This was ok for me, but not as well loved as some of the others in this series. I didn't like the overall story or attitude of the mistress of the house.

I actually quite enjoyed this book, though I'm daunted by the idea that I'd have to read another nine of them to find the whole story.
An acceptable, and engrossing murder mystery, though against the trend of the genre, it's very dialogue heavy, and it felt like the story was being told not presented and deciphered, in some ways.

Enjoyable, but I didn't exactly fall in love with the series, so I'm watching on platforms to get he rest, but it's not exactly a priority. The books are *good*, just they're not 'I must read the rest' which is a pity.
3.5 stars.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I’ll be honest the only reason I requested this book was because of how much I loved the cover! Turns out I loved the book too! I think I would def Like to read more by this author!

A note should be made of how our author is bringing young Walkelin to the fore, growing as part of the team. Certainly, Serjeant Catchpole still reminds him of his place, but there is much made of his progress. First-rate characterization is a hallmark of this series, which hopefully will continue to entertain us for many more books.

A suspenseful and thrilling novel, filled with mysteries and twist's and turns that keep the reader totally engaged throughout.

A Taste of Killing is a suspenseful and thrilling novel that captivates the reader from start to finish. The plot revolves around a serial killer who taunts the police with cryptic messages, forcing detective Jane Harper to race against time to stop the killer before they strike again. The characters are well-developed, with Jane being a strong and determined protagonist who will stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice. The suspense builds up slowly, with twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end. The writing style is engaging and vivid, painting a picture of the dark and gritty world of the investigation. Overall, A Taste of Killing is a must-read for fans of the crime and mystery genres, offering a delicious taste of murder, intrigue, and suspense.

A Taste for Killing is the 10th book in Sarah Hawkswood's medieval Bradecote & Catchpoll mystery series. Released 12th May 2022 by Allison & Busby, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an intricately crafted and well engineered mystery. The author has wrapped it around a meticulous and accurate historical framework so well and seamlessly that it's not at all clear where real actual history shades over into fiction. The plot and background are self contained in this volume and it's not necessary to have read the previous books to keep up with the story here. The pacing is occasionally a trifle measured/slow, but I found the whole a delightful read. I never felt lost or confused; it works very well as a standalone mystery. 

It's set in 1145 so the investigation is different from modern procedurals. The language is fairly clean, and the prose is well written and I never found myself yanked out of the narrative by anachronistic or clumsy dialogue or historical mistakes (although I am NOT a historian). 

I would heartily recommend this one to readers of the historical murder mystery genre, especially fans of Sharon Kay Penman, Ellis Peters, Candace Robb, and Susanna Gregory (and similar). Fans of well written character driven mystery from any period will find much to enjoy here. Since there are now 10 books extant with an 11th due out in 2nd quarter 2023, it would make a fun buddy/bookclub/binge read for fans of the genre.

Four and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I did not enjoy this book but the book is not a fault for my dislike of it. It just wasn't for me so I DNFed it, way too dialogue-heavy.

"Worcester, January 1145. Poison strikes down bow maker Godfrey Bowyer and his wife Blanche after their evening meal. While she survives, he dies an agonising death. Few could have administered the poison, which should mean a very short investigation for the Sheriff's men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin. But perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that widens the net considerably.

With an unpopular victim, the suspects are many and varied."

This cover is perfection.

The year 1145. The best but least likable bow maker in Worcester, Godfrey Bowyer, suffers a painful death from poisoning. Blanche, his wife, survives the same supper despite being similarly slain. Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll, and Underserjeant Walkelin of the Sheriff’s men should have a quick investigation because there are so few persons who may have delivered the poison. However, if someone was orchestrating events, the scope of the probe would be much wider. Could it be the younger brother who was abandoned? Or maybe Orderic the Bailiff, whose wife would have been subjected to Godfrey’s attention? Could Blanche herself be the culprit? There are several distractions, including Walkelin trying to convince his mother to accept his choice of marriage and Bradecote anxious to return to his estate worried about his wife’s impending confinement, but Serjeant Catchpoll won’t allow them to prevent him from solving this case.

This book has every aspect of this series that I adored when I read it for the first time last year—a solid mystery, top-rate historical detail, and likable characters—and it was just as enjoyable to read. As our investigative team learns more about the deceased, his reputation and the probable motives ascribed to those closest to him, the mystery plot itself is intricate and full of twists and turns. Despite the relative absence of technology in the Middle Ages, forensic toxicology and cause-of-death determination are examples of early applications of abilities that have since evolved into current forensic science. The created bonds between the Sheriff, Bradecote, Catchpoll, and their young Sergeant Walkelin are vibrant, the writing is good, and the historical era is accurately portrayed.

One of the reasons I love this series so much is that the author employs a variety of crime-solving techniques, so I never know precisely what I will find. The criminal is identified before the story’s conclusion, but the how and why are still explained. The three law enforcement officials are developing a compelling dynamic that gives their investigative capacities a fine range, ensuring that the mystery is examined from all sides so that each person adds vital evidence to disclose the entire picture. I enjoyed reading this book, and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series. I was impressed by the author’s depth of knowledge regarding the period they are writing about in this unique mashup of the historical novel, mystery story, and theatre.

I was completely engrossed by this one and am really happy I read it.

It provided mental stimulation although the pace was somewhat slow (something I don't think needs to be the case just because the genre is historical fiction).
I haven't read the authors other works and just found out this is an instalment in a 10 part series - might give the others a go but didn't love it enough to rush out and grab them

I'm sorry but I did not ent this book at all. I really tried to get into it but no luck. It drug on, repeating lines and boring characters. Not the book for me.

I enjoyed this very much. Part of a series, it never the less stands alone. The plot is great, full of twists, red herrings, and a fair bit of humour. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, you got a good feel for Worcester in the twelfth century, and the interaction between the characters, Bradecote and Catchpoll in particular, worked really well. A very enjoyable medieval mystery! My apologies for the lateness of the review, but I have already highlighted the book within my libraries.

I adore the aesthetic and historical aspects of this book. I appreciate that A Taste for Killing can be read independently of others in the series. I also thought the setting (both location and time period) were handled quite well. I typically really enjoy mysteries, but this one felt quite predictable to me ( speaking as someone who often cannot figure out who-dun-it before the end). Unfortunately, I thought the dialogue was overdone and the pace was slow, though it was a lovely setting for a slow stroll.

A Taste for Killing is a medieval mystery novel, surrounding a murder that happened. This is actually the tenth installment in the series, which I didn't know at the time of requesting the book on Netgalley. Luckily, the story can be read as a standalone, so there were no problems with following the plot.

The story goes: it's the year 1145. and the Bowyer household is shaken by tragedy. Amidst one of the usual marital spats, Godfrey Bowyer ends up dead, killed by poison. His wife has also been poisoned, but she survives. Now the question is, who would want to kill Godfrey? It turns out there are many suspects, as he was the best bow maker but not very liked - from his wife, his estranged brother to pretty much everyone he came across, everyone is a suspect. Undersheriff Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll, and Underserjeant Walkelin are trying to solve this crime, while also solving some personal issues.

Now, when I requested this book, I will admit I only saw the lovely cover and saw the words 'murder investigation' and not thought much further. I didn't really have any expectations from this book, as I assumed this would be nothing like more modern murder mysteries given the time period. However, I didn't really expect how hard this book would be for me to get into. I found the dialogue grating and hard to read, which usually I would be able to overlook but this book was mostly dialogue. I assume there is no other way to investigate in the 12th century but to interview people, and the investigators talked among themselves the rest of the time. There were little to no descriptions, internal monologues, and such. Asides from that, the conversations felt repetitive and like the same point was reiterated one too many times.

The issue I had with the dialogue was the way sentences were structured and generally how the characters spoke. I assume this was done as to give the feel of 'old times' but for me, it just meant nothing was holding my attention. Some words were shortened, the sentence structure was altered, characters said things like 'I cooks' and 'We wants' and it really wasn't for me, I think. As far as I know, the language used in England in the 12th century was Middle English, which is entirely different than modern English, so I assume this was a stylistic choice. (Of course, I am no expert in history English at all, and I am not implying that the book should've been written in Middle English for accuracy, I'm just meaning this was not done for authenticity, but just to give the 'feel' of it)

Other than that, you can clearly see the author has done her research incredibly well, the setting seems vivid, the characters are interesting (if a bit detached), and overall the social hierarchy, interactions, and the process of crime investigation were very well done. I enjoyed the characters we follow, especially Bradecote. Perhaps it's because I think we got the most of his internal process to see in this novel, but he seemed very well-rounded and genuinely enjoyable as a character to read about. The other two characters we followed seemed interesting as well, but they stood out to me less. Maybe had I read the first nine books in the series I wouldn't be thinking that, but based solely on this novel, that is how I feel.

There were some other things I haven't really enjoyed reading this. Of course, given the time, you would expect some outdated social norms to be strewn about, but I didn't really like reading them. Especially things like "A man has a right to take a hand to a bad wife." and while this was challenged, it wasn't with 'No one should hit their wife' it was challenged with "But you are not a 'bad wife', Mistress, but a loyal one...". This just didn't sit right with me, at all.
(Spoilers ahead)
Another thing I didn't particularly enjoy was the reveal of the murderer. I thought it was unlikely that Blanche, Godfrey's wife was the actual killer. While the book definitely had clues pointing to it, I feel like her reasoning, the way it was explained was so shakey and hard to believe. She was in no matter stupid, and this just seemed like stupidity and sloppiness on her part.

All in all, I don't think this is a bad book at all, it just wasn't for me. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would enjoy this series, even though I don't think I will be reading more from it. If you are someone who's a fan of historical, slow-paced mysteries and enjoy stories that are dialogue-heavy this might be for you!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

A very good murder mystery, the plot is amazing and original set in old England. The author has done a great job with this one

This book was beautiful. Thank you for the chance to read and review this novel. It was an absolute pleasure and gem of a book.

*Many thanks to Sarah Hawskwood, Allison & Busby, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
Another solid installment with a band of three who undertake tough tasks to solve in the middle of the 12th century England, this time Worcester. Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin need to find the culprit behind the poisoning and not only. I like the way the three characters develop and interact, and especially admire Walkelin's courage to stand his ground regarding his future wife.
Ms Hawskwood, as always, pays attention to period details and language which makes a reader follow the story slowly. Again, I learnt some things of the 12th century England together with some new vocabulary.

thanks to Allison & Busby and Netgalley for providing and ARC of this story!

This was the first i read of Sarah Hawkswood and was not disappointed! I didn't realize this was the 10th(!) book in a series but similar to other crime series, the reader is able to jump right in and not feel lost at all. All the characters are introduced and you get to learn them throughout the story.

The amount of historic reference and detail in the story is amazing! I'll definitely be on the look out for more stories in the Bradecote and Catchpoll series!

3.5 rounded up to 4.

January, 1145. Godfrey Bowyer, the best but least likeable bow maker in Worcester, dies an agonising death by poisoning. Although similarly struck down after the same meal, his wife, Blanche, survives. The number of people who could have administered the poison should mean a very short investigation for the Sheriff's men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin, but perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that widens the net considerably. Could it be the cast-out younger brother? Or perhaps Orderic the Bailiff, whose wife may have had to endure Godfrey's attentions? Could it even be Blanche herself?

This was a difficult one to rate because there were elements of the story and writing that I really enjoyed and then there were aspects I didn’t. For me as a whole the plot was good, it had unexpected twists and turns, with intriguing characters and revelations that kept me hooked and guessing.

However, I do feel that the storyline suffered as Hawkswood tried to imitate a more historical style of writing which made some of the scenes feel convoluted and hard to follow.

Nevertheless, the banter between the detectives was enjoyable, and it was good to see certain characters get their comeuppance at the end; I wouldn’t say no to checking out some of Hawkswood’s other books in the future.