Thanks to a lively TV series the legend of Robin Hood is enjoying a surge of popularity, so this book ought to attract interest. It reminds readers that despite the usual setting of Richard I’s reign, the legend has various other possible locations and periods, some like this one backed by records. Anybody who enjoys mysteries set during the Middle Ages will be welcoming another new series which boasts two likeable protagonists and the less usual location of Yorkshire. The plot kept me guessing (I didn’t guess right) until the denouement, and there always seemed to be something going on that was both interesting and germane to the story. I have no doubt those purists who rate history higher than mystery in the pages of fiction will find some flaws, but anybody who enjoys a pacy story ought to find plenty to praise. Richard’s recounting of the recent uprising to Hubert is one way of getting the reader acquainted with what has gone before, but it had a clunky, awkward feel to it and surely Hubert would have been aware of most of it anyway? This minor moan aside, I do look forward to getting better acquainted with Richard and Hubert and hope this series flourishes.