The Ramage Hawk
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βThis tale gives an authentic sense of Elizabethan lifeβs visceral side with all its lawlessness and brutalityβ - Publishers Weekly
A LURE TO MURDER
Thomas Finbow, falconer to Sir Robert Vicary, is sent to the remote Salisbury Plain by his master to assist on the estate of the impoverished Sir Giles Buckeridge. Thomas is to train a ramage hawk β an immature, half-wild bird β and to teach the arts of falconry to Sir Gilesβs young ward, Gervase.
It soon becomes clear, however, that Sir Giles has much bigger problems than falconry as he is struggling to secure respectable futures β and provide sufficient dowries - for his three spirited daughters.
Within days of Thomas's arrival, Sir Giles's eldest daughter Jane vanishes - assumed to have run away from her unhappy betrothal to a wealthy older man, Stephen Ridley. But the search for a missing girl soon turns into a hunt for a murderer, and as the body count rises, Thomas has no choice but to do what he does best β hunt his prey...
Perfect for fans of C J Sansom, Andrew Taylor and S J Parris.
Praise for the Thomas the Falconer series:
βLarger-than-life characters and authentic 16th-century ambience... Pilkington successfully draws readers into his world and keeps them turning the pages.β - Booklist
'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
βA sturdy and entertaining historical for fans of Elizabethan mysteriesβ - Library Journal
βThis latest entry in Pilkingtonβs Thomas the Falconer series is a vigorous adventure featuring a likeable hero, an intriguing plot and a fine sense of period ambience.β - Booklist
Praise for The Ramage Hawk:
βHard to put this down.β βββββ Reader Review
βThomas Falconer tales get better and better... Book 3, the best so far!β βββββ Reader Review
βA wonderful blend of action murder and mystery.β βββββ Reader Review
βExcellent story telling. I'm now completely hooked on this series.β βββββ Reader Review
βExcellent! Heroics battles bravery and treachery this story has it all. Falconers unite! Loved it.β βββββ Reader Review
βA great historical thriller like Parris and Sansom.β βββββ Reader Review
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A writer for over forty years, John Pilkington was born in Lancashire and worked at many jobs including laboratory assistant, farm worker, weaver, shipping clerk, picture frame-maker and cabaret musician before taking a degree in Drama and English and finding his true 2 vocation. He has since written plays for radio and theatre, television scripts for a BBC soap, a short-lived childrenβs series and numerous works of historical fiction, concentrating now on the Tudor and Stuart eras. He also ventured into speculative fiction with his biography of Shakespeareβs famous jester, Yorick. He now lives in a village on a tidal estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.
