The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The title alone was enough to draw me to this particular novel, though the identity of the novel as the next in a series that I had started, and as the product of an author I particularly enjoy, were also reasons for me to read it.

And what a joy it was to accompany the two protagonists, Stanton and Barling, both ‘King’s men’, as the journey to the secluded location of a Cistercian monastery to assist the abbot in uncovering the cause of the murder of one of the monks. Confronted on their arrival with additional murders of monks, Barling and Stanton scramble to understand both the history of the monastery and the identity of the culprit. Misinformation and animosity from the monks, who do not appreciate ‘outsiders’ being invited into their secluded world, hamper their efforts until the very end – and the identity of the perpetrator is a surprise to all (including this reader!).

As always, Powell brings her propensity for historical research to the crafting of a wonderful narrative that entertains and engages. For those readers interested in the historical period in which the stories are set, the glimpse of the background historicity seeps through into the narrative, adding to the overall authenticity of the narrative.

Highly recommended.

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Tabula Rasa: A Crime Novel of the Roman Empire by Ruth Downie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another wonderful instalment in the ongoing series featuring Gaius Petreius Ruso, Medicus of Rome’s Twentieth Legion, his wife, Tilla, and a cast of regular supporting characters.

This edition sees Ruso stationed with a work party from the Legion in the north of Brittania for the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. The start of a rumour that there might be the body of a murdered man entombed within the wall brings Ruso into the middle of intrigue and mystery as a local child goes missing, presumed kidnapped, one of his staff is missing, and the local Britons becoming increasingly incensed by their treatment by the Roman occupiers. The matters become even more complicated as Ruso’s wife, Tilla, discovers something of her past that changes many things for her and for Ruso.

Managing to unravel the dramatic events, even at the risk of his own life, and thus managing to quell potential rebellion and violence – at least for now – Ruso is once again a ‘hero’ to many, though not always with the appreciation of his Legion superiors or the local Briton leaders.

This is another wonderful narrative from Ruth Downie, with the protagonists and supporter characters becoming increasingly like old friends whose news and adventures you want to follow. While not historically accurate in the plain reading of that term, the historical authenticity of Downie’s narrative makes the whole story both believable and entertaining.

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