Plague Land: Oswald de Lacy Book 1
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By S D Sykes
avg rating
3 reviews
Book 1 in the gripping Oswald de Lacy series, which can be read as a standalone, from ‘the medieval CJ Sansom’ (Jeffery Deaver)
England, 1350: the Black Death has changed the country forever, taking master and servant alike.
Young Oswald de Lacey was never meant to be Lord of Somershill Manor, but when his father and older brothers die of the Plague, he must return home from the monastery and assume responsibility for an estate ravaged by pestilence. Almost immediately Oswald is confronted with the vicious murder of a young woman, Alison Starvecrow. The village priest claims it is the work of demonic dog-headed men, a theory Oswald rejects as nonsense. But proving this – by finding the real killer – only leads Oswald deeper into a maze of political intrigue, family secrets and violent strife. And then the body of another girl is found…‘Sykes has really reset the bar for medieval mysteries’ Medievalists
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I am a member of St Regulus Reading Group and enjoyed reading this book. I do like novels that have some historical basis and found this easy to read
Kemnay Library Book Club read this book in June, below are a few comments from our members
"Interesting murder mystery. Not my usual genre, but I enjoyed reading something different"
"I liked how dark this story was. All the characters, both male & female, seemed to have their own agenda and treated each other with distrust"
"Although interesting from a historical point of view re The Black Death, I found the main character weak, it does not make me want to read other books by the same author"
"I really enjoyed this book, it is not one I would have chosen myself"
"I liked the character Oswald and wanted him to succeed with managing the estate"
"Oswald changed dramatically throughout the story and seemed older by the end.. I was hoping for a happy ending for him but I should have known better - at least he had a pulse!!"
"Very descriptive and was easy to picture the scene. I found the era interesting"
"I would recommend this book and would like to read more by this author"
Oswald de Lacy inherits Somershill Manor following the ravages of the Black Death. As a teenager and the third son of the family he has not been prepared for what he now has to face. The murder of two local girls turn him into an amateur sleuth yet he has his family to attend to and the Manor to run. A good debut with more to come?
