A Corpse At St Andrew's Chapel (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
A body is found. It looks like it's been savaged by an animal, possibly a wolf... only there haven't been wolves around here in ages. And there's other things that don't quite add up. Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff, starts to investigate.Apart from the first few paragraphs, that I found a bit meandering and pointless (and almost put me off!), I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The process of investigation, whilst carrying on with one's normal duties as a medievil bailiff, was really quite realistic, logical and interesting. The life of a fourteenth century village chugs round with its dreary sameness, the odd minor incident that livens up the day, the occasional potential bit of gossip and neighbourly goings-on whilst investigation opens up further puzzles. Hugh is no supersleuth, he's just an intelligent young man who has to use his wits, eyes and, sometimes, survival skills to keep on top of a world in which poverty and death are one's constant companions.Mel Starr keeps us interested throughout and throws enough red herrings and hints in our direction, coupled with a bit of romance on the side, to get us reaching out for the next adventure. This is the second book by Mel Starr, with Hugh de Singleton, a surgeon and bailiff in medieval England. When I received the book as part of Early Reviewers, I quickly picked up the first book. The books are considered Christian literature, which is usually not an issue when reading a tale set in a time when God, and religion, played larger roles in the character's lives. Starr does a good job of showing how the religious holidays affected the people of the village. Another reviewer commented on the attention to detail of the times, and I love learning about the day to day events and practices that make up a village. For that alone I felt that this book was worth reading. [return][return]However, knowing that this was Christian fiction I found myself annoyed by the character's lusting after a 15 year old scullery maid. Perhaps staying to true tot he times, each female character in this book holds an minor role and are stereotypes of the women of the day. Shrew, adulterer, scullery maid, and young lovely maiden are a deep as you will get for the female characters. Also I found the author's practice of having 2 or three characters with the same name unnecessarily confusing. While there may not have been a surplus of names, there is no need to have 3 Johns, or 4 Thomas'.
What do You think about A Corpse At St Andrew's Chapel (2010)?
good, though there is a little more repetition in it than I would like...
—draytnorf
A great sequel! Can't wait for the next one...
—Ken
