It's 1554 and Jack Blackjack (a former thief), is now employed as an unlikely assassin by John Blount who thankfully for Jack sends him to Woodstock, the place of imprisonment of the Lady Elizabeth to kill a spy in her household.
Soon after he arrives the murder occurs and as he is First Finder he must prove his innocence by determing who is the guilty party.
As I didn't take to the character of Jack and it seemed that whatever could go wrong did, this did tend to spoil my enjoyment of the tale.
A NetGalley Book ( )

There's trouble and then there's Jack!

Ah Jack, Jack! Always a hair's breadth from serious trouble and yet like a cat with nine lives you land on your feet--sort of.
Jack Blackjack, the consummate con artist has his master John Blount fooled into thinking he's an assassin. So when Blount actually sends him off to kill Lady Margery Throcklehampton, one of Lady Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting, Jack's not happy. (Elizabeth is under what amounts to house arrest by her sister, Queen Mary). Although on the bright side this takes him out of London and away from Thomas Falkes, whom he owes money to and who is not happy. As Jack muses, Falkes "wanted to personally skin [him] alive–and he was not a slave to metaphor."
But when Jack finds himself caught in the middle of a struggle for the Tudor throne, Woodstock was no place Jack wanted to be. When he trips over the dead body of the lady he's sent to murder, things take a grim and complicated turn. Jack becomes a suspect for a murder he didn't commit, that his master now thinks he actually did, fulfilling his assassin's role, thereby keeping himself on Blount's payroll, and yet this was a "murder to soon." (Very clever title by the way). Jack continues to play a role in this latest charade, earning himself the acknowledgment of the Lady Elizabeth, but eventually at what cost?
Jack is a character of many facets, fool comes to mind most often but then there's, cut purse, gambler, ladies man, intuitive thinker and a survivalist. One day his luck might just run out!
An engaging read with a rapscallion, likeable character as the centrepiece. I love the understated self-deprecating humour of Jack. He's definitely a charmer!
Michael Jecks' insights into the Tudor period with the various swirling forces parrying for leadership and change, or just protecting the status quo is fascinating.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

Instructed to perform the distasteful task of assassinating a lady suspected of being a spy, Jack Blackjack is amazed when he stumbles over the said lady already dead. To keep suspicion off himself, Jack must be on his toes and untangle the multiple threads of deceit that surround him.

This being my first introduction to Jack Blackjack, I was immensely amused by him. I found him to be relatable in how he had second thoughts about his choices. He had doubts about his decision to work for his employer. As many things that went wrong with his life, he just keeps going.

As to the mystery, it had the twists and turns that I love. Jack, to be honest, seemed to stumble over what he needed to work things out in the end.

The plot is delightful. I would recommend this to historical readers who enjoy enjoy tales set before Elizabeth becomes queen.

I received a free ebook copy from the publisher for reviewing purposes. ( )