I liked this book even if I found it slow at times.
The historical background is interesting, well researched and vivid. The cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
The mystery is solid even if it wasn't hard to guess who the culprit is.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The novel actually stands out from the series of historical crime novels. Especially by the way the story is told. The author lets us dive deep into the world of feelings and beliefs. It is of course only an approximation of the imagination of the Middle Ages at the time of the great plague waves, but I think it has succeeded.

The extent to which the Church was able to provide answers to the questions that people asked themselves because of the many deaths also plays a role. In view of this background, a strong focus on reliqiues and saints seems understandable. In my opinion, the author manages very well to work out precisely this tension between people's fears, questions to the church that they were not always able to answer to their satisfaction, and working out individual beliefs.

The background to the outbreak of the plague was not known at the time. The medical expertise, generally the task of science as such has been attributed to another. The Church explained the world and placed it in a larger context with God.

Interesting, but also annoying was the dynamic between Hob and Martin, which was mainly due to the fact that Martin is partly very naive and gullible. At the same time, it is easy for the reader to see through Hob, which is why I did not always find it completely credible that he could do whatever he wanted with Martin. However, because of his cunning, he was the more interesting character for me. Martin somehow remains such a pale figure. Although the story is told from his point of view.

Unfortunately, personally, the crime story was a bit too small. Since the title and the table of contents suggested something else to me, my expectations were not fully met here. I also found that the plot dragged on quite a bit, even though the novel has a rather average number of pages. It felt like the story would never end. The two men are traveling, but it looks as if they are barely getting anywhere.

Overall, the book is not a bad book in this sense, but the good ideas are slowed down by the way the narrative is too slow. That partly motivated me to keep reading. There end seems as there might be a sequel, but I admit that despite the book's weaknesses, I would be interested.

Ali's Hawkins, The Black and the White, Sapere Books, March 31, 2020.

Martin awakes coughing. He is in pain. Slowly it comes to him that almost all of his family is dead of what will come to be known as the Black Death--the bubonic plague. Nearby his father lies dead. Martin does not know why he lives while his father died, but he does know that his father was devoted to St. Cynryth, the Maiden of the Well. He even built a shrine to her at the family's well in the forest. He also placed a whittled statue of the saint on Martin's shoulder while Martin was ill.

After Martin wakes, he goes to the well to fetch water. He finds a beautiful likeness of the saint in painted wood. Did she save his life? He buries his father by the saint's shrine, but fears for his father's soul. Taking up the beautiful saint, he sets off on a pilgrimage of thanksgiving and intercession to Salster, the original home of St Cynryth, if, indeed, she existed and is a saint. On his way he is joined by Hob Cleve, a man with secrets of his own. Together they travel as the plague spreads through England. But deaths that may not be related to the plague follow them.

Reading about the Black Death while we are living with the coronavirus is both terrifying and fascinating. In The Black and the White, some of the people, villages and cities with people left alive practice a form of social distancing even though they do not know how the plague is transmitted. Thus, sometimes Martin and Hob are unwelcome. More often, though, they are received as bringers of news.

The Black Death foreshadowed a time of great change in England. The Church proved to provide no protection from illness and death, and faith in it's proscriptions was questioned. Similarly, as common folks found that death was no respecter of wealth or position, they became more likely to speak up for themselves and enter into roles that had previously not been open to them. Hawkins ably weaves these narratives into Martin's and Hobs's stories. Their journey through plague ridden England is riveting, particularly as we find ourselves at a similar crossroads. Hawkins vividly brings to life alive a time when rigid class systems and an agrarian economy ruled absolutely be King and Church met with a disease that killed indiscriminately and led to chaos. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Ali's Hawkins, Sapere Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my. Own.

An intriguing tale of life during the time of the Black Death, coupled with a religious pilgrimage, and murder. Will Martin find the site of St. Cynryth’s shrine and miracles, and will he survive the journey with his murderous travel-mate? The prose and specific vocabulary in this historical epic, really evoke the times and paint a realistic picture of the life, trials and times of this young collyer.
A fantastic read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review

A timely read considering the world we find ourselves living in, and I was utterly absorbed by this historical tale, set during the Great Plague and following a man on a mission of discovery. Not easy when you are joined on your journey by a man who has completely different values and outlook on life.

Martin finds himself waking up alongside his dead father, while the plague ravages family and villages, and wonders why he's been spared. He wakes up clutching a figure of Saint Cynryth, a figure his father idolised, and Martin sees this as a sign to seek salvation for his father and to spread the word of this Saint that may, or may not, have saved his own life.

Martin is a quirky character! He is utterly devoted to doing the right thing and playing by the rules, but is troubled by nightmares - during the day he's lonely, by night he's terrified by demons. As he travels from village to village on his way to Salster, where the shrine to the Saint is said to be, he is joined by Hob, who appears from nowhere to save him from being attacked.

Wary but glad of the company, they make an odd duo travelling along and I loved watching their different attitudes towards the 'miracle' - Hob is a cynical soul and is bemused by the hold that this Saint has over Martin! The way they challenge each other and their way of thinking was a fascinating part of the journey for me, and wondering if either of them really trust one another. There are also a number of strange goings on that happen along the way which were an added twist to try and unravel! It's a story that plays on the emotions of the characters - Martin especially as he's trying to find meaning amongst grieving for the loss of his family and finding himself alone.

It's a slow burner of a story but that allows you to immerse yourself more in the characters and get to understand their state of mind, and I thought the ending was particularly bittersweet and unexpected!

Great cover and an intriguing premise. The Black and the White by Alis Hawkins has some historical interest and is well-written, but the "mystery" is a slow burn--even though the reader is quick to see who the murderer is. (Martin has all the information and still fails to let it penetrate or persuade him to admit it.)

Anyone interested in the Black Death might enjoy elements of the story that "sort of" coincide with the current pandemic, but as a mystery or thriller, it did not succeed for me.

Netgalley/Sapere Books
Historical Fiction. March 30, 2020. Print length: 370 pages.

I read a lot of historical fiction but I could not get into this book at all. Maybe it is not my style. I kept reading but found it slow and it was hard to keep reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Coming across this book on Netgalley, I was instantly drawn to the description- a murder mystery set during the time of the Black Death, with two strangers teaming up to travel across England and a heavy mix of religion and superstition. 'The Black and the White' seemed to have all of the elements required to create a top notch Mystery. And indeed, the story started off at a good pace with young Martin Collyer, waking up to discover that he has recovered from the terrible plague. Though his father has now perished- and strangely, his father is also half sewn into his own funeral shroud. Added to the strangeness of this scene, is the addition of the statue of the St. Cynryth beside Martin. This opening scene sets up the story nicely as the reader is introduced to a perplexed Marrin who wonders if his father offered his own life to the St in exchange for saving his son. Or even if Narrin himself could have played a role in the death.
After burying his father and visiting his older brother, Martin then sets out for Salster to visit the site of the original shrine to St. Cynryth and pray for his father.
Along the way, Martin encounters another young man called Hob and they journey onwards together.
Their time together causes Martin to seriously question his faith and as the body count raises around them, Martin truly cannot tell if he is responsible or if he can trust Hob.
Unfortunately, for me, it was far too easy to guess the ending of the story and to realise who was the killer. There were some clues scattered throughout the story and these pointed to the killer from early on.
Well written and for the most part, very enjoyable, with good pacing. Just a pity that it was predictable- I would have loved a twist that was unexpected.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Set in 1349 England during the plague, this is the story of Martin Collyer. Told as a first person narrative, Martin wakes to find he has survived the plague. He sets out on a pilgrimage to recompense for his father's death. On the journey he is joined by Hob Cleve. Various unexplained happenings cause doubt and mistrust between them.
The story is atmospheric and emphasises the religious superstitions of the time. From the blurb, I felt that there was a lot of potential in the story, however this was never realised. The pace is very slow and the story never really gets going. The ending is entirely predictable and indecisive. A disappointing read.

‘He has not made a good death and I am in terror for his soul.’

England 1349. The Black Death is raging across the land. Martin Collyer, whose last memory was receiving the last rites, wakes up to find his father dead beside him. Martin is clutching a small statue of his family’s patron saint: Saint Cynryth. His father’s body, half sewn into his shroud, shows no sign of the plague. Martin decides that he must seek salvation for his father’s unconfessed soul: he will undertake a pilgrimage to Salster, which is where he understands Saint Cynryth’s shrine to be.

Martin sets off on his pilgrimage, accompanied by an opportunistic young man called Hob.

‘Not every corpse put in a pit has died of the plague.’

The story unfolds slowly, as befits a dangerous journey. Martin and Hob meet others, the statue of Saint Cynryth inviting attention along the way. Martin is both naïve and devout: which Hob seeks to take advantage of.

‘Nothing is as it was.’

This is a novel best read slowly, without spoilers. It’s easy, during the current COVID-19 pandemic afflicting much of the world, to imagine the fear endemic in the setting. It’s easy to appreciate that Martin wants to do
what is right, even if it isn’t clear exactly what that might be.

This is the second of Ms Hawkins’s novels I have read, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

What I Did Like

I do like the timing of the release of this book. With coronavirus forcing us into seclusion and wreaking havoc all over the globe, the story seemed to be mirroring the present. The callousness that many people showed in the book is also evident in the real world. We've shopped the supermarkets dry and bare. Then there are those who consider this a vacation and won't stop going to the beaches. In the book, the coroner stops visiting every person who dies unless the cause of death isn't the infection that's ravaging London and adjoining areas. There's a limit to how much we can take and the book describes that very well.

What I Didn't Like

There's a kind of a slow burn that makes books uputdownable. You keep turning page after page eager to find out what will happen next. And then there's the other kind that makes you want to skip chapters. I get that the whole story is about two unlikely allies journeying across a diseased landscape. And maybe, it wasn't the book, it was me. But there were times when I got really impatient with the slow pacing of this story.

Moreover, maybe it would have held my interest longer, had I not guessed the identity of the serial killer. But that wasn't the case, either.

In short, this wasn't too good a read for me. Lastly, the ending is sort of unfinished presumably because this book is part of a series. It doesn't look like I'll be reading the sequel if that's the case.

The first book I have read from this author, and it was a good one!! The story concerns a young man, Martin Collyer, who wakes up one morning, next to his dead fathers body. England is in the middle of an outbreak of the bubonic plague, or Black Death, and he decides to make a pilgrimage to Salster, to offer up prayers for his fathers spirit. On his travels he meets Hob, a trickster, who tries to make money in many various ways, and together they journey through a desolated and dangerous land to reach their destination.
The sense of plague, isolation, illness and death is portrayed well, expressive and doom laden in the extreme. Reading a plague novel in the middle of a Coronavirus outbreak does seem a little close to home, but it does remind one, that some did survive this illness. The religious aspects were well described, and there were some great characters in this book.
I do hope there will be a sequel, the ending wasn't clear cut and did need further explanation. It would be too frustrating to leave so many questions unanswered!!
My review sounds rather bland, but there are aspects that I have not discussed, spoilers averted!! A good four star read, and an author I will return to. Many thanks for my Arc, absolutely loved it.

I'm not sure that reading a book about the plague during a coronavirus pandemic is necessarily the best idea, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Black and the White by Alis Hawkins.

I was attracted to this title initially because I read Hawkins' book None So Blind last year and it was one of my favourite reads of 2019. That book was set in 19th century Wales and so I wondered whether 14th century England would be as fascinating and well-realised.

Good news, it was. I was completely absorbed by Martin and Hob's pilgrimage to Salster and felt the oppressive doom-laden atmosphere of the pestilence was very well done. The religious aspect was also very convincing.

I'm definitely keeping an eye out for this author in future.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

Normally I wouldn't reach for a historical fiction book. It's not my preferred genre but I was very pleasantly surprised by this story!

The book follows a young man called Martin who wakes up in his Collyer's hut to find his father dead from the plague. Meanwhile, Martin can remember being given his last rites but instead of being dead, he wakes up clutching a small statue of his families patron saint, Saint Cynryth.

What follows is his pilgrimage to Salster to get to Saint Cynryth's shrine to bring back the mysterious statue (that was found at a well close to his hut) and to also pray for his father's soul.

Martin meets another young man called Hob who may not be all that he seems...

I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't action packed by no means but I was surprised by how much I liked the easy pace of it. The narrative flows well even if it is a bit too descriptive of fields at times. Martin is a very religious character at the start of the book and even though his relationship with his father was strained while he was alive, he is doing everything in his power to save his soul, as he sees it. He's constantly grappling between what's right and what is wrong at the start of his story and is hounded by his anxieties and loneliness on his pilgrimage.

When he meets Hob you can see that the two characters could not be more different. Hob has no faith and is ruled making his fortune. He's a ruthless character who Martin feels he has no choice but to stick with or risk being lonely and isolated... safety in numbers...

I loved the character development and thoroughly enjoyed their journey. I found myself getting so angry at times and I felt like shouting at the book!

The ending is great but also entirely frustrating and I can (hopefully!) see a sequel to this book. I really felt for Martin and I could identify with some of his anxieties and the reasons behind the choices he makes.

A solid 3.5 stars from me and I'll definitely be checking out more of Alis Hawkin's works!

I had never read any of Hawkins work before but I really enjoyed this Medieval Mystery. The pacing was good, the MC was engaging and I enjoyed the glimpses of 14th C life. Plus I find the entire Black Death fascinating, not just for the disease itself but for the way it completely changed the socio-economic face of England leading eventually to a change in the laws around villeinage and class. This was good. Recommended.

Alis Hawkins' The Black and the White is a fictional exploration of how those living in 14th Century England might have experienced the black death. We have two main characters: Martin, a devout young man on pilgrimage after the death of his collyer father (it's a bit more complicated than that, but we'll leave it here to avoid spoilers); Hob, the bastard son of a minor noble turned flimflam man, trying to make a profit while staying a step or two ahead of the sickness.

The story is told from Martin's perspective, so we see the challenges in reconciling the reality of the epidemic with assumptions that God rewards goodness and the the church can intercede on behalf of the ordinary populace. Martin is a bit naive, which is the main fault of this novel, but an interesting thinker. While readers may see where the plot is heading, they will nonetheless be surprised by ending.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions are my own.

spoiler alert ** For me,this is a book that had me guessing the whole way through... mainly on two subjects,the saint and Hob.
The main question being,we're either of them genuine?
Crossing country was difficult enough in the 1300s I imagine,without throwing in the black death,and the mistrust it would spread from village to village.
Setting out on an adventure of sorts,matting leads us ,telling the saints,and his own story along the way.
By the end,I felt like Martin had lost everything