A gifted book set me reading about the Templars and mysterious killings. The Alehouse Murders was a cozy-flavored mystery set in Templar times where the setting and the medieval interactions were absolutely charming.

There was a real sense of place and work and the details of life in a foreign time. The atmosphere drew me into the daily lives of the characters with small details about shoemaking for an injured leg, the plight of a mute orphan, the difficulties women faced with their spouses and the current laws... There were also nods to the politics of the time.

The book was a departure from my usual reading, but did set me thinking about how much a layered, unusual setting can add to my reading pleasure.