The Killing Way

"The Killing Way" by Tony Hays:. The Arthurian story was a bit different from those I've read over the years, focused more upon the down and dirty of politicking and power plays. The story played out well, but I found it less than satisfying. I know that the bad guys don't always get there just desserts, especially in maintaining the balance of power, but political expediency just wasn't satisfying in this case.

Besides, I'm not convinced that getting your political enemies out of the way by putting them on guard duty at a far border with your 'real' enemies is especially wise. A bit like inviting one set of invaders in (the Saxons in this case ) to fight off other invaders and then getting mad when they turn on you.

This novel is set during a period after the last Roman Legions left Briton but there are still memories of Roman ways and the Britons are attempting to keep the Saxons at bay and some elements of law and civilization alive. As the story begins the Consilium of Breton leaders is gathering to choose a Rigotamos (or High King) to replace the retiring Ambrosius Aurelianus. The meeting is to be at Castellum Arturius, the stronghold of Lord Arthur, and various lords and their followers have gathered there.

One night a murder occurs and at first the evidence seems to point to the elderly Merlin. Arthur wants to save his old teacher but he also wants to find the truth. Malgwyn ap Cuneglas is ordered to investigate and to discover Eleonore's show more murderer. Although Malgwyn, a one armed veteran of the war with the Saxons, has no great love for Arthur he does have a personal interest as Eleonore was his deceased wife's sister. It soon becomes clear that there is more to this than meets the eye and the outcome of the election depends on the mystery being solved.

We meet many of the traditional characters from the Arthurian legends: Kay, Bedevere, Guinevere, etc. but this is not the Medieval Court of Knights, Ladies, quests, and tournaments. Instead we have the Britons' struggles against the Saxons and the clash of the new religion of the Christ with the old one of the Druids.

I enjoyed this novel more for its characters and setting than for the puzzle. It was an interesting take on what an historical Arthur and his times might have been like. I'll be on the lookout for its sequel which, unfortunately, my local library does not have. show less

A good historical mystery set in the court of King Arthur. This is not the refined court of Tennyson’s King Arthur but the rough and tumble world of the 5th or 6th century. Arthur seems set for being elected Rigotamos, king of the Britons, when Merlin is accused of the ritual murder of a young girl. Mad Malgwyn, a one armed scribe and estranged former lieutenant of Arthur, is asked to investigate. The mystery is pretty good and there are a lot of interesting and colorful characters and detail plus a good bit of action.

At Castellum Arturius, shortly before Arthur is to be elected ruler of Britain, a murder is committed putting Arthur in an awkward position when Merlin is accused of the crime. Arthur turns to Malgywn to investigate. A former soldier, the one armed Malgywn is not fond of Arthur. He would have preferred to die fighting the Saxons who had taken his wife's life but all they got from him was his arm. He hates Arthur for rescuing him when death was all he craved. Malgywn, now a drunk who prefers to spend his time whoring and waiting for an early death, is not thrilled with the investigator role Arthur assigns him but has no choice. When he finds out that his dead wife's sister, Eleonore, was the one found murdered, the case takes on a show more personal tone for him.

With his leadership role at stake, Arthur is in a hurry to have the murder solved but Malgywn tells him at the start that he'll take as long as he needs to finish his investigation and won't be swayed when it comes to the guilty. Although he doesn't believe Merlin capable of murder, he keeps going back to him letting Arthur know things won't be as clean and easy as he wants them to be. When a second woman shows up dead and a suspect goes missing, Malgywn gets pulled deeper into a world he tried for many years to fade out of.

The story moves fast and so does the investigation giving readers a look at the political landscape and the battles Arthur faces as the new leader of Britain. I liked the character of Malgywn, he's gruff, mean-spirited, but fair. He also turns out to be kinder than one imagines; an old farmer, widower, and soldier who cares more than he wants to admit or believe. He doesn't think he has much to gain but knows that Arthur has a lot to lose. In the end, he only wants to find the truth knowing he can't let down either Eleonore or the memory of his wife.

It's a short book, 264 pages only, and moves incredibly fast. It's entertaining and the mystery takes a few turns before all is revealed in the end although for hard-core mystery readers, you'll probably figure things out fairly quickly. I don't read many mysteries but I did enjoy this one and the setting which was a nice change from the rather Sherlock Holmesy feel I get with most mysteries. show less

Yet another story about Arthur (a subject that fascinates me!)
This one is quite different in that Arthur is in the story, but really plays a very small part in it!
This is a "who done it" Two women have been killed in a very hidious way, and Malgwyn a one time friend of Arthurs, and now a one armed drunk, who is determined to drink himself to death, until Arthur steps in and askes him to solve the mystery of who killed them.
I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story, reminding me in many ways of C J Sansoms mysterys.

A real disappointment. In the subgenre of contemporized legends, fairy tales and literary classics, this tale's setting is Castellum Arturius, where a mature Arthur is the next designated Rigotamos or high king - chosen by the aging Ambrosius but still needing confirmation by the other lords of the consilium. Such an approach has an authentic quality but lacks the richly entangled relationships that characterize most Arthurian legends. Merlin is simply a once-respected but now a bit foolish old man, framed for murder by anti-Arthur conspirators. Bitter, one-armed Smiling Malgwyn, or Mad Malgwyn as some call him, must solve the crime. The narrative's linguistic rhythm follows the patterns we associate with these legends, but the story show more unfolds in a tediously repetitive manner that drains away its life. First in a series, but not one I'll follow. show less

Nice mystery, does a good job of making the characters human and not mythic heroes. Malgwyn has potential as a protagonist. The settings feel realistic, the pacing is good.