I was sent a free copy of The Canterbury Murders by E.M. Powell by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. This is my second book featuring her characters Stanton and Barling having previously read The King’s Justice. I also enjoyed several other books by the author: The Lord of Ireland, The Fifth Knight, and The Blood of the Fifth Knight.
About The Canterbury Murders:
Publication Date: November 12, 2020
Crosshaven Press
Series: Stanton & Barling, #3
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
A fire-ravaged cathedral. An ungodly murder.
Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.
When King’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant, Hugo Stanton, arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.
But the killer soon claims another victim–and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.
With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again—and stop it before it comes for them?
THE CANTERBURY MURDERS is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists and a winning–if unlikely–pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake.
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About the Author:
E.M. Powell’s historical thriller and medieval mystery Fifth Knight and Stanton & Barling novels have been #1 Amazon and Bild bestsellers.
The third Stanton & Barling mystery, THE CANTERBURY MURDERS, will be released in November 2020.
Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she lives in northwest England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog.
E.M. Powell is represented by Josh Getzler at HG Literary.
Find out more by visiting www.empowell.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
My Opinion:
The King’s clerk, Aelred Barling and his assistant Hugo Stanton have finally made it to Canterbury. Barling is desperate to find absolution at the shrine of Saint Thomas a Becket. But before he can achieve his goal he is thwarted by the need for his skills as an investigator for there has been a most egregious murder of one of the men working on the Cathedral. And soon a third victim is found.
Before he and Stanton can even gather all the evidence there is a second murder and the pressure is on to find the fiend who is behind the gruesome events. There is so much confusion in the town with all of the pilgrims, the rebuilding, and everyone looking to take advantage of what they can. Will they be able to figure out who is doing the killings before they kill again?
This was a well paced mystery as it led the reader along through 12th century Canterbury as the cathedral is rising again from a fire. There were complicated political faction among the monks, the everyday living conditions for the populace and of course a murderer running around. Stanton and Barling are great characters with distinct personalities that bicker and come back together like all great friends do.
The book is a fast paced read with an inolving mystery. I like these characters and will look forward to their further adventures. Sadly that will involve more murder but Ms. Powell doesn’t make it all that gruesome and she really brings the time period to life.
Rating:
4.5
