From Publishers Weekly
British author Sedley (The Weaver's Inheritance; The Goldsmith's Daughter; etc.) offers a vivid picture of day-to-day life and politics in 15th-century England in her latest mystery featuring her peripatetic peddler and part-time sleuth, Roger the Chapman. Despite being recently and happily married to his second wife, Adela, Roger feels his old, familiar restlessness and sets off in October of 1477 for Plymouth, where he learns of the murder of Oliver Capstick, an elderly recluse "bludgeoned to death in his bed." Master Capstick, a wealthy tradesman, held the purse strings for a profligate great-nephew, Beric Gifford, who is the prime suspect because of his fiery temper and his refusal to marry his uncles choice. Beric seems to have disappeared after eating the leaves of the Saint John's fern, which certain superstitious souls believe made him invisible. Reports of Beric's being spotted pique Roger's curiosity and prompt him to investigate. Complications ensue when Roger becomes the scapegoat for a second murder and he must help exonerate one of his new friends. A great, black brute of a horse, a swineherd and his mettlesome, obstinate pigs loom large in his wanderings, while a signet ring and a velvet hat provide important clues. A well-laid if drawn-out plot builds to a logical if incongruous ending that should please the faithful and even win a few new converts.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Unable to resist the lure of the open road, recently married itinerant peddler Roger Chapman sets off for Plymouth to market his wares. Before long, Roger finds himself involved in investigating the brutal murder of a prominent local businessman. Since the primary suspect has apparently vanished without a trace, the neighbors are convinced that witchcraft is involved. Though possessing a healthy respect for native superstitions, Roger decides to pursue a more straightforward course. Utilizing his considerable skills of detection, he uncovers an unsavory plot hatched by a sister involved in an illicit relationship to frame her brother for the murder of their uncle. Another intelligent installment in a superbly crafted series of medieval mysteries that rival the best of Ellis Peters.
Margaret FlanaganCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
