In a tale that is reminiscent of Treasure Island, the rich scent of the costly seed nutmeg, used as a spice, lures increasingly reckless men. THE CARGO FROM NEIRA is the latest tale in a series about former ship's surgeon, Dr Gabriel Taverner. Because of the complexity and sudden widening of the sphere of the story, this is my favourite of his cases to date.

Normal life in bitterly cold Devon in February 1605 includes the doctor being fetched by sheriff's assistant Jarman Hodge, to attend a drowning. People perished from cold, hunger, disease, and accident. But the young woman on the water’s edge may have been trying to commit suicide – and as luck would have it, she failed. The doctor is able to revive her, though she lies conveniently fevered for a few days to heighten the mystery of her condition. She looks to be unwed and in the family way, which drove some women to desperate acts. Taverner’s sister Celia keeps a kindly eye on her while he is again fetched to a body – murdered and thrown in a drain. The dead man has nutmegs on him, and the oddity of a street robber leaving a spice worth more than its weight in gold alerts Taverner to something sinister. Before long, he understands that it’s connected to the young woman in his home, bringing danger to his household.

Among the rumours spread about nutmegs was that they might provide a cure for the plague, an ever-present concern in the 1600s. Consulting with the coroner, Theo Davey, helps Taverner to puzzle out some of the circumstances. But his main asset is having been at sea so long because the economics of the day include exploration, exotic cargoes, rivalrous shipping companies, and islands barely charted.  

The rest of the cast includes the steadfast women of the Tay Valley, such as cook Sallie and midwife Judyth Penwarden; and the hard-working, hard-drinking local men, contrasted with the serious-minded vicar Jonathan Carew. There are also travellers and ruffians, but a new reader will have no trouble sorting out who is whom. The mysteries by Alys Clare are never cheerful in tone, it has to be said; echoes of plagues and witchcraft accusations fill the background while society condemns women no better than they should be. The main characters tend to have a more open mind on such matters, more sympathy, and understand that wounds have to be kept clean and sweet smells are healthier than foul. THE CARGO FROM NEIRA might not prevent the plague, but nutmegs are gold, and the fifth Taverner tale is a mighty adventure.