Publisher: Crosshaven Press
Series: Stanton & Barling, #3
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery
Synopsis
A fire-ravaged cathedral. An ungodly murder.
Easter, 1177. Canterbury Cathedral, home to the tomb of martyr Saint Thomas Becket, bears the wounds of a terrible fire. Benedict, prior of the great church, leads its rebuilding. But horror interrupts the work. One of the stonemasons is found viciously murdered, the dead man’s face disfigured by a shocking wound.
When King’s clerk Aelred Barling and his assistant, Hugo Stanton, arrive on pilgrimage to the tomb, the prior orders them to investigate the unholy crime.
But the killer soon claims another victim–and another. As turmoil embroils the congregation, the pair of sleuths face urgent pressure to find a connection between the killings.
With panic on the rise, can Barling and Stanton catch the culprit before evil prevails again—and stop it before it comes for them?
THE CANTERBURY MURDERS is the third book in E.M. Powell’s Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. Combining intricate plots, shocking twists and a winning–if unlikely–pair of investigators, this series is perfect for fans of Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael or C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake.
My Thoughts
Time spent at Fairmore Abbey, Yorkshire, solving a series of gruesome murders has brought Hugo Stanton and Aelred Barling closer together. However, on their return to Westminster the closeness is short lived and all Stanton's attempts to re-kindle it fail.
Unbeknown to Stanton, Barling has confessed to a priest that even though his fifteen year penance for a past sin has ended, he still feels his immortal soul is in peril. To completely cleanse himself of his sin, Barling is instructed to make a Lenten pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury.
Stanton is happy to accompany Barling on this pilgrimage, envisioning comfortable inns along the way and a great Easter feast at the end of their journey with dancing, singing, young female pilgrims and lots of ale. The reality is quite different, although Stanton does quaff a few ales much to Barling's disgust.
On reaching the cathedral and before he can pay his respects at the saint's tomb, Barling is summoned by Prior Benedict. The prior is overseeing the restoration and rebuilding of the cathedral's roof and choir after a fire destroyed them three years ago. He informs Barling that the body of a stonemason has been discovered with multiple stab wounds and a religious symbol carved deeply into his forehead, stirring up an old rumour of a curse.
Once again, Stanton and Barling are called upon to solve a murder, but it must be done before a proposed visit to the cathedral by King Henry II – which means they only have four days to apprehend a murderer.
As in the past, Stanton and Barling begin investigating one murder but soon find themselves with a rising body count and multiple suspects. Matters are made worse by their deteriorating relationship, the pressure of the king's impending visit and Stanton's involvement with a young woman looking for her missing sister. This distracts him from the murder investigation and tempts him to seek closure of a personal loss through a necromancer.
Barling is more testy than usual. The investigation has prevented him from completing his penance and saving his soul. He has also come under a lot of criticism from the prior as to the lack of progress. And Stanton aggravates him more than usual, to the point where he dispenses with his services, an action he later comes to regret.
The Canterbury Murders is another fast paced and intriguing mystery featuring one of my favourite crime fighting duos. There are many false leads before the guilty party is exposed. Once again, I had no idea who the murderer could be until presented with that final revelation.
E.M. Powell has created an immersive medieval experience through her depiction of everyday life and one of the great re-building works of the 12th century. While I love the historical detail in her novels and the mystery element, it is the mismatched characters of Stanton and Barling and their interaction that keeps me coming back for more. I'm looking forward to their next murder investigation.
Where to Purchase
Amazon AU and Amazon US
Meet the Author
The third Stanton & Barling mystery, THE CANTERBURY MURDERS, was released in November 2020.
Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she lives in northwest England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog.
E.M. Powell is represented by Josh Getzler at HG Literary.
Find out more by visiting www.empowell.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Guest Post at Novels Alive
Review at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, January 12
Review at Reader_ceygo
Wednesday, January 13
Feature at Words and Peace
Guest Post at The Writing Desk
Thursday, January 14
Review at YA, It's Lit
Friday, January 15
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Saturday, January 16
Review & Excerpt at Older & Smarter
Sunday, January 17
Interview at Reader_ceygo
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Monday, January 18
Feature at I'm Into Books
Tuesday, January 19
Review at A Book Geek
Wednesday, January 20
Feature at The Lit Bitch
Thursday, January 21
Review at Novels Alive
Interview at Madwoman in the Attic
Friday, January 22
Feature at Reading is My Remedy
Monday, January 25
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Tuesday, January 26
Interview at Jathan & Heather
Wednesday, January 27
Review at Books and Zebras
Thursday, January 28
Review at the.b00kreader
Friday, January 29
Review at Hoover Book Reviews
Monday, February 1
Review at A Darn Good Read
Review at Books, Cooks, Looks
Wednesday, February 3
Review at Impressions In Ink
Review at Debjani's Thoughts
Interview & Excerpt at Books & Benches
Thursday, February 4
Review at Bookramblings
Friday, February 5
Review at Coffee and Ink
Review at Jessica Belmont
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Giveaway (US Only)
Enter HERE to win a paperback copy of The Canterbury Murders by E.M. Powell! Two copies are up for grabs!
The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on February 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Dang, that is one fabulous review! I greatly enjoyed this one too!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being on the tour!
Amy
HF Virtual Book Tours
Thank you, Amy!
DeleteOh, this caught my eye because of the Canterbury and Cadfael references. Might pick this one up, thanks!
ReplyDelete(Followed you over from Cloak & Dagger)
~ Lex (lexlingua.co)
I hope you do pick this one up and discover a new series to follow.
DeleteI have this book on my Kindle but haven't read it yet. I am glad that you liked it. It makes me feel better knowing that I have a good book waiting for me.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed all of the Stanton and Barling novels so far. I hope you get to read it soon. Happy reading!
Delete