The Grim Reaper Book

Well, this was exciting!

In this book, Crowner John, and his two sidekicks, Gwyn and Thomas, are rushing around Exeter itself, trying to solve a series of bizarre murders, all of which seem to have been caused by someone who is both literate, in a time of mass illiteracy, and who has deep knowledge of the Bible, and it's verses - a fact which points, inevitably, towards the priesthood itself.

As usual, the Sheriff, Richard de Revelle, is useless in helping them, as he is frantically going through his financial records, desperately trying to hide any signs of his embezzlement of Crown funds as, finally, the much awaited Crown Justices are due in Exeter any day now, to check the court records, and to Judge any cases saved for them by both the Sheriff, and Crowner John.

Hampered in their Investigations by both a lack of time, no witnesses, and a clergy that have their own laws, and courts, Crowner John is getting very frustrated as one murder follows another, but it's not until the finger is pointed at poor, sad, Thomas, an unfrocked priest himself, that Crowner John has to notch up his search, in a desperate attempt to save his clerk's life!

While all of this is going on, John is also reunited with his Welsh mistress, Nesta, in whose property one of the murders takes place, and he also has the welcome experience of his wife, Mildred, actually being polite to him for once, as she waits impatiently for the various official occasions when she will be seen on his arm, as they fulfill their social roles as part of Exeter's high society, something Mildred lives for.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to start, but it soon picked up speed, and the historical details, especially of the lives that the clergy lived in those times, was really interesting to read about.

I now look forward to the next book in the series, Fear in the Forest!