Rags of Time by Michael Ward Book Review

Synopsis

London.

1639.

Thomas Tallant, a young and ambitious Spice Merchant, returns from India to find his city in turmoil.

A bitter struggle is brewing between King Charles I and Parliament, as England slides into civil war. The capital is simmering with dissent. The conflict is ready to boil over.

But Thomas soon has other troubles to contend with. A wealthy merchant, Sir Joseph Venell, is savagely killed; then his partner Sir Hugh Swofford plunges to his death, in the Tallant household.

Suspicion falls on Thomas, who is sucked into a mire of treachery and rumour within the City of London. As the merchant struggles to clear his name, he becomes captivated by the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour, whose passion for astronomy and mathematics is matched only by her addiction to the gaming tables.

Pursued by the authorities, Thomas races to unmask the real killer who claims a third victim to implicate him further, toying with his future in a deadly cat and mouse game.

In a desperate race against time, Elizabeth applies her powers of logic and deduction to unearth the clues that will point to the killer, but her way is barred by a secret message from the grave.

Can she crack its code before Thomas, now a wounded and exhausted fugitive, succumbs to the chase?

And, if she succeeds, has Thomas the strength to face his tormentor and win his life and reputation back?

My Thoughts

The murder of Sir Joseph Venell, a wool merchant, in a Kensington field, embroils Thomas Tennant, a spice merchant recently returned to London after a two year absence in India, in a desperate bid to clear his name and avoid the hang man's noose.

Much has changed over the two years Thomas has been away from London. The city's population has grown. Discontent is rife, whether it be due to anti-Dutch sentiment, religious and other political issues, commercial competition or the monetary demands of a king. It is no wonder that Thomas flounders in his attempts to find the guilty party. With every step Thomas takes to prove his innocence, his actions are cleverly used against him to ensure he remains the number one suspect for Venell's murder and subsequent ones. With a magistrate doggedly pursuing him, Thomas is quickly running out of time and options. His friend, Edmund Dalloway, provides some help, but it is the pipe smoking, gambling astronomer and lover of science, Elizabeth Seymour, who helps Thomas make the connection as to who is behind the plot to frame him.

The turbulent times leading up to the English Civil War are portrayed very well here and form an ideal backdrop in which to place the unwary Thomas. Thomas is a likeable fellow with an interesting backstory involving spices and tulips. He doesn't always make the wisest of choices but with the clever and resourceful Elizabeth as his ally he manages to evade capture and finally confront the person plotting his demise.

I loved the pace of this novel. It quickly moves through events towards the exciting denouement without providing any definite clues as to who is behind Thomas's misfortunes. I was totally surprised by who the villain turned out to be and that to me is the hallmark of a great mystery.

Rags of Time is an excellent debut novel and a great start to a new series.

Thank you to Michael Ward for a complimentary copy of this book.