I have a friend who loves Robb's Owen Archer mysteries about a medieval spy for the Archbishop in Wales while I greatly enjoyed her Margaret Kerr series set in thirteenth-century Scotland. This author certainly knows how to write historical mysteries, and I looked forward to this first Kate Clifford mystery set in fourteenth-century York. Fortunately for those of you who don't love a lot of politics in your mysteries, Robb uses just enough of it to give a clearer understanding of what's going on without making readers' eyes glaze over.

I found Kate to be a strong, interesting, multi-faceted character. She grew up on the Borders in Cumbria where the Scots and the English are always fighting each other, so she's learned out to take care of herself with bow and arrow, battle-ax, or anything else that comes to hand. Although she loved her husband, his debts and illegitimate children have caused her to think differently of him, and she's actually enjoying the freedom of her widowhood to make her own decisions and build a life for herself that she can be proud of. When you add that she has good family connections that can help her out with pesky things like murder, her character gets better and better.

But it's not all about paying off debts and becoming wealthy for Kate. When she first had the chance to dismiss old servants who might be a bit slow or crippled with arthritis, she kept them on instead, finding useful work that they could do with pride. But she has brought on new servants who come from different walks of life and have a variety of very useful skills. Her attitude toward herself and others is also seen by how she ultimately treats an elderly tenant named Odo, who has let one of her properties go to wrack and ruin.

With a brother-in-law who's intent on stealing her inheritance and the Earl of Westmoreland's knight who looks at her with a gleam in his eye, Kate doesn't need any more stress if she's going to solve the murder in her guesthouse, and with the danger coming from so many different directions, this was an extremely difficult investigation for this particular armchair sleuth, which means...

Candace Robb has done it again, and I look forward with pleasure to reading the next books in this series. She is an author of historical mysteries who should not be missed. ( )

I was introduced to Ms. Robb through her Owen Archer series of books and I must say that I really enjoyed them so when I was offered the chance to review the first book in her new historical mystery series I quickly accepted. She stays close to familiar areas – York – but moves ahead in time by 100 years or so. Flipping genders with protagonists the reader is presented with a bold and intelligent woman as the heroine of these books. Her name is Kate Clifford and she is loosely attached to the very powerful Neville family.

Kate is a widow who is respected in the town but she hides any number of secrets, number one being that her guesthouse is really nothing more than a convenient location for the rich men in town to meet their mistresses. But there is power in knowing what men don’t want known in a time when women don’t seem to hold any of their own. But therein lies one of my issues with the book – Kate is a very 21st century woman in a 15th century world. In fact, I often forgot I was reading a book set during the time of Richard II. There were passing references to attire or a cobblestone but for the most part there was no sense of time or place for that matter.

The plot was intriguing and I did enjoy the book. The characters were many and I admit it took a bit to keep them straight but I can see how Ms. Robb was setting up her players for the coming books in the series. There were several crumbs dropped for the immediate and for the distant future. I will enjoy following these characters as they traverse their history which I suspect will become more evident as they are forced to confront the events that are coming. I suspect the next book might be placed more firmly in time. I also suspect that Kate will continue to defy her time and be a very independent woman. She is a marvel. ( )

Candace Robb is another of those writers who has been on my List for a very long time despite the fact that her writing is not my very favorite. Her books are go-tos, reliably good reads when I feel like picking up a book from a certain period, but her characters do not linger with me once the book is put down; it's one of those examples when I feel an invisible barrier between me and the writing. Not sure if this will make sense, but Candace Robb is a writer whose books mean reading someone's writing, as opposed to losing myself – and the writer – in the work.

That being said, I don't ever regret picking up a Candace Robb. If the writing is not transparent, it is very good – for the most part, I believe what I'm told and trust the world-building. Certainly, this particular book contains some of the most realistic depictions of looking after large dogs I remember seeing; our heroine Kate's two wolfhounds, Lille and Ghent, are main characters, and are present during most of the book. I just wish I knew whether it was my failing or the author's that either I never learned or didn't learn till the end (sorry – one problem with writing the review a while after finishing the book) whether Lille was male or female. And, actually, not to be contrary, but there may have been a little too much of looking after the dogs … The plot was driven largely by Kate taking the dogs out for walks in one direction or other, and by how well trained they were.

The one area where I seriously questioned the milieu was the idea that Kate ran her little inn as a secret place of illicit assignation. It never sat well. It's an interesting idea (and actually similar to one I came across in another book a while ago), and I could see it happening: young woman is approached by someone who offers her money to use her rented room as a place to meet with a lover, young woman realizes this is an untapped vein she should be taking advantage of… But it just didn't work here for some reason. The fact that Kate is twenty years old – a fact which faded in my mind as I read, so that when it was reiterated late in the book I thought it must be a mistake – was hard to accept in the circumstances. A fifteenth-century widow living alone and taking care of business is certainly not impossible – but at twenty - ?

On the whole, it was – as I expect from the author – a good read, and kept me guessing. It wasn't the best thing I've read this year, nor by any means the worst. It was solid.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review. ( )

Candace Robb is another of those writers who has been on my List for a very long time despite the fact that her writing is not my very favorite. Her books are go-tos, reliably good reads when I feel like picking up a book from a certain period, but her characters do not linger with me once the book is put down; it's one of those examples when I feel an invisible barrier between me and the writing. Not sure if this will make sense, but Candace Robb is a writer whose books mean reading someone's writing, as opposed to losing myself – and the writer – in the work.

That being said, I don't ever regret picking up a Candace Robb. If the writing is not transparent, it is very good – for the most part, I believe what I'm told and trust the world-building. Certainly, this particular book contains some of the most realistic depictions of looking after large dogs I remember seeing; our heroine Kate's two wolfhounds, Lille and Ghent, are main characters, and are present during most of the book. I just wish I knew whether it was my failing or the author's that either I never learned or didn't learn till the end (sorry – one problem with writing the review a while after finishing the book) whether Lille was male or female. And, actually, not to be contrary, but there may have been a little too much of looking after the dogs … The plot was driven largely by Kate taking the dogs out for walks in one direction or other, and by how well trained they were.

The one area where I seriously questioned the milieu was the idea that Kate ran her little inn as a secret place of illicit assignation. It never sat well. It's an interesting idea (and actually similar to one I came across in another book a while ago), and I could see it happening: young woman is approached by someone who offers her money to use her rented room as a place to meet with a lover, young woman realizes this is an untapped vein she should be taking advantage of… But it just didn't work here for some reason. The fact that Kate is twenty years old – a fact which faded in my mind as I read, so that when it was reiterated late in the book I thought it must be a mistake – was hard to accept in the circumstances. A fifteenth-century widow living alone and taking care of business is certainly not impossible – but at twenty - ?

On the whole, it was – as I expect from the author – a good read, and kept me guessing. It wasn't the best thing I've read this year, nor by any means the worst. It was solid.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review. ( )

Katherine (Kate) Clifford is a widow in late 14th century England. Her deceased husband left her some buildings, one of which happens to be an inn (of sorts) and a pair of orphaned children as her wards. When one of the clients at the inn is found murdered, Kate enlists the help of her household servants to find out whom this man might be and why anyone would want him dead. As she delves into the mystery, other individuals who were reported to be in attendance the evening of the murder meet similar fates. Who is doing this, and why?

I enjoyed this book very much, it was hard to put down. The twists and turns in the plot were very nice. Characters are well developed, which I expected from this author. Her other books are all very well written. I will definitely be looking forward to more books in this series. ( )