Night Wanderer, The

11th century Cambridge. A body has been found near the river, the throat torn out. Clearly the work of a wild animal, says the sheriff, but apprentice healer Lassair is not convinced. When a second victim is found in the same condition, the local populace becomes terrified, convinced that the murders are the work of a demon called the Night Wanderer. Together with Jack Chevestrier, local lawman, Lassair sets out to prove these attacks were the result of a human, not a demon. As the two work to connect the victims, Lassair herself becomes a target for the killer. Clare writes historical fiction like she lived during the period, nothing seems artificial or archaic. Fascinating reading

Lassair answers her door to find a young boy yelling about an injured man. She's a healer, so she grabs her bag and heads towards the river. When she gets there, she knows there is nothing she can do to help the man. A good portion of his throat has been torn out and he's dead.

Severn House and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published May 1st.

I like this series. It's a bit magic and a lot of fantasy. There's a love interest, the mysteries are good, and I'll be reading the next one when it comes out, too.

Lassair explains to Jack that she doesn't think it was an animal as the sheriff has concluded. He agrees with her but he's been taken off the case. This is set in medieval times and rumor runs rampant. The storyteller doesn't help when he shares an old tale about the Night Wanderer who killed his victims in the past. Beating the storyteller doesn't stop the tale from spreading.

Jack and Lassair try to piece together why their victims are so varied and what kind of connection they have. It's there but it's not obvious. I like the way they work together and the growing romance between them. This case is a nightmare come to life.

The author leaves you with unanswered questions at the end of the story. I would have read more about Lassair anyway, but now I'm hoping the questions will be resolved in the next book. I don't like to be left hanging.

The Night Wanderer Alys Clare

Lassair, an 11th century healer who lives in Cambridge, England. I liked the use of herbal plants in this book. There were several twists in the plot and the protagonist was a surprise. Adding a paranormal element gave the story more interest. The look at the law at the time and the temperament of the Sheriff's Deputies felt right. The murders of the townspeople where pretty gruesome and Lassair was the one called to help with the bodies. Joined by Jack, an honest Deputy, the two follow the clues and make some interesting discoveries.
I liked the setting and the ghostly apparition. In fact, I really liked the whole book except for the very end. Did Jack die or did Lassair manage to save him?
Part of a series, watch for the next installment. (FYI I never give a cliffhanger more than 4 stars.)

Thank you NetGalley for the free Kindle version

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Severn House Publishing.

I really like the way Alys Clare writes this Aelf Fen series set in Norman England. There is a decided air of mysticism and magic in the stories - this one most particularly - which probably harkens back to the beliefs prevailing during that period in history. Lassair is being taught about the practice of medicine by her mentor, Gurdyman. He is also training her to appreciate and understand the other talents whick link her to the magic public opinion dictates she would need to keep secret. Magic is feared and those practicing it are not tolerated. In this particular novel the fact that Gurdyman is actually a wizard comes into play more than I've noticed in previous books because the murderer is reminding the townspeople of Cambridge of the old legend of the night wanderer. This killer, man, beast or demon, rips out the throat of those he kills. As the victim count mounts the connection to wizardry and Gurdyman becomes extremely important. However, the solving of the case has to continue to rely on the human resources of hard investigative work....with a few clues from otherworldly sources thrown in for good measure.

This was an absorbing, exciting reading experience where the focus was on the human relationships and the crimes and not very much on the basic living conditions of the time period. There were just enough portions of strategic information concerning how life was lived during the time period to place me firmly within the Norman age, but not so much that I became tired of reading about it.