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Owen Archer #15
A Snake in the Barley
Where is taverner Tom Merchet? Owen Archer unearths a series of troubling secrets and a dangerous foe intent on retribution when his good friend goes missing.
"A standout . . . Robb reinforces her place among the top writers of medieval historicals" - Publishers Weekly Starred Review
York, 1377. Owen Archer is determined to find his friend, taverner Tom Merchet, who has been missing for five days. His wife, Bess, is frantic with worry.
AN ENIGMATIC STRANGER.
Who is the elusive Widow Cobb that Tom was seen visiting? And who is the man spotted following Tom before he vanished? As Owen hunts for clues, Bess decides to visit the widow’s lodgings and makes a terrifying discovery.
RETRIBUTION IS BREWING . . .
Owen digs up past sins and long-buried secrets that answer some of the questions surrounding Tom’s disappearance. But who is the sly and malevolent figure intent on destroying his friend, and why? A shocking confession will rock Owen to his core . . .
An action-packed, evocative and masterfully plotted medieval mystery in the critically acclaimed Owen Archer series, perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom, Ellis Peters and Paul Doherty.
"A standout . . . Robb reinforces her place among the top writers of medieval historicals" - Publishers Weekly Starred Review
York, 1377. Owen Archer is determined to find his friend, taverner Tom Merchet, who has been missing for five days. His wife, Bess, is frantic with worry.
AN ENIGMATIC STRANGER.
Who is the elusive Widow Cobb that Tom was seen visiting? And who is the man spotted following Tom before he vanished? As Owen hunts for clues, Bess decides to visit the widow’s lodgings and makes a terrifying discovery.
RETRIBUTION IS BREWING . . .
Owen digs up past sins and long-buried secrets that answer some of the questions surrounding Tom’s disappearance. But who is the sly and malevolent figure intent on destroying his friend, and why? A shocking confession will rock Owen to his core . . .
An action-packed, evocative and masterfully plotted medieval mystery in the critically acclaimed Owen Archer series, perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom, Ellis Peters and Paul Doherty.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 3, 2024
52 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Candace Robb
48 books511 followersStoryteller, mythweaver, author of the Owen Archer, Kate Clifford, & Margaret Kerr mysteries. Primary residence, medieval York.
I blog about writing, medieval history, writing women's stories, and feature new scholarship in my field at candacerobbbooks.com, and share loads of medieval news, folklore, and whimsy on my facebook page, Candace Robb
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
December 8, 2024
The past catches up! Another fine Medieval Mystery!
Tom Merchet, owner of the York Tavern has disappeared. He’s been gone five days with nary a word. Bess his wife is beside herself. Close friends with Captain Owen Archer his wife Lucie and their children, Owen is as puzzled as Bess by Tom’s absence. Captain of the City, Owen is approached by Will Potter who overheard men discussing Tom, an unknown person called Jules, and a mystery woman, the Widow Cobb. Somewhere to start!
It’s 1377. Edward III has died and London has been in turmoil. Young King Richard is heir. The Duke of Lancaster had been governing for the old king. Owen is Princess Joan’s spy here in York. He’s hoping that the unrest won’t reach into the north.
Tom is located, in custody but seriously injured and beaten at the sanctuary town of Beverley. The past once more encompasses a good man’s present. Owen and a party of men leave to investigate and fetch back Tom.
A man is dead and mouldy barley might be the cause, or something other.
Magda the healer gives advice about who to have attend Tom. It seems there’s a network of healers and wise women throughout the north.
The title “Snake in the Barley” is similar to “snake in the grass” which is a metaphor for treachery. Treachery is certainly at play here.
A rather fascinating commentary on relationships within the lower classes where a partnership or series of partnerships are more the norm than marriage.
The story exposes the men of the Church for being as human as their flocks, tempted in many ways.
I love Robb’s descriptions of these medieval times.
Another wonderful Owen Archer story from Robb that continues to build on these residents of York, their daily struggles, their wants and needs as they contend with a fractious political situation.
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Tom Merchet, owner of the York Tavern has disappeared. He’s been gone five days with nary a word. Bess his wife is beside herself. Close friends with Captain Owen Archer his wife Lucie and their children, Owen is as puzzled as Bess by Tom’s absence. Captain of the City, Owen is approached by Will Potter who overheard men discussing Tom, an unknown person called Jules, and a mystery woman, the Widow Cobb. Somewhere to start!
It’s 1377. Edward III has died and London has been in turmoil. Young King Richard is heir. The Duke of Lancaster had been governing for the old king. Owen is Princess Joan’s spy here in York. He’s hoping that the unrest won’t reach into the north.
Tom is located, in custody but seriously injured and beaten at the sanctuary town of Beverley. The past once more encompasses a good man’s present. Owen and a party of men leave to investigate and fetch back Tom.
A man is dead and mouldy barley might be the cause, or something other.
Magda the healer gives advice about who to have attend Tom. It seems there’s a network of healers and wise women throughout the north.
The title “Snake in the Barley” is similar to “snake in the grass” which is a metaphor for treachery. Treachery is certainly at play here.
A rather fascinating commentary on relationships within the lower classes where a partnership or series of partnerships are more the norm than marriage.
The story exposes the men of the Church for being as human as their flocks, tempted in many ways.
I love Robb’s descriptions of these medieval times.
Another wonderful Owen Archer story from Robb that continues to build on these residents of York, their daily struggles, their wants and needs as they contend with a fractious political situation.
A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
November 28, 2024
I think I've read every volume in Candace Robb's Owen Archer series—except maybe book 14. I've enjoyed it from the first, but lately have been finding plots and characters in new volumes difficult to keep track of. There "regulars" in the series have increased over time, and readers need more backstory to follow recent volumes. A Snake in the Barley was just such a title: lots of plots twists, lots of characters. All of which is to say, if you're not familiar with this series, I would recommend starting with a few of the earlier volumes to "get you feet under you," so to speak.
If you are familiar with the series, you most definitely will enjoy A Snake in the Barley. If you're new to the series, you will enjoy it eventually, but I would suggest not making this title your first Owen Archer read.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
If you are familiar with the series, you most definitely will enjoy A Snake in the Barley. If you're new to the series, you will enjoy it eventually, but I would suggest not making this title your first Owen Archer read.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
January 20, 2025
The best book yet in this series! All of the characters we know and love are included and we especially learn much more the back-history of Tom and Bess Merchet, Owen and Lucie's innkeeper neighbor and his wife. There are quite a few characters and sub-plots in this one but all were well-described. This was a wonderful and complex story to solve and I really enjoyed it.
December 6, 2024
The previous entry in this marvelous long-running series, A Fox in the Fold, was all wrapped up in Owen Archer’s past. This current entry dives deeply into the past of Owen and Lucie Archer’s friend and neighbor, tavernkeeper Tom Merchet.
At the heart of this particular mystery is something that almost seems foreign to us in this era of instant communication and always available – if not always true – information. The past is another country, as the saying goes, and they do things differently there. One of the things that is very different is just how easy it could be to reinvent yourself – for good or ill – by moving a distance that doesn’t seem all that far to us, but represented a significant investment in time, money and danger in Owen Archer’s – and Tom Merchet’s – late 14th century.
Owen Archer, his wife Lucie, and his neighbors and good friends Tom and Bess Merchet, are all middle-aged by this point in the series (1377) which began in 1363 in The Apothecary Rose. Owen wears his past on his face in the form of an eyepatch that covers the wound that saw him mustered out of the King’s Archers and into a life as the King’s wandering investigator.
But Tom Merchet’s past has remained firmly down the road both literally and figuratively, in places and people he left behind and buried before Owen came to York to investigate whether – or not as the case turned out to be – Lucie murdered her late husband.
Everyone in York knows that Tom lost his first wife and child, and very nearly the York Tavern along with them. And that Bess saved him and the tavern both with her skills as a cook and manager, and that they grew together into a happy and loving marriage.
But their peace has been disturbed by a series of unfortunate and downright strange events. Someone is digging holes around their property. Tom has been skulking about town at odd hours, visiting strangers suspected of theft – and worse. Bess is sure it’s all tied to a past that Tom has always refused to talk about – and that whatever happened then has come back to haunt him now – and that it’s taken him away from her. Possibly for good. Meaning for something very, very ill indeed.
And she’s right about that. But wrong about pretty much every single thought and speculation that has led her – and her now missing husband – to this terrible pass. Because of a past that has refused to let him go.
Escape Rating A-: I adore this series, and have since I read the very first book, The Apothecary Rose, as I myself was walking the streets of York on a trip just over OMG 30 years ago. Time does fly and some of it has been fun. The reading parts, certainly.
Reflecting back on the series, how much time it has covered both in the ‘real world’ and in Owen and Lucie’s historical York – even if it hasn’t been nearly as much time for them as it has been for us – I can’t help but think over how much has happened in both sets of those years. While at the same time marveling at just how little prior knowledge of the series a reader needs to have or remember to get into this 15th entry in it. (Meaning that you could start here but it’s all just so good you really should start at the beginning!)
It’s all down to the fact that, throughout the series, Tom Merchet has revealed little of his past. That he has one, yes. What it consisted of, what sins he’s committed, he hasn’t discussed. At all. Even with his wife.
So when Tom goes missing Owen doesn’t have any clues about where to start because Tom didn’t leave any. Owen is just as lost as we are – or the other way around! – investigating events that happened nearly two decades ago if not more, committed to and perhaps committed by a man he knows NOW but who may not much resemble the person he was THEN.
As Owen investigates, he hears conflicting reports of Tom in both the past and the present. He knows that the behavior that resulted in Tom’s near death beating in the now doesn’t make much sense even in the abstract and certainly bears no resemblance to his friend. Which doesn’t mean that the long-ago events which left behind so much enmity in Tom’s former home couldn’t have been committed by a much younger – and likely more hot-headed – version of that same man.
The heart of Owen’s investigation, the mystery he has to solve, lies in the past. A past that Tom has kept from his wife, a past that he’s ashamed of. But someone wants him dead in the present very, very badly. Someone who has left a trail of corpses behind them and then attempted to frame Tom for their deeds. Someone who obviously left Tom for dead in the hopes that the frame would fit his corpse better than it does a living man who has tales to tell.
Unless Tom has been hiding a villainous nature all along. Or a nature that was once villainous enough that he can be blackmailed now to keep it quiet. Leaving Owen to navigate his way through the rather pointy horns of multiple dilemmas, all of which must be resolved in order to bring the true villain – or villains – to justice.
And, as always in this series, it’s a delight to watch him work – especially this time around as he doesn’t begin with a clue and we get a refresher on everyone and everything all over again. Even the parts that seem familiar have to be re-examined with fresh eyes and it’s a great reminder of the bones of all the stories that have come before in the series while giving new readers a place to jump in.
The major plot of this particular story and its biggest mystery, is primarily domestic in nature this time around. But that does not mean that the roiling boil of royal politics does not touch upon York, particularly upon Owen in his semi-official position as the Princess of Wales’ agent in the North. The old king is on his deathbed, his Prince of Wales is several years in his grave, and the heir apparent is a child that all his uncles are already squabbling over – as well as over the throne on which the young Richard II-to-be will sit. If he lives that long.
The English royal family feud better known as the Wars of the Roses is about to boil over, and even in far north York, Owen Archer is likely to be in the thick of it. Hopefully in the next book or two – or maybe several! – books in the series. As one of the things I love best in this series is the author’s deft mix of Owen’s domestic business in York with the doings of the great and the mighty in London, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens on both fronts whenever the next book appears.
May it be soon!
Originally published at Reading Reality
At the heart of this particular mystery is something that almost seems foreign to us in this era of instant communication and always available – if not always true – information. The past is another country, as the saying goes, and they do things differently there. One of the things that is very different is just how easy it could be to reinvent yourself – for good or ill – by moving a distance that doesn’t seem all that far to us, but represented a significant investment in time, money and danger in Owen Archer’s – and Tom Merchet’s – late 14th century.
Owen Archer, his wife Lucie, and his neighbors and good friends Tom and Bess Merchet, are all middle-aged by this point in the series (1377) which began in 1363 in The Apothecary Rose. Owen wears his past on his face in the form of an eyepatch that covers the wound that saw him mustered out of the King’s Archers and into a life as the King’s wandering investigator.
But Tom Merchet’s past has remained firmly down the road both literally and figuratively, in places and people he left behind and buried before Owen came to York to investigate whether – or not as the case turned out to be – Lucie murdered her late husband.
Everyone in York knows that Tom lost his first wife and child, and very nearly the York Tavern along with them. And that Bess saved him and the tavern both with her skills as a cook and manager, and that they grew together into a happy and loving marriage.
But their peace has been disturbed by a series of unfortunate and downright strange events. Someone is digging holes around their property. Tom has been skulking about town at odd hours, visiting strangers suspected of theft – and worse. Bess is sure it’s all tied to a past that Tom has always refused to talk about – and that whatever happened then has come back to haunt him now – and that it’s taken him away from her. Possibly for good. Meaning for something very, very ill indeed.
And she’s right about that. But wrong about pretty much every single thought and speculation that has led her – and her now missing husband – to this terrible pass. Because of a past that has refused to let him go.
Escape Rating A-: I adore this series, and have since I read the very first book, The Apothecary Rose, as I myself was walking the streets of York on a trip just over OMG 30 years ago. Time does fly and some of it has been fun. The reading parts, certainly.
Reflecting back on the series, how much time it has covered both in the ‘real world’ and in Owen and Lucie’s historical York – even if it hasn’t been nearly as much time for them as it has been for us – I can’t help but think over how much has happened in both sets of those years. While at the same time marveling at just how little prior knowledge of the series a reader needs to have or remember to get into this 15th entry in it. (Meaning that you could start here but it’s all just so good you really should start at the beginning!)
It’s all down to the fact that, throughout the series, Tom Merchet has revealed little of his past. That he has one, yes. What it consisted of, what sins he’s committed, he hasn’t discussed. At all. Even with his wife.
So when Tom goes missing Owen doesn’t have any clues about where to start because Tom didn’t leave any. Owen is just as lost as we are – or the other way around! – investigating events that happened nearly two decades ago if not more, committed to and perhaps committed by a man he knows NOW but who may not much resemble the person he was THEN.
As Owen investigates, he hears conflicting reports of Tom in both the past and the present. He knows that the behavior that resulted in Tom’s near death beating in the now doesn’t make much sense even in the abstract and certainly bears no resemblance to his friend. Which doesn’t mean that the long-ago events which left behind so much enmity in Tom’s former home couldn’t have been committed by a much younger – and likely more hot-headed – version of that same man.
The heart of Owen’s investigation, the mystery he has to solve, lies in the past. A past that Tom has kept from his wife, a past that he’s ashamed of. But someone wants him dead in the present very, very badly. Someone who has left a trail of corpses behind them and then attempted to frame Tom for their deeds. Someone who obviously left Tom for dead in the hopes that the frame would fit his corpse better than it does a living man who has tales to tell.
Unless Tom has been hiding a villainous nature all along. Or a nature that was once villainous enough that he can be blackmailed now to keep it quiet. Leaving Owen to navigate his way through the rather pointy horns of multiple dilemmas, all of which must be resolved in order to bring the true villain – or villains – to justice.
And, as always in this series, it’s a delight to watch him work – especially this time around as he doesn’t begin with a clue and we get a refresher on everyone and everything all over again. Even the parts that seem familiar have to be re-examined with fresh eyes and it’s a great reminder of the bones of all the stories that have come before in the series while giving new readers a place to jump in.
The major plot of this particular story and its biggest mystery, is primarily domestic in nature this time around. But that does not mean that the roiling boil of royal politics does not touch upon York, particularly upon Owen in his semi-official position as the Princess of Wales’ agent in the North. The old king is on his deathbed, his Prince of Wales is several years in his grave, and the heir apparent is a child that all his uncles are already squabbling over – as well as over the throne on which the young Richard II-to-be will sit. If he lives that long.
The English royal family feud better known as the Wars of the Roses is about to boil over, and even in far north York, Owen Archer is likely to be in the thick of it. Hopefully in the next book or two – or maybe several! – books in the series. As one of the things I love best in this series is the author’s deft mix of Owen’s domestic business in York with the doings of the great and the mighty in London, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens on both fronts whenever the next book appears.
May it be soon!
Originally published at Reading Reality
September 4, 2024
I love this series and was so happy to see it is continuing on. Owen and Lucie and their family and friends are great characters. When Owen’s friend disappears, Owen sets out to find out where he is and why he left.
January 1, 2025
A Snake in the Barley is the next entry in the long-running Owen Archer mystery series, and honestly, I don't know how this author manages to come up with engaging mysteries book after book. This instalment features Tom and Bess from the York tavern, and I was thrilled to get to know them better and have them feature in their very own mystery.
Being book fifteen in this series, it is hard to keep developing Owen and his family as we have gotten to know them pretty well, so I was glad the focus was on developing the characters around Owen. Although Tom and Bess feature in older books, we don't really know a lot about them so it was nice to have their characters in the foreground and learn more about their history. I thought the author did a great job weaving the past into the present and how that eventually has consequences if you haven't dealt with major things from your past. Although the concept of PTSD and other mental illnesses did not really exist during this period, the author managed to include that in that book but from the perspective of the time period which we know doesn't really go well for those who suffer.
The descriptions of the time period are well done, and I like how the author does not romanticize the past. I personally would not want to live during this time period as it was pretty rough and disease ran rampant through people's lives. Although it was sad to read about those downtrodden people, it was the reality. In fact, I think it was probably worse than even the descriptions showed in this book. Hunger, cold, homelessness, starvation, disease, etc.. all all realities of this time, much worse than in today's world. Although it can be bleak however, the author shows a nice balance of what life is like for those who work hard and are comfortable, and the reliance on each other in order to survive.
A Snake in the Barley has a mystery that was quite fascinating and although it was quite a complex case, with a lot of people involved, I was captivated by the concept of how you can't really run away from your past actions. It can be hard to keep track of all the players, especially if you are not familiar with the books, and there were quite a few secondary themes running through the story. However, the author managed to pull them all together in the end in a satisfactory way. This was definitely another entertaining entry to the series, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Being book fifteen in this series, it is hard to keep developing Owen and his family as we have gotten to know them pretty well, so I was glad the focus was on developing the characters around Owen. Although Tom and Bess feature in older books, we don't really know a lot about them so it was nice to have their characters in the foreground and learn more about their history. I thought the author did a great job weaving the past into the present and how that eventually has consequences if you haven't dealt with major things from your past. Although the concept of PTSD and other mental illnesses did not really exist during this period, the author managed to include that in that book but from the perspective of the time period which we know doesn't really go well for those who suffer.
The descriptions of the time period are well done, and I like how the author does not romanticize the past. I personally would not want to live during this time period as it was pretty rough and disease ran rampant through people's lives. Although it was sad to read about those downtrodden people, it was the reality. In fact, I think it was probably worse than even the descriptions showed in this book. Hunger, cold, homelessness, starvation, disease, etc.. all all realities of this time, much worse than in today's world. Although it can be bleak however, the author shows a nice balance of what life is like for those who work hard and are comfortable, and the reliance on each other in order to survive.
A Snake in the Barley has a mystery that was quite fascinating and although it was quite a complex case, with a lot of people involved, I was captivated by the concept of how you can't really run away from your past actions. It can be hard to keep track of all the players, especially if you are not familiar with the books, and there were quite a few secondary themes running through the story. However, the author managed to pull them all together in the end in a satisfactory way. This was definitely another entertaining entry to the series, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
November 25, 2024
I thank NetGalley and Severn House for an advance reader copy of A Snake in the Barley. All opinions and comments are my own.
You might need a scorecard to keep track of who’s who in A Snake in the Barley, the latest Owen Archer medieval mystery by Candace Robb (this is the fifteenth in the series). When Tom Merchet, tavern keeper and Owen’s long-time friend goes missing, a frantic race ensues to find out 1) where he’s gone and 2) the reasons behind his disappearance. There are deaths, Owen’s loyalty is tested, and so many questions, with answers hard to find. Suffice it to say with a lot of probing, and a lot of help, and a lot of confessing, it’s all resolved. But not before everyone goes through A LOT.
Even the book calls this “a long, complex puzzle,” and it is. I found it hard to keep track of what was going on in spots. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying how author Robb creates her setting and especially, her characters. I will always be interested in what she has in store for Owen Archer and his family and friends.
You might need a scorecard to keep track of who’s who in A Snake in the Barley, the latest Owen Archer medieval mystery by Candace Robb (this is the fifteenth in the series). When Tom Merchet, tavern keeper and Owen’s long-time friend goes missing, a frantic race ensues to find out 1) where he’s gone and 2) the reasons behind his disappearance. There are deaths, Owen’s loyalty is tested, and so many questions, with answers hard to find. Suffice it to say with a lot of probing, and a lot of help, and a lot of confessing, it’s all resolved. But not before everyone goes through A LOT.
Even the book calls this “a long, complex puzzle,” and it is. I found it hard to keep track of what was going on in spots. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying how author Robb creates her setting and especially, her characters. I will always be interested in what she has in store for Owen Archer and his family and friends.
November 26, 2024
I enjoy this medieval series based around Owen Archer, Welsh ex -soldier and spy and once the King’s captain of Archers. Now settled down in York with his apothecary wife Lucie and their children, he is captain of the city’s bailiffs, responsible for protecting the city and investigating crimes.
This mystery starts with the news that Owen’s friend, taverner Tom Merchet has been missing for five days and his wife Bess is beside herself with worry. It seems Tom has a secret from his past that he kept long buried and now someone wants him to pay for it.
In addition to locating Tom and bringing him home, there are strangers in York causing problems so that Owen has his hands more than full and must call on all his bailiffs and friends to help him sort out a very tangled case. It’s a complex case with a lot of players and at times hard to keep track of all the threads, but I knew in Robb’s hands it would all come together eventually and always enjoy spending time with Owen. 3.5★
With thanks to Severn House via Edelweiss for a copy to read
This mystery starts with the news that Owen’s friend, taverner Tom Merchet has been missing for five days and his wife Bess is beside herself with worry. It seems Tom has a secret from his past that he kept long buried and now someone wants him to pay for it.
In addition to locating Tom and bringing him home, there are strangers in York causing problems so that Owen has his hands more than full and must call on all his bailiffs and friends to help him sort out a very tangled case. It’s a complex case with a lot of players and at times hard to keep track of all the threads, but I knew in Robb’s hands it would all come together eventually and always enjoy spending time with Owen. 3.5★
With thanks to Severn House via Edelweiss for a copy to read
February 10, 2025
Owen Archer lost an eye on the field at Agincourt (1415). He was one of the famed Welsh long bowmen who filled the air with arrows and won the battle for Henry V. Now, he works for the king, keeping peace in York, along with him family and his wife, who is an apothecary. Bess and Tom Merchet are their friends and Bess comes to Owen to ask him to find Tom, who has disappeared. It is a perplexing case, no one knows where Tom might have gone. As Owen investigates, he discovers Tom has been keeping a lot of secrets from all of them. Men are dying in York as a result of Owen's investigation and no one knows how they are connected. A traveler reveals Tom is in Beverley, a three day's ride from York and he has been severely beaten. Owen travels to rescue Tom and more bodies continue to fall. How are they all connected? The best part of this series is the amount of research that goes into them. It is like a visit to the 15th century. Owen and his family and friends are great characters. This is historical fiction worth reading.
December 30, 2024
An eventful visit with old friends!
It’s been such a long wait to visit with my old friends from York! Since the last book, I’ve actually visited the Minster & found Archbishop Thorsby’s memorial plaque. Ms. Robb has created a vivid world, populated by fascinating people, some good, some evil. As the years have passed, I’ve come to view this cast of characters as “old friends.” This book places one of the town’s leading citizens in jeopardy. Tom Merchet, a most loved innkeeper has gone missing. It seems his past has come to call. What a dark past it is, filled with lies, murder, thievery, & betrayal! The question is can Owen & all his hardy crew find Tom in time & set things right! The twists just pop out at the reader like a jack in the box! I encourage any lover of medieval period mystery to read the entire series! This book is the best yet!
It’s been such a long wait to visit with my old friends from York! Since the last book, I’ve actually visited the Minster & found Archbishop Thorsby’s memorial plaque. Ms. Robb has created a vivid world, populated by fascinating people, some good, some evil. As the years have passed, I’ve come to view this cast of characters as “old friends.” This book places one of the town’s leading citizens in jeopardy. Tom Merchet, a most loved innkeeper has gone missing. It seems his past has come to call. What a dark past it is, filled with lies, murder, thievery, & betrayal! The question is can Owen & all his hardy crew find Tom in time & set things right! The twists just pop out at the reader like a jack in the box! I encourage any lover of medieval period mystery to read the entire series! This book is the best yet!
January 29, 2025
There are many layers and nuances here that would confuse a first time reader. Still a good read. Of course, it is also for continuity and for the satisfaction of watching beloved characters develop and grow like Jasper and the Archers' children. This story explores taverner's Tom Merchet's PAST and how it had overtaken his Present, how it affected the people around him and the place where he chose to conduct his business and plant his roots; but more importantly its impact on his wife, Bess. For Tom Merchet is famous for his unequaled Brew and his patrons' interest in his well~being when he went missing was both selfish as well as affectionate. This is most definitely Owen Archer's mission as more than a friend instead brother and godfather to his children to find the missing Merchet. It is also because like the rest of the Community, he is an Appreciative Imbiber of the man's famous ale and would not relish the ending of such a remarkable tavern treat.
December 10, 2024
She is, simply, one of the best...cannot wait for what's nect...
Loved this one.
Owen Archer is such a compelling character.
His famuky, friends, close associates fill out these stories.
Though quite a different period in history, she lets you feel like you are a part of all they go through day to day.
Builds tension and anticipation as the drama enfolds.
The children provide the humor.
Magda, and in this case, her ally, friend and healer, provide the compassion, calm, healing power that the main characters and their allies need to stay healthy and get healthy in a very uneasy time.
Candace Robb is simply one of the best writers about York in this fraught period. There are others who write well about York in this era...there are...and she is still one of the very best!
Loved this one.
Owen Archer is such a compelling character.
His famuky, friends, close associates fill out these stories.
Though quite a different period in history, she lets you feel like you are a part of all they go through day to day.
Builds tension and anticipation as the drama enfolds.
The children provide the humor.
Magda, and in this case, her ally, friend and healer, provide the compassion, calm, healing power that the main characters and their allies need to stay healthy and get healthy in a very uneasy time.
Candace Robb is simply one of the best writers about York in this fraught period. There are others who write well about York in this era...there are...and she is still one of the very best!
July 6, 2025
One of the very best volumes in the Owen Archer series. Second only perhaps to Candace Robb’s A Lady Chapel, Vigil of Spies and Choir of Crows. This is a wonderful series which spurred my visit to York, and several days spent roaming around the York Minster, in February 2023. A marvelous city which is an important character in this series. It was a long wait for this 15th volume in the series, but well worth the wait, as it made clever use of two ancillary characters, taverners Tom and Bess Merchet, to explore their back story while letting the reader glean what the Archer family has been up to for the past year. I can only hope that Candace Robb continues to plumb the depths of her characters and British 14th century history to bring us such pleasures in the future.
October 26, 2024
A complex, historically rooted, well-written Medieval mystery. The Owen Archer books have been on my list of series to try for a long time. So when I had the opportunity to read an eARC through Edelweiss+, I took advantage of it. Although this was the first in the series, I soon fell in love with the characters, and while it took awhile to get everyone's back stories straight, I appreciated that Robb didn't feel the need to dump all of that into the beginning of the book. This may be the first Owen Archer book I've read, but I definitely plan to go back and read the previous 14.
December 20, 2024
Another great book from Candace Robb. And this time we get to know more about Tom and Bess from the York Tavern. These people feel like friends, and it's easy to get caught up in their lives. I'm not sure that I would have liked to have lived in those days though. I'm too used to my creature comforts; a shower every day and and a flushing toilet! But it is nice to spend time with them especially when it can be virtually through the printed word.
abandoned
February 26, 2025This one didn't work for me, so I've abandoned it. However the main problem is that I haven't read the previous books in the series and there's not enough filling in of backstory for me to get to grips with the large cast of characters and their various relationships. Otherwise I felt it was well written and well researched, and I think it would probably be an enjoyable read for people who've read the earlier books.
February 10, 2026
Bess finally getting her moment to shine! Thought I'd miss Alisoun, but there was so much going on in this story (and so many characters to keep straight) that I didn't even notice she was gone. Love Bess and Magda settling old one-sided grudges, and the addition of little urchin Issy, who I hope gets to stick around for book 16. Might be wishful thinking, but I'm also hoping the painter Hal sticks around - especially around Brother Michaelo, if you get my drift.
November 22, 2024
1377 York. Taverner Tom Merchet has been missing for five days. Captain of the guard and friend, Owen Archer and his men start a search. But a murder occurs in York and it seems that Tom's complex past and relationships have come back to haunt him.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its very likeable main characters supported by a cast of varied personalities. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its very likeable main characters supported by a cast of varied personalities. Another good addition to this enjoyable series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2024
I have loved the Owen Archer books from the start and not one of the stories has failed to entertain and delight.
Being familiar with York, I can imagine myself there outside Lucie’s shop, hear the bells of the churches and see the bustle of the narrow streets.
My only gripe is that I have to wait so long for the next one
Being familiar with York, I can imagine myself there outside Lucie’s shop, hear the bells of the churches and see the bustle of the narrow streets.
My only gripe is that I have to wait so long for the next one
May 5, 2025
I am a fan of the Owen Archer series. Though you need not read them in order, character development is a feature of the series and adds to your enjoyment and I must point out I have read all the earlier books. This is a solid entry to this enjoyable and long series being Book 15 I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 4, 2024
Convoluted !
And strangely passionless, I couldn't feel any sympathy with the cast. A little edge would have made this more interesting. Not the best.
And strangely passionless, I couldn't feel any sympathy with the cast. A little edge would have made this more interesting. Not the best.
January 15, 2025
An engaging story featuring many of the series beloved characters. Well plotted.
January 29, 2025
Just boring
February 23, 2025
Tom Merchet is missing and the reason makes for a long and complicated read. Too many characters, too many villains, too many beatings, too many stabbings.
July 18, 2025
Enjoyed this more than the previous few
January 23, 2026
As well crafted as ever, this is a suspenseful tale filled with intricate detail and heart-warming characters. Thank you Candace Robb, again!
February 21, 2025
I agree with other reviewers who liked the book but found the mystery to be very complicated. I went into the book anticipating that it was going to be intricate and possibly difficult to figure out. That advice was not wrong, as I found myself recounting each character/suspect- there are quite a few- and their relationships in my mind each time I put the book down after reading for a while. I still give it 5 stars because of the writing, which is always superb.
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