Sarah's Reviews > Too Good to Hang: The intriguing medieval mystery series

4.5*

Too Good to Hang is the eleventh engrossing medieval mystery in Sarah Hawkswood's great series featuring Lord Undersheriff of Worcester Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin. While there's significant character development of the central trio over the course of the series, this book would also read well as standalone, given that sufficient background information is given to set the scene.

It's spring 1145 and a shocking death has occurred in the village of Ripple, approximately 12 miles south of the county town of Worcester. Unpopular parish priest Father Edmund has been discovered beaten to death in the village church, with young ploughman Thorgar leaning over him. Despite protesting his innocence of the crime, Selewine the Reeve (a local official with responsibilities delegated by the Crown) pronounces him guilty, on the basis that not only was he discovered with the body, but that he had been seen arguing with the priest earlier in the day. Thorgar is summarily hanged from a large oak, to the horror of his widowed mother and family.

Thorgar's fiesty younger sister Osgyth hastens to Worcester, where upon hearing her story, Lord Sheriff William de Beauchamp dispatches Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin to Ripple to investigate the death of the priest and determine whether the correct culprit was executed. The Sheriff's representatives receive a frosty reception in the town, as they question villagers, a nearby miller and a pair of Welsh tradespeople about the background to the crime. It transpires that Father Edmund was much disliked in Ripple, primarily because of his haughty demeanour, but also disturbingly on the basis of his abuse of several young girls within the parish. Meanwhile, Thorgar is reputed to have been a reliable and upstanding young man, on the cusp of a monastic vocation within the nearby Tewkesbury Abbey. He seems an unlikely suspect in the murder of a priest. As they dig deeper, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin uncover simmering antipathies amongst the Ripple community, and rumours of the recent discovery of a long-lost treasure. Could this prove a motive in the killing of Father Edmund and the scapegoating of young Thorgar? The action reaches a crescendo with a thrilling chase by boat down the River Severn to Tewkesbury in pursuit of the villain and the rescue of a pivotal witness, thanks to the intercession of an unlikely heroine.

Sarah Hawkswood creates an immersive setting in terms of both time and place. Customs and language of the twelfth century are seamlessly integrated throughout the narrative, while the aspirations and preoccupations of the characters are sufficiently familiar to a 21st century audience to maintain interest and generate empathy. Geographically, the locations of towns, transport routes and major ecclesiastical landmarks remain much the same as they did almost 900 years ago: when reading these books I always enjoy comparing the maps at the start of the book with Google Earth and wondering at how much or little the streetscapes and natural landscapes have changed.

The building of historical detail and establishment of character relationships underlying the mystery plot of Too Good to Hang create a slow-build towards an action-packed denouement. The characterisation of the central trio remains strong, as series readers have come to expect, with young Walkelin gaining greater authority on each outing and Catchpoll reliably providing insight and moments of dry humour in his familiarly taciturn manner. As always, the supporting characters in this story are varied and intriguing, with several formidable female characters keeping the investigative trio on their toes, while undercurrents of jealousy, resentment and greed reveal several potential suspects for more than one crime that has taken place in Ripple. Evil doesn't lurk too far beneath the surface, but secrets can't stay buried forever...

I'd strongly recommend Too Good to Hang, and the entire Bradecote & Catchpoll series to any reader who enjoys well-researched and immersive historical fiction. Any reader who - like myself - devoured Ellis Peters' brilliant Brother Cadfael series will also love this series.

My thanks to the author, Sarah Hawkswood, publisher Allison & Busby, and NetGalley (UK), for the opportunity to read and review this engrossing title.