The Christmas Wassail

Sedley’s 22nd Roger the Chapman mystery (after 2012’s The Tintern Treasure), one of her best, perfectly blends action, detection, and period color. Although 1483 has been a tumultuous year for England with the ascension of Richard III to the throne (and the fate of the princes in the Tower unresolved), Roger is hoping for a bit of a break over Christmas, a wish that goes unfulfilled. Instead of quiet relaxation with family and friends, the occasional operative for Richard has a series of murders to solve. The violence begins with the stabbing death of an alderman, who utters the name “Dee” before expiring, a possible clue to the identity of his killer. When Roger tells the authorities of the dying man’s declaration, Sir George Marvell, a well-respected war hero who was at the victim’s side along with Roger, denies it was a name. Things play out in surprising ways, leaving the investigator in a moral quandary about not only others’ actions but also his own. (July)