Saturday, November 25, 2023

The Cargo From Neira - Gabriel Taverner Mystery #5


 

The Cargo From Neira is the 5th Gabriel Taverner historical mystery by Alys Clare. Released 2nd May 2023 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. (Paperback format due out in 2nd quarter 2024 from the same publisher). It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

Set during the reign of James I, a spate of killings and a desperate woman fleeing for her life soon involve Dr. Gabriel Taverner and his household in skullduggery and larger machinations.

The plot is well paced and constructed and I was engaged from the beginning. The characterizations are top notch, the dialogue is accessible and the author manages to suffuse the speech with verisimilitude without sacrificing clarity for modern readers.

Since it's the 5th book in a continuing series, some of the interrelationships and character backgrounds will be spoiled by being read out of order, but the mystery and denoument are (mostly) self contained in this volume and could be read as a standalone. 

With a well established series like this one, it would make a great choice for a binge/buddy read, or a mystery bookclub selection. 

Four and a half stars. A very well crafted mystery. Fans of Andrea Penrose, Candace Robb, et. al. will be delighted with this author.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

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