Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Red Puddle Print
Pub date: 28 April 2020
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Description
While her husband fights the Scots on behalf of King Henry VIII, Bianca Goddard earns her coin by concocting medicines that offer relief to London’s sick. Some unfortunates, however, are beyond any remedies she can provide–like the young boy discovered hanging from a church dripstone. Examining the body, Bianca finds a rosary twined around the child’s neck. A week later, another boy is found dead at a different church. When Fisk, Bianca’s impish acquaintance goes missing, she fears he may become the third victim…
There are many scoundrels who would prey on wayward, penniless boys. But Bianca suspects the killings are not brutal acts of impulse, but something far more calculated. In her room of Medicinals and Physickes, she examines the sole piece of evidence: a sweet-smelling, stained cloth. If Bianca can unravel its secret, reputations and lives will be saved. The expected hour of the next murder is approaching, and a single misstep may mean another boy is lost forever…
London 1545
This is a fast paced mystery set in Tudor London. The prose and the effective writing style kept me engaged throughout. The characters are fabulous especially Fisk, Bianca’s young friend and I fully enjoyed their friendship.
The descriptives of the conditions of medieval London brought depth to the story and I could picture the muddy streets and tenements.
The book is split between Bianca in London and her husband who is in Scotland fighting for Henry VIII. I thoroughly enjoyed both perspectives and it brought to the forefront the situations many had to deal with not knowing if their loved ones would return as well as the plight of those fighting.
Lawrence provides a successful mystery which keeps you guessing until the end, even if you do think you know what’s happened a couple of times!
This is the fifth book in this series and I wondered if I would find I’d need to read the others first but was pleasantly surprised. Although there are hints at relationships from the past this reads well as a stand alone if you haven’t read the others. I will certainly be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list!
I did notice a couple of errors but as this was a review copy I assume will be amended for publication.
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Puddle Print for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review.
The Lost Boys of London is available here:
Amy McElroy 