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January
1144: It is the start of a very cold winter but Undersheriff
Hugh Bradecote’s fiancée, Christina, is determined
to go on a pilgrimage to pray for a child to bless their upcoming
marriage. As she is travelling with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s
envoy and his party it looks fairly safe, but soon the group
have been captured by a mercenary who enjoys killing and his
band of outlaws. Then there is the problem of who is making
false coinage…
It is always a treat to read another
book in this fairly new mediaeval mystery series. Each book
is filled with engaging characters, a lightly sketched but
realistic background and plenty of exciting detecting. This
is something of a departure from the first three books in
the series, in that it is a thriller rather than a puzzle
mystery. We know who the kidnappers are and the identity of
the coiner, and, instead of sleuthing, Bradecote, Catchpoll
and their team are racing to intercept the party and get back
the hostages. I normally prefer mysteries, but this one is
genuinely exciting, with the action going back and forth between
each group.
Although this series is set during
the conflict between Stephen and Matilda this aspect of life
is very much in the background, as it probably would have
been if there was something like this going on. The action
is also set far from London in Gloucestershire around a frozen
River Severn, and the tactile descriptions of an icy winter
had me feeling cold. The sheriff and Wakelin, the gingery
apprentice to Catchpoll, have larger parts to play in this
novel; thus we get to know more about them.
This is by no means a cozy mystery
as there is violence and villainy, but this is tempered with
the dashes of humor and humanity in several of the characters.
It was not a cozy time, and for a book set in this period
to succeed it needs to be authentic. I look forward to reading
another in this excellent series, recommended to anybody who
enjoys historical mysteries.
Reviews of other titles in this series:
Ordeal
by Fire #2
Marked
to Die #3
Hostage
To Fortune #4
Reviewers Note: Some violence
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