History teacher and author Starr (The Unquiet Bones
) pens a second medieval mystery featuring Master Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff of Lord Gilbert Talbot’s manor at Bampton, England. The discovery of a corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel—that of Alan, the manor’s beadle—poses a mystery that Master Hugh must unravel. A subsequent second murder deepens the mystery. Master Hugh is nothing if not deliberate; the narrative proceeds slowly and methodically, adding complications and characters. The story is detail driven rather than character driven, with a groaning board of medieval touches: diet, clothing, calendar with feast days. Starr helpfully provides a glossary for readers who want to tell their beadle from their bailiff. In an era in which religion and culture were synonymous, there’s also a goodly helping of theological asides, chubby clergy, and a sympathetic portrait of John Wyclif, the Reformation’s “morning star” and a mentor to Master Hugh. Starr pens a competent, albeit slow-moving, medieval tale. (Mar.)
