A Killing Season

Starred review from August 8, 2011
A spooky setup worthy of John Dickson Carr highlights Royal’s brilliant eighth mystery set in 13th-century England (after 2010’s Valley of Dry Bones). When a party of travelers that includes Brother Thomas and Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal arrives outside Baron Herbert’s isolated castle, which some call le chateau doux et dour (sweet and sour in French), Thomas witnesses a tragedy—the fatal fall of one of the baron’s sons, Gervase, from a high window. Inside, Thomas and Eleanor learn that Gervase’s death leaves Herbert with only two of his five sons and heirs alive: the eldest had died of a fever, and the third oldest drowned in what was deemed an accident. The excess of bad luck has led many castle residents to believe that the devil himself is responsible. While the murderer’s identity may surprise few, the rich atmosphere and well-drawn characters make this a superior historical.

October 1, 2011
A cold and remote castle is the scene for a series of unexplained deaths. Baron Herbert returned from the crusades only to withdraw from his family, leaving his wife desperate for answers and his sons dying like flies. The Baron begs his friend Sir Hugh of Wynethorpe to come to the castle with a priest and a physician. Hugh makes the dangerous winter trip with his sister Prioress Eleanor, her healer Sister Anne, Brother Thomas and Master Gamel. They arrive just in time to see Herbert's third son leap to his death. His first son died from a fever while Herbert was in Outremer, his second in a strange drowning accident. Now left to him are two children: his fourth son, who is hiding in the chapel in abject fear, and his fifth son, a clever mischief-maker. It is no wonder Herbert relies on his nephew Sir Leonel, a charismatic soldier who shared his adventures, to handle his affairs. When the Baron finally agrees to see them they learn he may be suffering from leprosy, the reason he has been avoiding his family. There is tension in the priory party as Eleanor battles lustful feelings for Leonel, Anne is attracted to Gamel and Hugh seems to hate Brother Thomas. Royal's 13th-century mysteries (Valley of Dry Bones, 2010, etc.) are always full of historical detail but, as in this case, often telegraph the evildoer early in the story.

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August 1, 2011

Prioress Eleanor and Brother Thomas are back in their eighth outing (Valley of Dry Bones), seeking to aid Eleanor's brother out of his malaise; post-traumatic stress disorder isn't just a contemporary condition.

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