Jack’s back!

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The Merchant Murderers (A Bloody Mary Mystery #7) by Michael Jecks  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Ah Jack! The trials and tribulations of this vain, self deceived rascal never fail to amaze me. He attracts trouble like bees to a honeypot. After his recent troubles with the tin miners of Cornwall, Jack’s headed away from London to France on the off chance that he’s bound to be caught up with the wrong side of the political machinations of his masters.

He fled to the Cathedral town of Exeter, where he learns that Queen Mary is still in power, Lady Elizabeth is not in the tower, and he, as he is employed circuitously by the Lady Elizabeth as an assassin, can safely head for home.

Swaggering around town, sure of his own importance as a elegant ”man of London,” disdainful of the plebeians he encounters, well naturally pride comes before a fall. His purse is stolen, he finds the dead body of the ex priest Roger Lane. Powerful merchants and their henchman take an interest in him. He finds some fair weather friends, and he’s pursued by an attractive young thing with marriage on her mind (shudder!). This is not all, (because of our surety that Jack always goes from one torrid situation to another), Jack sets sail for London only to find himself betrayed. 

He returns (miraculously by sheer good luck—again!) to Exeter, and after another set of extenuating circumstances finally flees Exeter for London and home! I’m exhausted and Jack even more so!

I swear Jack has more lives than a cat. Somehow by sheer dumb luck he always lands on his feet, His self absorption never ceases to amaze me. His drinking and womanising always trips him up.

Mind you he also can show kindness to the unexpected person, like Edith the child who first tried to rob him.

A somewhat, loveable rogue with an inconsistent conscience is perhaps one way to describe him.

Funny and horrifying. I shake my head continually. You either love him or hate him.


A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.

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