It is early dawn on the morning of April 9th, 1365 and
Hugh wakes to what proves to be a long and very
eventful day. Alan, the beadle for the manor in
Brampton, has been missing for two days and his wife is
frantic with worry. There is a hard knock at Hugh' door.
Alan's body has been found. Could Hugh come to
investigate?
Now in his mid twenties, Hugh de Singleton is young to be
both surgeon and bailiff, yet, he is quick to learn,
observant and intelligent and is now fully accepted by
many in the village. Having saved Lord Gilbert's leg
from a nasty riding injury two years earlier, Lord
Gilbert had now put Hugh in change of the manor while he
is away at his castle some distance away.
The coroner believes that Alan was killed by a wolf, yet,
Hugh is puzzled. Why are Alan's shoes missing from
Alan's ravaged body? Hugh is pretty sure a human is
involved, but how to prove it? As he investigates, more
murders and attacks follow. Can Hugh find the right
clues to solve the case before the murderer puts Hugh's
own life in peril?
Following the successful launch of The Unquiet Bones by
Mel Starr, A CORPSE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL is the second
in the author's series of medieval mysteries, entitled
The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon.
Starr is a
delightful writer who combines a background of
impeccable research on medieval life and medical
knowledge with an easy to read writing style. With this
combo, Starr instantly brings Hugh's chronicles to
vivid life and right from the first page you are there
in the village, scratching your head and conferring with
Hugh on this perplexing puzzle.
A CORPSE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL is a solid mystery novel
in its right, so it can easily be read as a stand-alone
story or enjoyed by fans as the next in the series of
continuing chronicle of Hugh's life where Hugh describes
the journey of his investigation, his search for a wife
and his enjoyment of a good meal. As in The Unquiet
Bones, Starr keeps the reader fully immersed in the
medieval time period by his appropriate use of medieval
words and phrases (A Glossary and map are included in
each book.). I particularly appreciate how Starr has
cast Master John Wycliffe to be Hugh's mentor. Wycliffe
is well-known for his arguments over church hierarchy as
well as for translating the Bible into common English.
It is so easy to visualize Hugh uncomfortably perched on
Bruce, Lord Gilbert's aging old warhorse, as they slowly
travel down the road to Oxford and back with Hugh
pondering on his thoughts and discussions with Wycliffe
and Bruce wanting to get home to rest.
I fully enjoyed Hugh as the main protagonist in The
Unquiet Bones and now like how his character develops as
he starts to feel more comfortable in his new role. As A
CORPSE AT ST. ANDREW'S CHAPEL is written in the first
person, we are privy to his thoughts and conversations
and after the fact viewpoint. I liked how Hugh will
note a seemingly benign situation and then writing words
to the effect that I should have paid more attention to
that. Even with those hints, a surprising conclusion!
If you are a fan of The Unquiet Bones and/or enjoy
medieval fiction, you are sure to enjoy A CORPSE AT ST.
ANDREW'S CHAPEL. For myself, I am looking so forward
to heading back to the fourteenth century and reading the
next
chronicle of the very talented and congenial Master Hugh!
New editions of the first two installments of the
best-selling Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon
Alan, the beadle of the manor of Bampton, had gone out at
dusk to seek those who might violate curfew. When, the
following morning, he had stillnot returned home, his
young
wife Matilda sought out Master Hugh de Singleton, surgeon
and bailiff of the manor.
Two days later Alan’s corpse is discovered in the hedge,
at
the side of the track to St. Andrew’s Chapel. His throat
has
been torn out, his head half-severed from his body and his
face, hands, and forearms lacerated with deep scratches.
Master Hugh, meeting Hubert the coroner at the scene,
listens carefully to the coroner surmise that a wolf had
caused the great wound. And yet . . . if so, why is there
so
little blood?
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