July 1, 2019
In the 11th entry in this English medieval mystery series (after 2008's Vigil of Spies), Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is grieving the recent deaths of his patron and his aunt. He must decide on his next posting: spy for Prince Edward or serve as Captain of the Bailiffs closer to home. On the road to his house in York, Owen is startled to come across the mauled body of Hoban Swann, a member of a prominent family in York. Fear grows in the village; some think wolves attacked Swann. But then more Swann family members are threatened. Dame Lucie, Owen's wife and a noted apothecary, works with local healers to save the victims as Owen investigates the attacks. VERDICT Robb easily conveys the intricacies of court politics and intrigue, allowing narrative space for relationships and humorous exchanges between characters to develop. It is not necessary to have read previous books in the series to appreciate this entry, as ample historical and character background are provided. Recommended for fans of other historical writers such as C.J. Sandsome, Ellis Peters, and Sharon Kay Penman.--Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2019
Owen Archer returns in an all new medieval mystery set in York, firmly grounded in history, and shaped by intricately woven intrigue. The eleventh installment in Robb's series will be welcomed by fans of this former captain of the Royal Archers, student of apothecary, and, last but not least, master spy. Initially at loose ends after the death of his employer and benefactor, John Thoresby, Archbishop of York, it is not long before Owen is hot on the scent of solving the perplexing death of a local man seemingly ravaged by wolves. With his throat viciously torn out, it appears Hoban Swann, son of a prominent merchant, was the innocent victim of an animal attack, and panic begins to spread through the city. But Owen has other ideas, and it is not long before he concludes that Swann was indeed murdered. A multitude of new and old supporting characters, including poet Geoffrey Chaucer, Owen's wife, Dame Lucie, and apprentice healer Alisoun round out the delightful cast and contribute to the twists and turns of the compelling plot.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
June 1, 2020
In the winter of 1374, a new archbishop, about to be enthroned in York, brings with him disharmony and death. Having watched Ronan, the vicar of incoming archbishop Alexander Neville, exchange cloaks with a stranger, Brother Michaelo hears an angelic voice singing and then rescues a disheveled youth accused of pushing an unknown man off the chapter house roof and then killing Ronan. When Michaelo takes the youth to the home of local lawman Capt. Owen Archer and his apothecary wife, Lucie, for questioning, they discover that the youth is an exhausted young woman whose tale will entangle Archer, who, aside from his duties in York, is also a spy for Prince Edward, in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with the powerful Neville family. At the cottage of Magda the healer, Archer meets the musician Ambrose, an old friend returned from years in the French court, who's come to warn that Edward's physicians have been slowly poisoning him. On Ambrose's return trip from France he met and protected the woman posing as a lad, and it was Ambrose who exchanged cloaks with Ronan, muddying the investigation, since both men had murderous enemies. The young woman finally reveals herself as Marian, a nun stolen away from the life she loves. Hers is just a piece of the puzzle Archer must solve in an atmosphere of distrust and fear. A m�lange of medieval political plotting and returning characters sure to please fans of historical mysteries.
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May 11, 2020
Set in 1374 shortly after the events of 2019’s A Conspiracy of Wolves, Robb’s solid 12th Owen Archer mystery finds the future of the English royal family uncertain. Edward III and his heir, Prince Edward, are in poor physical and mental health, and the next in the line of succession, Prince Richard, is only a child. Owen, now the captain of bailiffs for the city of York, is serving as Prince Edward’s “eyes and ears in the North.” Meanwhile, a monk arrives at Owen’s house with “a fair young woman” disguised as a male pilgrim. The woman, whose name and background are unknown to the monk, is accused of fatally stabbing a vicar in the churchyard and of climbing up the chapter-house stairs to the roof and pushing another man to his death. Owen investigates, concerned that the deaths might pose a risk to the realm. Owen’s worries that his children may have the pestilence add some emotional depth. Robb once again effectively blends crime with the politics of 14th-century England. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary.