The Straw Men

Brother Athelstan is back in The Straw Men (#296), the latest in Paul Doherty's atmospheric medieval mystery series. 

The London weather is brutal in January of 1381, and so are the political clashes between the Regent, John of Gaunt, and his common man adversaries, the Upright Men.  It's obvious there are traitors involved on both sides, and Lord John commands Brother Athelstan and his good friend Sir John Cranston, the Coroner of the City of London, to investigate.  They are witnesses to two murders carried out during a reception following a performance of a miracle play by The Straw Men, a group of traveling mummers.  How could this have happened in the Tower of London with Lord John himself present?  Could someone in Athelstan's own parish be involved?  As the bodies pile up, it becomes clear that no place and no one is safe, including Athelstan.

The crimes seem impossible to solve in this convoluted story as there are victims amongst both Lord John's faction and the Upright Men.  Are they all the work of one person?  And if so, what links these deaths?  Which reeks more: the evil at work in London, or the streets and stews?  If you love a good mystery which pulls you into another time and place convincingly, you'll enjoy visiting Brother Athelstan's London, but you might want to have a warm blanket and a nicely spiced hot drink at the ready.  Highly recommended.