Vale of Tears

By: Sarah Hawkswood

Narrated by: Matt Addis

April, 1144. A body is found floating in Fladbury Mill leat, a man in green who has been stabbed but not robbed. The lord sheriff’s trio discover him to be an Evesham horse dealer, who has a beautiful young wife who ‘strays’. Did the wife or one of her lovers get rid of him? What is the connection with the lord of Harvington, who wed the man’s sister, and how did that lady meet her death? The trio have to work seamlessly together to unravel the thread that links seemingly disparate deaths before even more people die, and in the process keep Walkelin from the noose.

©2019 Sarah Hawkswood (P)2020 Isis Publishing Ltd

Absorbing

I truly am enjoying this series. It shows again for the foibles of men and greed. A tangled web that leads to murder and mayhem

Really good story line

I was ready to give up on this series after the last one, which was overly long and convoluted. This one is none of those things. Strong plot, interesting character motivations, great narration (as always). So happy I didn’t give up entirely because this one has been a favorite. I think it might have benefitted with a few more potential suspects, but it is good all that notwithstanding. Excited for the next.

Another great Bradicutt and Catchpoll mystery!

First, I want to give credit to the narrator, who knows how to pronounce Saxon names like Leofwine and his nephews’ name (slips my mind just now) correctly! Aelfric, I think. Wonderful!

Additionally, this book continues to show great depth of the realism imparted to the characters. The addition of Waitland (hard to know spelling with an audiobook), as he grows more and more skilled and confident, makes the cast of main characters even more delightful (as does Christina, Bradicutt’s wife, but she doesn’t play a large role in this novel). Bradicutt’s continued meditations and guilt about his first marriage also adds verisimilitude to his character.

All of these books display detailed understanding of the lives of the English during the reign of King Stephen. We see that the war between him and the Emoress Matilda (the rightful heir to the throne) not only brings the possibility of destruction and violence, but the way the various factions interact politically. I also enjoy Hawkswood’s inclusion of the religious figures that were certainly present and the honest, simple belief of the villagers.

Religion, especially Catholicism, has a not so good reputation these days. So when I (an Orthodox Jew) read about the characters of the priests who believe in the practices of all good religions with good faith, and we do see some of the religious who aren’t so holy), I find it very gratifying. The people who dedicated themselves to the worship of G-d and performed great acts of kindness to others, should be recognized.