The Colour of Bone by Toni Mount

Set in medieval London, the Colour of Bone is the 11^th Sebastian Foxley murder mystery by the prolific Toni Mount. Seb, as he is known, is an illuminator by trade but also wears other hats when the occasion calls for it. As an artist, he makes the acquaintance of Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Welles. As a sleuth, he enters the orbit of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, the king’s brother. He is also an unpaid and often reluctant assistant to the city Bailiff, Thaddeus Turner, which is how he gets to investigate enough murders to fill 11 books.

Seb moves from the grimy, dangerous streets of London to the grand and equally dangerous mansion of the Duke of Gloucester in order to solve three murders. At the same time, an arsonist is burning down buildings, including one owned by Seb. The sleuthing only takes up a portion of the story. The author fills in the rest with an array of friends, employees and family members – a rich panoply to provide Ms Mount with subplots for many more books. One interesting subplot here deals with what happens when a husband, presumed dead, returns to claim his wife, who has married again. Anyone writing a book or is simply interested in the everyday life of 15^th century London should keep a notebook handy while reading this book. It is full of interesting details about London, its people, streets, laws and so much more.

Another delightful aspect of this book is its cover. The author’s cover creator has created a figure of what Seb Foxley might look like, which was on the front of the book I was given to review. Elsewhere, the book has a different image, which I love.

An excellent read.

*****

My latest non-fiction book “How to Survive in Medieval England” is the go-to guide for the would be time traveller and there is another one like this on the way – whilst my first non-fiction book “Everyday Life in Medieval London” has become a No1 Best seller under five Amazon categories.

To get updates on all my books visit http://www.ToniMount.com

I study, write and teach British history. My non-fiction books look at the ordinary lives of medieval people, leading me to write my successful series of murder mysteries. They are set in the stinking streets of medieval London and feature the talented yet humble artist, Sebastian Foxley. My Victorian melodrama is “The Death Collector”.

My fascinating non-fiction book “A Year in the Life of Medieval England” looks at real events that occurred on everyday of a medieval year and my first biography is about the life and times of Isaac Newton.

To download my free ebook, The Foxley Letters, go here: https://goo.gl/7Wcytm.

After many years of teaching history to adults several of my courses are also available online at http://www.medievalcourses.com

Please visit my website http://www.tonimount.com or follow me at http://www.twitter.com/tonihistorian or http://www.facebook.com/toni.mount.10

Lotharingia by Lara Byrne

Lotharingia by Lara Byrne

Three women are the focus of this story:  Beatrice, Margravine of Tuscany, her daughter Matilde, Countess of Canossa, and Agnes, Dowager Holy Roman Empress and mother of the Heinrich, King of the Germans. All are powerful, transcend the limits imposed on women, and influence the politics of the day. It is a time in Europe when the sacred and the secular mingle. The women are surrounded by calculating churchmen, some good, some not so good. The story demonstrates how closely marriage and politics were intertwined and how even the most powerful had little choice when it came to marriage.

The possession of certain relics; the marriage of Matilde to her cruel step-brother, much against her will; her love affair with King Heinrich; Beatrice’s possession of a prophesy, the last words of her ancestor, Charlemagne; and Heinrich’s ambition to become Holy Roman Emperor like his father and grandfather; these are the things that move the plot along. The author does a creditable job of laying out a complicated story – the research cannot have been easy. It is likely to be a little confusing for someone unfamiliar with the politics and personalities of the period, like me. I had difficulty keeping track of the churchmen, especially as the author sometimes used first names and sometimes titles. Fortunately a list of characters at the beginning of the book helped. Also there is a brief summary of the characters at the back of the book.

There are some anachronisms – scenario/chuffed/stash/and others – and also occasions when pronouns were used when proper names would have been more appropriate. A proofreader would help.

Otherwise, I enjoyed the book and suspect there may be another about Matilde. The tidbits concerning what went on before the opening scene led me to think a prequel would be in order.

Also, very cheaply priced.

****