history Corner/ Book Review: Deeds of Darkness by Mel Starr

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge,from kregel book tours,, 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,  all opinions are my own.

Hugh de Singleton is back, leading back to the Medieval England!

Synopsis:

To bring justice, Master Hugh must foil the corrupt power of great men

Many medieval scholars discontinued their university studies before completing their degree. Some lacked funds; others became bored with a scholar's life. Occasionally these young men formed lawless bands, robbing and raping and creating chaos. They were called goliards.

In Deeds of Darkness Master Hugh learns that the Bampton coroner, an old friend, has been slain while traveling to Oxford. As he seeks the killer (or killers) he discovers a band of goliards in the area between Oxford and Bampton. But how to apprehend these youths? They have protectors far above Hugh's station. He must deal with the claims of justice on the one hand and the power of great men to protect their henchmen on the other.

Review:

It's hard to believe this is book 10 in the series! When I read the first book, I didn't see how the series would get beyond 3-4 books, but Mel has surprised me! She has found a way to make medieval England not only interesting, but by keeping to the vernacular and setting, she keeps giving us a walk back in tine! By keeping familiar characters, but adding new ones, Mel has found a way to keep adding to Hugh's world, expanding it and allowing for more escapades to come Hugh's way to solve!Sometimes the 14th century words can stump you, but generally you can figure out their context. Once again, there is a solid page turner mystery for Hugh to solve, and it is a great tenth book for the series, and I highly recommend them for the history mystery lover!

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.