Whited Sepulchres
In the summer of 1217 the sisters of Earl William de Warenne arrive at Conisborough castle to celebrate the marriage of the widowed eldest one, Isabelle, to her new husband Gilbert L’Aigle. The occasion is marred by the murder of an irascible high-status servant. Edwin Weaver, a local young man already known to the nobility for his abilities to tease out such puzzles, is commanded by the earl to discover the killer’s identity. The investigation leads Edwin into some murky areas that challenge him in more ways than he could have imagined.
The story is wonderfully evocative of the early 13th century, both in castle and village, with some highly engaging characters, especially Edwin, who is uncertain of his abilities and justifiably anxious around his lord and his lord’s family, and Martin, the aspiring young knight whose path toward confidence mirrors Edwin’s, although from a different social perspective. C.B. Hanley writes her characters with warmth and conviction. I felt as though I was there, and that is the mark of excellent historical fiction. While a historical mystery, the many entertaining scenes of daily mediaeval life are the book’s particular strength.
My only caveat is that known history has been shifted by more than 20 years to suit the plot and ascribes certain heinous deeds, without a shred of evidence, to characters who actually existed. However, it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining read.
