Pseudonymal Susanna Gregory's tenth Matthew Bartholomew mystery is as brilliant as the previous nine. The mark of a good mystery author is the ability to confound the audience every time. The majority of authors, like any good crossword setter tends to evidence similar sleuthing patterns so familiarity leads to quick diagnosis from the reader. Not from Gregory whose mind manages to twist the reader deviously through the maze that is fourteenth century Cambridge with a verve that is truly remarkable.
The latest also introduces a new link as the prologue to the last effort which found Josse dead in a snow drift actually proves a key link to the mystery contained within this novel. Very neat. There is also continuity of mystery in the re-appearance of Rob Thorpe and Edward Mortimer, two ruffians who were the culprits in an even earlier novel and the influence of the Hand, that non-relic that Michael and Matt revealed as previously attached to the simpleton, Peterkin Starre in another novel. So, not just continuity of time and character, but also of mysteries. However, it does not mean you have to have read the previous novels but does add another touch of delight to those who have.
So...more murders...more mystery and lots of canonical and secular intrigue. The story opens with the drunken Thomas Mortimer (owner of the Mortimer Mill) killing Lenne and maiming Isnard. Swiftly followed by the deaths in the King's Mill of the Gonville scholar, Bottisham, and the wealthy grocer (and King's Mill patron) Deschalers who are located by Matt and Michael with nails driven through their palate and crushed in the water mill.
More characters come to Cambridge. The introduction of Gonville Hall allows a new physician, Rougham, its Master, Pulham, and several others. The return of Rob and Edward (who have received a King's Pardon for their crimes) to do mischief is tied into the feud between the Mortimer Mill which has turned its hand to fulling, and the King's Mill. The intercession of a King's Commission to rule on the two mills raises the Cambridge temperature considerably. On one side we have the Mortimer clan, legally represented by Gonville, on the other a merchant conglomerate comprising Mayor Morice, Cheney the spice merchant, Bernarde the Miller, Lavenham the apothecary (and his voluptuous wife, Isobel) and the dead Deschalers. Meanwhile, in Michaelhouse, three of Matt's students take more of a starring role, Redmeadow, Quenhyth and Denyman and the key cast list is rounded off with Master Warde of Valence Marie, the new physician Paxtone, Wynewyk, Tulyet and Tynkell (whose physiology proves a mystery in itself).
Three deaths are swiftly followed by the murder of Bosel the Beggar and the arrival of the addled Bess whom Matilde takes under her Frail Sisters wing. By the time Lavenham's workplace goes up in flames Gregory's death count hits twelve (via henbane most of the time as we eventually discover) as Warde, Bess, Lavenham, Isobel, Bernarde, Rob Thorpe, Edward Mortimer, Thomas Mortimer, Mistress Lenne (natural causes in a startling turn) all wind up dead.
During the book , Matt allows himself to get diverted by a brewing personal feud with Rougham, who is clearly imcompetent, who thinks Matt has a secretum secretorum - a panacea - and we get steered down the wrong path through Michael and Matt several times until one very bedraggled fake rat acts as Matt's epiphany. By the end we have our single culprit, discover the motives were all different and there was no conspiracy and Matt has a wealth of new books to keep him company whilst Michael continues to eat his way through Cambridge.
Gregory has added another fine achievement to her Chronicles and it is all the more remarkable as the majority of key players are based on historical reality. Her grasp of medieval Cambridge is excellent, the narrative is gripping, the plots endless but controlled and there is a vibrancy throughout that makes this series an absolute must read for any fan of the genre.
More needs to come from the pen of this fine author.

Chadbourn's final book in the 'Age of Misrule' is a sparkling read where the Quincunx of Church, Shavi, Veitch, Laura and Ruth lead the Tuatha De'Danaan into battle against the Fomorri and Balor. Ruth and Church are on the Waverunner, a magical ship-Tardis where they save and gain the respect of the Danaan. Church and Baccharus form a great fighting friendship after Callow and the Nightwalkers storm the ship, capture Manannan and bring the Wish-Hex with which to unlease a great plague to destroy the Golden Ones. Ruth becomes over more powerful, whilst, a world away, Veitch enters the underworld, Orpheus-style to rescude Shavi, whilst Tom gains immense power from the most ancient of Gods enabling him to control deities such as Epona.
The circle is turning as our human Fragile Creatures' realise the Pendragon Spirit and become leaders in their own right.
Laura reawakes after birthing Balor and finds her self with the Bone Inspector. During the titantic struggle Church realises his love for Ruth and the pair head for the Western Isles, home to the Danaan, so Church can take the water from the Pool of wishes to cleanse himself from the Roisin Dubh's taint. There they discover the Danaan are on the verge of civil war over the potential of humans but manage to secure the aid of the Golden ones in unleashing another war on Balor and the Fomorri. What follows is a battle royal as the three separate armies converge on London, one headed by Ruth and Veitch, the other by Church, Tom and the Bone Inspector, the final by Laura and Shavi. Along the way they fight every dark creature under the mythical sun, crawl through more London tunnels that we ever knew existed and find their own personal glory. Come the denoument we discover the unwitting traitor, people die nobly and Balor is defeated. However, there is a cyclical ending with Church and hope for a new beginning.
All in all a great trilogy that brings together many Celtic myths and weaves a fine tale around them that drags the reader in. The central characterisation across the trilogy is not terribly strong but the supporting cast are well drawn and provide enough support. Of the three, this final novel is the best as Chadbourn seems to relax in his writing style, the first half given to the Waverunner being the best of it. The denoument is suitably climatic and not cliched. So all in all a good first series from this author and well worth any fan of Celtic fantasy reading.

Scarrow's fourth adventure of our two heroes, Macro and Cato, has the two stepping out of the recovery ward in Calleva (Cato grumbling about his terrible rib injury that might end his career - though, suspiciously all pain seems to be forgotten by page hundred or so, making Scarrow's consistency questionable) and being ordered by Vespasian to raise two auxiliary cohorts to defend the Atrebatan capital. The situation is extremely tricky, widespread food shortages, constant raids by the Durotriges, and Plautius chasing of Caratacus' army deep into the territory of the Silures.
With the aging client-king Verica trying to secure his people the bext possible vantage as subjects of the Roman whilst ensuring annexation does not occur and the hotheaded idealistic younger celtic men (spearheaded by Tincommius) fomenting discord, we're on a rollercoaster of a ride.
Both the newly centurionated Cato and Macro take charge, drilling and educating the Britons in the true mettle of the Roman II Augusta and having several necessary arguments along the way until they eventually proudly blood them in a skirmish against the Durotriges who are attacking one of the supply columns. A sense of unity is created with the creation of the Eagles and the Wolves but discord threatens when first the standard bearer, Bedriacus, is murdered, then Artax is killed by Cato apparently attempting to take Verica's life.
Eventually Plautius realises he's been chasing shadows and Caratcus' army has travelled south of the Tamesis to aid the Durotrigans who have now attacked Calleva with the help of several of the Atrebatans. What follows is a defense of heroic proportions as both centurions, a handful of legionaries and the auxiliaries defend the compound, royal enclosure and Verica's life before first Vespasian with a couple of cohorts, then Plautius arrive. Mixed in is a scheming tribune Quntilius (a poor replacement for the effervescent Vitellius) who wants to be the first procurator of the client kingdom of the Atrebates (he does achieve his aim but his poor management and cowardice are noted).
The latest installment adds more weight to Scarrow's resume, and the adventures of Cato and Macro are a refreshing breeze through the Roman historical genre. It is not designed for the historical purist and to pick holes in for inaccuracy of place, time and context misses the point of these novels. Long may they continue.

Chadbourn's second in the 'Age of Misrule' is kind enough to open with a synposis of the previous novel, 'World's End'. The story picks up promptly as our famous five learn that the essence of Balor is about to be given a physical host in the vast caverns under Edinburgh and only they can prevent it. With the vainglorious Tuatha de'Danaan ever present Church, Ruth, Veitch, Shavi and Laura (whose cynicism and self pity has becoming thoroughly grating) set off with their mentor Tom to stop the Fomorri from releasing their leader into the world.
However, upon arrival in the Scottish capital we find a particularly nasty element of Celtic folklore made incarnate - the Calliach Bheur, pretty much undefeatable and bringer of winter to the land. As this hag moves through the city killing at will to protect the essence of Balor in time for the August 1 ritual, Shavi and Laura manage to defy the Bone Inspector and release the gloriously insane Maponus to do battle with her. Meanwhile, the now lupercini Callow kidnaps Ruth and she ends up in the clutches of Calatin who promptly forces the essence of Balor into her in the form of a Black Pearl. Now pregnant with the dark one, weeks remain until his rebirth, alien-style.
What follows is a race north and south, Veitch and Tom to plead assistance from Tom's once-captor, the Queen of the Danaan, Ruth and Church head to Otherworld to Dian Cecht, Shavi attempts to join with the Bone Inspector to reimprison Maponus and in the interim Church has to deal with the emotional wrangling of Ruth, Laura and Niamh. Eventually, the second denouement occurs with a moment of great sacrifice, two characters die (though you suspect the Pendragon spirit will ensure a resurrection), Balor gets reborn and a host of assorted characters get removed and replaced with new ones.
My only concern with this novel, is the author's continued use of drugs to achieve connection to the spiritual side of the new world. Its over-emphasis is disconcerting at times and I wonder if it is truly necessary. This aside, whilst not as good as the opener, it serves up enough thrills and spills in an England turned back to magic to ensure the third and final novel is read.

The sixth Libertus mystery from Rosemary Rowe plunges us immediately into a difficult situation as Marcus Aurelius Septimus, Libertus' patron, ends up accused of the murder of one corpulent Gaius Praxus, military commander at his own banquet, found dead in the vomitorium. AfterGovernor Pertinax's departure from Britain, Septimus, Mellitus and Praxus were power sharing until a successor was sent by Commodus. Now Praxus is dead and Mellitus accuses Marcus of his murder. As Libertus' patron is hauled off to jail, Marcus' wife, Julia Delicta, asks him to help his patron and our sleuth disappears home before the avenging Praxus guard, headed by the bullish Bullface, can grab him.
For considerable time, Libertus finds himself on the run as he tries to understand what has happened and get some details from Golbo, the slave boy attending the vomitorium that Marcus inexplicably dismissed just before the murder, before he himself is falsely accused of complicity. This leads to a nightmarish journey into the more unsavoury areas of Glevum as he is kidnapped by a group of beggars and thieves (The Ghosts of Glevum) who sit in mock council to decide his fate. Forced into 'hiring' them to save his own skin, Libertus makes use of Sosso, the leader of the ragtail band, Parva a young prostitute, Cornovacus, a thief, Lercius, an insane thug, Tullio, the riverman, Molendinarius, the firewood-seller and his wife all of whom are under the 'patronage' of Grossus.
His own house burned down, Gwellia and Junio safely in Corfinium and finding Golbo dead enables Libertus, by using these 'Ghosts' who hear everything and can get into anywhere in Glevum, to figure out who the murderer was and deduce the motive behind the apparent treasonous scroll of Marcus that has come to light. Eventually, the facts are teased out and the traitorous 'ghost' comes to light before being killed by his own people. There is no denouement with the culprits as we skip to Marcus' freedom at the end, but are advised the conspirators and murderer have been apprehended.
The previous Libertus offering was weaker than the rest because it cast our sleuthing hero in a light that didn't match his previous characterisation. This effort returns us to the old Libertus we know though I get the impression that Rowe has unfortunately restricted herself her with this forcing of Libertus into the Glevum underworld. It ensures an intellectual puzzling of the truth using informants rather than any free sleuthing himself and no empathy with the supporting cast is delivered. So, whilst better than the Legatus Affair, not as good as the first four.

The UK paperback jacket of Jennifer Fallon's opener in the Demon Child trilogy (Hythrun Trilogy in the US) caught me off guard slightly as it has a distinctive science fiction approach to its artwork. Having never come across Fallon, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fantasy novel that looks to combine the best of Jordan and Modesitt.
The story concerns Tarja Tenragan, a dashing, battle hardened and somewhat cynical Defender of the Medalon realm whom we first encounter punching out an overly arrogant captain called Loclon, and R'Shiel, his half-sister, a Probate the the Sisterhood - a firmly secular group who rule this central state, surrounded on all sides by god-fearing heathens, if you believe the propaganda. The irony that this state atheism is actually incorrect as we meet the Primal and Incidental Gods fairly early on in this adventure - the God of Thieves and Goddess of Love featuring heavily during an episode at the prisoner town of Grimwild. Tarja and R'Shiel come to realise that they are not, in fact related and that R'Shiel is the Demon Child, fated to kill the God Xaphista or die trying. At a human level their adversary is the resplendant wicked stepmother, Joyhinia, whose ruthless cunning secures her the leadership of the Medalon sisterhood after ousting Mahina and with complete disregard for her childrens' wellbeing gets them captured during a growing insurgency and carted off to Grimwild. At a deified level she is being hunted by the God Xaphista and his horde of fanatical Kairen Priests.
What follows is a race through Medalon as they first escape, prove to their rebel friends that Tarja did not betray them and R'Shiel gets captured by a Kairen priest and Lord Pieter, the Kairen Envoy. One explosive moment later on the boat we finally get to hear the truth behind her heritage as demon-created dragons enter the fray and we learn that the once-thought extinct Harshini are in fact alive and that R'Shiel is the daughter of Lorandranek te Ortyn, the dead brother to King Korandellen.
With it comes the explanation that the demon child has unlimited access to magic (normal Harshini can only access small amounts - more with a God's help) but her human blood means she can use it to destroy. All in all a potent weapon.
Fallon's opener in the trilogy is explosively impressive combining powerful plot, plausible characterisation and effortless writing style to create a novel that is as thrilling to read as any Eddings or Feist. There has been a dearth of quality new fantasy writers over recent years and Fallon's advent has come at exactly the right time. Any fan of this genre must read this.

Margaret Doody's third installment of Stephanos and Aristotle, 'The Secrets of Life' is a crafted book, that brings to vibrant life ancient Athens. Following on closely from the previous, 'Poetic Justice' we find Stephanos in search of a wife and Aristotle about to mourn the death of his dear wife, Pythias and stillborn son. As ever, things are not settled in the political cauldron that is fourth century BC Athens as the pro-Macedonian factions find themselves on the receiving sacrilegeous end of dead animal parts on their herms, including our erstwhile heroes.
Meanwhile a large portion of the opening two hundred or so pages is given over to the complexities of Athenian marriages as Stephanos settles on Philomena as his future bride, but then discovers from her father, Smikrenes, that her mother no longer lives with them but rather with her father and there is a brother living miles away he needs to see to sort out questions about inheritence.
As a result of his betrothal difficulties and Aristotle's personal loss they set off on a journey across Greece, ostensibly to return Parmenion, son of Arkhebios (one of Aristotle's stranger students) to his father and find Philokles, Philoemena's uncle. What follows is a lengthy description of Stephanos' own Argonautica as they travel through the islands that make up the Kyklades on the good ship Eudaimaon under the guidance of Captain Aiskhines who winds up dead on Naxos. On the way they encounter a motley crew of passangers, including the overly suspicious lame slave Doris and her dog and Philokhorus, who manages to inexplicably get kidnapped and dumped in a pigsty at Mykonos. Nevertheless, they manage to leave Naxos on a ship under Captain Nikias, the Nike. From there we leap via a storm to Kos to offload the melancholic Parmenion, learning his father has been killed along the way. In a stroke of luck, Stephanos finds his quarry is now based at Kos but is currently off-island. He takes advantage of an Alexandrian sponsored request to take a trip to Asia Minor with Aristotle and they are given a secret mission to transport some gold back to Athens by Harpalos and Kallisthenes (Aristote's nephew and personal scribe to Alexander).
On the return trip to Kos (with a stinking horsehide) they bump into Captain Nikias and the Laurion family ending up on the Nike to Kos with a seedy pilgrim. Diverting to an islet for repairs they discover Peleus' corpse wrapped in a rug amongst the items for transport and then find that Captain Nikias is actually a pirate. He holds them all captive, subjects Stephanos to beatings, torments Aristotle and brutally murders Philokleia, thus causing her parents' suicides. Escaping, after poisoning the pirates' communal meal, with the aid of a terrified octopus they are rescued by Philokhorus and promptly return to kill the pirates.
On return to Kos a conversation with Parmenion unravels the mysteries that have plagued their journey and they begin to see action and counteraction between those spying on Aristotle and those aiding him (all unbeknown to our heroes) before finally leading back to the instigator of the entire plot. Unfortunately, they cannot act against the man who has caused seven murders. As a footnote, Stephanos concludes his business with Philokles and they return to Athens to prepare for marriage.
The Secrets of Life comes across as a Pausanian travelogue as we are subjected to overflowing descriptions of the Greek Islands with various mythological commentary. All of which serves more to tell us about the author's personal command of Greek history, geography and myth than to actually contribute to the story. Doody can write very well, her narrative flows and her grasp of peripatetic philosophy brings Aristotle to life. However...the Stephanos novels lack a key ingredient. They aren't gripping. There is no incentive to turn the page (at least for the first four hundred pages of the paperback version). As such it took me a long time to read this as I read other books whilst slowly edging through this third effort. So, whilst the quality of subject is apparent, the page-turning quality never kicks in. Perhaps the fourth novel will rectify this.

Anna Beer's biography of Bess Ralegh follows a current trend amongst English literary historians who are intent on re-examining the supporting cast of English Tudor and Stuart history. In the same vein as Weir, Gristwood and Somerset, she has produced an in depth look at a single aristocratic female set against a common backdrop, in this case, Elizabethan England.
Opening with her own fictionalised account of Bess early morning as Gentlewoman of the Privy Chamber, we find our subject, Bess Throckmorton, five months pregnant which leads to a brief discourse on the sexual politics that pervaded much of Elizabethan politics. In chronological manner, Beer gives an early account of Bess life, of her Throckmorton relatives who constantly interfered in matters political meaning they often got send to Court, of her mother Anna and her presentation to the Court in 1584. Beer also weaves in an account of the major events of the time featuring Mary, Queen of Scots, Essex, Dudley et al before focusing on Bess' education which was "neither democratizing nor meritocratic". In parallel runs the biography of her future husband, Walter Ralegh and the sexual scandals that seem to have been rife at Court.
(...)
Beer, in a simple and entertaining style, has created a story of a woman who was, at first, infatuated with a charming adventurer, then married to one of the most powerful men in England, risking her Queen's fury, then a stoical and steadfast wife displaying brilliant political and legal acumen to keep the Ralegh and Throckmorton family afloat during years of political upheaval and royal dynastical change. Ever-loyal to her increasingly disillusioned husband and afterwards the consummate matriarch it lends credence to the statement that behind every great man there stands a greater woman.
Well worth reading.

Five years after its first publication I finally get round to reading Chadbourn's opener in the 'Age of Misrule' and find I should have read it back then. However, the bonus is that I can read the other two immediately after.
Opening in a London pea-souper, Jack Churchill and Ruth Gallagher arrive at the scene of a scuffle which rapidly becomes a murder that leaves them firstly unconscious then traumatised. On waking and then undergoing hypnotherapy they come to realise that the duality that is the world is about to end, that science is shortly to die and magic to regain it's place in the world. What follows is a manic car chase down the M4 as they are hunted by a dragon, one of the Fabulous beasts and then stalked by the Baobhan Sith.
Over the course of the next hundred or so pages we learn that Ruth and Church are two of the Five Brothers and Sisters of the Dragon, fated to save the world from the return of the Fomorii, the fantastically evil enemies of the Tuatha De Danann.

After meeting the third sister, the overly cynical Laura and being tasked by one of the remaining Tuatha De Danann to find the four objects of power (Stone of Fal, Sword of Nuada, Spear of Lugh, Cauldron of Dagda) by Beltane they find themselves being hunted across Southern England as a lantern of power directs them to each object. After quickly gaining the stone in Avebury, Church and Tom (an aging hippy who has visited the Otherlands and has become the five's mentor) are caught by the Formorri leader and tortured, before they escape with new brother Dragon, Veitch. Laura and Ruth meet up with the fifth brother, Shavri and narrowly escape capture by the Wild Hunt. All the while science continues to fail and the countryside is beginning to realise that the stuff of fairy tales is coming true, whilst the great cities slumber unprepared.
The chase truly begins as they move to Glastonbury Tor for the cauldron, or Graal, to Tintagel for the Sword and deepest Wales for the final spear before hurtling northwards through the Lake District. During the events each experiences their own personal odyssey as we are introduced to the special skills that make up the quintet. However, the sum is always greater than the parts. Having recovered all then losing the artefacts they defeat the Erle King and bring the objects together for Beltane and free the Danann who drive off the Formorri. The victory comes at price as the Danann claim an intent to stay on Earth and claim it for themselves and we conclude with the British government finally broadcasting to a nation the darkness that lies ahead.
Chadbourn's first of three is a sparkling read, weaving multiple Celtic myths together to reopen a Britain that has much of its folklore in mistier times. Providing a new future for the island nation and bringing together some peculiarly British characters (who do need some more work to become more rounded) it is a magisterial tour de force from this author that any fantasy fan will enjoy.

Lacey's latest effort is superlative simply because it achieves what it states in its introduction. Namely, to provide a series of anecdotal storeis regarding historical figures any English person simply should know about. As he blandly states, history drops of the curricula quite early on in the english school and the history there is focuses on thematic history rather than factual. I recall dropping history at an early age because it was all about the political twentieth century and didn't really go into our history prior to the Industrial Revolution.
Lacey seeks to rectify that with his delightful and accurate stories about the greatest historcial figures from England's past, cheerfully admitting where he is simply adding to the 'word-of-mouth' means of keeping history alive (albeit in the written format) and that he has no primary evidence for the stories. As such we are treated to stories that are part of English folklore, such as King Arthur, Whitby, Cheddar Man, King Alfred, Robin Hood and more. Each is told is a factual manner but doesn't forget that the primary motive for history is storytelling, hence the anecdotal style. The sequence of short tales means you can dip in and out of the book, rather than having to read it staight through (though this is just as pleasurable a read) and, by the end, as it so often is, you remember a lot about many of the tales for the human gossip element that prevails throughout.