Not compelling, with too many distractions like jousts, but some good characters. I will try the next episode ( )

Its September 1262 and Sir Stephen Attebrook and just been appointed as deputy coroner for Ludlow, a town in Herefordshire. When he is required with his clerk Gilbert Wistwode to investigate his first death - that of Patrick Carter.
I liked the main character of Attebrook, and the other players which help him, and its a good mystery. As there is a new book to the series I have decided to re-read all of the other books first ( )

The title character in this historical mystery is a widowed knight in 13th-century England. He’s lost part of his foot and that means he had to give up fighting. Now he’s a deputy coroner in a small town and thinks it might be a quiet billet. That is until several murders throw him into a conflict between local lords.

The setting is very gritty and the lives of the inhabitants coarse. No bad language or sex, but this isn’t a happy story.

Although Stephen doesn’t seem very likable, his sidekick and some of the local folk are easier to like (or hate, as the plot thickens). There were many formatting errors in the ebook (Kindle) and the book itself is poorly edited. The plot is very uneven and there are large holes left for the next volume. ( )

A slow start but then well-paced, this 13th century crime novel is very different from Priscilla Royal's Wine of Violence which I read last week. This is very violent (the fights are well-written, convincing and technical) but not particularly dark, amusing and in places bawdy. There are some typos and one or two historical inaccuracies, but this was an enjoyable book and I hope to read more of the series. ( )