A Death at Fountains Abbey: Longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award (Thomas Hawkins) Paperback – 7 September 2017

I just love this well-written Georgian Era series by talented author Antonia Hodgson! I purchased this book in paperback as it was not offered as an ebook for my Kindle....how disappointing, but worth the trouble and wait!Thomas Hawkins, the rogue, is again involved in a a thrilling mystery as he has been sent by the queen to investigate threats to a disgraced ex-politician....it is that truly why Queen Caroline has sent Thomas on this mission?!! The threats are real and the adventure progresses rapidly as Thomas goes about investigating in his fashion. I was incapable to put the book down. Fast paced and very funny at times!!! Never a dull moment. Characters are very well described and interesting in this who-done-it. It is a truly good plot and mystery! From beginning to end it's a wonderful read!Definite recommendation to readers of historical fiction based on actual people and geography. When I wasn't reading the book I was looking up the facts! I believe you'll love it....I did, and I anxiously await the publishing of the fourth book in this rollicking, engrossing series!

Having read the first two terrific novels in Antonia Hodgson’s Thomas Hawkins series and loving both “The Devil in the Marshalsea” and “The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins”, her third is even better. “A Death at Fountains Abbey” is a fast-paced, cleverly plotted, and sometimes extremely witty, addition to her historical fiction thrillers. It reads beautifully as a stand-alone and the attention to detail is remarkable. I thoroughly enjoyed “A Death at Fountains Abbey” and look forward to the next in this great series.

Love attention to detail and a rollicking good story, intrigue and lust and danger..the list goes on, great read

More welcome adventures with Thomas Hawkins. Tom continues to get out of the scrapes his way of life land him in. This is Antonia Hodgson's third in her Georgian historical mystery series featuring young Tom (mid 20s), rebellious son of a parson, who lives life fully and recklessly, with gambling, drinking and womanizing (not so much of the latter since he is with his Kitty), all the while getting mixed up in trouble along the way.Book One (THE DEVIL IN THE MARSHALSEA) finds him in debtors' prison where a murder occurs and must be resolved. In Book Two (THE LAST CONFESSIONS OF THOMAS HAWKINS), Tom is out of prison but ends up accused of another murder and is almost hanged for the crime. Pardoned by Queen Caroline (wife of King George II), Tom is again a "free" man but is more or less obliged to the queen and forced to do her bidding. So in this, Book Three, he is sent off by her to Yorkshire, on the supposed mission of investigating death threats to John Aislable, disgraced former Chancellor of the Exchequer during the time of the South Sea Bubble scandal.Aislabie now lives in Yorkshire at his estate Studley Royal with his second wife Judith. In addition to his connection to the South Sea scandal, Aislabie also has another incident in his past which is important to the plot of this book. 27 years ago, a fire set in his London home killed his first wife and his youngest daughter Lizzie. The why and how makes for compelling reading in the Prologue to this book.Now, in the present, we have Tom, his lover Kitty, and his "ward" Sam coming to Studley Royal under the guise of investigating the death threats, but they really are there to find a green ledger in his possession which incriminates many prominent figures during the time of the South Sea financial scandal and could be used for blackmail. Queen Caroline wants that ledger found and destroyed. To compound the issues at the estate it seems that Aislabie's long-lost daughter Lizzie, supposedly killed in the fire 27 years ago, has been found and is now at Studley Royal.Mysterious doings, a couple of murders, attempts on a life or two, and enough red herrings to keep me from figuring out the whodunit. This was a fairly complicated story, with a large cast of interesting characters, and made for an entertaining read. I particularly enjoy Hodgson's ability to integrate real historical events and real historical figures into her mysteries. In addition, her fictional characters, such as Tom, Kitty, and Sam, are very well drawn, complex and flawed, yet relatable and likeable.To read the first two books of this series I received ARCs from Amazon's Vine program. I was surprised to find that this third book of hers hasn't even found a U.S. publisher. I had to order a paperback copy from the U.K. to continue my adventures with Tom and Kitty. Well worth the trouble, and I'm glad to see a fourth book in the series is in the works.

This is the third in the series of whodunnits featuring gambler and womaniser Thomas Hawkins, manoeuvring his way through the perils and tragedies of early 18th century England. In this one, he is sent by his patron Queen Caroline to investigate the disappearance of a ledger which contains secrets exposing the financial wrongdoings of the "great and the good" at the time of the notorious South Sea Bubble, a financial crash that took place in 1720. The central character at the heart of the scandal here, John Aislabie, is a real historical figure, as are many of the other characters, but in addition to his notorious financial and political role, he is scarred by the emotional tragedy of a house fire many years before which killed his first wife and one of his daughters (again, a real incident in his life). These events become linked together in a web of deceit and revenge stretching back over the years. This was a good read, though it didn't feel quite as meaty as the previous two novels. I do like Thomas's partner Kitty.