The village of Ripple is generally fairly unassuming but beneath the surface there are issues. When the local priest is found murdered suspicion naturally falls upon the man found at his side, ploughman Thorgar, and he is treated to summary justice. His sister believes him innocent and travels to the city to seek justice from their Lord. Bradecote, Catchpoll and Wakelin travel to Ripple and find more than just one death.
Hawkswood has written a series of very entertaining Medieval crime mysteries and this is the latest of them. It is relatively short and not too demanding but gives a great sense of the era around the war of succession between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. The visioning of a small village and the petty troubles and jealousies therein are well imagined. ( )