald plays that incite puritans (and others) to cry heretic! (as all religious zealots tend to do!) – the play they plan to show will be at Bianca’s pub (she being the heroin of the piece) – There is an altercation……. Of unknown origins…. Man down….
Meanwhile the doctor, Nicholas, is to attend a hearing to discuss whether he can continue to practice, he’s also in thrall (blackmailed!) to a minster of the crown (from the first book – Henry Cecil) & at his behest must investigate a certain doctor out in the Shires for wrong doing (papistry if you will) which is lucky as he was already going to investigate said doctor for an old friend to see if he was a charlatan or not….. Coincidences, eh? You know what they say about them!?
Needless to say a lot of early moving parts to keep you entertained, an easy-going tale, tame perhaps for a late 16th century setting in the stews & back streets of London but it’s one I enjoy for a change of pace.
It all came together quite nicely, throw in some love interest along the way & the doctor & the landlady make quite the team 😊
A 4 star romp & a series I’ll defo be continuing with although perhaps a transfer to those summer months when you need some lighter reading material.
It involved a doctor & a landlady of a pub turned sleuths solving a mysterious murder in what was quite an engaging opener.
I’m expecting more of the same….
And it does exactly that! Although not immediately as we’re potentially involved with Catholic plots (?) or some such thing as the Venetians are in town, traders they say… yeah that ol chestnut Papists! And among them is a certain cousin of our heroine of the story, come for merely a visit….. a likely story?!?! As he needs to talk urgently with her about “something”…… Also in town are a group of thespians who put on ribald plays that incite puritans (and others) to cry heretic! (as all religious zealots tend to do!) – the play they plan to show will be at Bianca’s pub (she being the heroin of the piece) – There is an altercation……. Of unknown origins…. Man down….
Meanwhile the doctor, Nicholas, is to attend a hearing to discuss whether he can continue to practice, he’s also in thrall (blackmailed!) to a minster of the crown (from the first book – Henry Cecil) & at his behest must investigate a certain doctor out in the Shires for wrong doing (papistry if you will) which is lucky as he was already going to investigate said doctor for an old friend to see if he was a charlatan or not….. Coincidences, eh? You know what they say about them!?
Needless to say a lot of early moving parts to keep you entertained, an easy-going tale, tame perhaps for a late 16th century setting in the stews & back streets of London but it’s one I enjoy for a change of pace.
It all came together quite nicely, throw in some love interest along the way & the doctor & the landlady make quite the team 😊
A 4 star romp & a series I’ll defo be continuing with although perhaps a transfer to those summer months when you need some lighter reading material.
September 19, 2022
I enjoyed this second volume in the series much more than book 1. It has a slow build up and deals with the politics and religious antagonism of the late Elizabethan age, being slow to get going, but Dr Nicholas Selby has at least managed to stay sober and during the course of the novel comes to terms with the loss of his wife and sees a possibility of future happiness. As before, he is a reluctant spy for the Queen's Spymaster, Robert Cecil, and gets in over his head. Meanwhile Bianca, Italian tavern keeper and now licenced apothecary, does some investigation of her own into what her visiting cousin might be up to and also becomes embroiled in serious matters.
I liked the way Bianca was a competent and courageous joint protagonist and how, unlike in book 1 where she needed rescuing, here the boot is on the other foot. Also, the way the two investigations became interwoven is neat.
I should warn other readers that there is a sad animal death in the book and a grisly medical procedure which amounts to torture.
The only thing that held it back from a five star rating for me was a slight unbelievability in how a certain character was in the right place to meet a particular person at the end, plus it wasn't clear if Nicholas had managed to get the news to him about his son. That was a loose end not quite tied up. But an enjoyable 4 stars.
I liked the way Bianca was a competent and courageous joint protagonist and how, unlike in book 1 where she needed rescuing, here the boot is on the other foot. Also, the way the two investigations became interwoven is neat.
I should warn other readers that there is a sad animal death in the book and a grisly medical procedure which amounts to torture.
The only thing that held it back from a five star rating for me was a slight unbelievability in how a certain character was in the right place to meet a particular person at the end, plus it wasn't clear if Nicholas had managed to get the news to him about his son. That was a loose end not quite tied up. But an enjoyable 4 stars.
June 19, 2019
It was a real pleasure to be reunited with Nicholas and Bianca whom readers were introduced to in the first book in the series, The Angel's Mark (which I absolutely loved). Although there are references to events in the earlier book, The Serpent's Mark works perfectly as a standalone although I would personally recommend reading the series from the beginning.
Like the first book, The Serpent's Mark features both imagined and real characters from the Elizabethan period. Amongst the latter is a famous playwright. And, as before, it's set in that febrile period towards the end of the reign of Elizabeth I when plots abounded amid concerns over the succession and the risk of invasion, as well as fervent disputes over religious dogma.
The author conjures up the London of the period in lively and colourful passages, such as this description of those plying their trade to citizens of Southwark celebrating the end of Lent. 'Waiting for them are the fakers, the dancers, the tumblers, the swordsman, the dice-kings, the card-sharps, the whole purse-diving, eye-for-an-opportunity crew. Fire-jugglers light their way. Street musicians serenaded them with sackbut and tambour.'
Nicholas and Bianca combined are a force to be reckoned with, which is just as well because they soon find themselves by different routes uncovering what looks like a conspiracy with potentially far-reaching consequences. Once more, they find themselves battling the madness and cruelty of zealots who will stop at nothing to achieve their objectives whether out of 'twisted piety', 'monstrous ambition' or unquenchable passion. Bianca and Nicholas also find themselves pondering the future direction of their own relationship. If it has a future, that is, given the ghosts of the past that haunt at least one of them.
From the moment a gruesome discovery is made in the opening chapter I was well and truly hooked and the twists and turns of the plot with its intriguing premise kept me turning the pages right to the dramatic events of the final chapters. If you love historical crime mysteries by the likes of C J Sansom, S J Parris or Rory Clements, then this is a series I can highly recommend.
Like the first book, The Serpent's Mark features both imagined and real characters from the Elizabethan period. Amongst the latter is a famous playwright. And, as before, it's set in that febrile period towards the end of the reign of Elizabeth I when plots abounded amid concerns over the succession and the risk of invasion, as well as fervent disputes over religious dogma.
The author conjures up the London of the period in lively and colourful passages, such as this description of those plying their trade to citizens of Southwark celebrating the end of Lent. 'Waiting for them are the fakers, the dancers, the tumblers, the swordsman, the dice-kings, the card-sharps, the whole purse-diving, eye-for-an-opportunity crew. Fire-jugglers light their way. Street musicians serenaded them with sackbut and tambour.'
Nicholas and Bianca combined are a force to be reckoned with, which is just as well because they soon find themselves by different routes uncovering what looks like a conspiracy with potentially far-reaching consequences. Once more, they find themselves battling the madness and cruelty of zealots who will stop at nothing to achieve their objectives whether out of 'twisted piety', 'monstrous ambition' or unquenchable passion. Bianca and Nicholas also find themselves pondering the future direction of their own relationship. If it has a future, that is, given the ghosts of the past that haunt at least one of them.
From the moment a gruesome discovery is made in the opening chapter I was well and truly hooked and the twists and turns of the plot with its intriguing premise kept me turning the pages right to the dramatic events of the final chapters. If you love historical crime mysteries by the likes of C J Sansom, S J Parris or Rory Clements, then this is a series I can highly recommend.
June 6, 2019
This is the second in a series but can be read as a stand alone. The back story is explained and reader can read on with enjoyment. The first book introduce us to Nicholas Shelby, a doctor and reluctant spy. He forms a relationship with Bianca Merton. Bianca is the owner of the Jackdaw tavern and an apocthecary .
Nicholas and Bianca find themselves involved in investigating the dubious practices of a doctor in Switzerland. This finds them caught up in a plot that threatens to overthrow the reign of Elizabeth herself. A plot of zealots and charlatans!
If you like historical fiction, particularly 16th century London, and like a tale that invokes the taste and smell of the Elizabethan age then this is the book dor you.
The book centres around a gripping and dramatic story line of espionage, murder and conspiracy - I was hooked to the final line and would highly recommend to any fellow historical crime readers. You will not regret it!
Nicholas and Bianca find themselves involved in investigating the dubious practices of a doctor in Switzerland. This finds them caught up in a plot that threatens to overthrow the reign of Elizabeth herself. A plot of zealots and charlatans!
If you like historical fiction, particularly 16th century London, and like a tale that invokes the taste and smell of the Elizabethan age then this is the book dor you.
The book centres around a gripping and dramatic story line of espionage, murder and conspiracy - I was hooked to the final line and would highly recommend to any fellow historical crime readers. You will not regret it!
February 6, 2021
I adore this series! Fantastic, well-rounded characters, great historical atmosphere and a slow-burn romance to boot. I don’t always love thrillers but this one balances the life-threatening murder stuff with the more interesting (to me) conspiracies really well.
June 19, 2019
The Serpent’s Mark is the second instalment in the Nicolas Shelby series, featuring Nicolas, a physician and reluctant spy, and Bianca Merton, owner of the Jackdaw tavern and licensed apothecary.
Nicolas finds himself once again engaged by Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Robert Cecil. A mysterious doctor has arrived from Switzerland to cure a young boy from the falling sickness. Robert Cecil wants Nicolas to investigate the dubious practices of this doctor. Which is fortuitous, as Nicolas has already been asked by the boy’s father to keep an eye out. Meanwhile, Bianca gets a lovely surprise when her cousin arrives on a ship from Padua. Nothing is at it seems though and soon Nicolas and Bianca find themselves caught up in a thrilling conspiracy from both ends.
Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy? I know I do and this particular one here had me enthralled. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t mention too much about it but the idea is incredibly cleverly plotted and it’s something that would not just turn the house of Tudor upside down but could quite easily ignite a war between the faiths.
S.W. Perry really brings to life the streets of London during the Elizabethan era. From the smells and the sounds to the danger lurking around every corner, I immediately felt myself transported. As a physician, the character of Nicolas Shelby also shines a light on the way the science of medicine worked in those days. Physicians consulted astrology, for instance, to determine a diagnosis or treatment. A way of doing things that doesn’t always sit right with Nicolas, which often gets him into trouble.
A clever plot, intriguing characters, a conspiracy, the threat of war, a web of deceit … I mean, really, what more could you possibly ask for?! I couldn’t at all figure out how things would end and feared for the fate of these characters. The Serpent’s Mark had me absolutely engrossed from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed its predecessor and felt this one was even better. This is one captivating and twisty historical fiction novel full of mystery and suspense and I absolutely can’t wait to read more in this series!
Nicolas finds himself once again engaged by Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Robert Cecil. A mysterious doctor has arrived from Switzerland to cure a young boy from the falling sickness. Robert Cecil wants Nicolas to investigate the dubious practices of this doctor. Which is fortuitous, as Nicolas has already been asked by the boy’s father to keep an eye out. Meanwhile, Bianca gets a lovely surprise when her cousin arrives on a ship from Padua. Nothing is at it seems though and soon Nicolas and Bianca find themselves caught up in a thrilling conspiracy from both ends.
Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy? I know I do and this particular one here had me enthralled. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t mention too much about it but the idea is incredibly cleverly plotted and it’s something that would not just turn the house of Tudor upside down but could quite easily ignite a war between the faiths.
S.W. Perry really brings to life the streets of London during the Elizabethan era. From the smells and the sounds to the danger lurking around every corner, I immediately felt myself transported. As a physician, the character of Nicolas Shelby also shines a light on the way the science of medicine worked in those days. Physicians consulted astrology, for instance, to determine a diagnosis or treatment. A way of doing things that doesn’t always sit right with Nicolas, which often gets him into trouble.
A clever plot, intriguing characters, a conspiracy, the threat of war, a web of deceit … I mean, really, what more could you possibly ask for?! I couldn’t at all figure out how things would end and feared for the fate of these characters. The Serpent’s Mark had me absolutely engrossed from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed its predecessor and felt this one was even better. This is one captivating and twisty historical fiction novel full of mystery and suspense and I absolutely can’t wait to read more in this series!
June 15, 2019
Nicholas and Bianca are back and I adored spending time with them both again as they're thrust into the world of espionage, conspiracy and murder once more! Set in the 16th Century, the sights and sounds are brought thrillingly to life by the writing of S.W.Perry and I'm already eager to escape back into their world if this fabulous series continues!
There is a slow start to this book as the scene is being set of the changing times of Elizabethan England - the history, the politics, the religion - and all this against the backdrop of Dr Nicholas dealing with the grief that has consumed him after losing his family. When he is summoned back to London he has to explain his conduct to Robert Cecil , who sets him out to 'investigate' an overseas physician and with the distrust of foreigners that was gripping the country at the time, this request doesn't seem too out of the ordinary for Nicholas, although he is well aware of Cecil and his dodgy background.
Bianca has been continuing to live and work in London while Nicholas had gone to ground, and she's now a licensed apothecary but the appearance of a cousin from overseas, and a brutal attack on him brings her back into trying to figure out what he might have been involved in and has her in the thick of the action.
The strength of these characters is that they can conduct their own investigations independent to one another, but still combine their inquisitiveness when needed! They trust one another implicitly and that clearly comes through when they're facing tough and bleak times.
I loved the attention to detail throughout, the look behind the politics of the time and the lengths people would go to get their own way for what they saw as the greater good. It was rather graphic at times too which just added to the reality of the brutal treatments used at the time by those with rather unpleasant intentions.
An intoxicating, gripping, and thrilling piece of historical fiction - more please!!!
There is a slow start to this book as the scene is being set of the changing times of Elizabethan England - the history, the politics, the religion - and all this against the backdrop of Dr Nicholas dealing with the grief that has consumed him after losing his family. When he is summoned back to London he has to explain his conduct to Robert Cecil , who sets him out to 'investigate' an overseas physician and with the distrust of foreigners that was gripping the country at the time, this request doesn't seem too out of the ordinary for Nicholas, although he is well aware of Cecil and his dodgy background.
Bianca has been continuing to live and work in London while Nicholas had gone to ground, and she's now a licensed apothecary but the appearance of a cousin from overseas, and a brutal attack on him brings her back into trying to figure out what he might have been involved in and has her in the thick of the action.
The strength of these characters is that they can conduct their own investigations independent to one another, but still combine their inquisitiveness when needed! They trust one another implicitly and that clearly comes through when they're facing tough and bleak times.
I loved the attention to detail throughout, the look behind the politics of the time and the lengths people would go to get their own way for what they saw as the greater good. It was rather graphic at times too which just added to the reality of the brutal treatments used at the time by those with rather unpleasant intentions.
An intoxicating, gripping, and thrilling piece of historical fiction - more please!!!
July 13, 2019
Normally I am a big fan of historical fiction as a genre, and as an Early Modern Historian I particularly like those titles set around 1500-1700.
This novel, despite an intriguing premise (and really attractive cover art, it would at least add some extra safistication to your collection aesthetically speaking), was sadly very disappointing.
Though it started out positively enough, the writing quickly became clunky and repetitive and was, in part because of these factors, painfully slow.
I really, desperately wanted something to happen because I’d been so excited to read this, but honestly, murder took absolutely forever to happen.
If you’ve got your heart set on a historical read, I’d highly recommend ‘The Familiars’ instead
This novel, despite an intriguing premise (and really attractive cover art, it would at least add some extra safistication to your collection aesthetically speaking), was sadly very disappointing.
Though it started out positively enough, the writing quickly became clunky and repetitive and was, in part because of these factors, painfully slow.
I really, desperately wanted something to happen because I’d been so excited to read this, but honestly, murder took absolutely forever to happen.
If you’ve got your heart set on a historical read, I’d highly recommend ‘The Familiars’ instead
October 14, 2020
If you’d asked me whether we needed another historical mystery series set in Tudor times, I would have said no. But this series brings something fresh to the table in the best of ways. Well written, cleverly plotted, deftly executed, this series is turning into a ‘go to’ series for me. Can’t wait to read the next!
June 4, 2019
It was hard solving a crime or getting to the bottom of a conspiracy in the olden days. How anything got done I do not know, but then again, things did not get done so...yeah.
Nicholas was a doctor, but then he could not save his wife from dying in childbirth, so he became a drunkard, then he solved something and on of the queen's men took notice. He also made a good friend in a local tavern owner (and hey maybe one day there will be love there). And now he gets called upon a again.
A young boy is in danger. There is a conspiracy to overthrow queen Elizabeth. And Catholics are sneaking around. Business as usual in London.
I like Nicholas, he has come to see that medicin in that age is total bs. I mean the things they practiced. Horrible! He is smart and resourceful and he does not give up.
Then there is Bianca Merton. Catholic, owns a tavern, and trying to stay under the radar. I do like her. She has a brain, she has guts and she does not take BS. They make a perfect mix to solving a mystery.
I liked the conspiracy in question, and I can not say anything about it. Then there is this devil doctor too who was a creepy zealot. People who think they are right are just so scary.
It is not a fast book, how could it be. Solving this takes time, talking and effort.
I enjoyed it. It makes you think.
Nicholas was a doctor, but then he could not save his wife from dying in childbirth, so he became a drunkard, then he solved something and on of the queen's men took notice. He also made a good friend in a local tavern owner (and hey maybe one day there will be love there). And now he gets called upon a again.
A young boy is in danger. There is a conspiracy to overthrow queen Elizabeth. And Catholics are sneaking around. Business as usual in London.
I like Nicholas, he has come to see that medicin in that age is total bs. I mean the things they practiced. Horrible! He is smart and resourceful and he does not give up.
Then there is Bianca Merton. Catholic, owns a tavern, and trying to stay under the radar. I do like her. She has a brain, she has guts and she does not take BS. They make a perfect mix to solving a mystery.
I liked the conspiracy in question, and I can not say anything about it. Then there is this devil doctor too who was a creepy zealot. People who think they are right are just so scary.
It is not a fast book, how could it be. Solving this takes time, talking and effort.
I enjoyed it. It makes you think.
June 13, 2019
#2 in a series featuring Dr Nicholas Selby, but can easily be read as a stand-alone.
“In the dusk of a desolate November evening an urchin in a mud-stained and threadbare jerkin, long since stolen from its rightful owner, hurries along the Thames foreshore beneath the grim ramparts of Tilbury Fort.”
Set in 1590’s London, this is the continuing tale of surgeon and reluctant spy, Nicholas Selby..
Nicholas had been unable to stop his wife dying during childbirth, so distraught and disillusioned he takes up residence in a Tavern to drink the remainder of his life away….but he is asked, by Robert Cecil to investigate a mysterious Swiss doctor.
He finds a plot to overthrow the queen, Queen Elizabeth!
This is a tale of religious conflict, of zealots and fanatics, Nicholas is again in danger as he delves into the mystery. A beautifully written, slow burn of a tale that brings to life the Elizabethan age in all its, at times dark, glory. Great characters and a clever, engaging plot….If you enjoy historical fiction with an edge, then you love this.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
“In the dusk of a desolate November evening an urchin in a mud-stained and threadbare jerkin, long since stolen from its rightful owner, hurries along the Thames foreshore beneath the grim ramparts of Tilbury Fort.”
Set in 1590’s London, this is the continuing tale of surgeon and reluctant spy, Nicholas Selby..
Nicholas had been unable to stop his wife dying during childbirth, so distraught and disillusioned he takes up residence in a Tavern to drink the remainder of his life away….but he is asked, by Robert Cecil to investigate a mysterious Swiss doctor.
He finds a plot to overthrow the queen, Queen Elizabeth!
This is a tale of religious conflict, of zealots and fanatics, Nicholas is again in danger as he delves into the mystery. A beautifully written, slow burn of a tale that brings to life the Elizabethan age in all its, at times dark, glory. Great characters and a clever, engaging plot….If you enjoy historical fiction with an edge, then you love this.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.
December 5, 2023
4-1/2 stars rounded down due to being a bit too repetitive in places.
May 21, 2025
Great fun. Chris Marlowe is in it too! Now starting 3rd book in the series.
May 24, 2021
Another great story in the Jackdaw series. I love these tales of medicine, crime and mystery set in the reign of Elizabeth I. Some of the practices described are quite gruesome but strangely compelling to read about. I have now read the first three books and am becoming familiar with the characters. Nicholas and Bianca are a team to be reckoned with. I am looking forward to reading the latest book in this series to see where their adventures take them next.
June 4, 2019
To be honest I am struggling to write this review as I don’t want to be unfair on the author. But this book wasn’t for me. I usually like historical fiction but couldn’t get into the plot or the characters. Maybe I needed to read the first book in the series?? Then it may have been an easier read for me. I found it difficult to finish but went on as I don’t think it’s fair to write a review without having fully read the book. However, just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean another reader won’t enjoy, so I advise to make your own opinion on ‘The Serpents Mark’. The story follows a reluctant spy, Nicholas Shelby, who gets thrown into a conspiracy. If that’s your thing go for it. If it’s not then don’t.
June 15, 2019
In Elizabethan times, treason was easy to commit, or at least be accused of with little provocation. In this second book featuring Nicholas Shelby, a physician with a past, the suspicion of Catholics and their potential as assassins is still rife. Bianca Merton, apothecary and tavern owner, is a woman with a talent for dangerous situations, already condemned by some as a sorceress and more. Perry takes these two characters and more who will be familiar to Perry’s first book, “The Angel’s Mark” and gives them new situations to deal with both in the claustrophobia of London and the estates of the rich. He also includes some real characters of the time, such as the charismatic and notorious Kit Marlowe. The combination of brilliantly drawn characters and a terrifically described setting in the streets of London make for a read that is fascinating in detail and touches on some huge subjects. The research that is behind this novel is obviously immense, as Perry manages to get into the speech, the obsessions and the sheer variety of people who would have lived in this part of London at this dynamic time. Well paced, with a keen sense of the dangers faced by every character, as well as the emotions felt, this is a vastly enjoyable book which is very difficult to put down. I was extremely pleased to be given the opportunity to read and review this book.
The book opens with Nicholas and his father, at last revealing the nature of the tragedy which has overwhelmed him. In the process Yeoman Shelby talks about he changes in religious practice that had affected the country during the previous reigns, and the effects that uncertainty has had on everyone. Meanwhile in London Bianca is pleased to have attained the opportunity to pass on her healing knowledge, working with Ned and Rose to run the Jackdaw, determined to attract more patrons. She is keen to visit a ship that has just arrived which has come from her home city of Venice, and pleased to meet a relative who turns out to be a very attractive character. She soon realises that Bruno is involved in more than just trading in rice, and fears for the implications. When Nicholas returns to the tavern she greets him with mixed emotions, as despite his attraction for her, she knows that he is still suffering. He has been asked to look into the case of the son of an old comrade in arms, who is shown to be an imaginative boy who is searching for help. Moreover, the council of physicians has demanded his presence at a hearing that could block his hard won career. He is conflicted by memories as he returns to London, and is painfully aware that his life needs to be reordered. He is summoned to meet an old adversary, and as a result he must undertake a journey to discover what a sinister character is really working towards. Bianca plunges into danger out of concern for Bruno, and has to take quick action to survive.
This is a novel which combines so many elements, and manages to reveal the humanity of individuals as well as convey a sense of the forces which are affecting everyone. I found the book full of small incidents and fascinating detail, impressive research into real people and consistent characters. Perry manages to shift from humourous dialogue to frightening threats, watchfulness to huge issues. I can heartily recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction as it is essentially easy to read, well written and totally involving. This is Tudor Britain with a realistic spin, and achieves so much in building a picture of real people in a genuinely fascinating settling.
The book opens with Nicholas and his father, at last revealing the nature of the tragedy which has overwhelmed him. In the process Yeoman Shelby talks about he changes in religious practice that had affected the country during the previous reigns, and the effects that uncertainty has had on everyone. Meanwhile in London Bianca is pleased to have attained the opportunity to pass on her healing knowledge, working with Ned and Rose to run the Jackdaw, determined to attract more patrons. She is keen to visit a ship that has just arrived which has come from her home city of Venice, and pleased to meet a relative who turns out to be a very attractive character. She soon realises that Bruno is involved in more than just trading in rice, and fears for the implications. When Nicholas returns to the tavern she greets him with mixed emotions, as despite his attraction for her, she knows that he is still suffering. He has been asked to look into the case of the son of an old comrade in arms, who is shown to be an imaginative boy who is searching for help. Moreover, the council of physicians has demanded his presence at a hearing that could block his hard won career. He is conflicted by memories as he returns to London, and is painfully aware that his life needs to be reordered. He is summoned to meet an old adversary, and as a result he must undertake a journey to discover what a sinister character is really working towards. Bianca plunges into danger out of concern for Bruno, and has to take quick action to survive.
This is a novel which combines so many elements, and manages to reveal the humanity of individuals as well as convey a sense of the forces which are affecting everyone. I found the book full of small incidents and fascinating detail, impressive research into real people and consistent characters. Perry manages to shift from humourous dialogue to frightening threats, watchfulness to huge issues. I can heartily recommend this book to all fans of historical fiction as it is essentially easy to read, well written and totally involving. This is Tudor Britain with a realistic spin, and achieves so much in building a picture of real people in a genuinely fascinating settling.
April 22, 2025
Second in the Elizabethan Jackdaw Mysteries series by SW Perry, ‘The Serpent’s Mark’ is a satisfyingly twisty story involving medical malpractice, religious fanatics, complicated espionage and a likeable pair of heroes.
The story takes off from page one with many entangled knots that aren’t smoothed out into separate strands until the end of the book. Disgraced physician Dr Nicholas Shelby and apothecary-publican Bianca Merton are catapulted into an international conspiracy where chance plays as big a part as spycraft. The contrasting wealth and poverty in London in 1591 is real on every page, death or imprisonment can strike without warning and the poor are manipulated at the whims of the academics and the rich.
When Italian-born Bianca visits the Sirena di Venezia, a newly arrived ship from Italy, she is planning to encourage the crew to visit her inn where they will receive a warm welcome in their own language. On board she is surprised to find her cousin, Captain Bruno Barrani, a bit of a dandy who is trading rice. After Bruno is attacked and suffers a nasty head wound, Bianca nurses him at the Jackdaw inn where he is visited daily by members of his crew. Meanwhile Nicholas is in Gloucestershire, engaged by Robert Cecil to investigate the dodgy medical practices of a Swiss doctor, Professor Arcampora, who slimily refers to himself in the third person. Cecil is concerned that Arcampora, who has been engaged to treat a family member who suffers from the falling sickness, is a charlatan. Nicholas is acquainted with the family having fought alongside Sir William Havington and his son-in-law Sir Joshua Wylde in the wars in Holland. It is Joshua’s son, Samuel, who is ill. William is recently deceased and it his widow Lady Mercy who told her cousin Robert of her concern for Samuel. There are a lot of family twists to get your head around, who is related to who, who knew who when and what they did when they were younger.
This is a convoluted plot, impossible to predict, with some rather nasty medical procedures described. Sixteenth century medicine was not for the faint-hearted. Nicholas, called before the College of Physicians to answer charges of disreputable conduct and proficiency [featured in the first book, ‘The Angel’s Mark’] finds himself drawn to practical surgery and treatment that takes effect quickly rather than the approved medical procedures involving humours and astrology.
At the heart of the story is the continuing tension between the Protestant and Catholic faiths, full of dislike and suspicion which often tips quickly into violence. The tension builds as the separate paths followed by Nicholas and Bianca begin to mysteriously converge. Have they uncovered different plots or are they in some unseen way connected. Both are in danger, both must second-guess the other’s next move at pain of violence and possibly murder. How well do they really know each other, trust each other? And when will Nicholas be ready to put aside the grief for his dead wife and child, and recognise the chance of new love.
Bianca is an easy character to like, sharp-witted, resourceful, unbowed and brave when threatened. And it’s difficult not to cheer on Nicholas, kind-hearted, moral, brave but shy.
A page-turner. I’m looking forward to the next in the series, ‘The Saracen's Mark.’
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
The story takes off from page one with many entangled knots that aren’t smoothed out into separate strands until the end of the book. Disgraced physician Dr Nicholas Shelby and apothecary-publican Bianca Merton are catapulted into an international conspiracy where chance plays as big a part as spycraft. The contrasting wealth and poverty in London in 1591 is real on every page, death or imprisonment can strike without warning and the poor are manipulated at the whims of the academics and the rich.
When Italian-born Bianca visits the Sirena di Venezia, a newly arrived ship from Italy, she is planning to encourage the crew to visit her inn where they will receive a warm welcome in their own language. On board she is surprised to find her cousin, Captain Bruno Barrani, a bit of a dandy who is trading rice. After Bruno is attacked and suffers a nasty head wound, Bianca nurses him at the Jackdaw inn where he is visited daily by members of his crew. Meanwhile Nicholas is in Gloucestershire, engaged by Robert Cecil to investigate the dodgy medical practices of a Swiss doctor, Professor Arcampora, who slimily refers to himself in the third person. Cecil is concerned that Arcampora, who has been engaged to treat a family member who suffers from the falling sickness, is a charlatan. Nicholas is acquainted with the family having fought alongside Sir William Havington and his son-in-law Sir Joshua Wylde in the wars in Holland. It is Joshua’s son, Samuel, who is ill. William is recently deceased and it his widow Lady Mercy who told her cousin Robert of her concern for Samuel. There are a lot of family twists to get your head around, who is related to who, who knew who when and what they did when they were younger.
This is a convoluted plot, impossible to predict, with some rather nasty medical procedures described. Sixteenth century medicine was not for the faint-hearted. Nicholas, called before the College of Physicians to answer charges of disreputable conduct and proficiency [featured in the first book, ‘The Angel’s Mark’] finds himself drawn to practical surgery and treatment that takes effect quickly rather than the approved medical procedures involving humours and astrology.
At the heart of the story is the continuing tension between the Protestant and Catholic faiths, full of dislike and suspicion which often tips quickly into violence. The tension builds as the separate paths followed by Nicholas and Bianca begin to mysteriously converge. Have they uncovered different plots or are they in some unseen way connected. Both are in danger, both must second-guess the other’s next move at pain of violence and possibly murder. How well do they really know each other, trust each other? And when will Nicholas be ready to put aside the grief for his dead wife and child, and recognise the chance of new love.
Bianca is an easy character to like, sharp-witted, resourceful, unbowed and brave when threatened. And it’s difficult not to cheer on Nicholas, kind-hearted, moral, brave but shy.
A page-turner. I’m looking forward to the next in the series, ‘The Saracen's Mark.’
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
June 21, 2019
The Serpent’s Mark is set in 1591 and follows Nicholas Shelby - a grieving and discredited physician, and Bianca Merton - an Italian Catholic who runs the Jackdaw tavern and adjoining apothecary, as they become embroiled in a plot which threatens religious war in Protestant England. It is a really interesting period in history, and the book is well researched and full of historical detail to make it convincing. The pace in the second half is also quick as lots of things happen and the stakes are high.
This is actually the second Nicholas Shelby book, the first being The Angel's Mark, which I have not read. This first book is referenced several times, and the relevant points explained which is helpful for anyone who hasn’t read the first book. Maybe this is also a useful reminder of key points for anyone who has, though I’m not sure if the references of things people already know might be irritating. It felt a bit awkward when the references entered into the narration a couple of times. I don’t think it’s important to have read the first book to enjoy the second, as the plot is completely separate (it sounds like the first one was about catching a murderer). The only thing is the characters and their relationships have already been developed in the first book. People who like completion should consider reading The Angel’s Mark first.
As with a lot of good historical fiction, the setting is detailed. The book is description heavy in earlier chapters, and this is an immersive experience. It took me a while to orientate to the time and place, but by the second half of the book when the pace increased I was there, and this in part was through the careful details throughout. It never felt like an overwhelming amount of detail, and was always interesting.
This was overall a good read. However I personally struggled to get into it for the first half of the book, and it has taken me a while to finish. This is in part because I just didn’t feel excited to pick it up, but I think this was down to a slump in me as a reader rather than a problem with the book, so it has not reflected on my rating. I am currently struggling with brain fatigue and this book took rather a lot of concentration to read and absorb. Normally this would not be a problem, and I would likely have enjoyed the book more. For someone who struggles with concentration, or wants a quick and non-draining read, this may not be a good choice. But for someone who likes historical detail, without losing the pace and plot of a crime fiction, this is a book to consider.
If you enjoy this book, you may also like The Firemaster's Mistress which is set slightly later during James I reign and centres around the Guy Fawkes plot of 1605. I read this book ages ago, but it jumped to mind.
This is actually the second Nicholas Shelby book, the first being The Angel's Mark, which I have not read. This first book is referenced several times, and the relevant points explained which is helpful for anyone who hasn’t read the first book. Maybe this is also a useful reminder of key points for anyone who has, though I’m not sure if the references of things people already know might be irritating. It felt a bit awkward when the references entered into the narration a couple of times. I don’t think it’s important to have read the first book to enjoy the second, as the plot is completely separate (it sounds like the first one was about catching a murderer). The only thing is the characters and their relationships have already been developed in the first book. People who like completion should consider reading The Angel’s Mark first.
As with a lot of good historical fiction, the setting is detailed. The book is description heavy in earlier chapters, and this is an immersive experience. It took me a while to orientate to the time and place, but by the second half of the book when the pace increased I was there, and this in part was through the careful details throughout. It never felt like an overwhelming amount of detail, and was always interesting.
This was overall a good read. However I personally struggled to get into it for the first half of the book, and it has taken me a while to finish. This is in part because I just didn’t feel excited to pick it up, but I think this was down to a slump in me as a reader rather than a problem with the book, so it has not reflected on my rating. I am currently struggling with brain fatigue and this book took rather a lot of concentration to read and absorb. Normally this would not be a problem, and I would likely have enjoyed the book more. For someone who struggles with concentration, or wants a quick and non-draining read, this may not be a good choice. But for someone who likes historical detail, without losing the pace and plot of a crime fiction, this is a book to consider.
If you enjoy this book, you may also like The Firemaster's Mistress which is set slightly later during James I reign and centres around the Guy Fawkes plot of 1605. I read this book ages ago, but it jumped to mind.
November 17, 2019
Nicholas Shelby is back on Bankside, after a dark and dangerous adventure that almost cost him his and Bianca Merton’s lives. But peace is an ephemeral thing and soon Nicholas is dragged back to his reluctant second role as spy for Robert Cecil. A threat looms over Elizabeth’s kingdom, in the shape of a mysterious physician, allegedly come to cure Samuel Wylde from his illness, but truly with darker intentions in his mind. Nicholas and Bianca find themselves once more in the middle of a conspiracy that can, in the worst case scenario, end in civil war… and in a gruesome death for both of them.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is that, being the second volume of a series, it is unbelievably easy to go back to this world. This results mostly of the main characters’ development. Bianca and Nicholas are two brilliantly built characters, with the right mix of strength and vulnerability, stubbornness and kindness, darkness and hope. It is, then, easy to feel for them and understand their reactions, which, given the kind of circumstances they seem to get themselves into, is a quite adequate trait. Besides, they are equally fascinating in the most emotional moments, in the tensest situations and the delicious humorous dialogues.
The plot itself is also quite impressive, filled with moments of danger, sinister episodes and overwhelming revelations. Nicholas might not like being a spy, but he is a quite talented one, and Bianca’s mind is a very bright one. So, their involuntary but quite crucial role on the stopping of this new conspiracy can only come with many brilliant moments. Also, there many other characters giving depth to this intriguing tale, as well as a quite fascinating back story, not only to the new elements, but also to Bianca and Nicholas’ more remote past.
There is yet one other aspect worth mentioning, though it might not be something new for those who read The Angel’s Mark, and it concerns the writing itself. The author has a majestic voice to tell of his characters’ troubles and an enthralling ability to give life to the setting. The pages seem to fly as we walk through the darkest recesses of Elizabeth’s England, with the threat of religious wars, the dangers of professing the wrong faith or annoying the wrong people. There is a sort of tension to the place itself, and the author writes it brilliantly.
Mysterious and fascinating, full of danger, intrigue and also emotion and humor, a brilliantly woven tale of darkness and faith, in the shape of a conspiracy disassembled by two unlikely allies. Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton form a most intriguing duo, and one well worth meeting. I, for one, can’t wait to know what will next come upon these two.
* I received this book from Corvus in exchange for an honest review.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is that, being the second volume of a series, it is unbelievably easy to go back to this world. This results mostly of the main characters’ development. Bianca and Nicholas are two brilliantly built characters, with the right mix of strength and vulnerability, stubbornness and kindness, darkness and hope. It is, then, easy to feel for them and understand their reactions, which, given the kind of circumstances they seem to get themselves into, is a quite adequate trait. Besides, they are equally fascinating in the most emotional moments, in the tensest situations and the delicious humorous dialogues.
The plot itself is also quite impressive, filled with moments of danger, sinister episodes and overwhelming revelations. Nicholas might not like being a spy, but he is a quite talented one, and Bianca’s mind is a very bright one. So, their involuntary but quite crucial role on the stopping of this new conspiracy can only come with many brilliant moments. Also, there many other characters giving depth to this intriguing tale, as well as a quite fascinating back story, not only to the new elements, but also to Bianca and Nicholas’ more remote past.
There is yet one other aspect worth mentioning, though it might not be something new for those who read The Angel’s Mark, and it concerns the writing itself. The author has a majestic voice to tell of his characters’ troubles and an enthralling ability to give life to the setting. The pages seem to fly as we walk through the darkest recesses of Elizabeth’s England, with the threat of religious wars, the dangers of professing the wrong faith or annoying the wrong people. There is a sort of tension to the place itself, and the author writes it brilliantly.
Mysterious and fascinating, full of danger, intrigue and also emotion and humor, a brilliantly woven tale of darkness and faith, in the shape of a conspiracy disassembled by two unlikely allies. Nicholas Shelby and Bianca Merton form a most intriguing duo, and one well worth meeting. I, for one, can’t wait to know what will next come upon these two.
* I received this book from Corvus in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2019
Although this is the second book in a new series, this is easily readable as a standalone story. The author introduces the Characters well and gives enough background that the reader isn’t left wondering who people are or why they are being included.
I read and adored the previous book “The Angels Mark” and found this to be just as enjoyable for many of the same reasons, but in case you didn’t catch that review I will explain.
This isn’t an entirely new type of story for me but is one I am always on the lookout for. One which mixes two of my favourite things, History, specifically the Elizabethan Era and a Crime/Mystery Fiction. The two are things which many have attempted to mesh, and I often find lacking in certain areas, not so from this Author.
The crimes being solved are realistic to the era, as are the stalls and issues, the processes and procedures along the way. This is clearly an Author who knows a lot about the topic he has taken to writing about, as opposed to somebody who read sherlock holmes or similar and decided to go from there. I often find these kinds of stories lack the depth of societal and political intrigue which effected every day life and various ‘professional’ areas. I use the term loosely, as the professionals of the time were not as we would consider such today, but were considered to be at the time.
I adore how the Author has been honest in this regard, both to the hazards and complications which could be caused by such things, but also how the various nuances allowed for some steps to be taken, for example access to certain areas.
I love the imagery, the author again has clearly done his homework and seems to have a passion for the era. You can almost feel the atmosphere, the smells and tastes in those times, the hostility and double meanings behind words.
The characters we came to enjoy in the first book have been further developed in this book, and another thing I particularly enjoyed is that in keeping with the time, we have two characters of opposing Gender who have formed a liking to one another, but have not fallen straight into a relationship. They are gradually building what may become one, but as is expected from the time they live in, this is a slow process with quite a bit of subtley. Definitely an up side to the story! It maintains a pace which is fun and interesting, but also in keeping with the place and time we have been immersed in.
If you enjoy Crime Fiction with a bit of a twist, or Historical Fiction that stays true to various facts of the time, then this series is not one that will disappoint! Add in those gorgeous covers, and what’s not to like?
I read and adored the previous book “The Angels Mark” and found this to be just as enjoyable for many of the same reasons, but in case you didn’t catch that review I will explain.
This isn’t an entirely new type of story for me but is one I am always on the lookout for. One which mixes two of my favourite things, History, specifically the Elizabethan Era and a Crime/Mystery Fiction. The two are things which many have attempted to mesh, and I often find lacking in certain areas, not so from this Author.
The crimes being solved are realistic to the era, as are the stalls and issues, the processes and procedures along the way. This is clearly an Author who knows a lot about the topic he has taken to writing about, as opposed to somebody who read sherlock holmes or similar and decided to go from there. I often find these kinds of stories lack the depth of societal and political intrigue which effected every day life and various ‘professional’ areas. I use the term loosely, as the professionals of the time were not as we would consider such today, but were considered to be at the time.
I adore how the Author has been honest in this regard, both to the hazards and complications which could be caused by such things, but also how the various nuances allowed for some steps to be taken, for example access to certain areas.
I love the imagery, the author again has clearly done his homework and seems to have a passion for the era. You can almost feel the atmosphere, the smells and tastes in those times, the hostility and double meanings behind words.
The characters we came to enjoy in the first book have been further developed in this book, and another thing I particularly enjoyed is that in keeping with the time, we have two characters of opposing Gender who have formed a liking to one another, but have not fallen straight into a relationship. They are gradually building what may become one, but as is expected from the time they live in, this is a slow process with quite a bit of subtley. Definitely an up side to the story! It maintains a pace which is fun and interesting, but also in keeping with the place and time we have been immersed in.
If you enjoy Crime Fiction with a bit of a twist, or Historical Fiction that stays true to various facts of the time, then this series is not one that will disappoint! Add in those gorgeous covers, and what’s not to like?
January 21, 2025
Lord Robert Cecil sends Nicholas Shelby to report on a sinister figure Dr Arcampora who is causing a stir. His specialty is trepanning, which he claims lets out the evil humours of the brain and lets in good humours, indeed the cure for epilepsy. However most patients die or are severely disabled as a result. He is tending the young Samuel Wylde, who is believed and wanted by the Catholic faction to be the rightful heir to the Throne as they claim he is Catholic Queen Mary’s grandson. The problem is he is epileptic, hence Arcampora’s ministrations who claims trepanning will cure him: a sickly young King would not do. Samuel is also the nephew of Bianca, which opens the question of his parentage: is he really Mary’s grandson? Nicholas is helping Bianca in her tavern the Jackdaw when her cousin Bruno arrives but is very seriously hurt in a tavern brawl. With much difficulty Nicholas saves him. Also on the same ship as Bruno is Cardinal Fiorzi, mentor to Bianca when she was a child. They are a strong Catholic faction who want to use Samuel to start a religious war: Catholic Samuel rightful heir to the throne, vs Protestant Elizabeth. Such a war would divide the whole country and must be stopped. Bianca is torn, as lapsed Catholic but now sees herself as a loyal Englishwoman, hwre she has her business and (perhaps) Nicholas. Shelby finds that Arcampora has a very sinister background and is part of the Catholic faction. Nicholas pretends he is also of that faction but is unmasked as he cannot say a sentence from the Mass in Latin and is threatened with extreme torture by faction senior Thomas Tyrrell. Bianca finds out that Bruno is a spy and she works out his plans by decoding a very complex coding system. Some reviewers think it is slow starting (the murder doesn’t occur until many Chapters in!) but I thought the introduction was necessary while the last few chapters flew past, impossible to see how the righteous could escape their awful fates. But of course they did. The story is based in the history of Queen’s Mary’s empty birthings with very plausible explanations for whether or not Samuel is a rightful heir to the Throne. The story is very complex but engaging, with much stomach-turning violence, brilliant descriptions of Elizabethan times. I’m beginning to think Perry is indeed the heir to CJ Sansom.
June 19, 2019
This is the second book in the Jackdaw Mystery series and it absolutely can be read as a standalone novel. The author gives enough back-info on the previous book to get an understanding of the characters, but without taking over the plot in this one.
Nicholas Shelby finds himself in a rut and without any occupation, after struggling to cope with the death of his wife and child. Once again spymaster Robert Cecil decides to put Shelby to good use by sending him to find out whether the young grandson of his wife’s relative is in danger.
Samuel has the falling sickness (epilepsy) and is being treated by a physician called Arcampora. Shelby knows better than anyone that there is no cure for the illness, so how exactly is Arcampora treating him and why is Samuel’s new stepmother keeping him so isolated from the world?
Simultaneously Bianca is dealing with her cousin Bruno, who appears to be up to no good. He has the kind of secrets that end up with someone’s head being mounted on a stake. The two of them, both Bianca and Nicholas, end up being drawn into the midst of the kind of plot they would rather not be involved in. It’s a case of wanting to help others ends up with them being at the forefront of spy-games and dangerous controversial secrets.
Side-note: The whole trepanning practice might have made me wince here and there, and as if the story wasn’t enough to conjure up horrific images of heads and holes, and holes in heads, well the Author’s note absolutely sealed the deal where that is concerned.
I can say without a doubt that I would pick up a S.W. Perry and eagerly await a new Jackdaw Mystery featuring Nicholas Shelby, just a much as I would a book by Sansom, and I love a Shardlake. Perry absolutely deserves the same kind of recognition for his compelling Jackdaw series.
It’s historical crime fiction with a riveting set of characters and persuasive plot. I look forward to seeing where Perry takes this series next.
*I received a courtesy copy*
Nicholas Shelby finds himself in a rut and without any occupation, after struggling to cope with the death of his wife and child. Once again spymaster Robert Cecil decides to put Shelby to good use by sending him to find out whether the young grandson of his wife’s relative is in danger.
Samuel has the falling sickness (epilepsy) and is being treated by a physician called Arcampora. Shelby knows better than anyone that there is no cure for the illness, so how exactly is Arcampora treating him and why is Samuel’s new stepmother keeping him so isolated from the world?
Simultaneously Bianca is dealing with her cousin Bruno, who appears to be up to no good. He has the kind of secrets that end up with someone’s head being mounted on a stake. The two of them, both Bianca and Nicholas, end up being drawn into the midst of the kind of plot they would rather not be involved in. It’s a case of wanting to help others ends up with them being at the forefront of spy-games and dangerous controversial secrets.
Side-note: The whole trepanning practice might have made me wince here and there, and as if the story wasn’t enough to conjure up horrific images of heads and holes, and holes in heads, well the Author’s note absolutely sealed the deal where that is concerned.
I can say without a doubt that I would pick up a S.W. Perry and eagerly await a new Jackdaw Mystery featuring Nicholas Shelby, just a much as I would a book by Sansom, and I love a Shardlake. Perry absolutely deserves the same kind of recognition for his compelling Jackdaw series.
It’s historical crime fiction with a riveting set of characters and persuasive plot. I look forward to seeing where Perry takes this series next.
*I received a courtesy copy*
June 13, 2019
The Serpent’s Mark is the second book in this Tudor crime series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel quite easily.
It is a novel that combines real life characters as well as fictional. As always, some names I am familiar with, some I spend time on the internet trying to find out more information. Even though there are courtiers and titled people in the novel most of it concerns ‘normal’ people.
Anybody who is familiar with Tudor history will be aware of the turmoil created by religious beliefs at the time. How, whoever was on the throne dictated whether you were Catholic or Protestant. When this novel takes place Elizabeth I was queen and her Faith was Protestant. Anybody who practised Catholicism faced execution so did so discreetly. The author creates a terrifying insight into how this must have been, it was here that we get to know more about Bianca, her childhood and the betrayal she felt over the way her father was abandoned by the one she thought was a friend.
As well as the religious storyline, and like the previous book, he shows developing medical beliefs. I found it fascinating, reading about how knowledge and understanding regarding science has changed over the years.
All my favourite characters from the last book featured and I have to add another to my list, Rose. I loved her sense of humour, her loyalty and the way she handled the men in her life. Especially Ned. Nicolas was also a character I appreciated more, how he was starting to move on and acknowledge his feelings towards Bianca without feeling guilt.
Arcampora, the doctor who Nicolas has been asked to investigate, is one of the most terrifying characters I have ever met in any novel. Everything about him had me unsettled. I cringed when he appeared but was also desperate to learn what he would do next.
A great follow up from an author who is now a favourite.
It is a novel that combines real life characters as well as fictional. As always, some names I am familiar with, some I spend time on the internet trying to find out more information. Even though there are courtiers and titled people in the novel most of it concerns ‘normal’ people.
Anybody who is familiar with Tudor history will be aware of the turmoil created by religious beliefs at the time. How, whoever was on the throne dictated whether you were Catholic or Protestant. When this novel takes place Elizabeth I was queen and her Faith was Protestant. Anybody who practised Catholicism faced execution so did so discreetly. The author creates a terrifying insight into how this must have been, it was here that we get to know more about Bianca, her childhood and the betrayal she felt over the way her father was abandoned by the one she thought was a friend.
As well as the religious storyline, and like the previous book, he shows developing medical beliefs. I found it fascinating, reading about how knowledge and understanding regarding science has changed over the years.
All my favourite characters from the last book featured and I have to add another to my list, Rose. I loved her sense of humour, her loyalty and the way she handled the men in her life. Especially Ned. Nicolas was also a character I appreciated more, how he was starting to move on and acknowledge his feelings towards Bianca without feeling guilt.
Arcampora, the doctor who Nicolas has been asked to investigate, is one of the most terrifying characters I have ever met in any novel. Everything about him had me unsettled. I cringed when he appeared but was also desperate to learn what he would do next.
A great follow up from an author who is now a favourite.
June 2, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from Readers First, in exchange for an honest review.
The second in this (hopefully long running) series, although you aren't missing too much if you haven't read the first book as the main plot points are referenced again here as a refresher. But definitely check out the first book if you enjoyed this one and hadn't read the first one already.
The continuing adventures of Cecil's Surgeon Spy, our main protagonist Nicholas Shelby starts off helping out an old friend from the war but finds himself embroiled in a treasonous conspiracy. The apothecary innkeep Bianca Merton also finds herself drawn in yet again, when her cousin from Italy sails in and is involved in a bit of a tavern brawl caused by none other than the playright Marlowe. She finds her cousin was up to something a bit more than trading in rice as she picks apart his story while he is comatose from the fight.
The villanous Swiss surgeon, who is supposedly looking after the young boy Shelby has been asked to look into, is up to no good. Will our hero get to the bottom of it before the dastardly Acampora can finish whatever his foul plot is? I wouldn't want to spoil the journey - it trundles along in the beginning while all the pieces are put into play, but they all come masterfully together by the end in a rip roaring pace that upset me a little that it was all over.
I for one can't wait for the next exciting adventure of Dr Shelby.
The second in this (hopefully long running) series, although you aren't missing too much if you haven't read the first book as the main plot points are referenced again here as a refresher. But definitely check out the first book if you enjoyed this one and hadn't read the first one already.
The continuing adventures of Cecil's Surgeon Spy, our main protagonist Nicholas Shelby starts off helping out an old friend from the war but finds himself embroiled in a treasonous conspiracy. The apothecary innkeep Bianca Merton also finds herself drawn in yet again, when her cousin from Italy sails in and is involved in a bit of a tavern brawl caused by none other than the playright Marlowe. She finds her cousin was up to something a bit more than trading in rice as she picks apart his story while he is comatose from the fight.
The villanous Swiss surgeon, who is supposedly looking after the young boy Shelby has been asked to look into, is up to no good. Will our hero get to the bottom of it before the dastardly Acampora can finish whatever his foul plot is? I wouldn't want to spoil the journey - it trundles along in the beginning while all the pieces are put into play, but they all come masterfully together by the end in a rip roaring pace that upset me a little that it was all over.
I for one can't wait for the next exciting adventure of Dr Shelby.
June 7, 2025
I found this to be an excellent and enthralling read, a really good follow-on to the first one. I love the main character Nicholas Shelby a disbarred doctor after only three years of study, he much prefers getting down to the meat and bones, the healing of wounds and the mending of fractures, rather than his superiors who are still blood letting and reading piss, his case, though, is still under review.
He is summoned to the office of Robert Cecil, the Spymaster, where he is asked to investigate the practises of a strange and mysterious Swiss doctor who has new and deadly ways of treating the brain. He then becomes caught up in a plot which threatens to oust the Queen by placing a young epileptic (the falling disease) and innocent boy on the throne.
Nicholas is once again aided by the very lovely and Italian born, Bianca Merton, a character whom I also love, and together they must thwart this devilish plot run by murderous zealots and fanatics. Although his life is again on the line, his thoughts lean more towards the welfare of Bianca and could he possibly love again after the tragic death (in the first book) of his beautiful wife Eleanor.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, I have certainly warmed to the characters and also the author, S W Perry really knows how to tell a story and I look forward to the next instalment of this already intriguing series. An excellent 4/5
He is summoned to the office of Robert Cecil, the Spymaster, where he is asked to investigate the practises of a strange and mysterious Swiss doctor who has new and deadly ways of treating the brain. He then becomes caught up in a plot which threatens to oust the Queen by placing a young epileptic (the falling disease) and innocent boy on the throne.
Nicholas is once again aided by the very lovely and Italian born, Bianca Merton, a character whom I also love, and together they must thwart this devilish plot run by murderous zealots and fanatics. Although his life is again on the line, his thoughts lean more towards the welfare of Bianca and could he possibly love again after the tragic death (in the first book) of his beautiful wife Eleanor.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, I have certainly warmed to the characters and also the author, S W Perry really knows how to tell a story and I look forward to the next instalment of this already intriguing series. An excellent 4/5
June 26, 2019
Outstanding Elizabethan thriller
My thanks to Atlantic Books Corvus for an eARC via NetGalley of S.J. Perry’s ‘The Serpent’s Mark’ in exchange for an honest review. It was published on the 6th June and after starting I was enjoying it very much and elected to purchase the ebook and audiobook combination.
This was the second in Perry’s Jackdaw Mysteries, a series of historical thrillers set in Elizabethan England. Although I hadn’t read the first book, ‘The Angel’s Mark’, this proved no barrier to my enjoyment as enough background was given.
The focus of the series is on continuing tensions between the Catholic and Protestant faiths. The year is 1591, Nicholas Shelby is a physician and reluctant spy for Robert Cecil. He is tasked by Cecil into looking into the practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland. This ultimately involves him and his friend, Bianca Merton, mistress of the Jackdaw tavern becoming deeply embroiled in a deadly plot.
Perry provides a strong sense of the period setting with emphasis upon the medical practices of the time.
This proved to be a very enjoyable read and I plan to read the first in the series and be on the lookout for future books. Just loved it!
My thanks to Atlantic Books Corvus for an eARC via NetGalley of S.J. Perry’s ‘The Serpent’s Mark’ in exchange for an honest review. It was published on the 6th June and after starting I was enjoying it very much and elected to purchase the ebook and audiobook combination.
This was the second in Perry’s Jackdaw Mysteries, a series of historical thrillers set in Elizabethan England. Although I hadn’t read the first book, ‘The Angel’s Mark’, this proved no barrier to my enjoyment as enough background was given.
The focus of the series is on continuing tensions between the Catholic and Protestant faiths. The year is 1591, Nicholas Shelby is a physician and reluctant spy for Robert Cecil. He is tasked by Cecil into looking into the practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland. This ultimately involves him and his friend, Bianca Merton, mistress of the Jackdaw tavern becoming deeply embroiled in a deadly plot.
Perry provides a strong sense of the period setting with emphasis upon the medical practices of the time.
This proved to be a very enjoyable read and I plan to read the first in the series and be on the lookout for future books. Just loved it!
August 3, 2019
At the start of the book, Nicholas and Bianca are still affected by the events of the first book. The events of this aren’t given away so you could read them out of order but I would recommend starting at Angel’s Mark so you get the development of the characters. In this book, Nicholas has gone home to see his parents and is unsure of his future as a doctor. He meets an old colleague who he served with in the Netherlands (this little bit of history was something I wasn’t familiar with and very interesting). He has a son with the falling sickness (epilepsy) and asks Nicholas to check on his new doctor’s methods. Nicholas agrees to do this. Thus the story begins - who is this doctor? What is his past? What is her planning to do with Samuel? This all links with the visit of Bianca’s catholic cousin, Bruno, who is injured in a bar fight. Whilst recovering, Bianca uncovers a conspiracy to return a catholic monarch to this English throne.
This book was great fun if a bit unbelievable. It’s hard to believe that people would go so far for a different version of the same faith but history tells us that they did. I enjoyed this as much as the first novel and will be looking out for any further books in the series.
This book was great fun if a bit unbelievable. It’s hard to believe that people would go so far for a different version of the same faith but history tells us that they did. I enjoyed this as much as the first novel and will be looking out for any further books in the series.
June 2, 2021
Book 2.....the story continues.
This 2nd Book in the series certainly doesn't disappoint.
Again we follow the tangled web of intrigue set in London under the rule of Elizabeth I.
Nicholas Shelby is now in a far better personal place, slowly coming to terms with the death of his beloved wife and newborn child and perhaps finding a space in his heart for a new love to take seed? That is if he and the Mistress Merton can avoid being caught up in treason after knowledge of a plot to replace the queen with Mary Tudor's alleged bastard grandson is thrust upon them. Not able to take details of the plot to Lord Cecil for fear he will merely sweep everyone remotely connected to the treachery....Nicholas & Bianca included.
And so begins a race against time and tide to secure the safety of the poor manipulated boy at the centre of the plan and unveil those who would see him on the throne in Elizabeth's place.
Can they do it or will they perish in the attempt. Read the book to it's conclusion... and be shocked when you discover the abominable act of trepanning continues on even now in our own enlightened age.
A great read with plenty of S W. Perrys twists and turns which will keep you guessing to the very last page - and beyond.
Recommended.
This 2nd Book in the series certainly doesn't disappoint.
Again we follow the tangled web of intrigue set in London under the rule of Elizabeth I.
Nicholas Shelby is now in a far better personal place, slowly coming to terms with the death of his beloved wife and newborn child and perhaps finding a space in his heart for a new love to take seed? That is if he and the Mistress Merton can avoid being caught up in treason after knowledge of a plot to replace the queen with Mary Tudor's alleged bastard grandson is thrust upon them. Not able to take details of the plot to Lord Cecil for fear he will merely sweep everyone remotely connected to the treachery....Nicholas & Bianca included.
And so begins a race against time and tide to secure the safety of the poor manipulated boy at the centre of the plan and unveil those who would see him on the throne in Elizabeth's place.
Can they do it or will they perish in the attempt. Read the book to it's conclusion... and be shocked when you discover the abominable act of trepanning continues on even now in our own enlightened age.
A great read with plenty of S W. Perrys twists and turns which will keep you guessing to the very last page - and beyond.
Recommended.
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