Scan barcode
howjessicareads's review
3.0
A fun historical read. Slightly confusing to jump into a mystery series this late in the game.
archytas's review
4.0
I was worried that this series was running of out fresh possibilities, but by telling much of this from the perspective of Elizabeth Widdrington, this installment finds a raft of new things to explore. Elizabeth herself is wonderfully evoked, with a keen mind and a deep understanding of the dynamics of gender and class relationships in a way that is unrealistic for the men around her. Actually, I would struggle to think of such a respectful and understanding portrait of a woman in a violent relationship in books I've read of a much more literary bent. This theme carries through the book, which explores the politics of the experiences of women and children, and powerfully these resonate across the community. Great stuff, gives me renewed hope for this series.
nigellicus's review
5.0
The Scottish border 1592, and a Minister is murdered by two men. His pregnant wife rides off in a panic all the way to Lady Elizabeth Widdrington, who in spite of misgivings of what her husband will do when he finds out, rides back to help arrange the funeral and perhaps find out what's going on. There follows a tangled tale of border reivers and boy choirs and tooth drawers as Sergeant Dodd and Robert Carey are drawn into the mystery.
An absolutely splendid little yarn, full of domestic and social detail and twists and turns of the plot. Elizabeth, Dodd and Carey are great characters, and if I'm not mistaken there's the welcome appearance of Character From Another Series, too, which is nice.
An absolutely splendid little yarn, full of domestic and social detail and twists and turns of the plot. Elizabeth, Dodd and Carey are great characters, and if I'm not mistaken there's the welcome appearance of Character From Another Series, too, which is nice.
More...