The Lady Chapel

It has been a little while since the previous adventure, and now Owen and Lucie are married. They are running Lucie’s apothecary and Owen is still her apprentice. Owen is feeling a little bored when a summons comes from the Archbishop. Owen is both intrigued and annoyed. He is secretly looking forward to a change of pace, but on the other hand he hates being beholden to the Archbishop (or anyone for that matter) and expects more time than he cares for will be spent away from his wife.

Turns out a member of the guild of wool merchants was brutally murdered and his hand removed inside the jurisdiction of the Archbishop and it was witnessed by a little boy. The man was courting the boy's mother. Shortly after that his mother died as well. show more So the orphan feared the murderers coming for him since he was the only witness and decided to disappear.

While Owen is receiving his assignment, Bess the innkeeper next door to Lucie’s apothecary, brought in a severed hand, assuming it is the missing hand of the victim. It was found in the room of another wool merchant who paid for his lodging and left that morning.

Owen has his hands full trying to find the murderer and there are not many clues, on top of the fact the only witness to the deed disappeared. Owen spends some time interviewing several people who knew the victim best and would have the best idea of who would have a grudge against him.

When the next victim turns up, it looks to be a bit bigger plot. Unfortunately the second victim was much more important person who had made some real enemies in the Wool trade. Some turned out to be very powerful people indeed.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I have the next several sitting on my shelf waiting to be read! I’ll be reviewing them as I finish them. These are great mostly cozy mysteries that take place in England back in the 14th Century. Good author, fun stories and I recommend this series! show less

Owen Archer has given up his spying life and settled in at York, an apprentice apothecary to his wife Lucie. But he still owes the Archbishop and so is drawn into a murder investigation that will lead him into unsavory motives—greed, sex, and power—at the highest levels. Compared to the first novel in the series, the mystery is much more involved; indeed, I found it hard to follow at times and couldn’t quite get into all the concern about wool merchants. On the other hand, characterization remains a strength. As someone whose past centered on drawing a bow and following orders, Archer is undergoing something of a moral and intellectual awakening. His relationship with Lucie, too, is moving, lively and passionate.

I picked this book up, on a whim, from the browsing section of the library. I have not read many mysteries - but I was intrigued by this one. I wondered what a Medieval Murder Mystery would be like. I've got my qualms about historical fiction in which the characters have mysteriously modern sensibilites for medieval people (I've griped about this often in the last few years - The Canterbury Papers comes to mind) so I was concerned that I was just getting myself into another situation in which I'd be disillusioned and unhappy with the book.

I never really felt like I was getting a medieval literary experience with this book. But that wasn't a bad thing at all - it was completely enjoyable. The book begins from the perspective of a young show more boy who works for an acting troupe on Corpus Christi. He witnesses a murder (a murder most foul!) and so begins our story. Owen Archer is a retired soldier who would rather be working in his wife's apocathery shop...but he has unfortunately gained the trust of the Archbishop Thoresby, who puts him in charge of the investigation into the murder (most foul!).

It wasn't hard to figure out who were the bad guys in this mystery, but it didn't become apparent to me WHY the murder (most foul!) happened. I enjoyed the relationship between Owen and his wife, Lucie; Owen and Thoresby; Lucie and her friend Bess; and hoping that Jasper (the boy who goes into hiding after witnessing the murder...most foul) makes it out of the fray in one piece.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. This is the second in the series - I didn't know that when I picked it up. Apparently the first book, Apothecary Rose, introduces how Owen and Lucie get together, as well as goes into how Owen wound up in the service of the Archbishop. I enjoyed these relationships - I wish I'd have read the first book before picking this one up. And I hope the author writes more! show less

The Lady Chapel is the second in Cadace Robb’s series featuring Owen Archer—Welsh bowman and apprentice apothecary—and his wife, Lucie Wilton. Here, it is 1365, and a wool merchant is murdered near York Minster, his throat slit and the only witness an eight-year-old boy. The solution to the problem which doesn’t come easily for our unusual hero, involves the international wool trade, as well as King Edward III himself and his mistress, the wily Alive Perrers.

The writing style of this novel is a little dense, especially when talking about the politics of the time period. I also got the feeling that the speech patterns of the characters were a little anachronistic. The strength of the Owen Archer books lies in their plots, show more usually centering around something much larger than would appear at first, and The Lady Chapel is no exception. Robb does a great job intertwining the historical places and figures with the fictional. The best part of this series is, however, the characters; Owen and Lucie are compelling enough that they’re worth staying with for future novels. show less

I picked this up on a free books shelf at a friend's house and after finishing it, I ran out and got all of the Owen Archer books. This book is entertaining for the suspenseful plot, natch, but also engrossing for the great characters and vivid setting.

1365 York and the day of the Corpus Christi procession. A man is killed and a young boy is a witness who now is in danger. Then there is another death. Archbishop Thorseby instructs Captain Archer to investigate.
Another enjoyable well-written mystery in this series

"The Lady Chapel" is a 13th. murder mystery. It has court & political intrigue and more than enough murders to satisfy anyone. For some, justice is quick, while for some others crimes are deliberately forgotten. I had trouble with the time frames during sequences of events. Events out of sync and sequences cut short to start another thread.