Quest for a queen: the Jackdaw

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Jack Downie is the best thief in London; he has to be, to pay Ivory Sal and her hulking, vicious sons from tormenting and maybe killing his tiny, frail sister Jess and big, slow-minded Joe. With the help of Frank Verney, an apprentice spy, and Susanna, can he save his family and also save Mary, Queen of Scots, from Queen Elizabeth's spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, who is fanatically determined to have her executed. The Babington Conspiracy entangles the three youngsters, Susanna's mother, former courtesan Kate, and her lovely sister all in a wild, exciting adventure of religious and social turmoil and courage. The historical background is (almost) accurate; Jack, Susannah, Frank, and their families are inserted to tell the story of Mary, Queen of Scots.