The Ruffler's Child

Thomas the Falconer Mystery #1

by John Pilkington

Thomas the Falconer Mystery series - Book 1

'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

Thomas Finbow is more than just a humble falconer, in the service of Sir Robert Vicary and Lady Margaret. He is a widowed father, a skilled ex-soldier and tenacious hunter.

Far from the court and corruption of London, Thomas resides in the picturesque Berkshire Downs.

All is as it should be until Lady Margaret’s loathsome brother is found murdered.

To distract from her mourning, Lady Margaret travels to London, in search of gryfalcons, with Thomas accompanying her. However, when they reach the city things take a dark turn. Secrets begin to unravel and it becomes clear that the murder of Lady Margaret’s brother is only a small piece of a greater puzzle.

Once Thomas starts to put the pieces together, he realises that he, and his Mistress, are in grave danger.

With a target on his back, Thomas must come face to face with some of London’s most fearsome criminals. Chasing the truth at all costs, the falconer’s wits and strength are put to the test.

A tale of murder, lust and courage, Thomas Finbow must reveal secrets of the past in order to make sense of the present.

John Pilkington was born in Preston, into one of the oldest Lancashire families. He writes historical fiction as well as drama which has been adapted for radio, theatre and tv. He is the author of the Thomas the Falconer Mystery series, including The Ruffler's Child and A Ruinous Wind.

Praise for John Pilkington:

‘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

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, British Literature, Fiction, Tudor Period

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

John 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.

Reviews

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps, I shouldn't be, but I'm generally surprised when I really like a book offered through Kindle Unlimited, which is how I downloaded this pretty good Elizabethan mystery.
Thomas works as the birdkeeper ("falconer") for a knight and his lady in rural England in 1587. Thomas is a widower w/ a pre-teen daughter, who finds his lady's brother dead, mauled by a large animal(s), and later determined to have been shot to death by a crossbow. The mauling was done by a bear freed from a London bear pit by its pitmaster, a shady man who judicially suffers even though Thomas testifies that the bear did not kill the gentleman, only mauled him after death. We'll see this man again.
Thomas is assigned to travel w/ Lady Margaret to London to purchase a new gyrfalcon, as Lady Margaret dearly loves the sport of "hawking," or hunting with birds, a highly-popular leisure activity for the richer sorts. Lady Margaret plans on settling her brother's estate while she is in London as well. They stay at a friend's manor house in London and purchase four gyrfalcons. Before they can pick up the falcons, however, the birds are cruelly murdered. This looks like a sinister message to Lady Margaret, who obviously has a secret which could destroy her if discovered.
This intro sets me up for a great whodunit. Thomas begins his twin investigation, into who would kill the expensive birds, and then into who could be threatening to expose Lady Margaret's secret. His investigations lead him to a "ruffler," a hoodlum who assumes a different identity to beg (or steal or commit other crimes). Thomas saw one of the ruffler's associates in the vicinity of Lady Margaret's brother's murder, and following the associate leads Thomas to John Lynch, the ruffler, and imperils Thomas' life, more than once. Apparently, no one is whom they seem to be. And who is the madam that seems to be wrapped up w/ Lynch and may be the key to the crime(s)?
There are side stories, such as Thomas unrequited attraction to Lady Margaret, and lots of below-stairs flirting at the manor house, but these side stories actually further the plot(s), not detract from them. Thomas finds the killer of the falcons, and eventually the killer of Lady Margaret's brother. As for Lady Margaret herself, there's quite a bombshell for a conclusion.
The reason I can't give this story a full five stars is b/c the author obviously has an INTIMATE knowledge of Elizabeth London and its lay-out. He gives great detail on the routes Thomas travels through London, to the point of tiresome repetition. The same treatment is given to which lord's house is outside/inside the city walls. This info does not further the plot for me, and thus began to feel like the author showing off instead of seamlessly blending the information into the story. I felt the same way about the introduction of the suppression of Catholicism during the era, although that was better-fitted into the plot. I'll give the book 4.4 stars rounded down to 4. I have already downloaded Book #2 in the series, b/c I really LIKE Thomas the Falconer as a character.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and I am excited to have found this new series after reading the first very satisfying book. The author portrays the darker side of London during Elizabethan era with authenticity and includes social divides of the time vividly. There is a strong element of natural settings of the time with a fascinating focus on hawking. Give me more, yes! The hand to hand combat that went on in the Bear Garden was masterfully described as the central character Thomas the falconer had some rather shocking physical challenges in the city he was visiting. That he survived at all was remarkable, but with the dark secrets surrounding his master's wife, it is certain there will be more danger ahead. Very well done and looking forward to next book as soon as.


Kindle Unlimited

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lady and the Falconer

This is the first in The Falconer mystery series set in turbulent Elizabethan times.
A body in the forest, and a bear set the scene. Thomas and his falcons a highlight.
Sent to London to buy some special gyrfalcons along with Lady Margaret who is attending her dead brother’s affairs, Thomas uncovers threats against his mistress.
He nearly loses his life as he tries to solve Margaret’s problems.
The two grow closer for one night, but they are mistress and servant. That is all they can be.
I loved the explanation of the various stratas of society. The masterless folks—the Vagrom, the Abahrams, the people at the market, the beggars, those at court—all very colorful and enlivening.
Sexual tensions undergirding the relationship between Lady Margaret and Thomas add an extra oomph to the storyline.
I’m so ready to read others in this series.

A Boldwood Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent Elizabethan era story, its presented as a mystery but really the mystery is not very central or important to the story. I mean, there is a mystery, sort of, but the investigation is basically the Falconer wandering around London, getting lost, coincidentally seeing what he needs to see, and getting in fights that he's not really prepared for. The poor guy gets clobbered over and over, which makes sense since he's not a soldier or tough guy, but a hunter who trains falcons.

The characters are written well in terms of language and behavior for the most part, but are difficult to tell apart, even men and women. The protagonist seems like a fairly ordinary guy but he's catnip to nearly every woman in the book without any discernable cause.

There are some other oddities. Its clear that the author is trying to make the period language and culture fit historically but sometimes its oddly forced. Like comparing a woman's snort of derision to a "flanders mare". I mean... are mares from flanders especially snorty? And there's an almost total lack of religious flavor and culture, in a time when religion was incredibly important. The only touches are a Roman Catholic man angry at what was done to Mary Queen of Scots, and a cathedral is mentioned once. That, in a culture steeped and deeply shot through with Christianity and religion during a time of immense religious struggle and conflict.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either and doesn't make me want to read any more of the series. Especially how sadly it ends for a knight who just wants love but his wife doesn't like him at all.

[Cori Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Elizabethan mystery, wherein a falconer unpicks the murder of his employer's brother.

The mystery itself wasn't too twisty, but I did like the writing and the settings, which contrasted the slower-paced life in the Berkshire Downs and London as it was at the time. I would have liked a little more detail of their daily life, and perhaps a little less detail of walking around (I was not following on a map, and the streetnames went right over my head). I could also have done without our hero being romanced by more or less every lady he comes across, seemingly without much more to recommend him than being a very decent sort. However, it's a fair start to a series, in a time period I've not read much from, and I'll happily read on when I can.


This review is based upon a complimentary advance reading copy provided by the publisher.

[Papri · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a well crafted story. The characters are believable and fleshed out nicely. The basic plot and the way the various loose ends come together at the end, to round up the tale ,is also neatly done. However, I had picked up the book ,hoping there would be more of clue based analysis, leading to a an interesting solution and was , therefore, slightly disappointed. It was more action packed than arm chair detection. I found myself thinking that it would make a nice , passionate movie but as a book, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. However, I quite took to the main protagonist and might come back for better acquaintance with him.

[Barefoot Gypsy Jimerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lover of falcon's

A nice an easy fast pase read. English mystery has always fascinated me. Thus story has not let me down. Thomas a falconer gets him self in one hell of fight with London's vagabonds. The worst of the worst that London has to offer. For the love of his Mistress he holds deep in his heart, that, comes to reality in one secret night. An so it goes that he gets that shit beat out of him st every turn.
John Pikington brings this English mystery to life. So if your inclined to this type of read. Do so. It's a damn fine one.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed this novel ! A good and original plot involving a falconer (a brave man with a good heart and integrity). Some romance at the base of the storyline but not overwhelming the plot, shows the likeable personality of Thomas. The plot involves the darkness of men and London and remains gripping till the conclusion. The novel is short and that is a shame. I am eager to follow Thomas' life and see what other mysteries it will bring...
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

[Amy McElroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pilkington creates a fast paced mystery which kept me turning the pages to find out the ending and I wasn't disappointed as there's surprises and twists throughout.

Having read this I grew to like a number of characters especially Thomas, James, Sir Robert and Margaret and I look forward to reading more about Thomas's adventures as I continue with the series.

If you're looking for a mystery set in Elizabethan times with great characters and storyline then this might be the book for you!

[Bishwaksen Bandyopadhyay · Rating 2 out of 5]

More action thriller than actual mystery, the protagonist's character is a bit too simple for my personal liking, hopefully gets better in the course of the series; ok read overall

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical mystery fiction is my favourite genre when it comes to every-day reading, and this was a fair example of the 'breed'. However, in several areas, I found it wanting. Firstly and most noticeably was the apparent lack of research. It was almost as if the author, despite being quite an Englishman, had never been to London in his life. Travel between different areas of the metropolis was stated as though the place was no more than a few yards square, and these places were no more than a few minutes' walk from each other, whereas London is actually an extremely large city and it takes a good few hours to walk from one of the places mentioned to the other.

Another frustrating point was the extremely flimsy reason for the whole escapade. One gets used to somewhat thin reasons for amateur detective characters persuing mysteries on their own account, but this was thiner than many. Having a daughter at home who would be left orphaned if anything happened to him, our hapless falconer - falconer mark you, not policeman or any other law enforcement official - goes to the n'th degree (and no mean personal danger) to solve the mystery. Why? Because his Master's wife - for whom he entertains a certain tendresse - asks it. Surely this is a man with his brain in his cods of the worst and most stupid kind, and I found it beyond belief than he never once considered his daughter and her possible fate, were he to come to any grief.

Overall, however, the above were minor bugbears in the grand scheme of things, and the book was entertaining enough. The characters were likeable – especially the often foolish Thomas Finbow, and all characters were well-fleshed enough for even Finbow’s daughter Eleonor to establish her own character and persona. The pacing was just right, and the story flowed well, drawing the reader in as the plot progressed. The place and time were very well set with no discernible anachronism (which is saying quite a lot these days), and the brooding menace of the London streets was very well evoked. A good book, which I would not hesitate to recommend.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ Rounded Up.

I am someone whose favourite period of history is the Tudor/Stuart period, and mystery is one of my favourite genre's so I was very down for a combination of the two. This was a decent time, but I felt it was lacking on the mystery side.

The general moment-to-moment reading experience of this was enjoyable; the writing was good, the setup was intriguing and the concept of a countryman having to solve a mystery in the seedy parts of London whilst so out of his element was appealing. And I did feel sucked into the setting, so kudos for that.

My issues came from the mystery and investigation thereof, feeling lacking. It was more of a thriller full of punch-ups and our protagonist being instantly attractive to multiple women, that kind of stuff. I would argue he doesn't do a lot of actual deducing; he more happens upon new information by people telling him things. You, as the audience, can do some deduction, but certain plot threads felt somewhat obvious to me at least e.g. what Lady Margaret's secret is and who it involves.

I also felt that the characters felt a little flat to me. I like them well enough, but I couldn't tell you much about who they are as people. I also really wish we'd seen more of Lady Margaret because I found her probably the most interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Ann-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Finbow enjoys his quiet peaceful life in the Berkshire Downs as falconer to Sir Peter and Lady Margaret Vicary. Then one day two, seemingly unrelated, events occur. Thomas encounters a bear keeper with a bear that he had rescued from a bear pit in London and Lady Margaret’s brother, Nathaniel Pickering, fails to return from his ride. When Nathaniel’s body is found it shows sign of being attacked by an animal, possibly a bear, but then Thomas finds a wound that was made by a crossbow.

Lady Margaret plans to go to London to deal with her brother’s estate and to buy a gyrfalcon for Sir Peter. Thomas is told to accompany her and her maid, for protection and to select the gyrfalcon to be purchased. It’s plain to Thomas that Lady Margaret is deeply worried and afraid of something but what, he doesn’t know. All he can do is protect her and do whatever she asks of him.

Generally enjoyable as Thomas gets embroiled in Lady Margaret’s problems whilst he investigates the murder of Nathaniel. It leads to him being caught up in lots of fights, as he gradually understands what is behind the murder and why. The portrayal of life in Elizabethan London is vivid, especially that of the poorer people and the criminal underclass.

Thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for an ARC for my honest review.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ruffler’s child is the first in a series featuring Thomas the Falconer. He is employed at the estate of Sir Robert Vicary and Lady Margaret of Petbury, Berkshire, responsible for, you guessed it, their falcons and birds of prey. It’s a good job and Thomas is very good at it. He’s an honest man and trusted by his employers. Also on the estate is Nathaniel Pickering, Lady Margarets ne’er do well brother. Nathaniel meets a gruesome end and Thomas determines that it’s not as simple as it seems to be. Who would want Nathanial dead? turns out, a lot more people than one would think. When Sir Robert sends Thomas to London to get some gyrfalcons, Lady Margaret asks him to do some sleuthing on her behalf as well. In London, Thomas discovers he has no idea just how deep a swamp he has stumbled into.

The Ruffler’s child is suspenseful, the pacing is fast and keeps the reader on edge, and the characters are beautifully drawn. At just under 300 pages it’s a fast read, and hard to put down. I read the entire book on an airplane ride, bypassing the movies completely (a good choice!). Highly recommended, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I had thought I had come across this series prior to now - and realised that it was published some twenty years ago and there are seven books in the series - The Ruffler's Child being the first.

Widowed Thomas Finbow, a former solder, is falconer to a local lordly couple. The death of the lady's brother sets both Thomas and Lady Margaret off to London to see what brother Nathaniel may have left behind by way of clues to why he was killed.

Thomas remains behind to investigate, following leads,discovering long-hidden secrets, that result in many a misfortune for our gallant falconer. Along the way, we learn a little about the Dutch community that settled in London at this time - which I found most enlightening.

A good first novel, not an overly long read but one which is nicely paced out to keep the narrative and action perpetually flowing. Looking forward to investing in the rest of the series.

Read more here @ Melisende's Library

[M.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ruffler's Child is an atmospheric Elizabethan mystery, set around the time of Mary Queen of Scots' trial and subsequent execution. It is a time of unrest, and Thomas finds himself, a good country lad, thrust into the murk of a busy London. There are many unsavoury characters, and the mystery itself is quite complex, and not without peril for him.

I do love a good historical mystery and this one really intrigued me. Thomas and Lady Margaret have an unusual relationship, and he does seem to be trusted with a great deal of familiarity with the lords and gentry he comes into contact with, while also being just about able to hold his own in London's Elizabethan underworld of crime, trugging houses and petty theft.

I really didn't guess the resolution for this one, and very much enjoyed journeying along with Thomas as the elements of the mystery slowly clicked into place. The start of the series, I'm looking forward to reading my way through the books featuring Thomas the Falconer.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ruffler's Child is full of intrigue, murder, deceit and history.
Thomas, the falconer, works for a knight and his wife Lady Margaret. One day Lady Margaret's brother is found mauled to death. It is later discovered that the mauling came after the murder and here begins the mystery. Lady Margaret heads to London to settle her brother's estate with Thomas in tow. While there she purchases more falcons. Before she can pick them up, the falcons are killed. As Thomas sets to find out who killed Lady Margaret's brother and the birds, a secret that belongs to Lady Margaret is threatened to be exposed.

Very enjoyable read though the pacing is slow but I did not mind it at all. The Elizabethan era is one I always love to read. Add a little murder mystery to it, then it becomes a perfect read. Thomas and Lady Margaret are wonderfully likeable characters that are well developed. The descriptions of the world of those times was also a nice treat. Overall a very interesting and fun read.
Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Rainelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story that was captivating. The story of Thomas and Lady Margaret in search of a killer was a suspenseful tale that I couldn’t put down until I found out who the culprit was. The intensity of the story was written very well through the wording. At most times the story was fun to read as Thomas associated with the locals of London and his daughter. The hidden romance between Lady Margaret certainly gave the readers a surprising sub- plot to enjoy reading as the plot of the story had to take a breather from all the twist and secret turns Thomas uncovered as he hunted down phantom people and answers to Lady Margaret’s past. In all this was a most exciting and entertaining read. The writer did a phenomenal job. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[David Penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been a great book ... but wasn't

Let's start with the positive. John Pilkingon writes well. He draws the reader in and you want to know more. Settings and characters are well drawn and add to the story-telling.
Now to the negatives.
First and foremost is the formatting, which is so bad it constantly drew me out of the plot. Sentences are split abruptly over two lines. Sometimes paragraphs are correctly aligned, other times they start fully to the left. A competent formatter, even software, would have done a better job of whoever formatted this book.
Finally, the underlying plot kind of petered out and the book just kind of tailed off with the mystery, such as it was, solved but not through any particular action on the part of the main character.

[d sheldrake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great story from John Pilkington

Having exhausted my usual authors, I recently found Mr. Pilkington and gave him a try.
I must admit, so far I have really enjoyed all of his books (circa 5 or 6 so far)
SPOILER ALERT! The stories centre around a main character who's a decent, well principled, honorable chap, who eventually prevails, despite the nasties trying to scupper his good intentions.
These are not classics by any means (which is a result in my book, I mean, isn't "sloe black, crow black, fishing boat bobbing sea" over-egging it a bit? Ok, it was dark Dylan, for gawds sake!) but are easy reading, difficult to put down, historically interesting escapism.
If you don't know John Pilkington yet, have a look, he's quite good actually!

[Kim Trevor Farthing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be well written and moved along at a nice pace. The main characters were well developed and I found myself hoping for a happy outcome for them. I would say I have read quite a few similar novels, so this one had a slightly predictable storyline. This one did have a few surprises as well, but I guessed the final scenes quite well, which means I have read the story before, but with different characters in different times. That didn't matter much, I still think it is a really enjoyable book. If I read any of the following adventures of the main character I hope they are as good, as sometimes I think sequels are not as good, as there are only so many adventures and beatings a person could take in those times.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas is the falconer for Sir Robert Vicary, based at his estate in Berkshire. Sent to London to accompany Lady Margaret and to purchase a falcon, Thomas finds himself entwined with a scandal involving the Lady's family. Now searching for an illegitimate daughter Thomas is chased by a Bankside villain.
This is a strong opening to a series of novels. There is enough of Thomas' backstory for it to be intriguing and the setting is clever, just at the point of the arrest and trial of Mary, Queen of Scots. There is a nice juxtaposition of wealth and poverty which also emphasises the time and place.

[Ellie Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in the series. The Elizabethan era was evoked so well, with the broader historical events framing the fictional action. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between country life (which was the experience of most of the population) with the hustle and bustle of London. The packed, smelly and often dangerous streets were evoked so well, particularly the near lawless area of Southwark. It's always a pleasure to find a really good historical series and I am already enjoying the second book about Thomas the Falconer.

[Christopher Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this engrossing tale set in Elizabethan times.
The characters were well drawn and the storyline was unpacked gently and persuasively. And it was deeply satisfying to have an ending that made sense - quite an unusual feat these days where endings are left hanging and confused. I was engrossed by the world of falconry and the author built up a vivid picture of Elizabethan England. The story was very much on the edge of historical events but it maintained a strong sense of time and place. I will most certainly read deeper into the series. I’m certainly hooked.

[Brandon Nordin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for this genre

This book’s carry’s it’s story through intrigue and tension. Enough action for the guys and heavy sighs and flawed romances for the gals ( yeah I know this is a sexiest stereotype, but tant flaming pis! All told with a minimum of purple prose.

Interesting look at both the social architecture of country life at the end of the medieval era as well as the sordid underbelly of criminal London. Looking forward to next book in series; hope it matches this.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series, the Falconer Mysteries, by John Pilkington. Set in the late 16C, it tells a story of Thomas Finbow, a falconer from Berkshire who is tasked with travelling to London, to acquire some new birds for his Master.

Thomas discovers a dark secret which puts himself and his Mistress in danger. Great story with interesting characters from different walks of life. The political background is referenced but doesn't overwhelm the main plot. I’m looking forward to the next one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of ambiance, this is a captivating book that will take you on a historical journey through old London town . You'll be engrossed in the harshness, of the times, and yet will see the beauty in the relationships and the ways in which people transform each other. Add the interesting element of falconry and you have a story that is not only extremely well researched, but coherent and flowing. The plot and theme flow well and there is consistency and logic to the progression of the story. Another John Pilkington triumph of the highest quality!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Elizabethan mystery, which I will no doubt confuddle in my brain with all the others I’ve read (Bruno, Shakespeare et al). This time the hero is unlikely - a falconer to a noble man on the North Downs - drawn into a murder mystery when Lady Vicary’s brother dies in mysterious circumstances.
A chase around London including bear baiting, falcons and vagabonds. Engaging read and first in a series.

[C.H. Elton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good book!
This is a really strong story that moves on at a pace, introducing Thomas the falconer and his associates, family, and comrades as they exist in the haves and have nots environment of Elizabethan times. You get a keen sense of the era without it being a novel full of historical facts (although there are some) and the descriptive writing is easy to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will in time, delve into Thomas' world with enthusiasm. Great writing John Pilkington!!

[Priscilla Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shakespeare's Time

Nice Elizabethan mystery, well not really a mystery but a study in non-state investigating,. The characters are interesting, although given the times I was surprised at how the women were willing to have sex outside of betrothal and marriage. Although in the 1940s, I spent Easter vacations in rural Pennsylvania where betrothal seemed to follow pregnancy without much comment. Anyway, I enjoyed the book.