"Delve into the world of fourteenth-century England in this thrilling historical murder mystery, the seventeenth in the brilliant Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton
Kendrick Wroe is found dead in the frozen Shill Brook.
Most suspect he has been poaching Lord Gilbert’s fish, though Sir Hugh finds reason to believe this may not be so … Then one of Kendrick’s friends is slain; another seems to be in mortal peril, and in an apparent attempt to throw Hugh off the scent, his comely daughter Bessie is abducted.
As the town drops all to find her, the tension steadily increases: a member of a plow team dies in mysterious circumstances, Kendrick’s surviving friend is forced to flee for safety in Eynsham Abbey, and as events seemingly spiral out of control, it’s all Hugh can do to master his anxiety and uncover the killer …
Mel Starr’s latest novel is a thoroughly enjoyable medieval murder mystery. It may be enjoyed as complete in itself, or as part of the Hugh de Singleton series."
"Delve into the world of fourteenth–century England, in this thrilling historical mystery. It may be enjoyed as complete in itself or as part of the Hugh de Singleton medieval mystery series.
When Hugh and Kate’s newborn son is taken to the church to be baptized, they are astounded to find that the locked font is completely dry. The possibility of a leak is quickly ruled out, and just as Hugh is beginning to wonder if there may be a sinister explanation for the stolen holy water, Father Robert is found lying motionless by the rood screen in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, parliament has passed a poll tax, stipulating that everyone above the age of fourteen is to be taxed equally. Folk are soon scrambling to find the money to pay, and, inevitably, unscrupulous elements in society see an opportunity to feed off people’s desperation and make some cash. But what connection can there possibly be between this and events at Bampton?"
"Delve into the world of fourteenth-century England in this thrilling historical mystery, the fifteenth in the brilliant Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton.
Edmund Harkins has gone missing.
Few in Bampton liked him, knowing him to be a wife-beater and distinctly unsavory character, so when some hungry pigs unearth his corpse from a shallow grave, there is hardly an outpouring of grief.
As bailiff, it is Hugh de Singleton’s duty to bring Edmund’s killer to justice. But where is he to start investigating when almost everyone in the village has a motive? And when everyone is pleased to see the scoundrel dead, who knows how far they might go to help someone get away with murder?
To further complicate Hugh’s life, the Bishop of Exeter has appointed his nephew as Bampton’s new vicar. But as well as an obsession with discovering any heretical views Hugh might hold, he could not be more unpriestly—he not only acts appallingly with Lady Katherine’s maid, but is contributing to the unhealthy atmosphere of suppression and suspicion that has come to pervade the village …
Fast paced and full of twists and turns, Suppression and Suspicion is a brilliant medieval murder mystery perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and Peter Ellis. Mel Starr paints an immersive and atmospheric picture of fourteenth-century England, and weaves a compelling mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
The fifteenth volume in the Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Suppression and Suspicion will be thoroughly enjoyed by long time fans of the series but can also be read as a standalone novel."
"One of Master John Wycliffe’s scholars is found dead after a thunderstorm. Was he struck by lightning, or was there something more sinister to his death?
Scholar Richard Sabyn, a particularly obnoxious fellow, was believed to have been struck by lightning. However, Master Wycliffe believes otherwise and calls upon Sir Hugh de Singleton for help. Sir Hugh shares Wycliffe’s suspicions and launches a private investigation, learning that it might indeed be possible to make it look as though a man has died from a lightning strike. But who would go to all that effort, and why?
When fellow scholar Simon Duby dies, it raises even more questions and suspicions. What is the connection between the two men? Sir Hugh believes a bronze pot, a bucket of urine, and a small quantity of charcoal and brimstone may hold the answer. During a bleak 1375, can he survive the insidious plague and several attempts on his life as he continues his quest for truth?"
"Keeping watch over the Easter Sepulchre, where the Host and crucifix are stored between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, is considered a privilege. So it is shocking when it is discovered that Odo, the priest’s clerk, has abandoned his post. But as the hours pass and Odo is not found, Hugh de Singleton is called upon.
It is Hugh that finds the dried blood before the altar, and fear grows for the missing man … Will Hugh be called upon to investigate another murder, or will the man be found hale and hearty? But if so, where has the blood come from?"
"When Bampton’s coroner, Hubert Shillside, does not return from a trip to Oxford, Master Hugh de Singleton is called. Concerned for his old friend, Hugh takes to the road to investigate. Travel is safer than in times hence but, out of sight of prying eyes, it is still unwise to travel alone.
Hugh finds a body, stabbed and left to rot, but it is not the body he was expecting to find. Indeed, reports of pillage, attacks, and chaos on the roads out of Oxford suddenly seem rampant. Hugh must ascertain whether the incidents are random, or whether something darker is afoot.
The guilty cannot afford to be caught, but what lengths will they go to to cover their tracks, and will Hugh escape unscathed?"
"King Charles of France has announced that he is confiscating Aquitaine, and Prince Edward has sent for knights and men at arms from England to assist him in opposing the French king. Lord Gilbert Talbot is required to provide five knights, twelve squires, and twenty archers and men at arms, and wishes his surgeon—Hugh de Singleton—to travel with the party, while Hugh’s wife Kate oversees the castle. Among the party will be Sir Simon Trillowe, Hugh’s old nemesis and Kate’s former suitor, who had once set fire to Hugh’s house. After a brawl on the streets of Oxford, Sir Simon had nearly lost an ear; Hugh had sewn it back on but it had healed crooked, and Simon blamed Hugh for the disfigurement. Finding himself in the same party, Hugh resolves not to turn his back on the knight—but it is Sir Simon who should not have turned his back."
"Master Hugh won the Black Prince’s favor when he helped to ease the Prince’s illness. Now, in the autumn of 1372, the prince is suffering a relapse and sends to Bampton for Master Hugh to attend him. While at dinner in Kennington Palace, Sir Giles, the knight who escorted Hugh to London, is stricken and dies. Poison! Sir Giles is not popular, and there are many who would gladly see the fellow done away with, except for Prince Edward. The Black Prince feels a debt to the slain man because of his heroic behavior at the Battle of Crécy, where the knight stood firm with the prince when the fight seemed of uncertain outcome. Despite caring little for Sir Giles, Master Hugh must once again place himself in jeopardy and seek to uncover the perpetrator of the crime."
"“My life would have been more tranquil in the days after Martinmas had I not seen the crows. Whatever it was that the crows had found lay in the dappled shadow of the bare limbs of the oak, so I was nearly upon the thing before I recognized what the crows were feasting upon. The corpse wore black.”
Master Hugh is making his way towards Oxford when he discovers the young Benedictine—a fresh body, barefoot—not half a mile from the nearby abbey. The abbey’s novice master confirms the boy’s identity: John, one of three novices. But he had gone missing four days previously, and his corpse is fresh. There has been plague in the area, but this was not the cause of death: the lad has been stabbed in the back. To Hugh’s sinking heart, the abbot has a commission for him …"
"Master Hugh, Kate, and their children attend the Midsummer’s Eve fire. Early next morning, Hugh hears the passing bell ring from the Church of St. Beornwald, and moments later is summoned. Tenants collecting the ashes to spread upon their fields have found burned bones. Master Hugh learns of several men of Bampton and nearby villages who have gone missing recently. Most are soon found, some alive, some dead. Master Hugh eventually learns that the bones are those of a bailiff from a nearby manor. Someone has slain him and placed his body in the fire to destroy evidence of murder. Bailiffs are not popular men; they dictate labor service, collect rents, and enforce other obligations. Has this bailiff died at the hand of some angry tenant? Hugh soon discovers this is not the case. There is quite another reason for murder …"
"Master Hugh is asked to provide a sleeping potion for Sir Henry Burley, a friend and guest of Lord Gilbert who has outstayed his welcome at Bampton Castle. The next morning after Master Hugh provides the potion, Sir Henry is found dead, eyes open, in his bed. Master Hugh, the target of the wife’s wrath, is asked by Lord Gilbert to determine the cause of death …"
"It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh de Singleton is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton, when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew’s Chapel. The dying man is a chapman, a traveling merchant.
Before he is buried in the chapel grounds an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man’s mouth. Master Hugh’s quest for the chapman’s assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, makes steady progress—but there are men of wealth and power who wish to halt his search, and an old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is in league with them. But Master Hugh, and his assistant, the groom Arthur, are determined to uncover the thieves and murderers and the source of the chapman’s coin.
This they do but not before they become involved with a kidnapped maiden, a tyrannical abbot, and a suffering monk—a man who needs Master Hugh’s surgical skills and in return provides clues which assist Hugh in solving the mystery of the tainted coin."
