I hesitated before reading this book, book because it is the second in a series and I did not read the first but I was not lost or left questioning.  I enjoyed the characters and did not feel irritated by not having read the first installation, I will read additional (and previous) works by this author and found the story satisfying to my historical fiction desires with enough mystery w/out feeling it was crafted to move the story forward.   I appreciate the opportunity to have read this book for review purposes and look forward to other works from this author and publisher.

Alchemist Ferris Stannum claims to find the Elixir of Life. And he is dead the next day.
Bianca Goddard believes he was murdered. And her quest for truth might prove to be more dangerous that she has thought initially.

Visually, this is an interesting portrait of the cruel times of 16th century.
But while I am a fan of a good historical whodunnit, this novel has lacked the ingedients to either work with my imagination or keep my interest.
Might make for some unassuming read, but if you strive for well-researched and well-thought mystery, go for J.C. Sansom instead.