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Embark on a fascinating voyage through history and intrigue with Thomas the Falconer, a captivating series by John Pilkington that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
What are the Thomas the Falconer Mysteries about?
In the celebrated historical mystery series written by renowned British author John Pilkington, immerse yourself in the intriguing world of Thomas Finbow, a skilled falconer working for a wealthy Berkshire knight. This captivating series, which is set in the latter years of Queen Elizabeth’s rule, follows Thomas as he solves complex mysteries with the help of his keen eyes, reasoning skills, and unwavering dedication to justice and helping the oppressed.
Join Thomas on exciting journeys that take him from rich aristocratic halls to the busy streets of London, where danger and intrigue lie around every corner. The Thomas the Falconer series promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats with its captivating blend of intrigue, history, and deft detective work.
John Pilkington has written other compelling historical works in addition to this series, such as the riveting Will Revill thrillers and the Martin Marbeck series. Enter John Pilkington’s world of intriguing stories and historical riddles to witness his masterful storytelling.
With the Thomas the Falconer series, you may delve into a wealth of historical intrigue and discover more engrossing works by the renowned British author John Pilkington.
How to read the Thomas the Falconer books in order?
Although each volume in the Thomas the Falconer series can be read independently, the lives of the many characters change as the series progresses.
- The Ruffler’s Child (2002)
- A Ruinous Wind (2003)
- The Ramage Hawk (2004)
- The Mapmaker’s Daughter (2004)
- The Maiden Bell (2005)
- The Jingler’s Luck (2006)
- The Muscovy Chain (2007)
What is the plot of the Thomas the Falconer novels?
The official synopsis for each book in John Pilkington’s Thomas the Falconer series is provided below for your reference:
The Ruffler’s Child (2002) – In the employ of Sir Robert Vicary and Lady Margaret, Thomas Finbow is more than just a simple falconer. He is a devoted hunter, a skillful former soldier, and a bereaved parent. Thomas lives in the scenic Berkshire Downs, far from the court and corruption of London. Up until the murder of Lady Margaret’s hateful brother, everything is as it should be. Thomas goes with Lady Margaret as she searches for gryfalcons in London to divert her attention from her grief. When they arrive in the city, things start to go gloomy. As secrets come to light, it becomes apparent that the killing of Lady Margaret’s brother is only a small component of the larger picture.
A Ruinous Wind (2003) – An ambitious Berkshire knight named Sir Robert Vicary of Petbury employs Thomas Finbow, a widowed parent, as his falconer. Sir Robert invites Thomas to join him at the Barrowhill Pleasures, which are held at the lavish and ostentatious Earl of Reigate’s estate. Nobody, however, was prepared for three of the Earl’s guests to be slain or for the Earl to immediately cover up their deaths. The Earl intends to arrange a theatrical Spanish Armada reenactment with the promise that Queen Elizabeth will attend in order to keep the spirits of his guests up. But when the Earl himself becomes the murderer’s next victim, everything starts to fall apart.
The Ramage Hawk (2004) – While working to bring in the harvest on the isolated Salisbury Plain, the peasants are unaware that a murderer has entered their midst. To help the poor Sir Giles Buckeridge, who struggles with poverty and the failure to give dowries for his three vivacious daughters, Thomas Finbow, falconer to Sir Robert Vicary, is dispatched to the Plain by his master. Thomas is in the area to train a ramage hawk, a young, partially wild bird, and to instruct Gervase, Sir Giles’s young ward, in the art of falconry. But as soon as he gets there, Jane, Sir Giles’ oldest daughter, disappears. She was forced into a marriage with Stephen Ridley, a wealthy older guy; did she just flee?
The Mapmaker’s Daughter (2004) – Thomas Finbow faces a difficult road ahead of him after a catastrophic fire breaks out at one of his master’s tenant farms; it soon becomes apparent that Simon Haylock was already dead when his body is pulled from the burning barn. Soon, a terrifying string of seemingly unrelated murders spreads terror throughout the Berkshire Downs, confounding the authorities. London is experiencing a plague, and local foreigners like the flamboyant traveling showman Paulo Schweiz and the gloomy mapmaker Christopher Mead—both of whom Thomas rescues from the stocks—are shunned. Thomas is forced to compete with a crafty and elusive foe.
The Maiden Bell (2005) – There is a lot of excitement in the remote village of Lambourn when a family of traveling bell-founders shows up to make a new church bell. But when churchwarden Will Stubbs, a holy old man without enemies, is discovered dead in the woods, the tranquility of a summer night is disturbed. Thomas’s master gives him the task of conducting research.
The Jingler’s Luck (2006) – The body of a young woman, who had been brutally dismembered, was discovered beside the Thames in the dead of winter. Thomas, meantime, travels to London with a delicate mission: to convince his master Sir Robert to abandon his foolish obsession with a prominent courtesan. Thomas doesn’t know how serious the Lady Imogen’s schemes are until he becomes involved in an odd chain of events that includes the theft of a corpse and even his own arrest. Ben Mallam, a shrewd horse merchant and Thomas’s old buddy, comes to his rescue after a string of misfortunes. Together, they hazard the most significant bet of Thomas’s life to thwart a terrible plot that imperils the throne’s succession.
The Muscovy Chain (2007) – By order of the Queen Elizabeth’s Council, Grigori Stanic, the ambassador of faraway Muscovy, is to be hosted in Russia by Sir Robert, Thomas’s master. The most important person at the Tsar’s Court, Boris Godunov, will receive a wonderful gift from Thomas in addition to entertaining Stanic’s party because His Excellency is a skilled salesman: a magnificent gold necklace with a jeweled pendant. But as soon as it gets to Petbury, it is stolen, potentially causing a catastrophic diplomatic problem. Fear spreads throughout the neighborhood as the desperate search for the Muscovy Chain gets underway when a mysterious figure is spotted on the Downs. Is he the thief, or worse, is he to blame for a murder in which the victim was subjected to cruel torture?
What should you read if you like the Thomas the Falconer novels?
The Matthew Shardlake, John Shakespeare, and Medieval West Country Mysteries series are also worth checking out if you enjoy John Pilkington’s Thomas the Falconer tales.This article was last updated on July 28, 2023.