The Tinner's Corpse

Fifth in the “Crowner John” medieval mystery series featuring Sir John de Wolfe, the King’s Coroner of Devon UK in the 1190’s. This episode features the tin mining industry and spotlights the importance of tin to the county and the realm at that time. When a foreman-type is brutally beheaded in a stream near the tin works he oversaw in Cragmoor and discovered next morning by his workers, Crowner John is called in to investigate, even though the Stannery (sort of like the tin workers union) has their own governing body and laws. Those laws don’t cover things like murder, so John leaves his ever-grumbling wife for yet another trip into the countryside with his two faithful assistants and soon he, Gwyn and Thomas find out just show more how fraught with competition and malice the guild can be. In side plots, John’s wife Matilda and her brother the Sheriff plot to hire another coroner (the county is supposed to have three, but for the time being, John is it!) so John needn’t be away from home so much. And John’s longtime mistress and main squeeze Nesta has gone cold on him as well, realizing just how hopeless her situation is, being with a man she can never marry and in a relationship that will never be more than what it is. This book was okay, but I found myself cringing occasionally because the author was constantly making known just how “grumpy” our Crowner is, using phrases/words like “John barked,” or “the Crowner growled,” or “he snapped,” etc. and it got repetitive enough that each time one of those (or similar) words was used, I cringed. LOL I also wasn’t terribly fond of the ending, but can’t say more lest I give too much away. show less

An exciting, accurate, historical mystery. Well crafted, always love Knight's characters and their interactions. One of his best so far.