Donated to bookcrossing by a friend of my mum's.
May read it myself first however.

Amazon Editorial Review

Exeter, 1195. When a wealthy mill-owner falls dead across his horse, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, declines to hold an inquest. The man was considerably overweight, had been complaining of chest pains, and showed no signs of injury. A clear-cut case of death from natural causes. But events take a sinister turn when a straw doll is discovered hidden beneath the man's saddlebag, a thin metal spike piercing its heart. Convinced that her husband's death was caused by an evil spell, the victim's strident widow begins a campaign against witchcraft and the so-called "cunning women" who practice it. Soon Exeter is in turmoil, a hysterical mob is on the loose, and several local women are in danger. Still, the coroner declines to get involved—until his own mistress falls under suspicion. Can Crowner John discover the real cause of the merchant's death, unearth the culprit—and save his beloved Nesta from the hangman's noose?

This is the first book of this series that i have read, and the fact that it is in fact some way through the series didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book at all.

i haven't read that many historical mystery type books before but have read a lot of historical novels. The setting for this book is Exeter in 1195, and the historical detail is brilliant, in the ale houses, cathedrals and manor houses, with the different trades and townsfolk the customs and suspicions of ordinary people. The mystery element is not over complicated - and in a sense there isn't much of a mystery as the reader knows more at times than Crowner John. Much more interesting is the idea of a kings coroner investigating some of the deaths that come before him. There are several refrences made to things which must have occured in previous books, but enough background is given that it all hangs together well and makes sense to a reader coming to these books as I did for the first time. Well written and very readable, i will be looking out for more books in this series.

Taking to the Birmingham bookcrossing July meet up.

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picked up at yesterday's meeting

8th book in a series, and fairly standalone, so you dont feel you've lost out by not reading the others before.

Not the worst - or best - book I've read based in the Dark/middle ages. What I was very aware of was the foreshadowing that cropped up on a regular basis, and which was unsubtle enough to be noticeable. The story progressed happily enough despite this however.

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Picked up at the meet-up. Will be released in September as part of a release challenge to raise awareness of a charity called LUCIA.

On a bench near the post office in Northfield

This book has been released to raise awareness of LUCIA , a small charity which supports women and orphans in Ethiopia. BookCrossers around the world are taking part in a challenge in September 2010, where we will be releasing hundreds of books with a word relating to women's roles, or women's names in the title. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile charity, please  click here. Thank you for your interest in this book and LUCIA!

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