Nine Men Dancing (A Roger the Chapman Mystery, 12) - Hardcover

Sedley, Kate

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0727859773 ISBN 13: 9780727859778

Publisher: Severn House, 2003

Synopsis

The twelfth in the highly acclaimed Roger the Chapman series In the bitter winter of 1478, Roger the Chapman takes to the roads once again to sell his wares. His long-suffering wife Adela is happy to let him go, on condition that he promises to return by the feast of St Patrick in March. Having sold most of his goods, Roger starts on the long road home, keen to surprise Adela by arriving home early for once. However, on the way, he stumbles upon the tiny village of Lower Brockhurst where he is immediately made welcome at the village alehouse. Overhearing conversations regarding the recent disappearance of a local girl, Roger's investigative instincts are instantly aroused, and he determines to stay awhile in order to try and solve the mystery. Had she really just vanished? Or had something much more sinister taken place? But Roger soon realises that there is more to the girl's story than meets the eye, and that the village harbours dark secrets that some people would do anything to prevent being discovered.

About this title

About the Author

Kate Sedley, a student of Anglo-Saxon and medieval history, lives in England. She is married and has a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren. ""The Saint John's Fern"" is the ninth novel in her critically acclaimed series featuring Roger the Chapman.

From Publishers Weekly

Careful plotting, strong characters and a wealth of period detail distinguish the latest adventure of itinerant peddler and sleuth, Roger the Chapman, from British author Sedley (The Lammas Feast). As the gloomy winter of 1478 draws to a close, Roger is returning home to Bristol when he stops for the night in a village haunted by old mysteries. Six months earlier, a local siren, Eris Lilywhite, disappeared after humiliating her betrothed by consenting to marry his father instead. At Eris's grandmother's request (and despite the hostility of Eris's mother), Roger agrees to stay in Lower Brockhurst and investigate. His efforts to connect the girl's disappearance with other events in the village, both past and present, parallel the old parlor game, Nine Men's Morris, in which two opponents each try to form a line of three markers on a rectangular grid. Roger's instincts and medieval superstition occasionally collide with his more rational, logical side. Peasant characters at times think in ways inappropriate to their humble status ("The Papal Commissioners don't venture into the wilds very often, and when they do, sand is thrown in their eyes"), but in every other respect the author is true to period. Sedley pens medieval historicals as fine as those by better known names in this subgenre, including Edward Marston, Alan Gordon and Candace Robb.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Severn House
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0727859773
• ISBN 13: 9780727859778
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 252