A Ruinous Wind

'Nicely blends historical events with engaging characters and a suspenseful plot ... Thomas proves a dogged, creative and insightful sleuth.' Publishers Weekly

The falconer is on the hunt once more.

Thomas Finbow, a widowed father, is falconer to Sir Robert Vicary of Petbury, a Berkshire knight who aspires to increase his status and influence. When invited to attend the Barrowhill Pleasures at the seat of the extravagant and pompous Earl of Reigate, Sir Robert...
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'Nicely blends historical events with engaging characters and a suspenseful plot ... Thomas proves a dogged, creative and insightful sleuth.' Publishers Weekly

The falconer is on the hunt once more.

Thomas Finbow, a widowed father, is falconer to Sir Robert Vicary of Petbury, a Berkshire knight who aspires to increase his status and influence. When invited to attend the Barrowhill Pleasures at the seat of the extravagant and pompous Earl of Reigate, Sir Robert brings Thomas along with him to enjoy the festivities.

But no-one expected three of the Earl's guests to be murdered, or for their deaths to be quickly covered up by the Earl himself. To maintain morale among his visitors, the Earl plans to host a dramatic re-enactment of the Spanish Armada, with the promise of Queen Elizabeth attending the spectacle.

But things begin to unravel when the Earl himself becomes the next target of the murderer.

Sir Robert, eager to find the truth and protect himself, asks keen-eyed Thomas to uncover the mystery and track down the killer - before it's too late.

Recommended for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and Michael Jecks.

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

'Pilkington's third Thomas the Falconer historical offers a real treat... This tale gives an authentic sense of Elizabethan life's visceral side with all its lawlessness and brutality, including a climactic battle.' Publishers Weekly

'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