The Lions of the North

r intrepid commissioners reviewing the entries for the Domesday Book are joined by an extra commissioner as they head for York, still suffering the aftereffects of the Harrying of the North. Their new colleague is murdered in York but how and why?

Given the information presented about the general situation in York, it was fairly obvious what was going to happen, but it was more difficult to work out who was on what side and who was just out for themselves.

I am really enjoying Edward Marston's Domesday series. This is the fourth book in the series. As its predecessors, this one is true to the period, and Marston seems to capture the sights and sounds of England right after William the Conqueror. I did not find the mystery as intricate this time though. I found it easy to figure out the who and the why fairly early, but I still enjoyed the book. I like Marston's recurring characters very much. The book is set in the north country (York), and Gervase and Ralph along with Canon Hubert and their scribe Brother Simon have a new judge in their midst, who appears to have been appointed by King William. But there is more to Tanceld than there seems to be, and of course murder occurs. Gervase and show more Ralph find themselves at risk as they pursue this particularly rutheless murderer. show less