As a fan of “cozy mysteries” this book was a genuinely enjoyable read. Though the series is expansive, this was my first book by this author. It was also my first non-contemporary cozy and it definitely has me hooked on the genre and the series.
While I suspect I might have enjoyed this more with other books to fill out the backstory, this novel is a solid stand-alone. Like most books in this genre, the mystery wasn’t super in depth. This was not a thriller or procedural, but a mystery that happens to be the binding event bringing together a solid set of characters. The mystery provides just enough plot drivers to keep you reading, but the real value here is the world building.
The deep, and enlightening, research is clear in every page. As a reader you are just as interested in the characters, clothing and historical events as you are in the mystery itself. That the characters are loosely based on people that exist in the historical record is especially enriching. In particular, the exploration of those who would have been erased from history by virtue of their “otherness” lends this historical a unique and informative aspect.
I look forward to reading this author’s back catalog. Almost all the history I know has been taught, or inspired by, novels. I definitely sense a medieval history deep dive in my future!
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