The Boy-Bishop's Glovemaker (Medieval West Country Series #10) Book

Another fantastic and immersive trip through time, to Exeter on this occasion. Having grown up in Exeter, I really enjoyed trying to picture all the places in my head as I was reading this cracking story. Mr Jecks's research is superb - the complicated inner workings of the Cathedral community were brought to life wonderfully. I was very grateful indeed for the incredibly helpful notes at the beginning of the book which described the different functions of the various roles within the Cathedral community, which gave me one handy reference point instead of having to flip through the pages to find the in-text description of the character's role.

The story itself was a study of the interweaving lives, rivalries and jealousies of the citizens of Exeter, all drawn together with their individual links to the Cathedral. The characters are all beautifully crafted and realistic, with strengths, flaws and quirks which round them out and make them easy to picture and relate to - or not, in some cases! The descriptions provide just the right amount of detail to enable the reader to visualise the people and locations without bogging us down with an information overload.

The story moved along at quite a pace - there was a great deal going on in the lives of the various characters - and I found myself thinking that, whilst sympathising with Baldwin about the fact that he was not at home over Christmas, where he wanted to be, at least he had very little time to dwell on it! One of the reasons that I particularly like Baldwin and Simon Puttock is that they are able to make astute deductions and observations without coming across like Sherlock Holmes. They never stray into some medieval 'mind-palace' from which they emerge with 90% of the answers to a particular puzzle. (Don't get me wrong, I love Sherlock Holmes, have all the stories and have watched the majority of the TV and film versions thereof, but for me, that style of deduction has its place and it is not in medieval Exeter). Baldwin's and Simon's investigations invariably come across as entirely realistic and plausible.

I would definitely recommend this gripping and evocative read - if you're a fan of historical fiction, this series is a must.