3.75* for this one in overall. Enjoyable read for sure, fast one. I do like stories about Jack Blackjack, but this time poor man has less luck then before and is more confused then ever before. Will we see him in another book? I hope so :)

Britain in the late 1500s was not a pleasant place to live. Serfdom was just coming to an end and wages were pitifully low. Anyone with property was a target to all of the oppressed population. One needed bodyguards to go to the pubs or houses of ill repute and were always a target of the poor. Jack Blackjack was one of those targets.

Jack maintained a number of houses and had many enemies. He was a dandy who enjoyed the favors of many of the young ladies in the village. He had worked with both Lady Elisabeth and Queen Mary and had received a Royal pardon for his crimes which did not sit well with his enemies.

This novel reveals a time in history when individual life was not worth much. Being well armed with swords and knives as well as cudgels was essential. Living in this part of the past would not be a welcoming environment. Enjoy Jack’s escapades. 4.5 stars – CE Williams