I absolutely love historical mysteries. I was previously unfamiliar with this series and had no trouble keeping up with the characters or the plot. It works well as a standalone although references to plot developments from earlier books will likely affect my reading of them since there are some spoilers contained in this one.
The plotting is controlled and the story arc is interesting and immersive. The main characters are very well delineated, compassionate, and believable. I really like the setting and history, they come alive. The author has clearly done meticulous research about the daily lives and environs of people in and around religious orders of the 14th century in England. I wasn't slavish about looking up every date or historical character mentioned in the narrative, but the ones I did look up were correct and matched the known historical details. I'm not a historian (I'm a huge bio-nerd), but there were no glaring anachronisms which jumped out at me.
I really enjoyed Hildegard's practicality, intelligence, and wit. She works well with her 'team' and they complement one another's strengths. The book reminds me in a lot of ways of Brother Cadfael, although Ellis Peters' superlative series was set a couple of centuries earlier.
There is no especially graphic violence or rough language here. The denouement is well written and satisfying. It's a well written period murder mystery and I will be seeking out the other books in the series.
For Kindle Unlimited subscribers; some of the earlier books in the series (about half) are available in the KU subscription to borrow and download for free. It's also worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
Five stars. I really enjoyed it.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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