Brother Hermitage does worry. Even when there hasn't been a murder, he worries that there probably has. It can't do any harm to check, surely? Well, of course, it can. Has the King's Investigator learned nothing from his previous 23 chronicles? No, of course he hasn't.
When word of death is brought from Derby, Hermitage is concerned this may be more than the usual weekly toll. A simple check should suffice, while a more complex and thorough one would be more satisfying. And this turns up quite a list.
The Alodie family, who supposedly succumbed to plague; Maynard the Mighty who sweated to death and old Athlot; a ninety-year-old who fell off his roof. Hm, which one sounds a bit odd?
And every good tale deserves a meanwhile…
Meanwhile, off in the eastern marshes, a lone escapee from the Norman terror seeks Brother Hermitage with murder in mind. But the journey to Derby will be troublesome, including having to travel with a small band of Norman soldiers.
But remember, in 1066 not all Normans took those first boats to Hastings. Some stayed behind to guard the territory. Others ensured that the land continued to flourish. Still more were too old or infirm to partake in the great adventure;
And then one or two were simply best kept away from anything sharp.
And everything is converging on the King's Investigator.
5* If you've not read any of them then do yourself a favour and start right away…
5* This series, and Howard of Warwick's books about what 'really' happened at Hastings in 1066, are hilarious
5* Such a good writer, it's a whole new slant on medieval mystery. The truth is out there, sort of!
5* History at its most hilarious