England, 1143; Stephen and Empress Maud have been vying for the throne
of England for some time now, and people are taking sides and switching
sides as needs be. The people at Pershore Abbey have concerns about one
amongst them; the lord Bishop of Winchester is known to be a spy. Can
anyone trust him? However, everyone is shocked when he is found inside
the church by the master mason, the back of his head bashed in.
Moments later the sheriff arrives, on his way through. He decides to
leave Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll to investigate. Catchpoll
is unsure of the ability of Bradecote, while the latter is bound and
determined to catch the person responsible. The following day, Catchpoll
points out to Bradecote that he has made a mistake during the
questioning of one of the women by telling her what the murder weapon
was.
As the pair question those at the abbey, they come to know more about
the victim and that several of those questioned, had a clear dislike for
the man. Having spoken to everyone, the question arises, what next?
What next is that a second body is found. The dead apprentice had been
sent to get refreshments for the workers, and was found outside in the
rain by the master mason, who had gone in search of him. Bradecote is
sure he knows who the killer is, but when a third body is found, he
begins to doubt.
Author Sarah Hawkswood's medieval mystery was well written, and kept
this reader involved and intrigued. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I
am looking forward to the sequel.
No comments:
Post a Comment