1361, York. As the country attempts to recover from the Hundred Years’ War with France, nobleman and commoner alike start to have another concern: whispers that the pestilence, one of the ultimate equalizers, has returned to England. But murder stops for nothing, and Sir Ralph de Mandeville, ex-solider and newly appointed Justice of the Peace, is sent to just outside York to investigate the murder of Coroner Sir Boderick de Whitby.
More deaths quickly follow, and while these are claimed as some to be plague victims, Sir Ralph and his two assistants Merek and Peter soon grow to suspect something altogether more horrifying.
As plague panic sets in and the lines between plague and murder blur, Sir Ralph is thrust into a desperate race against time. For every shadow may hide a potential killer, and the threat of the plague hovers over all. And then, on top of everything else, the Black Rood of Scotland, said to contain a piece of the True Cross, goes missing from the abbey it was stored in. Can Ralph solve all these mysteries before plague (or murder) takes the solution from his hands?
It wasn’t a bad little mystery, it could just do with a little more editing. The writing style was also a little on the simplistic side, as well as being incredibly exposition heavy. You have to be okay with a historical murder mystery that is heavier on the history (and the medical information) than the mystery. I am so glad that everyone decides “Whelp! I’m captured; better go into a true villain’s monologue where I detail every inch of my incredibly complex plan”. A plan that is, in fact, so complex and perfect and unsolvable, that once you solve one part, it all falls likes dominoes.
Ralph, Peter, and Merek seem like affable, inoffensive protaginists, and their interactions are a highlight of the book. I also appreciated that Moray blurs the class lines between them, and makes Peter and Merek (clerk and soldier that they are respectively), intelligent and capable in their own rights; Ralph is not the only person finding clues, figuring things out, and not having to be thrown on his back to get his shoes on his feet.
Glad everyone (including Marion) is so quick to forgive Osbert; I personally would have held one heck of a grudge: my dude, that is not how you treat your wife. The three main villains in this book all seemed like they were one step away from Scooby Doo.
Honoria (actually, all the women other than Polly and Marion) came across as stereotypical over-sexed females who need a big strong man (who they’re subservient to because he gives it to them good) to do the thinking for them. So that is a problem area in this book; the people are very realistically written, even if at times it comes across as a tad sexist. Lots of facial hair stroking in this book; when people are thinking, when they’re brooding, even when they’re just standing there; there is going to be a hand in a beard. This book also introduces a new religious concept: Asmodeus, demon king of lust and gambling, also doing double-duty as potential AntiChrist; bold take on shaking up Scripture.
Also love that there are no extraneous characters; everyone introduced is done so with good reason and purpose, and there are no “the antagonist is someone introduced at the reveal in the final act”. Murder mystery part of the book a little light, mostly of the story is concentrated on the plague and the antagonists’ evil plot. Also, for a main character Ralph de Mandeville is possibly the character with the least amount of page time. Can tell Moray is a retired General Practitioner (and probably a history enthusiast), because medical and historical facts are chock-a-block here.
Wouldn’t mind continuing this series on a book by book basis, especially since as of now there are only supposed to be four books in totality. I do wonder if we are going to continue with the “detection by touching memento mori necklace to commune with ghost of dead wife” angle in future installments. And how did that piece of wood fit so neatly into that cross, and how did it stay there? Which I guess you’re not really supposed to think about, because other than that this has a neat little wrapped up ending. There is also a helpful glossary at the back of the book in case there are some words you might not know in the text. I would recommend this book to fans of Historical Mysteries.
