Litany of Lies' strength is Hawkswood's portrayal of a medieval town, and the power struggle between the church and authority. Hawkswood presents a whole host of characters, each playing a key role in both the story and town life.

Whilst I enjoyed the plot, and liked meeting Bradecote and Catchpoll, I found this quite a slow and stodgy read. I found it quite difficult to find the hook and struggled to focus in some places.

Overall though, it felt like very authentic historical fiction that focused in on the lives of working people in the 12th century, with a strong storyline and a variety of interesting characters,

This is the first book in the Bradecote & Catchpoll medieval mystery series that I have read. I enjoyed it immensely and regret that I did not discover this series earlier. In this volume the steward of Evesham Abbey is found dead at the bottom of a well excavation. Accident or murder?
We get to follow along as Bradecote and Catchpoll investigate.

We are back in 12th Century Worcestershire, with Undersheriff Hugh Bradecote and Serjeant Catchpoll. Together with Underserjeant Walkelin, they are sent to Evesham to investigate a body found at the bottom of deep shaft being dug for a new well. Evesham sits partly within a deep curve of the River Avon. Its most notable building is the Benedictine Abbey, but on the other side of the river, built to protect the bridge, is Bengeworth Castle. It is not a grand place. Built by the Beauchamp family, High Sheriffs of the county, on an earthen mound and surrounded by a palisade of wooden stakes, it is damp and insanitary.

The man at the bottom of the well pit is discovered to be Walter, Steward of the Abbot of Evesham. The main part of his job was to collect rents on behalf of the religious order, as they own most of land in the town. We know, as readers, that Walter was involved in a scuffle with another townsman, who bested him by cracking his head open with a rock, before rolling his body into the pit. Bradecote soon reaches the correct answer to the question, “how?” But, although learning the “why?”, of Walter’s death, it some time before “who?” becomes apparent.

Relations between the Abbey authorities and the Bengeworth castellan and his soldiers are anything but cordial, and soldiers from the castle are suspected of stealing barrels of wine from the Abbey cellars, as well as illegally demanding a toll from everyone who enters the town via the bridge. When Bradecote examines documents at the Abbey, they show that Walter has been reporting several tradesman around the town as coming up short with the quarterly rent. This gives Sarah Hawkswood to tell us a little about the tradesmen in the town, and also serve a reminder of the occupational origins of some English surnames. We meet Aelred the Tailor, Baldwin the Dyer, Hubert the Mason and Martin the Fuller. The work of a Fuller was to take rolls of woven wool cloth and - by using some fairly unpleasant substances - remove all traces of grease, dirt (and worse) that remained in the cloth since it was wool on the sheep’s fleece.

Between them, Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin interview the tradesmen, and find that each had paid their rents in full, and on time, to Steward Walter, leading to one conclusion only, and that was that Walter was ‘skimming off’ the rents, and taking a cut for himself. But it seems that none of the tenants knew that they were being cheated, so how could any of them have a motive for murder?

As the investigation seems to be going round in circles, another body is found. It is that of Old Cuthbert a bitter and lonely man. Years ago, he had been a Coppersmith, but found himself accused of murdering a local woman as a result of a love triangle. Taken before the justices, there was little evidence either for against him, and so he was subject to the barbaric Trial by Hot Iron. The accused had to hold a red hot iron bar in his hand and walk nine feet. If, after a few days, the wound healed, it was a sign that God pronounced him ‘not guilty’. If it festered, he was guilty, and would be hanged. Cuthbert was ‘not guilty’, but thereafter, his hand remained clenched as a fist, and so he was unable to carry on his skilled trade. Just about the only occupation left to him was that of a Walker in the fulling process, whereby he walked up and down all day in troughs of urine, treading - and therefore cleansing - the cloth in the liquid.

Of course, Bradecote and Catchpoll solve both murders, as we know they will. What lifts this book above the ordinary is Sarah Hawkswood’s magical recreation of a long lost world. Yes, it was a hard living by modern standards. Yes, medical interventions were scarce and mostly misguided. Yes, justice was rough and frequently random. But the description of the wonderful Worcestershire landscape, now mostly covered in concrete, car parks and convenience stores is sublime. The Avon is still unpolluted, and the Evesham Abbey bees still harvest pollen free of toxic chemicals. How the people in those days spoke to each other, or in what tongue or accent, neither the author nor I can have any real idea, but to me what Sarah Hawkswood has them saying sounds just about right.

A new Bradecote and Catchpoll mystery is a highlight in my reading calendar, and I always turn the first page with a sense of comfort. I am comfortable only in the sense that I know I am in for a few hundred pages of sublime writing. ‘ Comfort’ does not mean ‘ Cosy’, and Sarah Hawkswood continues to show us that greed, malice, vindictiveness and subterfuge were just as common in mid-12thC England as they would prove to be in 1930’s LA, or modern day London. Litany of Lies is published by Allison & Busby and is available now.

I thank NetGalley and Allison & Busby for an advance reader copy of "Litany of Lies." All opinions and comments are my own.

First -- talk of blackmail, a refusal to pay, and then -- murder. Thus begins "Litany of Lies," the 12th in the Bradecote and Catchpoll medieval series by Sarah Hawkswood. That would be seem to be trouble enough for the English undersheriff and his serjeant to be involved in, but when they face “lies and half answers,” well, things get interesting.

It’s determined it’s the steward of Abbey Evesham that’s dead. Adding to that, there’s trouble between the Abbot and the Sheriff of Worcestershire. So, Undersheriff Bradecote (with assistance from Serjeant Catchpole and Underserjeant Walkelin) has to negotiate between finding a murderer and quelling the ferment ‘twixt factions. That it all comes off satisfactorily at the end is a testimony to the author’s skill in fashioning a murder mystery with 12th century conventions and realities involved.

What is so very interesting in this book (and the others in the series) is what Bradecote manages to find out about all the people he comes across. Our dead man was a real bad ‘un. And beyond that, there’s so much more than a simple killing happening here, folks. Oh, a whole lot more. Author Sarah Hawkswood makes sure that readers are kept wondering just what they’ll find out next.

At our end, there’s a rather unusual finish for one murderer (there are actually two killings in the book). The lord Sheriff of Worcestershire gets to see that justice is done – in person. And knows, that for all the trouble he causes, he can’t force Bradecote from his job; he’s too good at it. And our man Bradecote may grumble at how things turn out sometimes, but as his serjeant reminds him, it’s the way of the world.

"A Litany of Lies" will find you turning pages, for there are many suspects, and many who wished Walter the Steward dead. Enjoy the journey in figuring out just who, exactly.

An Author’s Note speaks to the real persons used in this story, including Abbot Reginald and William de Beachamp. And notes the very real animosity present in many places between clergy and nobility. As in this book, land and its ownership was often a basis for disagreement.

Midsummer Murder!

Once again Sarah Hawkswood serves up a juicy medieval mystery. Sheriffs jealous of Abbots! The clashing of power and feelings between William de Beauchamp, Lord Sheriff of Worcestershire, and Reginald Foliot, Abbot of Evesham, has history. It’s the underlying current that ebbs around their current investigation, the death of the Abbot’s steward, Walter.
Lord Undersherrif Hugh Badecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin are sent to uphold the Law and search for the killer.
The steward Walter had been found inside a new well being dug on monastery land. He’d been murdered.
Bradecote is called to hunt down the murderer and finds himself mired in community scandals on one side and the Lord Sheriff’s underlings on the other.
I loved the careful investigations of all three men as they stepped over and around the growing list of possible perpetrators. Although Hugh was not so careful when he came face to face with an old enemy, Rahere de Cormolain who’s in charge of the Bengeworth Garrison. Catchpoll thankfully quelled his lord Undersheriff. There’s definitely a story here!
Hawkswood’s splendid detail brought these 1154 communities to life. Their traditions and superstitions, the differing opinions, the bickering, all contribute to this well rounded medieval tale.

An Allison and Busby ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Litany of Lies is the twelfth in the Medieval mystery series, Bradecote & Catchpoll by Sarah Hawkswood. Set in 1145 in England and with references to real events, somebody has murdered the steward of Evesham Abbey and and the Abbot, despite an ongoing feud between the Abbey and the Lord sheriff, has no choice but to call in Undersheriff Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpool, and Underserjeant Walkelin. The Abbot tells them that the steward had been a good man but, as they investigate, the trio learns he had many dangerous secrets that made him universally disliked providing a very large pool of suspects. Then another man is murdered and the three are forced to confront the Lord sheriff who holds not only their jobs but their lives in his hand and is only too happy to see their investigation fail if it causes problems for the Abbey.

This is a slow burn of a mystery but a very interesting one that grabbed my attention from the first page and kept it throughout. The mystery, itself, was intriguing and kept me guessing and the characters, many of whom are based on real people, were well-drawn but, for me, it was the fascinating look at life during Medieval times, the power struggle between Abbey and Castle, Lord and craftsmen, and the role and reality of women. Although this was the first book in the series that I have read, I felt it worked well as a standalone but I will definitely be looking to read more in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

It's giving medieval Sherlock Holmes. I really enjoyed this mystery. I love reading about the medieval times but never read a fiction theme, usually it's art history or normal history. I came in with an open mind and ended up really liking it. It's not for everyone since it's a super specific genre but you HAVE to give it a chance cause you never know you might end up liking it

As always a great pleasure to meet Bradecote and his two companions in a great mystery! What I really enjoy about the author' s novels is that you always get an interesting and accurate insight into the medieval ages: how people live, their crafts, the lords' attitudes along with the abbots.... In this novel, the plot is written around real characters' lives woven into real events. This appeals to me a lot. Great descriptions of the landscape are depicted in a compelling way: you can see them and smell them! I can't wait for the next book in the series!
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.