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Cragg & Fidelis Mystery #4
Skin and Bone
Blake continues the series Booklist calls “a solid winner” with a darkly rich mystery rife with political intrigue that sends Cragg and Fidelis down a treacherous path.
It’s 1743, and the tanners of Preston are a pariah community, plying their unwholesome trade beside a stretch of riverside marsh where many Prestonians by ancient right graze their livestock. When the body of a newborn child is found in one of their tanning pits, Cragg’s inquiry falls foul of a cabal of merchants dead set on modernizing the town’s economy and regarding the despised tanners—and Cragg’s apparent championship of them—as obstacles to their plan. The murder of a baby is just the evidence they need to get rid of the tanners once and for all.
But the inquest into the baby’s death is disrupted when the inn where it is being held mysteriously burns down, and Cragg himself faces a charge of lewdness, jeopardizing his whole future as a coroner. But the fates have not finished playing with him just yet. The sudden and suspicious death of a very prominent person may just, with the help of Fidelis’s sharp forensic skills, bring about Cragg’s redemption...
It’s 1743, and the tanners of Preston are a pariah community, plying their unwholesome trade beside a stretch of riverside marsh where many Prestonians by ancient right graze their livestock. When the body of a newborn child is found in one of their tanning pits, Cragg’s inquiry falls foul of a cabal of merchants dead set on modernizing the town’s economy and regarding the despised tanners—and Cragg’s apparent championship of them—as obstacles to their plan. The murder of a baby is just the evidence they need to get rid of the tanners once and for all.
But the inquest into the baby’s death is disrupted when the inn where it is being held mysteriously burns down, and Cragg himself faces a charge of lewdness, jeopardizing his whole future as a coroner. But the fates have not finished playing with him just yet. The sudden and suspicious death of a very prominent person may just, with the help of Fidelis’s sharp forensic skills, bring about Cragg’s redemption...
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2016
5 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Robin Blake
23 books35 followersRobin Blake is the author of acclaimed works on the artists Van Dyke and Stubbs. He has written, produced and presented extensively for radio, is widely published as a critic, and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Brunel University. He lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 1, 2016
Once again I find myself reading a book that is 4th in series, without having read the previous three. Such is life, don't think it affected my enjoyment of this very atmospheric historical. Learned much too since it tales place in 1743 in a town called Prescott, noted for its leather goods, bordering a marsh that all villagers use for grazing of their herds. A game called bowls, had heard of it before but here it is explained in detail. The art of tanning, these poor souls were looked down on by the rest because apparently the smell of the pits tended to stay with them.
A dead baby is found in one of these pits, and suspicion immediately falls on the few women working the pits, this job seemed to be the occupation of families, the skill as they say, handed down from one to the next. Cragg is the local coroner, a job which was way harder back then, one just had to talk to people, follow what little evidence there was and maybe hope for enlightening information. Fidelio is the so called modern day doctor, not trusted by many yet, his ways seem to new and most instead trust the old family doc who someone manages to look at a body without any investigation and make a diagnosis. Together Fidelis and Crag will work together to solve this case which becomes much larger than it first appears.
A good series, one I think will grow on me, though at times it was a little slow. So much is explained about the political environment and maneuverings, rich against poor and of course evidence is collected much more slowly without any definitive tests available. I did though feel as if I was actually back in that time period so the author did a great job creating a believable environment. Will definitely keep an eye out for next in series.
ARC from Netgalley.
A dead baby is found in one of these pits, and suspicion immediately falls on the few women working the pits, this job seemed to be the occupation of families, the skill as they say, handed down from one to the next. Cragg is the local coroner, a job which was way harder back then, one just had to talk to people, follow what little evidence there was and maybe hope for enlightening information. Fidelio is the so called modern day doctor, not trusted by many yet, his ways seem to new and most instead trust the old family doc who someone manages to look at a body without any investigation and make a diagnosis. Together Fidelis and Crag will work together to solve this case which becomes much larger than it first appears.
A good series, one I think will grow on me, though at times it was a little slow. So much is explained about the political environment and maneuverings, rich against poor and of course evidence is collected much more slowly without any definitive tests available. I did though feel as if I was actually back in that time period so the author did a great job creating a believable environment. Will definitely keep an eye out for next in series.
ARC from Netgalley.
March 21, 2021
I found this book a very satisfying read, fourth in the series featuring the Coroner Cragg and the doctor, Luke Fidelis. Things start off with the discovery of dead infant at the Tannery by one of the workers, evolving into a particularly nasty inquest that was forcibly called to a halt by a life threatening fire. I shall not spoil the reading for others, but there is someone at work to belittle our favorite coroner of Preston and rob him of his post. Lively action fills the town with secretive plans of development of the marsh the town depends on. There will be murders, sinful behavior and social unrest along with a cock fight here and there. Fidelis and Cragg both shine, as does Cragg's dear wife Elizabeth.
November 3, 2016
First Sentence: It was a day on which the sun was a disc of polished brass, and flocks of white cloud chased each other cheerfully across a blue field of sky; the perfect September afternoon for a game of bowls.
When the body of a newborn is found in one of the tannery skinning pits, it is up to Coroner Titus Cragg, and his friend physician Luke Fidelis, to determine if the infant had died before or after birth, who was the mother, and who was responsible. The first inquest is interrupted by a near fatal fire, after which Cragg is fired from his post. It’s clear someone doesn’t want the truth to be known.
The story begins with a very effective contrast from a pleasant game of bowls, to the rank odor of the tannery, to the pronouncement of finding the body of a newborn.
Blake provides a fascinating and frightening look at how medicine was practiced by traditional practitioners. We have the contrast of Dr. Harrod, who believes in astrology—“A thirteenth child born under Virgo. She is full of dread.”—and judging an illness by the visage of the person—“Touch it? Certainly not, Titus….Troubled spirits can be transferred in that way.”--, and Dr. Fidelis, who believes in science, and the advances in forensic medicine—“Of course, he would know nothing of the…lung-in-water test. … It is the test for stillbirth that they do at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London.”
Cragg is a very likable character. He takes his position very seriously, believes in justice tempered by mercy, and loves literature. The inclusion of literary references from “The Fable of Bees” and “Don Quixote” provide a sense of reality to the characters. Cragg’s relation with his wife is lovely and adds charm to the story. One can particularly appreciate Lizzie’s outrage that a woman whose child is stillborn, rather than miscarried, would be tried for murder. She also provides a woman’s observation and information to events, particularly during a time when men didn’t have casual conversations with females with whom they weren’t well acquainted.
Although the author does includes one completely unnecessary portent, the formality of the dialogue creates a sense of the period without trying to replicate it—“What was an utter triviality a hundred years ago may be an utter gravity now.” True fans of Agatha Christie might find Cragg and Fidelis reminds them, somewhat, of Harley Quinn and Mr. Satterwaite. Or not.
“Skin and Bone” is a well-done historical reminding us that greed and politics are as old as time. The story does have a surprising climax, and a very gratifying ending.
SKIN AND BONE (Hist Mys-Cragg/Fidelis-England-1743/Georgian) – G+
Blake, Robin – 4th in series
Minotaur Books – Oct 2016
When the body of a newborn is found in one of the tannery skinning pits, it is up to Coroner Titus Cragg, and his friend physician Luke Fidelis, to determine if the infant had died before or after birth, who was the mother, and who was responsible. The first inquest is interrupted by a near fatal fire, after which Cragg is fired from his post. It’s clear someone doesn’t want the truth to be known.
The story begins with a very effective contrast from a pleasant game of bowls, to the rank odor of the tannery, to the pronouncement of finding the body of a newborn.
Blake provides a fascinating and frightening look at how medicine was practiced by traditional practitioners. We have the contrast of Dr. Harrod, who believes in astrology—“A thirteenth child born under Virgo. She is full of dread.”—and judging an illness by the visage of the person—“Touch it? Certainly not, Titus….Troubled spirits can be transferred in that way.”--, and Dr. Fidelis, who believes in science, and the advances in forensic medicine—“Of course, he would know nothing of the…lung-in-water test. … It is the test for stillbirth that they do at St. Thomas’s Hospital in London.”
Cragg is a very likable character. He takes his position very seriously, believes in justice tempered by mercy, and loves literature. The inclusion of literary references from “The Fable of Bees” and “Don Quixote” provide a sense of reality to the characters. Cragg’s relation with his wife is lovely and adds charm to the story. One can particularly appreciate Lizzie’s outrage that a woman whose child is stillborn, rather than miscarried, would be tried for murder. She also provides a woman’s observation and information to events, particularly during a time when men didn’t have casual conversations with females with whom they weren’t well acquainted.
Although the author does includes one completely unnecessary portent, the formality of the dialogue creates a sense of the period without trying to replicate it—“What was an utter triviality a hundred years ago may be an utter gravity now.” True fans of Agatha Christie might find Cragg and Fidelis reminds them, somewhat, of Harley Quinn and Mr. Satterwaite. Or not.
“Skin and Bone” is a well-done historical reminding us that greed and politics are as old as time. The story does have a surprising climax, and a very gratifying ending.
SKIN AND BONE (Hist Mys-Cragg/Fidelis-England-1743/Georgian) – G+
Blake, Robin – 4th in series
Minotaur Books – Oct 2016
January 3, 2018
This such a good series and Skin and Bone is a fine addition to it. Thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't stop myself from gobbling it up in a day. 4.5 stars.
June 26, 2018
If ever a murder mystery could be deemed delightful this would be it. Set during the Enlightenment, it portrays a case in which supposition and astrology are set against reason and evidence, with our Coroner Cragg and his friend Dr. Fidelis astutely investigating. The corpse of an infant is found in a vat in a tannery and the unknown mother is assumed to be the murderess. Cragg is not so sure, and we are treated to a series of revelations involving commoners and lords, cock fighting and apomecometers. Eighteenth century vocabulary abounds. I have read the previous books in the series and always found them excellent. For Agatha Christie fans.
January 18, 2023
Titus Cragg and his friend Doctor Luke Fidelis are looking into the death of a small baby found in the tanners' pit. Luke makes a surprising find. Titus finds himself harassed by the town council who want him ousted from the office of Coroner. There is a plot led by a local businessman concerning the tanners and the quay on the river Ribble. All the usual mix and a number of interesting twists. 3 stars.
March 28, 2019
I love this series of books! Can’t recommend enough!
January 28, 2020
A good read. Kept my attention. Loved the characters.
December 10, 2016
Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.
True to form and the series plus bringing it fresh to life again.
Some truly shocking stuff happens this time.
True to form and the series plus bringing it fresh to life again.
Some truly shocking stuff happens this time.
March 11, 2017
Our library for some reason does not have #3 so I just went onto #4 and hope to ILL the missing book.
This is the best of the three then that I have read. Apparently Cragg is younger than I thought, probably 30ish and Elizabeth is 23. Moderately important.
The cultural background of this mystery is fascinating, dealing with "progress" and loss of jobs due to "progress"; sounds familiar doesn't it. But back then there was no safety net (aside from family, if friendly--and one relative definitely is not!). Also the smallness of communities means that sometimes one just has to leave and take one's chances elsewhere, as happens in this novel. Easier for men than for women, easier for a single person than a family.
Of the three books, this one has the most abhorrent murderer of them all. And I might say, of the many mysteries I have read. But it is good; hard to put it down.
This is the best of the three then that I have read. Apparently Cragg is younger than I thought, probably 30ish and Elizabeth is 23. Moderately important.
The cultural background of this mystery is fascinating, dealing with "progress" and loss of jobs due to "progress"; sounds familiar doesn't it. But back then there was no safety net (aside from family, if friendly--and one relative definitely is not!). Also the smallness of communities means that sometimes one just has to leave and take one's chances elsewhere, as happens in this novel. Easier for men than for women, easier for a single person than a family.
Of the three books, this one has the most abhorrent murderer of them all. And I might say, of the many mysteries I have read. But it is good; hard to put it down.
June 30, 2016
A week or so ago I discovered, and started reading, Robin Blake’s Cragg and Fidelis mysteries. Go back a week and check out my review of the Scrivener to see how highly I rated it. Well never one to subscribe to the ‘too much of a good thing’ theory, I read the fourth and latest book next. And guess what? It’s better.
Once again, I found that Blake had engineered a plot that was just complex enough to titillate the brain cells. Between about pages 50 and 100 I formed my opinion of what had happened. I got it about 75% right, I reckon, but there were aspects I hadn’t realised were coming.
For that is what Blake does. He presents you with a case, and then throws in tangents. None of these, I might add, are included just for the heck of it. They all have purpose and bear on the story as a whole, even if in a rather circumspect manner. I am beginning to see a style evolve. The Blake method. The same way Christie always had her detective gather her suspects for the reveal, or Columbo says ‘just one more thing’. Blake is a master, I suspect, of redirection. And that creates plots that are deep and complex, requiring some picking apart. You can never say ‘he did it, guv’ because there is ALWAYS more to it than that.
Once again, Blake shows an almost unparalleled knowledge of regency Lancashire and once again he displays it in such a way that you learn and experience and feel that you’re there, but never with ‘info dump’. The history is always woven into the story, which remains accessible to everyone. Anyone can read these books and enjoy them, regardless of era. Go on. You’ll love ’em.
If anything, the main characters are more likeable and believable than in the previous volume. There is definitely less preachy goodness among the protagonists, which makes it feel all the more authentic. I suspect that this is because the plot of book 4 revolves around a subject which even in the 1740s would shock and revolt, so the reactions are realistic, while in the previous one, slavery is abhorrent to the main characters, but that really puts them in a minority in the period.
So here we go, without wanting to provide spoilers:
A body is found in a tanning pit (the mechanics of this are vile. Don’t read while eating your lunch like I did). It is a baby, though there is some discussion as to whether it is a stillbirth or a murdered newborn. Thus begins an investigation you won’t be able to help yourself second-guessing which takes in the modernisation and progress of the city, the loss of ancient ways, the danger of noble monopolies, the rather seedy goings-on below (and above!) stairs in the houses of the great and good, and a disaster that, while almost costing Cragg his career, in some ways makes him. And where the previous book left me wanting to pursue the fate of those who escaped, this has a very satisfactory ending and an excellent dramatic conclusion.
In short, folks, it’s a win. Read this series. I’m going to catch up on the ones I’ve missed shortly.
Once again, I found that Blake had engineered a plot that was just complex enough to titillate the brain cells. Between about pages 50 and 100 I formed my opinion of what had happened. I got it about 75% right, I reckon, but there were aspects I hadn’t realised were coming.
For that is what Blake does. He presents you with a case, and then throws in tangents. None of these, I might add, are included just for the heck of it. They all have purpose and bear on the story as a whole, even if in a rather circumspect manner. I am beginning to see a style evolve. The Blake method. The same way Christie always had her detective gather her suspects for the reveal, or Columbo says ‘just one more thing’. Blake is a master, I suspect, of redirection. And that creates plots that are deep and complex, requiring some picking apart. You can never say ‘he did it, guv’ because there is ALWAYS more to it than that.
Once again, Blake shows an almost unparalleled knowledge of regency Lancashire and once again he displays it in such a way that you learn and experience and feel that you’re there, but never with ‘info dump’. The history is always woven into the story, which remains accessible to everyone. Anyone can read these books and enjoy them, regardless of era. Go on. You’ll love ’em.
If anything, the main characters are more likeable and believable than in the previous volume. There is definitely less preachy goodness among the protagonists, which makes it feel all the more authentic. I suspect that this is because the plot of book 4 revolves around a subject which even in the 1740s would shock and revolt, so the reactions are realistic, while in the previous one, slavery is abhorrent to the main characters, but that really puts them in a minority in the period.
So here we go, without wanting to provide spoilers:
A body is found in a tanning pit (the mechanics of this are vile. Don’t read while eating your lunch like I did). It is a baby, though there is some discussion as to whether it is a stillbirth or a murdered newborn. Thus begins an investigation you won’t be able to help yourself second-guessing which takes in the modernisation and progress of the city, the loss of ancient ways, the danger of noble monopolies, the rather seedy goings-on below (and above!) stairs in the houses of the great and good, and a disaster that, while almost costing Cragg his career, in some ways makes him. And where the previous book left me wanting to pursue the fate of those who escaped, this has a very satisfactory ending and an excellent dramatic conclusion.
In short, folks, it’s a win. Read this series. I’m going to catch up on the ones I’ve missed shortly.
March 27, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This was the first book I've read from the Craggs and Fidelis series, but it works well as a standalone. Set in 1743, Titus Cragg (Coroner of Preston) is investigating the death of a newborn child. The body was found in one of the tanning pits, and suspicion falls on the despised tanners of the city. Helped by his doctor friend Fidelis, Cragg begins to unravel the mystery, despite obstructions from the wealthy merchants who run the town.
This was an excellent story, with a well-researched setting. Cragg's narrative voice is really authentic, and the mercurial Fidelis is a good foil for his measured way of proceeding. There are some fascinating insights into Georgian society, and the provincial setting of Preston made a refreshing change from London, where so much historical fiction is set. The rivalry with Wigan made for some entertaining moments.
The plot has a few twists and turns, but nothing to stretch credulity. A great read for lovers of historical mysteries, and I'll be seeking out the earlier books in the series.
This was the first book I've read from the Craggs and Fidelis series, but it works well as a standalone. Set in 1743, Titus Cragg (Coroner of Preston) is investigating the death of a newborn child. The body was found in one of the tanning pits, and suspicion falls on the despised tanners of the city. Helped by his doctor friend Fidelis, Cragg begins to unravel the mystery, despite obstructions from the wealthy merchants who run the town.
This was an excellent story, with a well-researched setting. Cragg's narrative voice is really authentic, and the mercurial Fidelis is a good foil for his measured way of proceeding. There are some fascinating insights into Georgian society, and the provincial setting of Preston made a refreshing change from London, where so much historical fiction is set. The rivalry with Wigan made for some entertaining moments.
The plot has a few twists and turns, but nothing to stretch credulity. A great read for lovers of historical mysteries, and I'll be seeking out the earlier books in the series.
March 21, 2017
First of all, I received this book in a giveaway. Secondly, I haven't read any of the series and I don't read historical fiction generally.
This book was incredibly slow to get going. The first sentence is about bowls. There is a real lack of drama at the beginning. A potential witness going to Wigan is not the cliffhanger to finish a chapter on. The subplots in this story I didn't find too interesting either. I almost stopped reading this at several points.
A real positive for this book was the authors writing style and voice. His prose was elegant, if a little long winded and helped get me into the time period.
On another note, the quality of the physical book wasn't great. Every time I opened it the page rubbed together, producing a sound akin to growling. Very strange.
Overall, not the worst book I've read but I won't be rushing to read any more.
This book was incredibly slow to get going. The first sentence is about bowls. There is a real lack of drama at the beginning. A potential witness going to Wigan is not the cliffhanger to finish a chapter on. The subplots in this story I didn't find too interesting either. I almost stopped reading this at several points.
A real positive for this book was the authors writing style and voice. His prose was elegant, if a little long winded and helped get me into the time period.
On another note, the quality of the physical book wasn't great. Every time I opened it the page rubbed together, producing a sound akin to growling. Very strange.
Overall, not the worst book I've read but I won't be rushing to read any more.
February 10, 2017
Dark, complex and intriguing. Great sense of time and place and interesting characters
November 28, 2016
This was very good. I think I have to go back to the beginning of the series! A historical mystery, it takes place in Preston, Lancaster in England 1743. It focuses more on the merchant and working class rather than the aristocracy. The lead character, Cragg, is the Coroner for the village and the killing of a newborn puts him in the sights of the Mayor and other village officials that have nothing to do with the death. If you are a fan of C.S. Harris' Sebastian St. Cyr books, you will probably like this one, too. The St. Cyr mysteries take place later on, starting in about 1810, and are London based, in the aristocracy.
February 1, 2017
I didn't realize this was part of a series when I first started reading it. However, missing the first few books didn't hinder my enjoyment of this well crafted, albeit gruesome, story. Will definitely watch for others in the series.
October 31, 2016
The fourth in an enjoyable series. First in this mystery series set in 1740's Britain is A dark anatomy. You'd want to start with that.
April 27, 2017
The 1700s and a mystery...so good I want to read the first three!
October 26, 2017
I read this book some time ago, as an ebook while travelling, and didn't enter it in GR, so can't remember what rating I would give it, likely at least a 3. I enjoy reading murder mysteries, and those with forensic science and historical dimensions.
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