A Plague on Both Your Houses

Matthew Bartholomew is part of a procession involved in the burying of Sir John Babington, the Master of their College, Michaelhouse.  He had died as a result of suicide and must be buried in unconsecrated land.  Matthew is not impressed when Thomas Wilson says a few words.  Wilson had been one to disagree and contest anything that Babington did.  Wilson became Master a week later.

Sir John had been in the process of writing a book on the law.  He was enthusiastic about the topic, so why had he ended his life?

While at the meal celebrating Wilson’s appointment, a monk comes to Matthew to tell him that one of the commoners who lived at Michaelhouse had died.  When Matthew exams the body he can’t find anything, but he discovers something unusual under the bed.

The following morning, an incident occurred, which set a whole new light on the death.  A commoner in the room next to the dead man has been murdered.  What’s going on?  Matthew and Brother Aelfrith begin an investigation into what has happened.  Aelfrith tells Matthew of a conspiracy of Oxford scholars to cause the downfall of the university in Cambridge.  This could be what is behind the deaths.

However, the bishop suppresses any thoughts of an investigation.  The story stalls, and by December the plague has arrived in Cambridge.

Would the plague stop the mysterious deaths?  Author Susanna Gregory’s mystery filled story does have plenty more deaths - and they for the most part are related to the plague.  However, there is also plenty of treachery, conspiracy and greed involved.  Matthew has more than the plague to deal with, which puts not only his life, but also the lives of his loved ones in jeopardy.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.  

As Matthew deals with the plague, one cannot help but relate it to the current Covid situation.

The Rhythm Section

Keith Proctor has approached a prostitute by the name of Lisa.  When he calls her Stephanie Patrick, he ends up getting beaten.  The following day he speaks to her again.  This time he mentions the fact that she had lost her parents and two siblings when a plane crashed in the Atlantic.  He also tells her that it was no accident.

And so begins the narrative of Stephanie Patrick.  At twenty-two, she was a hardened woman.  An incident with a john, forces her to run from her pimp, and turn to Proctor for help.

Once she is with him, she turns reluctant to stay, even after he outlines what he knows about the crash that killed her family.  The man who had put the bomb on the flight is living in London.  He doesn’t know who it is, but an agent with MI5 has provided him with information.  Can she trust Proctor?  Can he trust her?

After recovering from a bout of flu, Stephanie studies the material Proctor has available.  She begins to trust him, but one evening she’s upset by him and leaves his flat.  When she returns, she finds him dead and the flat tossed.  She grabs his hidden laptop and floppy disks and makes a run for it.  She then sets to work.

All her plans are for nought when she is intercepted as she is about to put her plans into play.  She is then disappeared and re-made.

What ensues is a fantastic story, a real thriller.  You will find it very hard to put this book down!  Top notch!  Author Mark Burnell has hit it out of the park with this thriller; I can hardly wait to get my hands on the sequels.

The Herald of Hell

May, 1381 and tensions are building in England.  Fourteen year old Richard II is the king, under the regency of his uncle, John of Gaunt.

At his church in St. Erconwald, Athelstan is watching a rehearsal of a midsummer play, when Sir John Cranston’s messenger, Tiptoft approached telling him that his presence is requested at the Gokden Oliphant.  Upon arrival there, he finds turmoil, which could turn into one of the young women being lynched.  Fortunately, Athelstan is able to prevent that from happening.

Further investigation reveals that a man has been hung inside the brothel.  The victim had worked for Thibault, one of Gaunt’s men.  Thibault presents Athelstan with a note the victim had written.  It states that he had heard the Herald of Hell outside his house, so rather than wait for death, he would die of his own choosing.

Thibault tells them that the victim was carrying a secret manuscript.  He has been unable to find it.  However, Athelstan knows where it might be hidden, and does find it.  Thibault wants Athelstan to translate the secret document.  He thinks that it contains plans for the upcoming rebellion.  Athelstan suspects murder rather than suicide.  On the other hand, how could it be murder?  The room was locked on the inside and the window was sealed.

Later, Athelstan receives a warning that there is someone amongst the Upright Men, who is going to approach the young king and kill him.  Cranston is also made aware of this situation.  Why has Gaunt headed to the Scottish Marches at this unstable time?

It is going to take Athelstan some time to get to the crutch of the matter.  How many will die before he solves the killing?  Author Paul Doherty has written a tangled tale of murder, conspiracy and death, which build up to the peasants’ march on London.  A very good read full of tension.  How will those under threat survive?  I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see if the answers reside there.

Murder on the Lake

Skelgill is out attempting to fish on Derwentwater during a bit of a blow without having any luck.  He pulls into the lee of Grisholm, a small islet.  There he sees a woman who calls for help.  She is with eight others on a writing retreat.  One of their company has died and they have no method of communication.

Having met with the rest of the people inside the building on the islet, he finds that they have no idea how the man died other than a possible heart attack.  He returns to the dock to retrieve his phone and flashlight from his boat, only to find that it is gone!

Fortunately the following morning the boat is found and DS Leyton and DS Jones both arrive with help to rescue the stranded crew.  However, they find that a woman is dead from amongst the group.  They now have two dead bodies.

Back at the office, Leyton informs Skelgill that there is no organisation that supposedly put the retreat together.  There seems to be more questions than answers as they look into the deaths.  A trip to London by Skelgill and his two sergeants discovers basically nothing.  However, an incident in London results in Skelgill being put on leave.

How will the cases be resolved now?  Author Bruce Beckham has provided a good number of suspects in this mystery, and surprisingly the solution will come as the result of a fishing expedition.  Another quite enjoyable and entertaining read.

Limelight

Inspector James Blakely of Scotland Yard has approached Miss Penny Green one evening in London to inform her that the actress Lizzie Dixie has been murdered.  Green is shocked to hear that because Lizzie Dixie had drowned five years earlier on the Princess Alice when it had sunk in the Thames in 1878.

Green has been let go as a reporter from the Morning Express due to the influence of the Commissioner of Scotland Yard.  Blakely promises to put in a few good words with the commissioner if Green agrees to help him.  He will also give her exclusive access to information about the case.  However, she declines on the grounds that there is no chance of being reinstated as a reporter.

Green decides to do some investigation on her own into why Lizzie had disappeared for five years only to reappear to be murdered.

Fortunately, Green is offered her old job back, but she doesn’t get the task of reporting the story about Lizzie.  She begins to work with Inspector Blakely, who takes her to the place that Lizzie had been murdered.  Why had she hidden for five years and why would someone kill her now?

After an explosion on a train in the underground, on which Green was travelling, she receives a letter warning her to stay out of the investigation.  Is it a warning about the bombing or about Lizzie’s murder?

The tenor of the investigation changes when Lizzie’s daughter, Annie, is shot while performing a horse riding act.  Fortunately, it is just a shoulder wound, but her back and neck are also hurt in the fall from the horse. Why was she targeted?  Is it the same person who shot and killed Lizzie?

Not long after this, Blakely is taken off the case, and replaced by Chief Inspector Cullen.  Will Cullen be able to find the killer?  

Author Emily Organ’s first mystery in this series is a good puzzler.  The killer comes as a bit of a surprise.  A good quick read.

Murder on the Edge

DI Daniel Skelgill and DS Emma Jones have successfully put another case to bed, and are having breakfast when DS Leyton informs them that a climber has died north of Keswick.  Skelgill immediately attends the scene and orders in a scene of crime team.  The dead man doesn’t have appropriate climbing clothes nor climbing gear other than a rope, which is wrapped around his neck.

If he’s not a climber, how did he get there, and why are there no injuries, which would go with a fall?  When Skelgill  goes to the victim’s home, he finds nothing that will help.  An old crone that lives nearby tells him that witches have taken him.

The pathology report indicates that the victim died of asphyxiation, and not by the rope around his neck.

Then another body is found in similar circumstances.  Skelgill quickly determines that the rope around the neck of this man is from the same climbing rope.  From the length of the rope used on the two victims, DS Leyton points out that there could be two more victims to come.

Fortunately, they manage to identify both bodies.  The only things that they have in common is that they are loners and neither is a climber.  DS Jones suggests that there might be a sexual aspect to the killings.  Skelgill is unsure what to make of that idea.

Then a third body is discovered.  Once again the body has the same rope on it.  DS Leyton wonders if the local tarns play a role as each body has been found near one.  Who is next on the list of the killer?

Author Bruce Beckham has hinted at who the killer might be, but not the why.  DI has an idea, but it may mean that his life will be in jeopardy.  Beckham has the solution as to how Skelgill will get out the mess before his chief hands the case over to DI Smart.  A good quick read in this series.

Leave the Grave Green

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid has been sent to the rainy, wet Chiltern Hills because a body has been pulled out of a lock in the canal.  He had been strangled before being tossed in the canal.  His parents-in-law are musicians of some standing, therefore the reason that Scotland Yard has been called in.

It doesn’t take long for Kincaid to learn that the victim’s wife despised him.  The following morning he is joined by his DS, Gemma James as they begin the investigation.

The pathologist informs Kincaid that the victim did not die by drowning.  Indeed he was likely dead well before he went into the water.  So, did he die by accident, or was he pushed?

Author Deborah Crombie presents four potential suspects as Kincaid and James continue their investigation.  However the true culprit isn’t found until the last moment.  A good, quick read.