About The Book:
An excellent medieval whodunit by the author of The Unquiet Bones and A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel
Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?
One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor Oxford scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn’t t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon s skills to prove.
So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day England. Enjoy more of Hugh s dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.
My take on this book:
I must admit I am a huge fan of historical fiction especially mysteries and intrigue, but "A Trail Of Ink" by Mel Starr was my first foray into the midieval time period. I wasn't sure how I would like the time period but I actually loved it!
This story is set in the town of Oxford England, where Hugh de Singleton is trying to solve the mystery of his friend John Wyclif's stolen books. Twenty-two books in all have been taken, and two of them are borrowed books from a friend of John's. The books were stolen right out of Master Wyclif's room while he was out to supper. Hugh is also interested in Kate Caxton, a stationer's daughter. So Hugh jumps into solving the mystery as he also tries to to win Kate's favor.
While this story was a bit hard for me to get into in the beginning, it soon took off transporting me back to medieval England. The author rolls together mystery, suspense, and murder together to make the story a satisfying read. I did find myself turning to the glossary provided in the front of the book because of some of the words used during the time period. "A Trail Of Ink" is the third book in the chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon series, but can easily be read as a stand alone work, although I do wish I had read the first two books in the seriesThe ending provides a teaser for the next book in the series titled "Unhallowed Ground", which I look forward to reading.
About Mel Starr:
Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a 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. http://www.melstarr.org/
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