Death of a Stranger
Step into Tudor England in this gripping historical mystery from John Pilkington
Published on 14. November 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-80600-873-5 (ISBN)
Description
Discover the first in a BRAND NEW gripping Tudor mystery from bestselling author John Pilkington. Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor and S. J. Parris. ??????'Pilkington transports us back to the Elizabethan era so deftly you can smell the stink of it, and feel the danger lurking in every shadow.' - Richard Cullen
1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city.
Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight. ??
Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler's powers are slight - and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage...
Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a baffling mystery - until the very last.
Step into the dangerous world of Elizabethan London with this cracking murder mystery!????
Readers love John Pilkington's writing ??
'Through the eyes of Matthew Cutler, the London of 1594 is brought to visceral life, with all the wretchedness and violence that entails.' Richard Cullen
'The quality of the writing and evocation of the Elizabethan Age is right up there with C J Sansom - and that could be no higher recommendation. I devoured it with relish and a buzz of contentment.' ????? Reader Review
'Brilliant! I just love the way in which he brings his characters to life and makes them so believable. He is a master of descriptive prose.' ????? Reader Review
'Gripping, enjoyable and too difficult to put down' ????? Reader Review
'John Pilkington continues to delight and inform. His writing style flows with ease and wit and I look forward to more of his tales' ????? Reader Review
'I was gripped from start to finish.' ????? Reader Review
1594, Bishopsgate Ward, London. Within the walls and without, unease and uncertainty lurk beneath the noise and bustle of a smoky, teeming city.
Matthew Cutler, newly widowed and caring for two spirited daughters, takes his position as constable for the parish of Spitalfields very seriously. So when Paulo Brisco, a quiet Venetian perfumer is found brutally murdered in his own shop, Cutler throws himself into his first major crime, and one which threatens to set all Bishopsgate alight. ??
Being a humble parish constable, Matthew Cutler's powers are slight - and yet he possesses a skill which most others do not. As a former actor he can employ disguise, to considerable effect and to his unique advantage...
Plunged into a treacherous world of notorious rakes, angry tradesmen and a community seething with anti-foreigner sentiment and suspicion, Cutler must decipher shattered clues and confront a killer whose motive remains a baffling mystery - until the very last.
Step into the dangerous world of Elizabethan London with this cracking murder mystery!????
Readers love John Pilkington's writing ??
'Through the eyes of Matthew Cutler, the London of 1594 is brought to visceral life, with all the wretchedness and violence that entails.' Richard Cullen
'The quality of the writing and evocation of the Elizabethan Age is right up there with C J Sansom - and that could be no higher recommendation. I devoured it with relish and a buzz of contentment.' ????? Reader Review
'Brilliant! I just love the way in which he brings his characters to life and makes them so believable. He is a master of descriptive prose.' ????? Reader Review
'Gripping, enjoyable and too difficult to put down' ????? Reader Review
'John Pilkington continues to delight and inform. His writing style flows with ease and wit and I look forward to more of his tales' ????? Reader Review
'I was gripped from start to finish.' ????? Reader Review
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
245 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-80600-873-5 (9781806008735)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
A writer for over forty years, John Pilkington was born in Lancashire and worked at many jobs including laboratory assistant, farm worker, weaver, shipping clerk, picture frame-maker and cabaret musician before taking a degree in Drama and English and finding his true 2 vocation. He has since written plays for radio and theatre, television scripts for a BBC soap, a short-lived children's series and numerous works of historical fiction, concentrating now on the Tudor and Stuart eras. He also ventured into speculative fiction with his biography of Shakespeare's famous jester, Yorick.
He now lives in a village on a tidal estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.
He now lives in a village on a tidal estuary in Devon with his long-term partner Elisabeth; they have a son who is a psychologist and musician. When not at the desk he walks, swims, listens to music and tinkers with d.i.y. projects, and is enjoying being a grandfather.