Mysteries set in medieval times abound, from the venerable Brother Cadfael, to a new series of "medieval noirs." Cadfael, a monk, is the creation of Ellis Peters, and is the best-known of the medieval detectives. From his abbey in Shrewsbury, Cadfael has solved many a mystery over the years. The books have also been made into moves shown on PBS's Masterpiece Theater, starring Derek Jacobi. Less known, though just as enjoyable, is a crop of more recent books, all set in that faraway, fascinating time.
When Abbess Helewise of the Hawkenlye Abbey finds a young nun murdered, King Richard sends one of his knights, Sir Josse d'Acquin, to investigate, in Alys Clare's Fortune Like the Moon, set in the 12th century. Sir Josse and the Abbess seem like an unlikely pair of detectives, but together they work well. While Helewise has to stay in the Abbey and Sir Josse does the legwork, she is the one who understands the motives behind the murders. By the end of the book, a solid partnership has been forged. As with other books set in medieval days, the politics of the time play an important part, adding some weight to the plot. The most recent book in the series is Rose of the World. The titles of the books, incidentally, come from Carmina Burana, a musical work which takes its lyrics from poetry written by a 12th century monk.
The incredibly prolific P. C. Doherty is the author of the Hugh Corbett series, set in the 14th century. In The Waxman Murders, Corbett, a member of the royal court, travels to Canterbury by request of the king, to find a supposed treasure map. Instead he finds himself faced with a series of gruesome murders, which only an incident in the past helps him solve. A richly detailed view of the world at the time, this is the fifteenth book in the series. The first is The Death of a King. Doherty is the author of many, many other historical mysteries, some written under pseudonyms, including the Sorrowful Mysteries of Brother Athelsan, and the Canterbury Tales mysteries.
Alan Gordon's The Lark's Lament introduces us to yet another aspect of medieval life, that of the court jester, in the sixth installment of the Fools Guild series. It also gives an insight into the espionage of the time: the Fools Guild is actually a secret spy agency. In 13th century France, Theo and his wife Claudia, members of the guild, ask a former troubador turned monk for help to keep the Fools Guild alive in the face of church opposition. When a monk is murdered at the abbey, the old friend asks Theo and Claudia for help, with a condition: solve the mystery, and he will help them. With their very survival in peril, Theo and Claudia uncover a mystery from the past, as dangerous now as it was then. The Fools Guild series starts with Thirteenth Night.
"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean." Raymond Chandler might have written this about his 20th century detective, Philip Marlowe, but 14th century London had mean streets, too. Down those streets goes Crispin Guest, the antihero of Jeri Westerson's "medieval noir" series. Branded a traitor, and thus stripped of his titles and lands, he ekes out a living as an investigator of sorts. In Serpent in the Thorns, the second book in the series, Crispin finds himself in deep trouble when asked to solve the murder of a man in the tavern. The tavern wench is the only person who could have committed the crime, except that the man was killed by a crossbow, a weapon she doesn't know how to use. When it's learned that the dead man is a French courier, it sets off a serious diplomatic incident between France and England, with Crispin at the center - as the main suspect. The medieval noir series starts with Veil of Lies. The Demon's Parchment is the most recent installment.
All of these are fun reads, and good titles to add to your 50 book challenge log. Keep on reading! The end is in sight.
