Blog Tour ~ Rags of Time by Michael Ward ☼

☼ Delighted to host today's Blog Tour stop ☼ 

Sharpe Books
23 June 2020

Thomas Tallant #1


My thanks to the author and to Random Things Tours for my
ecopy of this book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour.

'Rags of Time' is set in London in 1639. It tells the story of spice merchant Thomas Tallant, accused of murder and fighting to clear his name, and the enigmatic Elizabeth Seymour whose passion for astronomy and mathematics is only matched by her addiction to tobacco and the gaming tables.

Can Elizabeth's brilliance untangle the web of deceit that threatens to drag Tom under, as England slides into civil war?

‘Rags’ is a murder mystery but not just a procedural thriller. Tom's hunt for the real killer takes him on a journey through the ferment of new thinking that's sweeping London in the 1640s. Change is everywhere - science, street politics, commerce and religion - and this shapes the plot, action, characters and outcome.

What did I think about it..

Thomas Tallant is a London spice merchant who has just arrived home after a long trip abroad. However, the London Thomas returns to is not the same as when he left as in this year of 1639 the seeds of unrest which will blossom into civil war are gradually being sown. When Tom gets inadvertently linked with a perplexing murder mystery, life for the Tallant family is about to become much more complicated.

Rags of Time gets off to a good start, there's a nice sense of intrigue in the prologue which sets the scene for what is to come. The author has clearly done extensive research and captures well this rather unsettled period in English history when the population were beginning to grow dissatisfied with both King and country. The sense of unease on the streets of seventeenth century London is palpable. The sights, sounds and pungent aromas of this teeming city are captured well and I could easily picture Tom, on  Meg, his trusty horse, travelling through the mean and moody streets of the capital city. I found Tom to be a worthy protagonist and as he gets drawn further and further into the mystery surrounding one of London's wealthiest inhabitants so his own character grows in strength and determination. 

There's much to take in within the story with some dastardly enemies who seem determined to implicate Tom, by fair means or foul, and whilst I can't give anything away, as more complexities start to unfold Tom becomes heavily involved in the very heart of the action. I especially enjoyed reading of Tom's burgeoning friendship with the pipe smoking, astronomer, Elizabeth Seymour, which adds an interesting dimension to this murder mystery adventure.

Rags of Time is the first book in a proposed series of historical adventures with Thomas Tallant and if this first book is anything to go by I am sure that the next adventure for Tom will be equally as challenging.

About the Author

Writing has been central to Mike Ward’s professional life. On graduating from university he became a journalist, working in newspapers and for the BBC. He then went into journalism education, teaching and researching journalism practice before becoming head of the UK’s prestigious Journalism School at UCLan. For the last eight years he has run his own content creation company.

‘Rags of Time’ is Mike’s debut novel. Its sequel is due to be published late in 2020.

Twitter @mikewardmedia #RagsofTime

@RandomTTours

Amazon UK