1367 A dying man is discovered near St Andrew's Chapel, and an old coin is discovered in his mouth. Hugh de Singleton seeks the killers and a possible treasure. But many men are also looking for the treasure threatening others.
An entertaining historical mystery with its cast of likeable characters ( )

A mystery that will have you guessing until the very end. ( )

See a review of this and other titles on blog http://crossromance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-tainted-coin-by-melvin-starr.html

The Tainted Coin is the fifth and latest book in the series so far (the next due out in September). My opinion of this book was somewhat mixed. The initial mystery was fascinating and unusual regarding a hidden horde of Roman treasure uncovered by a poor merchant.
I’m a historian rather than an archaeologist, but hordes of historical treasure are something I like!
The unfortunate merchant was murdered to but would not reveal the location of his hidden treasure, and as Hugh investigates the trial seems to point to his inexorable foe, Sir Simon Trillowe and a band of squires. Trouble as usual ensues and the mystery embroils a young widow, a peasant soldier, and a moral dilemma which threatens to cost Hugh dear.

On the positive side, there were more colourful characters, interesting medical procedures and titbits of information which may help to challenge widely held notions about medieval people having been small and weak and The Tainted Coin was another good, clean and cozy mystery with some exploration of moral or ethical themes. It was also pleasing to see some of the characters I like return again, and come into their own like Arthur the Groom, with his beefy physical strength proving a valuable asset for Hugh, and Hugh as the family man with his daughter now born.

It was enjoyable, and I will certainly want to read the next book in the series The Uncertain Sleep when it comes out, but this particular installment just wasn’t one of my favourites.
The novel had a couple of weakness in common with some of the others, the main being that some elements of the story seem be getting repetitive and a little predicable. In the process of detection Hugh seems to encounter some very similar situations over and over again, and his manner of dealing with some challenges can be questionable.

Why he cannot use his authority as sheriff to prevent roguish knights from abusing people, or performing illegal acts rather than going in with his (proverbial rather than literal) guns blazing and getting hurt or into trouble in the process is an open question.
And Hugh just does seem to keep getting into scrapes so much so that the formula is perhaps getting a little bit worn and perhaps a little implausible.

Overall a good read, but not the best in the series in my opinion. It does have an unusual twist at the end, and I hope the stories will continue to develop and not become overly formulaic. The next novel does look promising so hopefully there may be some improvement. 3.5 Stars overall.
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Hugh de Singleton is a 14th Century English surgeon who is also the bailiff, or general manager, for the estate of an important nobleman, Lord Gilbert, in the southeastern part of England. A perceptive and principled man for the times, de Singleton has emerged into kind of early police detective, who is kept busy by a continuous stream of crimes--major and minor--ranging from curfew violation to game poaching to murder.The Tainted Coin is the 5rd book in the series. The medieval background enhances the reading experience while putting the clock back to a time before mysteries were solved by forensics.
This series just keeps on developing the characters and their relationships; each book adds to my enjoyment. You can read this as a stand-alone mystery however I warn you, you will become attached to the character and times of Hugh de Singleton and will be back for more. I recommend this series for those who like a cozy mystery, a police procedural or just any murder mystery. ( )

http://www.girllostinabook.com/2014/12/review-tainted-coin-by-mel-starr.html ( )