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.