A Fox in the Fold (An Owen Archer mystery, 14)
The body of a stranger who’d been stabbed and his neck broken is soon followed by another who’d been stabbed three times—in the throat, chest, and stomach—and the beating death of a resident of York known to offer lodgings to travelers when others wouldn’t and suspected of having a healthy stash of coins. Investigating the individual deaths and their connections is Owen Archer, former captain of the King’s Archers, respected for his tracking and detective skills.
Set in 1376, A Fox in the Fold is the 14th in the Owen Archer mystery series that first appeared in 1993. The series is highly regarded not only for the books’ put-the-puzzle-pieces-together plots, but for multifaceted characters and medieval historical detail. The storyline weaves in political machinations that presage the Wars of the Roses, glimpses of daily life for common workers as well as men in the upper echelons of religious hierarchy and women in priories and abbeys.
While Robb is careful to provide backstory for new readers, the number of characters, often with similar names, can be confusing. The mystery often lags while subplots take center stage. Fascinating for those looking for a taste of medieval times, less so for those wanting mainly to track a detective’s path toward killers.
