Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Pub date: 9 December 2019
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thomas the Falconer is drawn into a web of intrigue that tests him as never before.

A tragic fire at one of his master’s tenant farms is just the start of a tortuous trail for Thomas Finbow – for when the body of Simon Haylock is dragged from the blazing barn, it becomes clear that he was dead before the fire started.

Soon a chilling series of murders, seemingly unrelated, is spreading fear across the Berkshire Downs, baffling the authorities. Plague is raging in London and suspicion falls on strangers in the area, like the dour mapmaker Christopher Mead and the outrageous travelling showman Paulo Schweiz, whom Thomas rescues from the stocks.

Thomas finds himself matching wits with a cunning and elusive adversary. With the help of Paulo’s astonishing magic lantern show he finally exposes a killer, along with a brutal crime that has lain unsolved for years.

Only then can he unravel the bitter trail of revenge that has led to the murders – with surprising results, until a brutal crime that has lain hidden for years is brought to light by astonishing means – and with terrible consequences.

I don’t seem to be able to stop reading this series. As the fourth in the series I couldn’t wait to find out what dangers Thomas would face this time.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter sees Thomas on the hunt of a murderer using poison as his weapon but the connection between the victims is totally unknown and that’s not the only mystery. Who is the mapmaker and what is he doing in the area?Once again Pilkington has created an energetic storyline with murder, blackmail and an unsolved crime.

As with the previous books there are amazing characters, I loved Ned, Thomas’s new assistant and can’t wait to see how he develops as a character. Paulo Schweiz, the travelling conjuror was such a fun, interesting character, I really enjoyed reading about his antics and tricks and how I wasn’t sure all the way through whether he could be trusted or not.

Thomas himself is also developing as a character throughout this series and I am really enjoying finding out more about him, he is a great lead character, it’s also fun to learn about falconry and the birds themselves have their own personalities which emerge more as the series continues.

This is another fast paced mystery with an unexpected ending which I’d never guessed! The final twist was definitely a surprise but I won’t give any spoilers.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter is available here or you can get the complete series

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