Title: A Moorland Hanging

Author: Michael Jecks

Date Finished: April 18, 2009

Genre: Historical Mystery

First Line: Clambering up the long, shallow gradient to the mass of rock at the summit, the last thing on Thomas Smyth’s mind was the man who was shortly to die.

Summery – taken from the back cover:

Cold-blooded murder has transformed Simon Puttock’s official obligation into something horrid – and he will need the able assistance of his friend, Sir Baldwin Funshill, to draw a criminal out. A former Knight Templar, Sir Baldwin knows much of duty and servitude – and of evil freely indulged in the name of godliness or greed. Now justice must be served, even if their search exposes extortion, foul corruption, rule by fear . . . and killers willing – even eager – to shed more blood.

Review: This is the third book in this series and the fourth that I have read (I read something like the twentieth first when I got it from my wife, thank you baby, and got hooked.) That said I am fairly familiar with the main characters now and they did not disappoint. Simon and Baldwin were both they’re usual interesting selves, though we do get to see Simon take on a bit more of a leadership role as this mystery is his investigation. I find that both characters are interesting for what they do, Simon is a bailiff (not like the guy who stands in the court room to enforce order) and Baldwin is a knight, keeper of the king’s peace (sort of freelance sheriff) and former knight templar. Both characters are also deep and well rounded; Jecks does a very good job of giving them a breadth of emotion and thoughtfulness. Hugh, Simon’s servant, is as grumpy as ever and Edgar, Baldwin’s man-at-arms is stoic and ever watchful.

As much as I like the characters, it is the history that draws me in and Jecks does not disappoint. In this story we learn about tinners (those who mine for tin) and about their rights and place in society. We also learn more about knights and their villeins (the villagers/farmers who owe their allegiance to the knight.) One of the great things about Jecks is he doesn’t hit you over the head with the history, he always finds a way to have the important concepts explained by the characters that isn’t contrived or forced. Jecks has a very easy to read style that doesn’t detract from the story.

The plot, itself, was not bad. I did feel that we, through the characters, were dealt a few too many switch backs. By the end I felt we were running around in circles trying to find the killer. While the eventual culprit turned out to be believable, I did feel that the reader may have had to rely a little too much on guessing rather than clues to solve it. Overall a really good read if you like historical mystery.

Have a comment? Read Jecks? Have a recommendation for something else? Let me know what you think.