Deeds of Darkness by Melvin Starr

December 26, 2021

Deeds of Darkness by Melvin Starr

When the Bampton coroner is found dead on the Oxford road, surgeon and bailiff Hugh de Singleton is tasked with finding the killer. He soon discovers that there is a band of goliards committing crimes in the area of Bampton Castle. Hugh must find the killer and bring justice for the coroner's family.

Goliards were medieval students or clerics who, for a variety of reasons, did not complete their studies. It may have been a matter of funding or boredom or poor scholarship or loss of patronage. Many of the goliards were younger sons of wealthy or noble families. While many goliards were traveling musicians, some formed gangs that went on crime sprees. Their prominent families them from punishment.

This is #10 in the Hugh de Singleton series. While the mysteries are relatively simple, the daily customs, characters, and atmosphere are the real draw of this historical mystery series. You can get lost in the 14th century - other series that take you back to the Middle Ages are the Crispin Guest noir mysteries and the Matthew Shardlake books.

Goliards

Lucifer's Harvest by Mel Starr

September 25, 2021

Lucifer's Harvest by Mel Starr

Prince Edward (aka Edward of Woodstock, known to us as the Black Prince) is raising an army to go to France to win back English territory taken by the King of France. Lord Gilbert Talbot is required to provide soldiers for Edward's army, and he wants his surgeon, Master Hugh de Singleton, to accompany him and his men. Hugh's old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is also with the army. When Sir Simon is found dead, Hugh finds himself as both suspect and sleuth as he must work to clear himself of the crime.

Shorter than previous books in the series, but Hugh gets a lot done in fewer pages. Great characters in this series as well as solid historical research. This is the ninth book in the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

Tomb of Edward of Woodstock

The Abbot's Agreement by Mel Starr

April 14, 2021

The Abbot's Agreement by Mel Starr

Surgeon and bailiff Hugh de Singleton is en route to Oxford to purchase a Bible when he finds the body of a young Benedictine monk. The novice master at the nearby abbey confirms that the body is one of their novices. Plague has been in the area recently but the boy did not die from the Black Death: he was murdered, stabbed in the back. The ailing abbot strikes a bargain with Hugh: if he will take on the task of finding the murderer, the monks in the abbey scriptorium will make a Bible for him.

But this is more than a murder for money or revenge. As Hugh investigates the boy's background and the other monks, a more serious conspiracy surfaces, one that will affect the abbey's very existence. Hugh soon begins to wonder if the promised reward of a costly Bible is worth the danger.

The seventh outing for Hugh de Singleton is an interesting mystery and will keep you guessing. But the series' real beauty is the historical context and the picture of daily life in the Middle Ages. At one point, Hugh speaks with the dying abbot about the afterlife and forgiveness, topics that we take for granted but that were considered heretical at the time. As one monk tells Hugh, if there is no purgatory, then no one would pay the monks to pray for the souls of their beloved dead, and the abbey's revenue stream would dry up. Highly recommended for readers of historical mysteries.

Stained glass window depicting Benedictine monks in the scriptorium

Rest Not in Peace by Mel Starr

March 2, 2020

Rest Not in Peace by Mel Starr

When a visiting knight complains of not being able to sleep, surgeon and bailiff Hugh de Singleton prescribes a sleeping draught of crushed lettuce seeds.  When the knight is found dead the next morning, his widow quickly accuses Hugh of murder.  To clear his reputation, Hugh must solve the crime and identify the true killer.  As Hugh begins his investigation, the suspect pool grows rather than shrinks as he learns more about the dead knight's family and personal life.

This is the 6th book in the Hugh de Singleton series set near Oxford in the 14th century.  The books are entertaining, well-researched historical mysteries, with a recurring cast of characters.  Hugh is an accomplished surgeon who gets to do a lot of surgery and doctoring in this one.  The younger son of a knight, he is a thinking man who acts slowly when performing his duties as a bailiff, since it was easy to get the wrong man hanged in the 14th century.  The author does a great job of portraying life in medieval England, from what's for supper to what people are wearing to how a doctor went about his job to the difference among the classes and family life.  I appreciate the glossary of terms no longer in use.  Readers who enjoy a gentler read (no sex, murder takes place off stage) and a well-written, well-thought out mystery will enjoy Hugh's adventures.