A Notable Historical Mystery: The Service of the Dead By Candace Robb

The Service of the Dead by Candace Robb is an exciting new historical mystery which came to our desk recently and indeed is fascinating and entertaining read. It keeps you guessing till the end.

A Brief Summary: 

Political unrest permeates York at the cusp of the fifteenth century, as warring factions take sides on who should be the rightful king–Richard II or his estranged, powerful cousin in exile, Henry Bolingbroke. Independent minded twenty-year-old Kate Clifford is struggling to dig out from beneath the debt left by her late husband.

Determined to find a way to be secure in her own wealth and establish her independence in a male dominated society, Kate turns one of her properties near the minster into a guest house and sets up a business. In a dance of power, she also quietly rents the discreet bedchambers to the wealthy, powerful merchants of York for nights with their mistresses.

But the brutal murder of a mysterious guest and the disappearance of his companion for the evening threatens all that Kate has built. Before others in town hear word of a looming scandal, she must call upon all of her hard-won survival skills to save herself from ruin.

Our Take: 

A great voice in historical mystery, Robb does not disappoint with this title either…

Robb writes in an easy language yet her books including this one are filled with great historical details about the period. In Kate Clifford, she introduces a new energetic and restless heroine who does not stop till she unlocks the puzzle of the mysterious guest being murdered in her estate.

Historical mysteries tend to be a bit slow but this one is entertaining from the beginning. You will also learn a new thing or two about medieval England by the end. If you want to start a new series, I highly recommend this one.

Our Rating: 3.9