Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Kregel Publications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
And now for a timely mystery:
Synopsis:
Master Hugh de Singleton is making his way toward Oxford when he discovers the corpse of a young Benedictine not half a mile from the nearby abbey.
The abbey's novice master confirms the boy's identity; it is John, one of three novices. He had gone missing four days previous, and yet his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death-the lad has been stabbed in the back. To Hugh's sinking heart, the abbot has a commission for him.
With realistic medical procedures of the period, droll medieval wit, and a consistent underlying sense of Christian compassion, the seventh in the chronicles of Hugh de Singleton will delight medieval history and crime fiction fans alike.
Review:
This 7th book in the Hugh de Singleton series!
Once again Master Hugh is at his intellectual best, bringing awareness to medieval times to the reader. All the returning characters have truly blossomed and come into their own with the end of this book. The reader fells like they know Hugh and his wife, and his friends, as if you were watching them on a reality show on TV!
But Medieval times were different, and it may seem a bit disconcerting to the reader to hear Hugh say they do not own a bible (something that we take for granted, with multiple versions in our own homes), and is willing to exchange his services to get one. That simple episode sets the book soundly in its time period and allows the author to help keep the reader's mind there as well.
This is a great book to reader before Easter, with it's references to scripture, a bible as an award, and changes in thought, in reference to faith. Plus it has a pretty decent mystery that is solved! I highly recommend this book, and the whole series, and am looking forward to book 8, Ashes to Ashes!
About the Author:
Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren. Check out the series website for more (http://melstarr.net/)
Giveaway:
One BTHM reader will win this review copy!
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