The Cross Legged Knight
Owen Archer Mystery
By Candace Robb

      The Pagnell family are at last going to be able to bury their late lord and master, a man who had decided to become a spy late in life and ended up being held for ransom in France. Trouble is, only half the ransom arrived and now all they have left is his body and so they are baying for the blood of the man they hold responsible for this outrage - William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, who is bringing the body back to them in York. Perhaps it isn't surprising when the Bishop narrowly misses being brained by a tile, and then his townhouse is set ablaze. The plot thickens when the body of a local midwife is found inside, possibly murdered. Owen Archer is going to have his work cut out for him. solving this tricky political puzzle.

      This series about Owen Archer the spy and his wife Lucie the apothecary is well into its stride and this is the eighth book so far. As with all the others, there is a good lively plot with plenty of twists and turns and the added depth of political intrigue This latter aspect is what lifts the novels out of the common run of historical crime and into mainstream fiction for many people; you really don't have to be an aficionado of the sub-genre to like Candace Robb's work as there is as much history as mystery. The personal side of life isn't neglected, either, and there is plenty going on with Owen's family and friends with their various problems and allegiances. Reading this is like looking at a rich mediaeval tapestry. Highly recommended.