A very engaging and enjoyable English medieval murder mystery. In October 1143 salt carts transporting salt from the town of Wich are being hijacked with all the people accompanying the carts being killed by arrows. The deaths include a knight who encountered the ambush. The Sheriff of Worcestershire sends his undersheriff Hugh Bradcote and Serjeant Catchpoll to investigate the crimes. The story unfolds very nicely, the investigation is one of the multiple narrative strands that Sarah Hawkswood carefully sets up and weaves together. The reveals are very well set up and the climax is smart and satisfying.
The cast are first rate, Sarah Hwakswood gives space to many characters, and they come to life for the reader. Their character and motivations are revealed in their actions and reactions and they way they interact is a pleasure to read. There is a romantic sub-plot that is delivered with care and feeling that rings true. It feels like an encounter between two adults who have had lives already and cautious, hopeful and are sure of what they want. This story thread sits nicely alongside the investigation and the mounting tension of continuing ambushes and deaths.
The context is stitched into the story in the most transparent way, the work of the investigation reveals the social structure and the pressures of the time. It is not simply the thefts of the salt that is driving the investigation, it is the threat they represent to social stability that is vital as well. This double threat is used with finesse and care as the story knot is tied together and the threads are pulled together into a very engaging knot.
Sarah Hawkswood writes with tremendous confidence, and this makes the story a pleasure to read. The narrative shifts from one cast member to another without ever dropping the flow and the reader is drawn completely into the story. There is a critical character who could easily have been one dimensional, they do not present may opportunities to develop. They are very committed to their work, and this could have flattened them, they would still have served their [part in the plot. Sarah Hawkswood gives the character depth and shaded motivation that add depth to the story.
A pleasure to read.
