Child’s Play

DI Kim Stone has been called to a crime scene late at night.  DS Bryant shows up a few minutes later.  Pathologist Keats shows the the body of a middle aged woman sitting on a swing.  She is held in place by barbed wire.

The following morning when Stone and Bryant go to the victim’s house, they discover that it is virtually empty.  Then suddenly the victim’s sister is in the house with them.  She explains that the victim actually lived next door.  

Keats, after completing the post mortem, points out to Stone and Bryant the X that has been carved in the back of the victim’s neck.  He also informs them that the victim has genital warts and at some time had been involved in sexual games.  One additional point are the 47 nicks on her left hand, which could have been caused by a ruler.

Meanwhile, one of Stone’s team, DS Penn, is busy with a trial he has to present testimony at.  However, one of the defence witnesses has turned up dead, his body mutilated.  DI Tom Travis wants to keep Penn because he was the SIO on the case at trial.

Having just met with Travis, Stone and Bryant are called to another murder.  This time a man, who also has an X carved into the back of his neck.  What message is being sent and by whom?  The killer has struck a single day after the first.

Due to the fact that Stone’s team is down a member, DCI Woodward assigns WPC Tiffany to help.  Stone is not impressed because the woman looks like a little teenager.

DC Stacey Wood discovers a little secret about the first victim, but will it have any bearing on the case?  She also ties the deaths to a competition for intelligent children.  The original version had been taken over by a new group.  Stone and Bryant go to speak to the man who had originated the competition.  They find him dead and agree that he was likely to be the first victim.

How can they find the killer and what connects the victims?  Author Angela Marsons’ psychological thriller is an absolute page turner involving child prodigies, sibling love and rivalry.  Marsons throws up a few possible perpetrators, yet leaves the finding of the true killer until almost the last few pages.  I couldn’t put this book down, and can hardly wait to get my hands on the twelfth book in this great series.

Murder in School

Having successfully concluded a case, DI Daniel Skelgill and DS Emma Jones are having a quiet drink when he receives a text message telling him that he has to attend to a suicide at Oakthwaite school.  One of the masters has drowned.  Unfortunately, Jones  won’t be working with him, because his old DS, Leyton is back from leave.

The Head of the school, Goodman, seems to be of the opinion that the investigation has been completed.  Speaking to the groundskeeper,Leyton learns that the dead man could have a doppelgänger, as he was sure he had seen the man entering the school and then a few moments later he appeared down at the track.

When Leyton examines the dead man’s computer, he discovers that the history and cookies have been cleared.  Who doesn’t want the police checking that?

The following morning the groundskeeper is found dead in the cottage of the first man.  Once again, an apparent suicide.  Leyton is left in charge of the situation.  Unbeknownst to him, Skelgill and DS Jones are on their way to Singapore.  Their chief has approved the trip, and will deal with DI Smart, who Jones is working undercover for, while at the same time allowing Leyton to think that they are in London.  They are following Goodman, who apparently is on his way there for a speaking engagement.

Then the chief’s son, who attends Oaktwaite, suddenly goes missing.  What is going on?  Has he been abducted or gotten lost or something more sinister?

Author Bruce Beckham’s second mystery in this series leads the reader on a twisted course, with a child falling into a small river giving Skelgill the inspiration to solve the case.  Beckham has a surprising conclusion.  Another enjoyable read.

Murder in Adland

DI Daniel Skelgill has just started fishing in the middle of Bassenthwaite Lake when he receives a phone call telling him that there has been a murder at a hotel by the name of Bewaldeth Hall.  Fortunately, he doesn’t have far to go to get there.

Awaiting him at the hotel is DS Emma Jones.  The doctor attending the scene is Maria Garcia Gonzalez, a locus for the usual doctor.  She thinks that the man died at about 3:00 a. m.  He had been cut on the back of the neck.  

The hotel had been booked by an advertising firm for a get together.  Mrs. Grotenus, the hotel owner, tells the two police officers that one of the guests didn’t show up.  She also discovers that one of a pair of kukri knives is missing.

The dead man was a partner in the firm, which had rented the hotel.  The surviving partner, Dermott Goldsmith, is a self-important individual.  Jones learns that the missing man had been dismissed the previous week by Krista Morocco, head of the London office.

The investigation takes Skelgill and Jones to Edinburgh where they speak to the accountant who does the advertising firm’s books plus others associated with the firm.  They then fly to London to question people from that office who were at the party.  There Ms. Morocco informs them that another firm had stolen business from them, and they were in the process of suing for breach of contract.  She also reports of an American firm headhunting her, however she is suspicious about the way that they went about it.

With plenty of suspects, a couple of blackmail letters and no culprit captured, Skelgill’s boss is threatening to turn the case over to DI Smart.

How will Skelgill and Jones solve the murder before it is taken off their hands?  Surprisingly, it is a fishing trip that gives Skelgill the clue.  Author Bruce Beckham has started this series off with a good mystery, which although slow to get started, turns into an excellent page turner.

A Famine of Horses

June 18, 1592 near Carlisle where Sergeant Henry Dodd and his men have followed a trail, which has led them to the body of a man, who has been shot in the back.  It doesn’t take long for Dodd’s men to identify the body as Sweetmilk Geordie.  He is the youngest of Jock of Peartrees.  If Jock finds out, there will be hell to pay.  They must get the body back to the castle in Carlisle so that an inquest can be held.

Later that evening Dodd is called upon to go meet the new Deputy Warden; Sir Robert Carey.  Sir Richard Lowther is not impressed with the appointment.  He had thought that it would be his.

Carey immediately sets about bringing the men and arms under his care up to snuff.  He also learns that there are hardly any horses in the area.  They seem to have disappeared to Scotland.

Carey also begins an investigation into the death of Sweetmilk.  He also has a cattle raid to deal with.  Having cut it off, some men are captured and the cattle recovered and returned to their owners.  Of course, Carey takes a fee.

However, this is only the start of issues.  Dodd’s own farm is raided and his horses are taken by Jock of Peartrees.  Carey promises Dodd and his wife Janet that he will get the horses back.  He also learns that the man behind the horse thefts is the Earl of Bothwell.  He plans on visiting him in disguise.

How will that turn out?  Author P. F. Chisholm’s first mystery in this series has the answer to that, also why there is a famine of horses, plus the answer to who killed Sweetmilk.  This was a rollicking good read, which I throughly enjoyed.

The Pilgrim of Hate

Spring of 1141 and the Bishop of Winchester has gathered his clergy together.  They are to make a decision with regards to the imprisoned King Stephen.  Basically the Bishop declares that his brother has made decisions that go against God, and the clergy must support Empress Maud.  However, the City of London is hesitant to let Maud in so that she can be crowned.

Mid-June was when the abbey at Shrewsbury celebrated Saint Winifred.  Many people would make the pilgrimage to honour her.  One of the pilgrims is Alice Weaver.  She’s in charge of her nephew and niece who are orphaned.  The nephew has an issue with one of his legs, and Alice hopes that the saint will help him.  Meantime she has come to Cadfael for something to relieve the pain that the lad is experiencing.  Once Cadfael examines Rhun, he feels that he might be able to help the lad.

Brother Adam has also come on pilgrimage. Like Cadfael, he has a herbarium, so they spend time together.  Adam warns Cadfael of one pilgrim, whom he feels could be a pickpocket and trickster.  Cadfael will share the warning with Sheriff Hugh Beringar.

The day before the celebration, one of the pilgrims is robbed of a very special ring.  Everyone who attended mass with the man showed his or her possessions, but none had the missing ring.  Others discover that they too, had been robbed.  Beringar plans a nighttime raid on the miscreants, but three of them escape his clutches.  The missing ring is found on the hand of a local goldsmith.  He thought that he had honestly bought it.

That same night, an envoy comes from the queen-elect.  Olivier de Bretagne asks Beringar to pledge allegiance to her, but understands when his refused.   Beringar maintains his loyalty to King Stephen.  Bretagne is also in search of a man who is to become heir of a murdered knight.  Could the missing man be a killer?  And what of Maud and the City of London?  

Author Ellis Peters’ mystery presents a killer, and a story of love.  Which will overcome the other?  Cadfael is hard pressed to solve this situation and author Peters doesn’t present the killer until late in the story.  A good, enjoyable read.

A Gift of Sanctuary

March 1370 and Owen Archer is on his way to southern Wales with his father-in-law, Sir Robert D’Arby, Brother Michaelo and Geoffrey Chaucer.  They are hoping to recruit archers because Charles of France is planning an invasion of England.

Having reached their destination of St. David’s Cathedral, Owen is summoned to meet the bishop.  He tells Owen of a body having been left at the cathedral’s gate earlier that morning.  Later in the day, the bishop tells Owen and Chaucer that the body had been identified.  He was the man that they were supposed to be meeting.  The bishop wants Owen to escort the body home.

Owen and Geoffrey will be accompanied by Father Edern.  Owen wonders why he needs to come along.  Having delivered the body, Owen wonders if the dead man’s father might have had something to do with his death.

Shortly after their arrival, the local priest is found battered to death.  He was wearing Fathere Edern’s cloak.  Could Edern have been the intended victim?  Edern is missing, and Owen doesn’t want another mystery on his hands.

However, author Candace Robb’s sixth book in this series does provide more mystery.  Owen is tangled up in a confusing tale of treachery, love and death.  How will he resolve it all?  For the answers to that, dear reader, read on!

Jerusalem

Saladin and thirty thousand Saracens are advancing north from Egypt.  Despite being outnumbered, Baudouin, King of Jerusalem,  decides to launch an attack.  Templar knight Mark is against it, while his compatriot, Rannulf is in support of it.  The Christians won a decisive battle, but it was costly for Rannulf because his friend Mark died as a result.

Back in Jerusalem, the new Marshall of the Templars, Gerard de Ridford accuses him of behaviour unbecoming the Templars.  Some men call for combat between the two, however Odo Saint-Amand offers them the chance for combat or the shaking of hands. Rannulf says that he can’t fight a soldier of Jesus, and offers his hand.  Fortunately, Ridford accepts it.  Later, the Preceptor, German de Montoya warns Rannulf to not trust Ridford.

Later in the year, the Saracens attack again.  This time the Templars are not so lucky.  They lose many men.  Following the battle, Rannulf is left in charge simply because he has been a Templar the longest.  Back in Jerusalem, Rannulf is made commander of the city.  Also in the city at this time is another group of knights under a man by the name of Kerak.  His knights are at odds with the Templars.

Some time after this, it would appear that the Saracens had retreated to Damascus.  The king king decides to offer a truce.  At the same time he tells his sister, Sibylla, that he is going to offer her hand in marriage to a prince from Europe if he leads a crusade and defeats the Saracens.  Rannulf is part of the delegation sent to Damascus.  Due to the plague in the city, a three year truce is agreed upon.

When the king dies from leprosy, he is replaced by his six year old nephew.  What follows is the fight to control Jerusalem.  What will the outcome be?  Who will be the ultimate winner and how many must die before the final outcome?

Author Cecilia Holland has taken the historical facts of this time period in the Middle East and written a powerful story, full of intrigue, battles, plague and treachery.  This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Abstainer

Manchester, November 12, 1867.  James O’Connor has been brought from Dublin to advise the local police on the Fenians.  Some don’t trust him.  Who is this Irishman, who has come to tell them how to do their jobs?

Three men are about to be hung.  O’Connor warns his superiors that, although things will be quiet to start with, there will be more drawn to the cause as a result.  The hung men will become martyrs.  He explains that his countrymen are poorly educated and the Fenians take advantage of that.

One of O’Connor’s informants tells him after  the hanging that a man is being sent over from America to wreak havoc.

Stephen Doyle, the man from America, arrives and learns that O’Connor is the Head Constable.  Once he has identified him, Doyle begins to stalk him.

A few days later, another American shows up.  It is Michael Sullivan; O’Connor’s nephew.  He is penniless and calls on O’Connor to lend him a hand to get on his feet in England.  Sullivan tells him about a man that he had met on the ship; a man who was obviously set on causing trouble.  O’Connor is sure that he had seen that very man speaking to his informant.

A few days later O’Connor is mugged.  A watch and some money is taken.  It isn’t until later when his informant disappears that he discovers some pages in his notebook have been cut out.  They contained the name of his informant plus two other names.  They later turn up dead.

Sullivan then offers his services to the police.  O’Connor is dead set against it.  However, there’s not much that he can do about it.  Sullivan discovers a plot that will use guns, but has no details about the plot.

The question is, what is the plot and can the police stop it?  How many more will die as the Irish try to avenge the death of their compatriots?

Author Ian McGuire’s story is one of vengeance, murder and struggles with conscience.  It has a surprising conclusion.  A good page turner from the beginning.

The Good Knight

Wales, 1143;  Gwen, her father and brother are on the way to the wedding of King Owain Gwynedd’s daughter. On their way, they come upon a massacre.  Twenty men and their horses are found dead on the road.  They also find that soldiers are already there.  Led by a knight by the name of Gareth.  He informs them that amongst the dead is the bridegroom - King Anarawd.

Gwen begins to examine the scene.  She notes that the king had been killed with a blade narrower than a sword.  Gareth points out that to would appear that the blade had a notch in it.

A few hours later, as the party moves on with the bodies, they are ambushed.  Fortunately, the battle goes in their favour.  It would appear that the ambushers are Irish Danes.  Who had hired them?  Gwen and Gareth ride on at night to inform King Owain Gwynedd.

At Aber, they first approach Hywel, son of the king.  When the three of them broach the news to the king, he immediately orders the arrest of Gareth.  He thinks that Gareth had been paid to lead the killers.  The following day, Gareth is poisoned.  Fortunately, Gwen has an antidote.  The day after that, the dead king’s body has disappeared.  What is going on?

The story that author Sarah Woodbury relates goes on to tell of treachery, double crossing, death, greed and love.  It is based on historical facts and a good read for fans of historical fiction.

The Man With Two Names

This is a story of Rome, narrated by Quintus Sertorius.  At the time of writing, he is considered an enemy of the state.  He wants his story to be a eulogy to Rome.

After his father dies, things change in their small rural community.  Needs be, Quintus sets off for Rome.  There he becomes the client of Gnaeus Caepio.  The evening of his arrival, a gathering of men occurs at the home of Caepio.  They begin plotting how to win the upcoming elections.

They want to oust Gaius Marius, also known as the Man with Two Names.

Meanwhile, Quintus’ friend, Lucius Hirtuleius had joined the army.  It didn’t take him long to realise that it would not be an easy life.  On his last day of training, he is called before General Gaius Marius.  There he was introduced to a Gaius Julius Caesar and several other notable officers.  He wondered why he was with them.  He quickly learned what was planned.  Lucius soon finds himself working for Marius.

When Marius’ candidate for election as consul is attacked, Lucius is injured in the melee.  He informs Sertorius that it was his patron who had ordered the attack.  Sertorius immediately changes his loyalty to Marius and sets in motion protection for Marius candidate, his son-in-law, Maximus, and his own family, which was now under threat because of his change in loyalty.

Maximus is elected consul, and shortly afterwards, sent to fight the Cimbri and Teutones.  Marius returned to the war in Africa, while Sertorius began to train as a tribune.  Finding that he knew nothing, Sertorius resigns his commission and trains as a regular recruit.  Once training was done and the weather warmed, Sertorius, under the leadership of Maximus headed for Gaul.

In his first battle, Sertorius is the first over the wall, and awarded the rank of centurion.  He also frees a slave woman, Arrea.  She pledges herself to him.

After he recovers from his wounds, Sertorius is shocked to find out that the son of his former patron is now headed to join them with two more legions.  His own is transferred over to control of Quintus Caepio; a man who considers both Sertorius and his brother Titus his enemies.

Could they trust Caepio?  What would happen if they entered battle with a very strong and determined enemy?  Author Vincent B. Davis III has the answers in the remaining pages.  Treachery, deceit and pride are the byword of the time.  A good read for fans of historical thrillers.

Dead Harvest

DI Ray Wilson has a bit of a bother on his hands.  A routine traffic stop of a lorry has netted half a dozen illegal immigrants and what appears to be an Egyptian coffin.  He turns to Karen Bowen at The Fitzwilliam in Cambridge for help.

A plate on what appears to be an Egyptian coffin has cuneiform script.  This puzzles Bowen and her aide, Salim.  Persians didn’t mummify their dead, and Egyptians didn’t use cuneiform.  Inside the coffin on the body is another plate, which states that the body is the daughter of Xerxes!

Bowen wants x-rays of the body.  The examination indicates that girl was under 22 at the time of death.  But, where is the heart?  It was normally left in place.

Do they have a treasure on their hands or a mystery of some sort?  Later Salim comes to the realisation that the name used was actually a Greek translation, which came later.  He thinks that they have a fake on their hands.  Upon closer examination of the coffin they discover a pencil mark.  Pencils weren’t invented until the 17th century!  The CT-scan reveals things that show the body isn’t ancient.  Wilson has a murder on his hands!

Dr. Graham Marr is called upon to the autopsy.  A severe spinal injury is discovered as is the cause of death - slash to the carotid artery.  Unfortunately it is going to take some time to gather more details.

Forensic analysis provides some answers and a fingerprint.  It belongs to a man with dual British and Turk nationality.  Wilson has history with the man behind the fingerprint. The man is a nasty piece of work.

A contact with Interpol tells Wilson that the man appears to have links to the black market in human organs.  Meanwhile Bowen discovers a coupe of magazine articles indicating other mummies had been offered to other museums.

With no support from his ACC, Wilson turns to the press.  Action explodes as a result.  Local police and Interpol become involved, and both Wilson and Bowen’s lives are in jeopardy.

Author Andrew Leatham has the reader on the edge of their seat as the pages turn from there on.  Tensions build as the ultimate conclusion is reached.  Leatham’s thriller is full of shock and awe.  This is an extremely good start to a series I look forward to reading.

Hidden in Plain Sight

DC William Warwick has just passed his exams and promoted to DS.  His commander, Hawksby has been given the authority to create an elite unit to get one particular drug baron behind bars.  The evening of his promotion, he is with DC Jackie Roycroft when she arrests Adrian Heath for drug possession.  DCI Lamont wants Warwick to question Heath and become friends with him so that they can get the drug investigation underway.

Heath is able to provide Warwick with a name, plus a time and place where the Viper, as the drug lord is known will be on a regular basis.  Hawksby’s team begin their investigation.  As it progresses, they know that they are in for a long haul.

However, the team also has another case on their hands.  A master criminal has been captured with a quantity of drugs.  His case must be tried, with Warwick’s father and sister acting as prosecutors.  

When the drug lord’s den is discovered, special plans must be laid to enter it and arrest him.  Will the team be successful?

Author Jeffrey Archer has written an intriguing mystery novel in this, the second of this series.  One would think that the author has the mind of a master criminal, the way the plot is developed and the surprises he has woven into the story.  I found this book hard to put down, and avidly await the next in the series.

Marbeck and the King in Waiting

The Queen is dying and Marbeck is feeling shut out of doing what he does best; gathering information for the Queen’s spymaster, Robert Cecil.  At the same time, he is asked by his lover, Lady Celia Scroop, to talk to her son, Henry, who, while at university, has taken up with a radical group of Puritans.

Lady Celia also hands a note to Marbeck, which she had been holding for him for a week.  A fellow intelligencer warns him that someone has told Cecil that Marbeck is working for the Spanish.  He tells him to go to Scotland and make himself available to King James, who is sure to be named the inheritor of the throne of England.

He promised Lady Celia that he would stop in Oxford on the way and speak to her son.  However, when he gets there, he finds that the lad has left university and gone to Oxford to follow Isaac Gow, who leads the radical Puritans.  When Marbeck speaks to Henry, he finds a lad in grief over his father’s death and completely in the grips of Gow.

In Cambridge he encounters Edward Poyns, another of Cecil’s intelligencers.  Poyns tells him of a conspiracy to put the Spanish Infanta and her Austrian husband on the throne, thereby bringing back the catholic religion.  The following morning news arrives that Elizabeth is dead, and James VI of Scotland will be James I of England.

As Marbeck learns more about Gow, he comes to the conclusion that Henry is involved in something more sinister than what he thinks.  Marbeck decides that his best course of action is to head to London.  There he meets with Prout, assistant to Cecil.  Prout arranges a meeting with two others; John Chyme and Llewelyn.  The four of them discuss a threat to the country.  It is agreed that Marbeck and Llewelyn will join the potential army of insurrectionists in Kent, while Chyme will go after Gow and seek out Henry.  Meantime, Prout will sift through messages coming in to Cecil.

Can Marbeck and Llewelyn stop the army from advancing on London before the Infanta arrives?  How will Chyme make out with getting Henry from the clutches of the fanatic, Gow?  Author John Pilkington has these answers and many more in this exciting historical novel.  It is full of action and a fun read.  I look forward to reading more of this author’s works.

Murder at Queen’s Landing

A murder of an accounting clerk by the docks in London occurred while Earl Wrexford and Lady Charlotte were dancing the night away.  Her foster son, Hawk, informs her that it had something to do with argentum, which is Latin for silver.

Wrexford is able to provide further details, which he had received from his friend, Griffin, who is a Bow Street detective.  Charlotte mentions the incident from the previous evening when she had inadvertently seen her friend, Cordelia, helping her brother clean up a wound to his hand.  At this point neither feels inclined to be involved in investigating the murder.

Some time later, Lady Cordelia has disappeared.  Kit Sheffield is quite upset about it.  Charlotte decides to do some investigation in her persona as Magpie.  This disguise allows her to meet with some of the lower levels of society.  Unbeknownst to her, her charges, Raven and Hawk, have begun their own investigation in concert with Sheffield.  The three of them are caught at it by Wrexford.  However, what they do learn is that money is involved.

The investigation leads them out into the country to a cottage near Wrexford’s estate.  However, when they approach the cottage, they find it empty.  However, later in the day, Lady Cordelia walks in on their afternoon meeting.  She quite surprises the group and then presents them with a conundrum that she and her brother are dealing with involving the East India Company.

Author Andrea Penrose isn’t finished with trouble for the intrepid detectives at this point.  Enter a professor with an ingenious calculating machine, and envoys from the Chinese Empire into the mix and Penrose has created an unusual mystery.  It will take all of the team; adults and children to solve the problems in front of them.  A very fast paced, good read.

The Riddle of St. Leonard’s

July 1369 and plague stalks the land.  Two men who had set themselves up as corrodians of St. Leonard’s have recently died.  Their homes now become property of St. Leonard’s.  However, the hospital of St. Leonard’s is in financial difficulty.  Don Erkenwald has now approached Owen Archer to tell him of thefts that the hospital has been experiencing.  Things are not going well for the hospital.

Later Owen and Magda Digby go out into the country to check on a farmer and his family.  They find them dead with the exception of an eleven year old girl.  Alisoun Ffulford disappears as soon as the rest of her family is buried.  As they return downriver, Magda smells smoke.  One of the houses at St. Leonard’s has burned and it’s occupant is dead.

The uncle of Bess Merchet had come to the aid of the dead man, but was struck on the head from behind.  He tells Bess that the dead man had also been struck.  Bess decides to consult with Owen.  Meanwhile, Richard de Ravenser has come to check out the financial situation of the hospital at St. Leonard’s.  In his room, he finds that his chess set and a pair of candlesticks are missing.  Have they been stolen along with other items belonging to St. Leonard’s?  He requests the help of Owen Archer.

Owen sets to with his investigation.  In need of some help, he turns to Bess to ask discreet questions.  Will her efforts be of help?

Author Candace Robb’s mystery involving St. Leonard’s hospital has an unusual twist to it.  The killers are found as is Alisoun’s ancestry inadvertently discovered.  A good quick read.

All Shall be Well

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid has come home from a long night.  He finds a nurse pounding on his neighbour Jasmine’s door, but there is no answer.  After picking the lock, they enter and find her dead.  Shortly after, her home care lady arrives.  She tells them that Jasmine had wanted to commit suicide before her health gave way. Kincaid realises that he now has to order a post mortem.

Later that day, Kincaid meets Jasmine’s brother, Theo.  Theo tells him that they were going to meet at the weekend.  He invites his DS, Gemma James to help him go through the flat of Jasmine.  He is sure that Jasmine hadn’t committed suicide.

The post mortem report indicates a lethal amount of morphine in Jasmine’s system.  Having heard from Jasmine’s lawyer about the beneficiaries of her will, Kincaid and Gemma have a few possible suspects for murder, if it was such.

As their investigation progresses, each suspect has a solid alibi.  Maybe it was suicide after all.  But, how?

Author Deborah Crombie has created a plot that gives the reader sympathy for the victim, yet at the same time understanding of the victim’s situation.  Crombie presents the conclusion as a surprise.  A good, quick read.  I am looking forward to reading the sequels.

Dead Man’s Ransom

1141, and King Stephen has been taken prisoner at the Battle of Lincoln.  His is turned over to his rival, the Empress Maud.  Also missing at the battle is Gilbert, Sheriff of Shropshire.  His deputy Hugh Beringar will have to take his place for now.  Not long after the battle, Sister Magdalen comes to visit Cadfael’s abbey.  However, her prime concern is to meet with Hugh.

She informs them that her priory had been threatened by a Welsh party following the battle at Lincoln.  They were returning home and hoped to plunder the priory.  However, the local men helped stave off the attack.  They also captured one of the Welshmen.  Sister Magdalen wants Hugh to come and take custody of the man.

The following day, Hugh comes to Cadfael to ask him to attend a wound the prisoner had suffered.  He claims to know know English, so Hugh wants Cadfael to gain some knowledge from the prisoner without him knowing that he knows Welsh.  It turns out that the prisoner is a cousin of Prince Owain Gwynedd.  Hugh thinks that he can exchange the lad for his sheriff.

Elis ap Cynan is an agreeable prisoner, and Cadfael sets out to get to know him.  Hugh also has work for Cadfael.  He sends him to Wales to arrange an exchange of prisoners. However, will Elis want the exchange to go ahead now that he has seen the beautiful Melicent, daughter of the sheriff?

At the home of Tudur ap Rhys, Cadfael meets Cristina, who is affianced to Elis, and his best friend Eliud.  It doesn’t take long for Cadfael to realise that there is more to the relationship of these three friends.

An exchange is agreed upon.  Later, the sheriff is brought to the abbey because he had been grievously wounded during the battle.  Unfortunately, that same day, the sheriff is dead.  Einon ab Ithel, who had brought the sheriff now declares the exchange null and void.  A dead man can not be exchanged for a live one.  Upon examining the body, Cadfael declares that he had been murdered!  Who entered the infirmary and killed the sheriff?

When it is found out that Elis had been in the sheriff’s room, Millicent immediately denounced him as the murderer.  How can Cadfael prove his innocence?  He and Hugh begin their search for the killer by examining the body.  Cadfael discovers threads in the nostrils and mouth of the dead man.  They point to a killer wearing expensive clothes.

One possible suspect disappears, however Cadfael doesn’t have much faith in him being much of a true suspect.  However, Hugh has to search for him.  And yet, that search is suspended when a threat comes to the north.  Hugh has to take soldiers to the north to work in concert with Prince Owain.   Cadfael will have to investigate on his own.

What will he find?  Are more deaths imminent?  Author Ellis Peters’ historical mystery is more a story of star crossed lovers than one of murder.  The killer comes as a surprise and justice is served.  A good quick read.

A Game for Assassins

A member of the CIA has come to Luxembourg to hire Juan Raul Marquez, aka the Catalan, to kill seven soviet agents.  Marquez agrees to the contract and begins planning.  He meets with his former partner, David Gioradze, in Vienna.  Gioradze is not one to turn down such an opportunity, despite living a relaxing life in Portugal.

Unbeknownst to Marquez and his CIA contact, his meeting had been recorded.  The spool of the recording was passed on to the SIS in Vienna.

Several weeks later, in London, the head of the SIS and five men met to discuss the taped recording.  They agree that it appears to be the Americans who are going to be targeting agents.  What to do?  

One of the men at the table outlines a British spy programme, which took some time to establish.  These are the people named on the tape, and in place have been feeding the Russians information and are now trusted by the Russians.  To suddenly pull all of them would make the Russians very suspicious.

One of the men at the table suggests eliminating the assassins before they can get to the agents.  Thus, Operation MACE is born.  The Redaction Unit will use one of its best men, Jack Grant.  Grant doesn’t take to be burdened with a young woman, Nicole Quayle, who has seen the faces of the two men thought to be the assassins.  They would be supported by a team of “Trackers”.  However, they need to get to work quickly because two agents have already been assassinated.

Grant and Quayle go to Paris, which will be their base of operations.  However, before long, they are sent to Marseille by the SIS.  It is here that the assassins have travelled under their aliases, which the SIS now know.  How will they find them in a large city?  Quayle manages to spot one of them, but is unable to follow him.  What to do now?  Can Grant and Quayle get the two assassins before they kill again?

Author James Quinn has written an excellent thriller that will have the reader on the edge of their seat as he takes you throughout Europe in the quest to get the quarry.  KGB and CIA agents will become involved, leading to a shocking conclusion.  An excellent read and very hard to put down.  A good reading start to 2021!