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The Bookseller‘s Tale (Oxford Medieval Mysteries 1), by Ann Swinfen (2016)
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Premise: In an Oxford deeply divided between town and gown, and still recovering from the Black Death, a bookseller discovers the body of a student in the river and takes it upon himself to ensure justice is done.

Review: Overall, this was a satisfying amateur detective murder mystery, with a unique and fascinating setting and a strong set of characters. ⬇️

A novice monk is forced to steal. Then murders start. Is the legend of a novice who started off stealing and ended up committing murder until he was dragged down to Hell by his victim's ghost being re-played in real life?

Lots of twists and turns, so many in fact I'm not sure I fully understood how all the different threads fitted together even with the final explanations.

#coffeeandabook

#WhereareyouMonday
@cupcake12

1320s Tavistock, Devon

We open with a monk entertaining novices with a ghost story.

Image sources:
https://www.wilcuma.org.uk/the-history-of-devon-after-1066/towns-and-countryside...
http://www.visitthepast.co.uk/tavistock-abbey-gatehouse-3

The vill of Sticklepath holds many dark secrets and when the skeleton of a young girl is found and rumours of cannibalism abound, Sir Baldwin and friends come to investigate.

The author is very good at invoking an atmosphere but be warned, it's a very depressing one.

#coffeeandabook

Simon Puttock organises a tournament for Lord Hugh, only to find his efforts come to nothing when bodies turn up and he is cast as main suspect.

Not 1 of the author's best. I kept getting some of the potential suspects muddled and realised who the murderer actually was pretty early on. Also 2 of the victims (out of 5) were a gay couple, IIRC the 1st gay characters in this series, but our sympathies were obviously meant to lie with the murderer.

#coffeeandabook

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

#BookSpinBingo time!

My two mainstay perpetual challenges are the books of Louis L'Amour and Stephen King.

But I have a few on my backed up challenge list.

I do have two reading lists I'm working on so...Goodreads 50 Greatest Childrens Books and Medieval Historical Fiction lists are going to be my selection for this month.

Anne will get me completed for the Goodreads challenge-but I'll read it after summer reading program!

@TheAromaofBooks