July 1399 To the background of the turmoil times between Richard II and his cousin Henry Bolingbrook, a body of a female novice from Barking Abbey is discovered, naked, murdered, at Dowgate. Sir Arnold Archer, London Coroner, and Brother Rodric Chandler, (spy for Bolingbrook) investigate.
An enjoyable well-written historical (fictional) mystery, the writer easily makes the characters come alive in your mind as you read the story. A good solid start to a new series.
A NetGalley Book ( )

London 1399 and the city is full of rumours that the exiled Henry Bolingbroke is returning to England to claim his birth-right whilst his cousin the King is in Ireland. Rodric Chandler, friar of the Order of St Serapion, manages to fulfil his holy calling whilst acting as a spy. He is alerted when the body of a young nun is found in the river and attempts to investigate her death are blocked. His neighbour, the poet Chaucer, has taken in a young Flemish girl whose original master has fled. When news of Bolingbroke reaches London it is even more shocking, he has deposed the King and Richard is now his prisoner.
Clark is a superb writer of medieval tales focused on a central character of the cloth, here Chandler is set to become an anti-hero, the Friar who is not so devout. The attention to the detail of medieval life is drawn finely and the plot sits neatly into a turbulent period of history. I actually liked the fact that the death of the nun was so incidental to the main movements of the plot, making this less of a historical murder mystery and more of historical thriller. ( )

I read a LOT of historical mysteries, and Cassandra Clark's The Hour of the Fox stands out from the usual fare. To give a brief overview: This novel is set during the War of the Roses at the time of Henry Bolingbroke's triumph over Richard II. Everyone is plotting on behalf of one side or the other—sometimes both. A young nun has been found murdered and Brother Chandler and his friend Arnold Archer, the London Coroner, attempt to solve the puzzle of her death, which, it becomes increasingly clear, has been ordered by someone high up among the nobility.

The central mystery works well, but it's other aspects of the novel that really make it stand out.
• Chandler isn't a heroic figure—he's in the midst of the plotting like everyone else.
• Chandler and Arthur's relationship has genuine points of strain; their disagreements are significant and not just plot devices.
• Some chapters, the only ones written in first person, are in the voice of a maid working in a household near Chandler. Seeing him through her eyes makes his character even more complicated and interesting.
• Chaucer lives across the street!
• With no heavy-handedness, Clark very aptly depicts the danger Henry's rise to power presented for the Lollards.

Given all this, I am very much hoping this book will be the start of a series. I've read volumes in some of Clark's other series and have found them enjoyable, but The Hour of the Fox takes things up several notches in terms of characterization and effective ambiguity.

I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Severn House via NetGalley. The opinions are my own. ( )

Medieval mystery intrigues!

Politics and power in 1399 medieval England as seen through the eyes of a a reluctant spy / investigator, friar Brother Rodric Chandler These are the times of Richard II, Henry Bolingbroke and the Duke of Lancaster. Chandler is in the employ of Bolingbroke, although he does appear conflicted about his role, not that this stops him.
He's a regular visitor to the Tower to question prisonersChandler is astute, an expert in herbs' has a "practical knowledge of poisons", and is well versed in languages.
A turning point for Chandler is when a dead novice is found naked and seemingly drowned. Chandler has been called by his friend Sir Arnold Archer to help him with his investigations. Eventually Chandler finds he cannot let the mysterious death go, even though he has instructions to the contrary. The novice's death is a small flashpoint marking the turning of the political future.
Chaucer plays a part, although I'm still unsure about what his game is.
Chandler's household is a strange one. I found his servant Beata troubling. Their relationship has unresolved sexual undertones.
His friend Archer, one of the City coroners, is a seeker of the mysteries of alchemy along with a group of "fellow Lollard alchemists." Chandler worries for his friend being in the company of Wycliffe's followers. Lollards were aligned with Richard, increasingly a dangerous relationship.
In Matilda Nijmegen a maid of a household whom Chaucer helped, who has become part of Chaucer's household, we see the making of a spy. Chaucer encourages her in this. Fascinating! As is the relationship developing between Mattie and Chandler.
Chandler is gradually opening up before our eyes. I am sure there are further depths and secrets to explore. Something I look forward to.
I'd forgotten that the nursery rhyme "The Grand Old Duke of York" was a satirical comment of this time. It was a clever and whimsical touch by Clark to make that segue, adding color to this already colorful mystery.
The last we see of Chandler, he leaves Windsor in Thomas Swynford’s entourage heading North. Who rides in as Chandler rides out it is cloaked by Swynford's departure--another question!
This period is a fascinating vehicle for the novel. Ripe with death, greed, and the pursuit of power, including questions of freedom of worship and the divine right of kings. An intriguing read!

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley ( )

Our tale picks up the pace in the last third or so, and the pieces are moved around the chessboard and Chandler slowly begins to put things together. All in all, this was a decent historical novel, with the promise of much more to follow.

However, there were some things that I found myself questioning, and this was mainly the character of the servant girl Mattie. Her role is never really clearly defined except to introduce us to Chaucer and as a possible "man on the street" type observer. I failed to really see what either character contributed to the story. Are we to see more of both Chaucer and Mattie in further novels - if not, then why were they included in the first place - they are both surplus to requirement. I also could not understand why the Mattie narrative was in the first person and Chandler's was in the third person. The use of separate chapters (as was done) to direct the storyline would have worked just as effective. In fact, the character that I was most interested in was the crafty Knollys - now there is a character with a story to tell!

I do look forward more in this proposed new series.

fuller review can be found here @ Melisende's Library: https://melisendeslibrary.blogspot.com/2020/04/review-hour-of-fox-by-cassandra-c... ( )