Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge,from Kregel Publishing, 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 a trip back to medieval England, for History Corner!
Synopsis:
The morning after the festivities of Midsummer's Eve, the villagers of Bampton make a grisly discovery
Master Hugh, Kate, and their children attend the Midsummer’s Eve fire. The next morning Hugh hears the passing bell ring from the Church of St. Beornwald, and moments later is summoned. Tenants collecting the ashes to spread upon their fields have found burned bones.
Master Hugh learns of several men of Bampton and nearby villages who have gone missing recently. Most are soon found, some alive, some dead. Master Hugh eventually learns that the bones are those of a bailiff from a nearby manor. Someone has slain him and placed his body in the fire to destroy evidence of murder.
Bailiffs are not popular men; they dictate labor service, collect rents, and enforce other obligations. Has this bailiff died at the hand of some angry tenant? Hugh soon discovers this is not the case. There is quite another reason for murder . . .
Review:
Once again Master Hugh is back to solve the latest mysterious death, or is it? This time Hugh faces his greatest opposition yet, and finds himself facing his toughest foe, as he seeks to find justice for the deceased and other villagers. I found the mystery here to be tangled, with interesting overtones, that possibly sets up the reappearance of characters to the next book. This is an interesting step back in time, and once again Mel does an amazing job of recreating the middle ages in character and setting.Forgo the glossary of words and step back into time, and check those that you need to- you might be surprised at how many you actually know, or can figure out by context! Proof that we haven't strayed too far from our roots! This is an enjoyable read, so don't miss the historical series!
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!
Comments
Post a Comment