Review Welshman William fitz Baldwin is saintly and much loved. So it's a shock when he dies an excruciating death after eating rancid (or poisoned?) butter. The mystery of his death is never solved. Seven years later, Crusader and knight Sir Geoffrey Mappestone is commanded by King Henry to deliver confidential letters to several of the king's Welsh subjects. Capitalizing on Geoffrey's reputation as a sort of medieval detective, the king also commands him to unravel the mystery of fitz Baldwin's death. Knowing the king's requests are never straightforward, Geoffrey reluctantly agrees. His first hint of trouble comes when King Henry's chief scribe is murdered. Then Geoffrey is attacked on the road to Wales. Geoffrey is convinced the letters he's carrying are the target but has no idea why. Arriving in Wales, he realizes he has once again been pulled into one of King Henry's diabolical political conspiracies. Beaufort's latest is meticulously researched, cleverly plotted, full of enticing period details, and packed with rollicking adventure--plus it's a fine murder mystery to boot. --Booklist, March 1, 2011Armstrong's latest begins with a prologue detailing an accidental killing at a construction site in 1969 Shropshire, England. The incident was covered up by those involved, but now, more than 40 years later, the death comes back to haunt one of the killers, Gareth Thomas. Meanwhile, in present-day London, Detective Inspector Frank Kavanagh and Detective Constable Jane Salt's relationship is crumbling, prompting Jane to visit her friend Carrie in Shropshire, where Jane learns about Thomas, who has a reputation for being a hard businessman who isn't above breaking the law to achieve his ends. When additional murders occur after the discovery of evidence of the 1969 accident, Jane assists the local police in finding the killer. Jane also investigates Carrie's new boyfriend, Ben, whom she believes may be involved in dealing drugs after his recent release from prison. An entertaining mystery for fans of mainstream British procedurals. --Booklist, March 1, 2011 About the Author
