The Brother Athelstan series is the polar opposite of cozy mysteries, but I’ve devoured every single book in it (some even more than once—history major here!). Gruesome and graphic, yet meticulously researched and brimming with fully developed characters, this series immerses you in the gritty world of late 14th-century England.

In Murder’s Snare, the story traces back to the early battles of the 100 Years’ War with France, where a company of soldiers committed what we’d now call war crimes—and returned to England as rich men. But someone is making them pay, one horrific death at a time. It’s up to Brother Athelstan and London Coroner Sir John Cranston to unravel the mystery.

As always, though, the real star is the atmospheric world Paul Doherty creates. The mystery is almost secondary to the vivid, visceral journey into medieval England.

An intriguing, gruesome tale based on greed and revenge. Full of suspense, with a well
crafted, original plot, this book is a real page turner. I can still smell the Thames.

Murder's Snare is one of those mysteries that's actually multiple mysteries so, which solutions keep appearing at points in the book, *the* solution doesn't arrive until the end. Sometimes this frustrates, but in the case of Murder's Snare, I found it deeply enjoyable. Hovering on that knowing.not knowing brink can be an entertaining place for a reader to spend some time.

Let me backtrack for a moment to say a bit about the Brother Athelstan mysteries. Brother Athelstan is the long-suffering, mostly good-natured priest for St. Erconwald's, a church is one of the less salubrious neighborhoods of 14th Century London. Much of his parish live "mostly legal" lives, while moving into the occasional illegal activity when risk seems low and reward likely. Athelstan serves as secretarius to coroner Sir John Cranston, so he often finds himself helping in criminal investigations, which sometimes involve members of Athelstan's parish.

The first victim in Murder's Snare is a tax collector (and that's never been a popular sort) who is stabbed and left dead inside a locked room in an Inn close by St. Erconwald's. The issue isn't who might want to kill him, but how to narrow down the generous list of suspects. And, of course, how did the victim wind up alone in that locked room?

That murder is followed by the killing of a former member of the Via Crucis—an English "free company" that made its members wealthy by running riot during the 100 years' war, murdering, torturing, and assaulting at will, seizing and riches they came across. The members of Via Crucis are now living in England, enjoying the wealth they brutally gathered.

This first killing of a Via Crucis member is essentially an execution. The victim's household is gathered to see him quickly beheaded by a group of unidentified attackers who first announce the crimes he committed in France. There's another similar killing. But then, other members of the Via Crucis are being killed in much more unusual and vicious ways.

Is the same group behind all the killings or are two different groups/assailants involved? Are the killings connected to the members of the "Society of Babylon," French children who were orphaned during the war, then taken to England and raised there?

Murder's Snare is one of my favorite recent Brother Athelstan volumes. The multiple intersecting plot lines provide alternating moments of reward and frustration, the cast of characters is broad, and, as always, St. Erconwald's parishioners seem to be involved, but to what extent.

This is a series that is probably best read in order, but if you're good at picking up contextual information, you can begin with whichever volume you want. You'll be in for an engaging time with a wide cast of characters.

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

The twenty-third Brother Athelstan mystery. When I did a post about my favourite sleuths, Athelstan was an easy pick as I love the complexity of the character. A man of religion but also a man of his time and place. Far from a certain herb-picking monk, this friar navigates the paths of fourteenth century London with all of its darkness, a time when many crimes were punished with death. It would be so easy for a writer of such a character to impose twenty-first century views onto the character but while Athelstan still comes across as a sympathetic character and, most importantly, a real one.
And that’s a feeling that pervades the very best historical mysteries. The feeling that this is all playing out like it would in the time it is set. The best writers do it so well – Michael Jecks, L C Tyler, Douglas Skelton, to name but three – but the benchmark that everyone needs to be compared to is Paul Doherty. This is fabulous escapism, even if you’re escaping to a place that you wouldn’t want to actually go to.
There is so much going on this book and yet it never seems confusing. The murder of the tax collector is, I should say, while a minor aspect of the story, it’s also one of the best locked rooms that I’ve seen for a good while, with a lovely solution. The murders of the Via Crucis do have a couple of locked-ish rooms as well, but they are a lot more straightforward and not really relevant to the plot. Or plots. Yes, plots is the right word.
Oh, and there’s a cracking sting in the tale that looks like it might be leading to something important. It’s been hinted at before, but it’s starting to look like Richard II might have had a point when he… well, that’s probably a little spoilery. I do wonder if a certain person is going to show his face at some point though, although we’re a few years from when that kicks off.
All in all, one of the best entries in one of my favourite series. Just what I needed.

I’ve never read any of Paul Doherty’s previous novels. I found this a little slow and difficult to get into.