Rough Music

Intriguing Georgian mystery!

Titus Gragg determines that he and his family will flee the miasma of a sweltering 1744 summer and the threat of disease by taking a house in a small village in East Lancashire.
What he walks into is a murder inquiry. A shrewish wife has recently died from the practice of stanging. And with that the idiosyncrasies and customs of a remote rural hamlet left to its own devices soon becomes apparent.
The opening is a damning comment on the spread of gossip and of speculation growing into disturbing action. I was immediately struck by it.
"At the beginning there were just three conspirators, but like a wine spill on a tablecloth the disturbance spread and soon most of the village had caught the stain."
A brilliant introduction!
All in all, an unusual story that has a distinctive writing style which continued to lure me in. I found myself becoming more readily involved with the inner views of Titus as tension intriguingly grows under his careful insights. As the death of the woman is focused on, other players are introduced.
What I also came to realize was the particularly painstaking methodology of Titus, his sense of responsibility to his calling, and to his fellow citizens. Into this cameo of medieval like village life, comes Titus's doctor friend Luke Fidelis, who immediately sets about helping out with his friend the coroner's inquest.
Along the way we meet several interesting village members. There's the two major land holders in the area who are at odds over a bee swarm amongst other matters. (The analogies of the bees as a metaphor for human interactions is a fascinating inclusion throughout the story).
The violin player Blind Billy whose capering and music hijinks appears to egg on the mob mentality that infuses the villagers when they are in the throes of high running emotions (and alcohol). That all this is fueled by gossip, prejudice and speculation is disturbing.
An ex-soldier, Harry Hawk, returned from the French Wars with terrible facial scaring becomes the scapegoat. Is he innocent or guilty?
It is truly ironic that Titus' initial decision to take his family to safety actually exposed them to a different set of dangers in this closed, suspicious community.
This was a very peculiar and mesmerizing tale that has marvelous Chaucerian elements and a satisfying resolution.

A NetGalley ARC