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Glasgow 1492. Gil Cunningham remarked later that if he had known he would find a corpse in the university coalhouse, he would never have gone to the Arts Faculty feast. In this mysterious adventure Gil Cunningham returns to his old university for the Nicholas Feast, where he and his colleagues are entertained by a play presented by some of the students. One of the actors, William Irvine, is later found murdered and Gil assisted by Alys, begins to disentangle a complex web of espionage and show more blackmail involving William's tutors and fellow students. Matters are further complicated by the arrival of Gil's formidable mother who is determined to inspect his betrothed. Little do Alys and Gil realise that it will be she who provides the final, vital key to unmask the murderer and lay his motives clear. show lessTags
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Second in the Gil Cunningham historical mystery series set in 15th century Glasgow, Scotland. When a student at Glasgow University ends up murdered during the Nicholas Feast celebration, the Dean asks Gil to investigate—and since the boy was a Montgomery, a family at odds with the Cunninghams, it promises to be an interesting task, even though William was a bastard child. When it’s learned he had a penchant for extortion, the suspect list grows longer and longer and includes most of the faculty, fellow students and even the servants. However, when Gil realizes that those with the strongest motive had no opportunity, and those with opportunity no motive, he knows that someone’s lying and sets out to find the culprit with the help show more of his betrothed, Alys, and his future father-in-law, Peter Mason. A couple of finely placed red herrings had me fooled for most of the book, and I enjoyed the setting and the main characters were interesting and well-fleshed, too. Well done and looking for the next in series. show less
The second installment in the Gill Cunningham mysteries fails to be a disappointment. Like its predecessor, this follow-up to [the harper's quine] has wonderfully strong characters and impressive period details which transports the reader to medieval Glasgow.
As Gill struggles to eek out a living by being a lay notary, Alys his intended is quick to soothe any troublesome worries away. With the strong support of her father the master mason, the couple plan to wed just as soon as the financial matters can allow - and of course there is also the problem of Gill's mother.
As Gill prepares to go to the St Nicholas feast of his old educational establishment at Glasgow, no one could possibly foresee the disaster that is about to strike. For some show more time during the celebratory evening, a foul deed is committed; a young man is found murdered. The purpose is not clear, nor is the intent. However, Maister Cunningham is soon on the case, guided by the wise Alys and a very clever dog indeed. show less
As Gill struggles to eek out a living by being a lay notary, Alys his intended is quick to soothe any troublesome worries away. With the strong support of her father the master mason, the couple plan to wed just as soon as the financial matters can allow - and of course there is also the problem of Gill's mother.
As Gill prepares to go to the St Nicholas feast of his old educational establishment at Glasgow, no one could possibly foresee the disaster that is about to strike. For some show more time during the celebratory evening, a foul deed is committed; a young man is found murdered. The purpose is not clear, nor is the intent. However, Maister Cunningham is soon on the case, guided by the wise Alys and a very clever dog indeed. show less
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Author Information
17+ Works 985 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Nicholas Feast
- People/Characters
- Gil Cunningham; Alys Mason; Hugh Montgomery [Gil Cunningham murder mystery]; Angus MacIain; William Irvine
- Important places
- Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Dedication
- For Gil's godmother, who recognized William's real crime immediately, with gratitude.
- First words
- Gil Cunningham said later that if he had known he would find a corpse in the coalhouse of Glasgow University, he would never have gone to the Arts Faculty feast.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Socrates sighed again, rolled on to his side and shut his eyes.
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- Members
- 126
- Popularity
- 259,990
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.90)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 3
