The Noose's Shadow is the fourth Master Mercurius mystery by Graham Brack. Released 8th Dec 2020 by Sapere Books, it's 209 pages and available in paperback and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Despite being a huge fan of historical murder mysteries, I was previously unfamiliar with this exceptional series. Set in the late 17th century in the Netherlands, the protagonist, Master Mercurius (a theologian) is intelligent, amiable, honest, and insightful. He's drawn into the investigation of a local farmer when suspicion falls on a neighbor and the neighbor's pretty wife begs Mercurius to clear her husband's name and find the culprit.
It's been a while since I was truly enthralled by a book. This one drew me in immediately and I found myself thinking about the narrative even when I wasn't actively reading; mulling over the clues and the characters. The dialogue is pitch perfect and the characters are varied and very well rendered. The clues are presented fairly and the murder mystery itself is satisfyingly convoluted. I will confess that I -did- actually figure it out before the end, but the denouement and resolution are so well written that it was a pleasure to read.
I can't remember the last time I dropped my fairly rigid TBR list and immediately acquired the previous books in a series. (I review 700+ books a year, so it's always a bit of a press). This is a very well written book. I sincerely hope Master Mercurius has many many more stories for us.
Five stars. Very highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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