The Devil's Monk

Thomas Potts #6

by Sara Fraser, Gordon Griffin (Reading)

July, 1829. When a female corpse, dressed in male clothing, is discovered lying in a haystack in the Worcestershire countryside, rumour and superstition abound. For the sighting of a man in white robes fleeing from the scene leads to suspicion that the "Devil's Monk" is responsible for the crime. According to local legend, this vengeful apparition appears at intervals to molest and kill. Constable Thomas Potts is dismissive of the rumours - but without knowing the victim's identity, he'll need the devil's own luck to catch her killer. And when a second body turns up, Potts is under pressure to track down the murderer before hysteria engulfs the town.

Audio CD

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Sara Fraser is a pseudonym for Roy Clews, a one-time Marine Commando and Foreign Legionnaire who has traveled and worked all over the world.

Reviews

[Judy Lesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I discover that a novel is set in 1829 in an area of small villages in Worcestershire I have come to expect certain things from that novel. I love to read historical mysteries and especially those where the author has conveyed the time period and the atmosphere existing among the various levels of society. What I do not expect is to find the "f" word thrown around by the villagers as if they are impelled by some psychological malady to use that word repeatedly, by men and women alike. It was not only unexpected, it became a serious detraction from the novel for me. I've not read any previous novel by Sara Fraser so I have no idea if this profanity is common in her historical mysteries. I also felt very uncomfortable with the villagers being so needlessly cruel and harsh in their attitude and treatment of Constable Thomas Potts. These two devices used by the author caused me to only marginally enjoy the novel even though I think she used some interesting and different elements to cause her criminal activity to take place.

I'm giving this novel three stars, but I would definitely tell any friend of mine the drawbacks which kept me from liking this book and certainly will keep me from reading previous or future novels in the series.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Potts is a Constable in a small parish in Redditch, Worcestershire. It is the late 1820s and he struggles to maintain law and order in his area. The battered body of a young woman is found by someone living rough and Tom needs to investigate what appears to be a murder of a particularly violent kind. Unfortunately he doesn't have anything more than his own wits to guide him and his knowledge of the local populace. In addition he is battling to deal with his separation from his wife, Amy and the local populace who are all to quick to think the worst of him.

This book has an interesting plot and I found Tom's investigation of the crime fascinating but there was too much bad language in it for my taste. It is possible to add historical accuracy to a story without putting a lot of swear words into the story. This rather spoilt the book for me though it is well written with well drawn characters and an intriguing plot.

If you enjoy historical crime then you may want to start at the beginning of this series with The Reluctant Constable. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review.

[Julie Carlson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good title. Good cover. That is about all I can say. I rarely give lower than 3 stars, but this just didn't work for me.

[Deb Novack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Potts investigates the death and mutilation of a woman found on a haystack,by a vagrant, she was wearing men's clothes with no identification. He is told that the Devil's Monk killed her and when more deaths occur he must find the culprit and he also must endure his wife leaving him.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maryanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters are very colourful, the protagonist is very appealing and the writing is strong. Too much swearing, description of bodily functions and sexual depictions of women for my taste. Certainly a mystery with a difference which may offer something to readers who enjoy their mysteries coarse.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

After completing this book, I have decided that I don't like this series at all. The language is complicated and just too polite. The characters are all unusual and that's not because of the period in which it's set.