A review by nick_borrelli
The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb

5.0

Terrific, and a total surprise. I bought this book because I like mysteries set in the medieval/middle ages time period. I saw it advertised on Amazon as a recommendation based on the fact that I read the Ellis Peters Brother Cadfael books. It was also free, so I figured what the heck, if it is terrible no big loss. Well, not only was it not terrible, but it was a really great read. I put it right up there with the first Cadfael book and the Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Ms. Robb captured the time period in such a tangible way that I felt transported into that small village in York every time I picked up the book. It has been a long time since I was this engrossed in a story. Candace Robb should be more well-known because her writing is vivid, crisp, and intelligent. I absolutely loved this book and now plan on reading the entire series. Owen Archer is a former soldier turned spy/sleuth. When a mysterious soldier shows up badly wounded at the local Apothecary, and then suddenly dies after seeming to be on the road to recovery, it is up to Owen to find out the circumstances behind his inexplicable death. Was it the Apothecary himself or was it someone else in the village who may have a motive to see that the soldier does not ever get to speak of his identity. I felt that the mystery was expertly handled but what stuck out as the true strong point of the book is the imagery and vivid setting. Candace Robb can weave a great story and also deliver the goods when it comes to the history of the time period. We get to see majestic medieval abbeys as well as poor villages devastated by the black plague, both written with equal description and attention to detail. The Apothecary Rose is an excellent mystery that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys medieval mysteries or just stories set in the medieval period.