Sarah Hawkswood

Litany of Lies is the twelfth in the Medieval mystery series, Bradecote & Catchpoll by Sarah Hawkswood. Set in 1145 in England and with references to real events, somebody has murdered the steward of Evesham Abbey and and the Abbot, despite an ongoing feud between the Abbey and the Lord sheriff, has no choice but to call in Undersheriff Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpool, and Underserjeant Walkelin. The Abbot tells them that the steward had been a good man but, as they investigate, the trio show more learns he had many dangerous secrets that made him universally disliked providing a very large pool of suspects. Then another man is murdered and the three are forced to confront the Lord sheriff who holds not only their jobs but their lives in his hand and is only too happy to see their investigation fail if it causes problems for the Abbey.

This is a slow burn of a mystery but a very interesting one that grabbed my attention from the first page and kept it throughout. The mystery, itself, was intriguing and kept me guessing and the characters, many of whom are based on real people, were well-drawn but, for me, it was the fascinating look at life during Medieval times, the power struggle between Abbey and Castle, Lord and craftsmen, and the role and reality of women. Although this was the first book in the series that I have read, I felt it worked well as a standalone but I will definitely be looking to read more in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less

Midsummer Murder!

Once again Sarah Hawkswood serves up a juicy medieval mystery. Sheriffs jealous of Abbots! The clashing of power and feelings between William de Beauchamp, Lord Sheriff of Worcestershire, and Reginald Foliot, Abbot of Evesham, has history. It’s the underlying current that ebbs around their current investigation, the death of the Abbot’s steward, Walter.
Lord Undersherrif Hugh Badecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin are sent to uphold the Law and search show more for the killer.
The steward Walter had been found inside a new well being dug on monastery land. He’d been murdered.
Bradecote is called to hunt down the murderer and finds himself mired in community scandals on one side and the Lord Sheriff’s underlings on the other.
I loved the careful investigations of all three men as they stepped over and around the growing list of possible perpetrators. Although Hugh was not so careful when he came face to face with an old enemy, Rahere de Cormolain who’s in charge of the Bengeworth Garrison. Catchpoll thankfully quelled his lord Undersheriff. There’s definitely a story here!
Hawkswood’s splendid detail brought these 1154 communities to life. Their traditions and superstitions, the differing opinions, the bickering, all contribute to this well rounded medieval tale.

An Allison and Busby ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. show less

Every time a new Bradecote and Catchpoll title is released, I just want to skip about for a few moments tossing rose petals in the air. This series, set in 12th Century England, is currently in its twelfth volume—and every single one of them has provided an engaging, rewarding read.

At this point, there are three characters essential to each volume:
• Serjeant Catchpoll, who is (if I was forced to choose) the brains behind the series's investigative team—aging, worldly wise and weary, show more aware of the difference between law and fairness, and making the best of the situations her finds himself in.
• Undersheriff Bradecote, a very low-level member of the nobility and a bit of an idealist, who has learned a great deal in his years of working with Catchpoll. Bradecote may be higher ranking than Catchpoll, but he's smart enough to know that he is still learning from Catchpoll.
• Underserjeant Walkelin, the newest member of the team who started out as an easily flummoxed innocent, but whose perspicacity grows with each case.

In Litany of Lies, the three are investigating the death of an abbey steward. We quickly learn that our steward presented one face to the hierarchy within the abbey and quite another to the abbey's lay workers and tenants. The question is, who didn't want to kill him? Generations-deep feuds run among the crofters, which doesn't make ferreting out the truth any easier. There are tensions between the Abbey and the Sheriff, Bradecote's superior. And then another murder, clearly connected to the first takes place.

Hawkswood leads readers through this complex of possibilities deftly so that even as many new doors open, the central narrative remains solid. I particularly appreciate the care with which she explains the available research her novels are based on—along with the parts that she, as author, has chosen to create.

If you enjoy historical mysteries, you can pick up any volume in this series confident that you have an enjoyable reading experience ahead of you. And you don't necessarily have to read them in order. Hawkswood has an ability to build in context with a very light touch.

I received an electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. show less

The Bradecote and Catchpoll mysteries (and they've been joined at this point by Walkelin, even if he isn't getting title recognition yet) are a favorite of mine. The series is set in 12th Century Worcestershire during the civil war between Maud and Stephen—the same time period in which Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries are set. Bradcote is a very minor lord who serves upon demand as an undersheriff; Catchpoll is a sergeant who works with Bradecote; Walkelin is an undersargeant who show more entered the series several volumes ago as an apprentice to Catchpoll.

This is a series in which I would recommend reading the first volume first. That's the volume in which Bradecote and Catchpoll meet and gradually learn to respect and trust one another. Seeing the beginning of the relationship gives a sense of how far their partnership has come since then. The plotting has grown in complexity—and this has added to my enjoyment of the series. Originally, I read it primarily for the characters. Now character and plot both grab my attention.

In this volume, the trio are called to investigate the murder of a Knight Templar—and there are questions from the start. Where is his horse? Why does he have no defensive wounds? From there the story grows increasingly twisted, involving two families who have suffered immense losses and whose underlying values vary widely from individual to individual. The boys who find the corpse believe they've been chased by the the Raven's Wife—a legendary and menacing local figure—as they flee the scene. The deaths continue, though it's not clear if they're related.

If you enjoy historical mysteries this is a series you'll want to check out—and once you've done that, you'll almost certainly want to spend more time with Bradecote, Catchpoll, and Walkelin.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. show less