Rest in Peace by Mel Starr - Book Review

About the Book:

Master Hugh, surgeon and bailiff, is asked to provide a sleeping potion for Sir Henry Burley, a friend and guest of Lord Gilbert at Bampton Castle. Sir Henry—with his current wife, a daughter by a first wife, two knights, two squires, and assorted servants—has outstayed his welcome at Bampton.

The next morning, Sir Henry is found dead, eyes open, in his bed. Master Hugh, despite shrill accusations from the grieving widow, is asked by Lord Gilbert to determine the cause of death . . . which had nothing to do with the potion.

 The sixth tale following Hugh de Singleton, Rest Not in Peace is sure to find its place among fans of detective and medieval historical fiction.

About the Author:

Mel Starr was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with an MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren.

My Thoughts: This is my first Hugh de Singleton, and consequently Mel Starr book, and I very much enjoyed it. I like how the author portrayed medieval times, people, places, and customs. Things we take for granted, like freedom of speech and no noble system, were brought out to a delightful degree. I've always been curious about this time in history, the Plague, medicine, how families interacted with each other - or didn't - and this is right up my alley.

I especially enjoyed that Singleton didn't look down on his wife and child because of their sex, but valued his wife's opinion and intelligence and treated her as valuable and loved. Add to that, no foul language, no gratuitous sex scenes, and well thought out plot, and you have a winner.

Highly recommended for those who loved to read clean mysteries.
*My thanks to the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. I was not required they be positive.*