| Lancashire 1740: Dolores Brockletower,
the exotic and reclusive wife to the squire has been found
dead in the woods. It was her habit to go riding every morning
early, but this morning somebody must have assailed her and
cut her throat. It is the duty of the county Coroner Titus
Cragg to investigate the case, along with his friend Dr Luke
Fidelis, and they find plenty of suspects. Nobody liked the
dead woman or her husband “Black Ram,” and soon
rumors of witchcraft arise to make this a perplexing, and
surprising, case.
I am always pleased to discover a new author, and this one
has doubly satisfied me by choosing a time and place not often
written about. This is the Enlightenment, but at a time when
it has not penetrated into the wilder parts of Britain, and
there is a vast gulf between the protagonist’s keenness
for new knowledge and interest in science and that of the
superstitious country folk. The story is told in the coroner’s
own words, the voice of a down-to-earth 18th century lawyer
who grounds the tale nicely, making a strong contrast to the
bizarre events that unfold. Among the characters is a reclusive
old doctor keen on dissection, a worldly archbishop, drunken
vicar, an old gyspy with a giant idiot son and… but
no plot spoilers. Apart from the story itself the other treat
about this book is the meticulous description of life at this
time, the fascinating daily doings of the characters in the
story. We hear of cheese-making at the hall, an inquest in
a public house, how the coroner spends his time and people’s
views of the world, whether educated or not. In short it is
a book of contrasts, at a time when great changes were afoot,
as well as a puzzle revealing dark secrets in a seemingly
ordinary place. I look forward to reading more about Cragg
and Fidelis.
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