1. Rebellion’s Message
London, January 1554. Jack Blackjack wakes beside a murdered man and discovers that the purse he stole from the victim contains information several powerful men are determined to recover. With the city gates guarded and rumours of rebellion spreading, escape is no longer a simple solution.…
2. A Murder Too Soon
Woodstock, June 1554. Jack is sent into the household where Princess Elizabeth is being held under guard and ordered to remove a suspected spy. He reaches the palace to find that someone has already been murdered, placing every servant, guard and courtier under suspicion. To avoid…
3. A Missed Murder
London, 1555. Ordered to kill a man, Jack decides instead to save him, but his improvised plan produces the appearance that he has murdered the wrong target. His disobedience leaves him exposed to his spymaster and to enemies who can exploit the confusion. Mary I’s marriage…
4. The Dead Don’t Wait
East of London, April 1555. A priest is found stabbed beside the road near St Botolph, and Jack Blackjack is accused of the killing. Clearing his name requires him to investigate a victim whose neighbours offer incompatible accounts of his past and his purpose in the…
5. Death Comes Hot
London, May 1556. Executioner Hal Westmecott demands repayment of a favour by ordering Jack to find his long-missing son. The search leads from the executioner’s household to a dead priest’s relatives, a hostile nobleman and a bloodstained lodging where another body suggests a wider design. Jack…
6. The Moorland Murderers
Devon, July 1556. Fleeing London and hoping to reach France, Jack stops at a tavern, joins a dice game and is promptly blamed for the death of a powerful tin miner. The miners who control the surrounding moors are prepared to punish him without waiting for…
7. The Merchant Murderers
Exeter, August 1556. Jack’s return to London is delayed by a murdered priest, organised thieves and a dean who wants him removed from the city. When merchant Wolfe offers a sea passage east, Jack accepts rather than remain trapped in another local investigation. The voyage brings…
8. Murdering the Messenger
London, March 1557. Rachel Nailor, a woman associated with supporters of Princess Elizabeth, is found murdered in the vestry of Jack’s new parish. Evidence has been arranged to place Jack at the centre of the crime, giving both officials and private enemies reason to pursue him.…
9. Death Comes in Threes
London, August 1558. A Dutch merchant renting Jack’s property disappears and is presumed murdered; soon afterwards, a woman Jack has been visiting is found dead nearby. His reputation and proximity make him the preferred suspect for both authorities and criminals. Foreign trade is expanding while Mary…