The Moorland Murderers - (Bloody Mary Tudor Mystery) by Michael Jecks (Paperback)

About the Book

July, 1556. En route to France and escape from Queen Mary's men, Jack Blackjack spends the night at a Devon tavern, agrees to a game of dice - and ends up accused of murder. Alone and friendless in a lawless land of cut-throats, outlaws and thieves, Jack knows that the only way to clear his name - and save his skin - is to unmask the real killer.

Book Synopsis

Londoner Jack Blackjack finds himself a stranger in a strange land when he's accused of murder in rural Devon in this eventful Tudor mystery.

July, 1556. En route to France and escape from Queen Mary's men, Jack Blackjack decides to spend the night at a Devon tavern, agrees to a game of dice - and ends up accused of murder. To make matters worse, the dead man turns out to have been the leader of the all-powerful miners who rule the surrounding moors - and they have no intention of waiting for the official court verdict to determine Jack's guilt.

But who would frame Jack for murder . . . and why? Alone and friendless in a lawless land of cut-throats, outlaws and thieves, Jack realizes that the only way to clear his name - and save his skin - is to unmask the real killer. But knowing nothing of the local ways and customs, how is he to even begin? As Jack's attempts to find answers stirs up a hornet's nest of warring factions within the town, events soon start to spiral out of control . . .

Review Quotes

An enjoyable jaunt through mid-16th century England ... The novel's energetic pace never flags-- "Publishers Weekly on The Dead Don't Wait"

Fans of offbeat Tudor historicals will clamour for more-- "Publishers Weekly on Death Comes Hot"

Plenty of historical detail, loads of twists and turns, and a hilarious tale of criminal ineptitude-- "Kirkus Reviews on Death Comes Hot"

Steeped in the rich, bawdy background of sixteenth-century London ... There are enough suspects and red herrings to keep mystery fans intrigued-- "Booklist on The Dead Don't Wait"

The improbably and delightfully humorous protagonist moves the story to a surprising conclusion-- "Kirkus Reviews on The Dead Don't Wait"

About the Author

Michael Jecks is the author of more than thirty novels in the Knights Templar medieval mystery series and five previous Bloody Mary Tudor mysteries. A former Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association, he lives with his wife, children and dogs in northern Dartmoor.