The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell
Publication Date: September 27, 2018
Thomas & Mercer
Paperback & eBook; 288 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1503903241
Series: Stanton and Barling #2
Genre: Historical Mystery
Christmas Eve, 1176. Brother Maurice, monk of Fairmore Abbey, awaits the night prayer bell. But there is only silence. Cursing his fellow brother Cuthbert’s idleness, he seeks him out—and in the darkness, finds him brutally murdered.
Summoned from London to the isolated monastery on the Yorkshire Moors, Aelred Barling, clerk to the King’s justices, and his messenger Hugo Stanton, set about investigating the horrific crime. They quickly discover that this is far from a quiet monastic house. Instead, it seethes with bitter feuds, rivalries and resentments. But no sooner do they arrive than the killer strikes again—and again.
When Barling discovers a pattern to these atrocities, it becomes apparent that the murderer’s rampage is far from over. With everyone, including the investigators, now fearing for their lives, can Barling and Stanton unmask the culprit before more blood is spilled?
My Take:
I love E.M. Powell's novels and her Stanton and Barling mystery series has become one of my favorites - even with just two books out so far! I love that the author is so faithful to historical detail and still brings the characters and their environments to vivid life for the reader.Hugo Stanton and Aelred Barling are such a fun duo! I really appreciate the humor this pair brings to the mystery as well as their somewhat contentious relationship and growing respect for each other. I hope that the author continues to write more of this mystery series.
There is some serious darkness in this latest mystery that the duo must solve. There is a brutal murder in an isolated monastery that requires the brains of Barling and Stanton to solve. The first murder quickly escalates into more equally bizarre and brutal murders. Naturally, nothing is quite as it seems in this isolated place. Everyone has their resentments and grudges and ample opportunities and access to have committed the murders.
The abbot of the monastery knew Barling from his student days and this provides the opportunity for Stanton and the reader to learn more about him. Rather than give away some really wonderful plot twists, I will simply state that I read the novel in about one day and I could not have been more satisfied with the ending. Powell always provides a great mystery with lots of twists, false leads, witty dialog and interesting characters.
I look forward to reading many more novels in the Stanton and Barling mystery series. I always highly recommend Powell's novels, and The Monastery Murders is no exception.
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About the Author
E.M. Powell’s historical thriller Fifth Knight novels have been #1 Amazon and Bild bestsellers. The King’s Justice is the first novel in her new Stanton and Barling medieval murder mystery series. She is a contributing editor to International Thriller Writers’ The Big Thrill magazine, blogs for English Historical Fiction Authors and is the social media manager for the Historical Novel Society.Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she now lives in North-West England with her husband, daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog.
Find out more by visiting www.empowell.com. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Feature at Passages to the Past
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Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
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Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 6 copies of The Monastery Murders by E.M. Powell! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on December 7th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
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– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. The Monastery Murders
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