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Owen Archer #2
The Lady Chapel
Owen Archer, the intriguing Welsh archer-turned-sleuth, is back-in another riveting challenge to Ellis Peters!
High summer, 1365-and York is glorious with pageantry for the Feast of Corpus Christi. But wool merchant Will Crounce, who acts in "The Last Judgement," meets his maker all too soon, his throat slit in the shadow of the great cathedral. When Crounce's severed hand is found in fellow-merchant Gilbert Ridley's tavern lodging, the Archbishop calls in Own Archer.
To unravel a second murder, and the grisly warning of another severed hand, Owen will need his sharp mind, his bow and arrows, and even his wife Lucie's apothecary skills. For soon he will be drawn into a tangle of greed, treachery, and passion that runs from Ridley and the wool trade all the way to the royal court.
High summer, 1365-and York is glorious with pageantry for the Feast of Corpus Christi. But wool merchant Will Crounce, who acts in "The Last Judgement," meets his maker all too soon, his throat slit in the shadow of the great cathedral. When Crounce's severed hand is found in fellow-merchant Gilbert Ridley's tavern lodging, the Archbishop calls in Own Archer.
To unravel a second murder, and the grisly warning of another severed hand, Owen will need his sharp mind, his bow and arrows, and even his wife Lucie's apothecary skills. For soon he will be drawn into a tangle of greed, treachery, and passion that runs from Ridley and the wool trade all the way to the royal court.
287 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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768 people want to read
About the author
Candace Robb
47 books509 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 - 30 of 127 reviews
August 28, 2020
It has been over a year since I read the first Owen Archer book. No idea why it has taken so long to get back to this series. Really enjoy the setting in the mid-14th Century, and also many of the characters. One thing about Candace Robb, she is a history expert and she imbues her books with many historical characters as well as many non-historical ones who are representative of those living during that time. Her blend of characters and narrative voices is seamless and you are drawn into the book. Here we are in the 2nd mystery and Owen Archer is required by the Archbishop (for whom he works) to investigate the murder of two men, both of whom have had their throats slit and their right hands cut off. Investigative efforts are certainly nothing like today, but despite these obstacles Owen tracks the clues and goes in search of a nameless and unknown killer, and quite possibly an associate. Along the way there are more deaths, and a young boy named Jasper who is pulled into this. This is a wonderful effort and I learned a lot of history along the way - something I certainly enjoy and do not mind with a wonderful storyteller such as Candace Robb.
February 15, 2023
Owen Archer is the focus of this series placed in England during the reign of Edward III.
Owen (in the first book, which you might want to read before this one) has married Lucie, York’s widow apothecary, and splits his time between learning the trade and working for the Archbishop of York. That man is even more powerful than his title.
“You enjoy your power as Lord Chancellor.”
Thoresby shook his head, “Not often. The power is heady wine, but of inferior quality. It brings on nausea and headache as it sours in one’s belly.”
“You would stay away from court?”
“If that were possible”
“Because of the war?”
“Sadly, because of the King.”
Owen is tasked with discovering the murderer of a wool merchant (who’s hand goes missing) and that leads him around and beyond the great city of York. Robb crafts a plot that ties elements of the murder to the wool trade and to the war being waged with the French King. For those who have read the first book, The Apothecary Rose, there is also the delight of the deepening studies of the primary characters.
Nothing is simple in this mystery and I am very satisfied with Robb’s choices.
For those who want to dig deeper into this period’s history, I recommend Ian Mortimer’s Edward III: The Perfect King https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Owen (in the first book, which you might want to read before this one) has married Lucie, York’s widow apothecary, and splits his time between learning the trade and working for the Archbishop of York. That man is even more powerful than his title.
“You enjoy your power as Lord Chancellor.”
Thoresby shook his head, “Not often. The power is heady wine, but of inferior quality. It brings on nausea and headache as it sours in one’s belly.”
“You would stay away from court?”
“If that were possible”
“Because of the war?”
“Sadly, because of the King.”
Owen is tasked with discovering the murderer of a wool merchant (who’s hand goes missing) and that leads him around and beyond the great city of York. Robb crafts a plot that ties elements of the murder to the wool trade and to the war being waged with the French King. For those who have read the first book, The Apothecary Rose, there is also the delight of the deepening studies of the primary characters.
Nothing is simple in this mystery and I am very satisfied with Robb’s choices.
For those who want to dig deeper into this period’s history, I recommend Ian Mortimer’s Edward III: The Perfect King https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 29, 2020
This 2nd instalment of the "Owen Archer" series, from the US author, Candace Robb, has been a much better accomplished adventure than the first one.
Storytelling is of a top-notch quality, all characters, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life within this great medieval story, and York and its picturesque surroundings in Yorkshire come superbly off the pages.
This series is happening more or less in the same period of history as the "Matthew Bartholomew' series from the author, Susanna Gregory, which are set in Cambridge, while this series is set in York, England.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of 14th Century York, and places of interest that will play an important part in this tale, and there's also a well documented Glossary, while at the back of the book you'll notice an Author's Note, where the historical details concerning this great medieval mystery are very well explained.
The book is set in the years AD 1365/1366, and quickly into the story two members of the Mercers' Guild are murdered near York Minster and the Lady Chapel, namely Will Crounce and Gilbert Ridley, while not long after that the York Tavern stable boy, John, is also murdered but not before he has managed helping 8-year old, Jasper, to escape the clutches of this woman murderer, who's acting, in her own words, for a very powerful man.
Owen Archer, with the help of his wife, Lucy Wilton, and this little boy, Jasper de Melton, start to investigate these murders by order of the Archbishop and Chancellor of England, John Thoresby, and quite quickly Owen will become embroiled in a world of conspiracy and betrayal between merchants, clergy and royalty, where revenge and death is a common occurrence, and where innocent lives have no meaning.
What is to come is a tremendous action-packed medieval mystery , where political, professional and personal intrigue and murder will act in mysterious ways, and this mystery will end with a superbly worked out plot in which the culprit(s) who are behind and committing these murders will finally be revealed.
Very much recommended, because this second outing is a very much improved medieval mystery, in comparison with the first one, and that's the reason I like to call this: "A Superb Owen Archer Sequel"!
Storytelling is of a top-notch quality, all characters, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life within this great medieval story, and York and its picturesque surroundings in Yorkshire come superbly off the pages.
This series is happening more or less in the same period of history as the "Matthew Bartholomew' series from the author, Susanna Gregory, which are set in Cambridge, while this series is set in York, England.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of 14th Century York, and places of interest that will play an important part in this tale, and there's also a well documented Glossary, while at the back of the book you'll notice an Author's Note, where the historical details concerning this great medieval mystery are very well explained.
The book is set in the years AD 1365/1366, and quickly into the story two members of the Mercers' Guild are murdered near York Minster and the Lady Chapel, namely Will Crounce and Gilbert Ridley, while not long after that the York Tavern stable boy, John, is also murdered but not before he has managed helping 8-year old, Jasper, to escape the clutches of this woman murderer, who's acting, in her own words, for a very powerful man.
Owen Archer, with the help of his wife, Lucy Wilton, and this little boy, Jasper de Melton, start to investigate these murders by order of the Archbishop and Chancellor of England, John Thoresby, and quite quickly Owen will become embroiled in a world of conspiracy and betrayal between merchants, clergy and royalty, where revenge and death is a common occurrence, and where innocent lives have no meaning.
What is to come is a tremendous action-packed medieval mystery , where political, professional and personal intrigue and murder will act in mysterious ways, and this mystery will end with a superbly worked out plot in which the culprit(s) who are behind and committing these murders will finally be revealed.
Very much recommended, because this second outing is a very much improved medieval mystery, in comparison with the first one, and that's the reason I like to call this: "A Superb Owen Archer Sequel"!
November 19, 2020
The Lady Chapel is the second book in Candace Robb's Owen Archer series. In this book it is summer, two years, I think, after the events in The Apothecary Rose, so that means it is 1365 and we are still in York. York is filled with pageantry for the Feast of Corpus Christi, which seems to be a big thing to these people. People are lining the streets to see the wagons that will wind their way through the streets stopping at each of twelve stations that have been set up, where they will perform for the waiting people. We first meet Jasper de Melton, a young boy who has the job of greasing the wagon wheels when they begin to creak, an important job for a boy of eight. I mention him because he is important to the book, he spends a lot of time trying to avoid being killed in it. And then there is Will Crounce, he plays Jesus, the most important role in the entire program. And Will does a fine job as Jesus, but he won't be around all that long afterward to think back on the glory of his performance because soon he is found with his throat slit in the shadow of the great cathedral. But not only that, he may have lost his life, but he also lost his hand, his severed hand is found in fellow-merchant Gilbert Ridley's tavern lodging the next morning.
And now it is time for the Archbishop to call in Owen Archer. Owen, our one eyed archer and spy from The Apothecary Rose now is called in to solve another murder. He does eventually, but it takes him awhile. By that time there is another dead merchant also missing a hand. There are a few more people dead before he gets around to solving the mystery, and solving the mystery doesn't seem to be much help in the end anyway. The bad guys don't always get punished I suppose. Not all of them anyway, it helps to be a favorite of the King. And that is all I have to say about the book.
I said in my review of The Apothecary Rose I read both books together without stopping in between them and I liked them, I didn't love them, but I liked them. I'm not sorry I read them, and if Owen Archer comes in my way again I will probably read all about his next adventure, but I won't go out of my way looking for him. I'm on to the next book, happy reading.
And now it is time for the Archbishop to call in Owen Archer. Owen, our one eyed archer and spy from The Apothecary Rose now is called in to solve another murder. He does eventually, but it takes him awhile. By that time there is another dead merchant also missing a hand. There are a few more people dead before he gets around to solving the mystery, and solving the mystery doesn't seem to be much help in the end anyway. The bad guys don't always get punished I suppose. Not all of them anyway, it helps to be a favorite of the King. And that is all I have to say about the book.
I said in my review of The Apothecary Rose I read both books together without stopping in between them and I liked them, I didn't love them, but I liked them. I'm not sorry I read them, and if Owen Archer comes in my way again I will probably read all about his next adventure, but I won't go out of my way looking for him. I'm on to the next book, happy reading.
February 16, 2023
Va, kitas reikalas. Kažkas autorei papasakojo, kad pirmuose puslapiuose atskleisti nusikaltėlį ir nusikaltimo motyvus – ne pats geriausias būdas rašyti detektyvą. Ir štai gauname viską, kas priklauso – iš pradžių nusikaltimas, paskui siūlo galo vyniojimas po truputį atskleidžiant detales ir dėliojantis iš jų bendrą vaizdą.
Kažkas nužudo gerbiamą vilnos pirklį ir nukerta jo ranką. Netrukus tą ranką savo kambaryje aptinka nužudytojo kolega ir verslo partneris. Kol Owenas Archeris bando išsiaiškinti, kas ir kaip – nužudomas ir tas kolega. O jo ranką kiek vėliau prie savo durų aptinka muzikantas. Gaunasi toks kaip ir nieko gera nepranašaujantis pereinamasis prizas. Patį pirmą nusikaltimą matė (tiksliau – nieko jis nematė, bet nusikaltėlis/-lė/-liai to nenutuokia) aštuonmetis našlaitis. Tad nėra ko stebėtis, kad kažkas akivaizdžiai jį medžioja.
Šįsyk Candace Robb susuka visai neprastą istorinį detektyvą. O pasakot ji moka, kuo galėjau įsitikinti iš pirmosios ciklo knygos, nepaisant visų jos trūkumų.
Tai jau galima ir keturis iš penkių duot.
Kažkas nužudo gerbiamą vilnos pirklį ir nukerta jo ranką. Netrukus tą ranką savo kambaryje aptinka nužudytojo kolega ir verslo partneris. Kol Owenas Archeris bando išsiaiškinti, kas ir kaip – nužudomas ir tas kolega. O jo ranką kiek vėliau prie savo durų aptinka muzikantas. Gaunasi toks kaip ir nieko gera nepranašaujantis pereinamasis prizas. Patį pirmą nusikaltimą matė (tiksliau – nieko jis nematė, bet nusikaltėlis/-lė/-liai to nenutuokia) aštuonmetis našlaitis. Tad nėra ko stebėtis, kad kažkas akivaizdžiai jį medžioja.
Šįsyk Candace Robb susuka visai neprastą istorinį detektyvą. O pasakot ji moka, kuo galėjau įsitikinti iš pirmosios ciklo knygos, nepaisant visų jos trūkumų.
Tai jau galima ir keturis iš penkių duot.
May 19, 2023
Rated 4 stars. #2 in the Owen Archer historical mystery series set in 14th century York, England. Enjoyed this as much as #1. Realistic historical details with realistic and complex characterizations. The infamous Alice Perrers, mistress to King Edward III, makes an appearance. The Archbishop of York/Lord Chancellor John Thoresby is an important part of this series and his relationship with Owen Archer is complicated! Read on Kindle while listening to Hoopla Audio. Fantastic narration by Derek Perkins! Recommend reading this series in order.
November 3, 2019
The 14th century politics are satisfyingly gripping, and the characterization is well done.
April 4, 2022
It has been almost a year since I last read something by Candace Robb, which is a pity because this book reminded me how much I enjoy her historical mysteries. I used to think that her Kate Clifford books are my favourite, but this second book in the Owen Archer series makes me want to read them all.
The Lady Chapel starts with a gruesome murder – Will Crounce, a merchant, is killed and his hand cut off. Owen Archer is sent to investigate and he makes no progress until some time later, Gilbert Ridley, is killed as well. After that, Owen is brought forward into a dark web of murder that reaches far beyond what he can imagine.
At the same time, Archbishop Thoresby finds himself pitted against the new court favourite: Alice Perrers. Is she really as innocent as she appears or is there something sinister in her sudden rise to power?
I enjoyed everything about this book. The mystery was excellent and I was kept guessing throughout the whole story. The characters, too, are very well-drawn. Owen and his wife, Lucie, are the easiest characters to like, but even Archbishop Thoresby shows himself to be a more complex character than I initially thought.
Speaking of Thoresby, I really loved how the book grounded itself in the past. I had to pause once to look up the Thoresby and Perrers – they are both real people and it was fascinating to think about how they might have interacted. Of course, this is fiction but Thoresby reaction to someone he considers an upstart is plausible, and I’m secretly hoping to see more of Perrers in the future because she is more than capable of matching wits against anyone.
And of course, Robb does an amazing job drawing us into the world of medieval York. It helps that I’ve actually visited the city, so it was fairly easy to visualise all that was going on. I was going to talk about how I really liked the way the characters inhabited the worldview of the time, but apparently, I already covered that in my review of the first book in this series (which was also very good, by the way)! I think the worldbuilding here engaged all the senses and the way the characters think was both somewhat different yet familiar (people are people, after all) from how we see things today.
Overall, this was an excellent historical mystery and it not only entertained me, it also brought back really nice memories of my trip to York. I will definitely be reading another Owen Archer book and this time, I will not wait almost a year to do so!
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
The Lady Chapel starts with a gruesome murder – Will Crounce, a merchant, is killed and his hand cut off. Owen Archer is sent to investigate and he makes no progress until some time later, Gilbert Ridley, is killed as well. After that, Owen is brought forward into a dark web of murder that reaches far beyond what he can imagine.
At the same time, Archbishop Thoresby finds himself pitted against the new court favourite: Alice Perrers. Is she really as innocent as she appears or is there something sinister in her sudden rise to power?
I enjoyed everything about this book. The mystery was excellent and I was kept guessing throughout the whole story. The characters, too, are very well-drawn. Owen and his wife, Lucie, are the easiest characters to like, but even Archbishop Thoresby shows himself to be a more complex character than I initially thought.
Speaking of Thoresby, I really loved how the book grounded itself in the past. I had to pause once to look up the Thoresby and Perrers – they are both real people and it was fascinating to think about how they might have interacted. Of course, this is fiction but Thoresby reaction to someone he considers an upstart is plausible, and I’m secretly hoping to see more of Perrers in the future because she is more than capable of matching wits against anyone.
And of course, Robb does an amazing job drawing us into the world of medieval York. It helps that I’ve actually visited the city, so it was fairly easy to visualise all that was going on. I was going to talk about how I really liked the way the characters inhabited the worldview of the time, but apparently, I already covered that in my review of the first book in this series (which was also very good, by the way)! I think the worldbuilding here engaged all the senses and the way the characters think was both somewhat different yet familiar (people are people, after all) from how we see things today.
Overall, this was an excellent historical mystery and it not only entertained me, it also brought back really nice memories of my trip to York. I will definitely be reading another Owen Archer book and this time, I will not wait almost a year to do so!
This review was first posted at Eustea Reads
December 7, 2017
Second book of Candace Robb's Owen Archer serie, The Lady Chapel bring us once on the trail of muderers in medieval York. Owen Archer must find the killer of two wool merchant. Political and court intrigues play a bigger part in this volume as the world created by Robb gets more alive. There are some unnecessary parts and the mystery is a bit convoluted, but a nice read notheless.
January 13, 2014
Affascinante a tratti. Peccato per alcune particine un po' noiose... Ma Archer non potrebbe diventare un pelino più intuitivo? ah, gli uomini! :P
September 6, 2021
Meh. Last book I'll try in the series.
May 16, 2022
This was a really well written historical mystery, with a series of murders built around actual stories with real-life people of 14th century England. The story was very suspenseful as murders keep happening as the archbishop's spy, Own Archer, tries to identify the culprits and the reasons for their crimes. The pace was perfect. I found this book hard to put down.
December 25, 2018
I like this series. Very interesting.
July 7, 2022
It's been awhile since I read book one of this series, so I had forgotten much of the backstory. For once, I was glad that Candace Robb, the writer, helped me out with small snippets of it.
Still and all, this story is fascinating at the look into history of the time and the politics of it all. A king wanting to finance a war so he could obtain another crown. Merchants and their products caught up in the conflict as the government of the time manipulated the price, thus sparking the merchants to find a go around for their business. And long memories of hatred and revenge for injuries done by those seeking to not be punished for their crimes against the king.
All this intrigue and several murders included would be enough for a medieval story, but this one contains wonderful characters whose inner home lives and personalities are as much of the story as not.
Loved this look into the past.
Still and all, this story is fascinating at the look into history of the time and the politics of it all. A king wanting to finance a war so he could obtain another crown. Merchants and their products caught up in the conflict as the government of the time manipulated the price, thus sparking the merchants to find a go around for their business. And long memories of hatred and revenge for injuries done by those seeking to not be punished for their crimes against the king.
All this intrigue and several murders included would be enough for a medieval story, but this one contains wonderful characters whose inner home lives and personalities are as much of the story as not.
Loved this look into the past.
March 18, 2016
Il segreto della cappella, in originale "The Lady Chapel", è un romanzo del 1994 della scrittrice storica statunitense, ma passa molto tempo effettuando ricerche a York in Inghilterra e in Scozia dove ha ambientato i suoi più noti romanzi, Candace Robb. Questo è il secondo romanzo della serie con protagonista Owen Archer.
Tutti i romanzi della serie "I misteri di Owen Archer" sono ambientati principalmente a York, nell'Inghilterra della seconda metà del Trecento, e hanno come protagonisti l'arciere gallese Owen Archer, una sorta di investigatore al servizio dell'arcivescovo di York John Thoresby, la moglie farmacista Lucie Wilton e molti altri personaggi come la levatrice Magda Digby (soprannominata "La donna del Fiume", come il titolo del quarto romanzo della serie), l'ostessa Bess Merchet, il vescovo Wikeham, i monaci dell'abbazia di Santa Maria, tra cui in particolare il monaco erborista fratello Wulfstan, la famiglia di Lucie. Tutti i personaggi sono implicati in varie vicende e sono impegnati a risolvere casi di omicidio e simili. Il resto, come la stessa Candace Robb dice, "is history", "è storia".
Il romanzo in sintesi: ci troviamo a York nell’anno 1365 e Lucie e Owen stanno vivendo abbastanza serenamente la loro vita matrimoniale. Un macabro delitto ha sporcato irrimediabilmente il giorno del Corpus Christi portando vari scompensi nella tranquilla cittadina: è stato assassinato brutalmente mastro Crounce e prima della sua esecuzione il killer ha deciso di mozzargli la mano destra come si faceva in quel tempo per i ladri. Owen contro il suo volere dovrà rispondere all’appello dell’arcivescovo e si dovrà separare dalla sua amata sposa. Dopo aver indagato accuratamente l'investigatore medievale pensa di essere arrivato al colpevole, ma in realtà scoprirà che dietro a questa vicenda c’è una fitta rete di tradimenti, a quanto pare tutto parte dalla corporazione dei merciai, ma tocca anche le più alte caste del regno.
L'attenzione è tutta concentrata sulle indagini e sul mistero, lasciando sempre l'ambientazione storica medioevale sullo sfondo, buona la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, i due protagonisti Owen e Lucie in primis, ma anche i comprimari sono ben delineati, parte un po' lento ma poi scorre veloce verso il finale. La storia è intricata quanto basta per essere un buon giallo, ma i nodi vengono sciolti ad uno ad uno senza lasciare dubbi o incertezze, dando all'ultima pagina quel senso di "compiuto" e "completo" che non può mancare in un romanzo di questo genere.
Il libro è seriale come una serie per la televisione: stessi identici personaggi, stesse identiche strade, case e vicoli, e continuare a conoscerli meglio è piacevole, come seguire un buon telefilm.
Tutti i romanzi della serie "I misteri di Owen Archer" sono ambientati principalmente a York, nell'Inghilterra della seconda metà del Trecento, e hanno come protagonisti l'arciere gallese Owen Archer, una sorta di investigatore al servizio dell'arcivescovo di York John Thoresby, la moglie farmacista Lucie Wilton e molti altri personaggi come la levatrice Magda Digby (soprannominata "La donna del Fiume", come il titolo del quarto romanzo della serie), l'ostessa Bess Merchet, il vescovo Wikeham, i monaci dell'abbazia di Santa Maria, tra cui in particolare il monaco erborista fratello Wulfstan, la famiglia di Lucie. Tutti i personaggi sono implicati in varie vicende e sono impegnati a risolvere casi di omicidio e simili. Il resto, come la stessa Candace Robb dice, "is history", "è storia".
Il romanzo in sintesi: ci troviamo a York nell’anno 1365 e Lucie e Owen stanno vivendo abbastanza serenamente la loro vita matrimoniale. Un macabro delitto ha sporcato irrimediabilmente il giorno del Corpus Christi portando vari scompensi nella tranquilla cittadina: è stato assassinato brutalmente mastro Crounce e prima della sua esecuzione il killer ha deciso di mozzargli la mano destra come si faceva in quel tempo per i ladri. Owen contro il suo volere dovrà rispondere all’appello dell’arcivescovo e si dovrà separare dalla sua amata sposa. Dopo aver indagato accuratamente l'investigatore medievale pensa di essere arrivato al colpevole, ma in realtà scoprirà che dietro a questa vicenda c’è una fitta rete di tradimenti, a quanto pare tutto parte dalla corporazione dei merciai, ma tocca anche le più alte caste del regno.
L'attenzione è tutta concentrata sulle indagini e sul mistero, lasciando sempre l'ambientazione storica medioevale sullo sfondo, buona la caratterizzazione dei personaggi, i due protagonisti Owen e Lucie in primis, ma anche i comprimari sono ben delineati, parte un po' lento ma poi scorre veloce verso il finale. La storia è intricata quanto basta per essere un buon giallo, ma i nodi vengono sciolti ad uno ad uno senza lasciare dubbi o incertezze, dando all'ultima pagina quel senso di "compiuto" e "completo" che non può mancare in un romanzo di questo genere.
Il libro è seriale come una serie per la televisione: stessi identici personaggi, stesse identiche strade, case e vicoli, e continuare a conoscerli meglio è piacevole, come seguire un buon telefilm.
December 1, 2015
The Lady Chapel takes the title from a thread running through the novels about the real John Thoresby and his determination to complete the Lady Chapel for his tomb.
A man is murdered and his body left on the steps of York Minster--missing a hand. The Archbishop once again recruits Owen Archer to solve the mystery, but the body count rises. An orphan is in danger, the complicated reasons behind the murders involve the wool industry and the financing of a war, and Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward III, makes an appearance.
Of interest to me:
--the Town Waits, musicians employed by the city and provided with livery, salary, and silver chains of office. They were common in every English town up until the beginning of the 19th c., according to Wikipedia. I'd never heard the term before, but guess they were similar to city sponsored orchestras in the present. Cool.
--the wool industry and the smuggling and the way Edward III tried to make money for his war in France. And frequently, went back on his word.
--the fact that the novel began when Robb read an account of the Goldbetter lawsuit and "false monies" from Edward III
All of these things and more are responsible for instigating the plot, yet don't require thorough knowledge. Robb doesn't bog the story down with unnecessary detail, but I always get a bit sidetracked with history and find Robb's Author Notes fascinating!
Purchased. Read in Nov., 2015. Blog review scheduled for Dec. 2, 2015.
Medieval Mystery. 1994; 2015. Print length: 402 pages.
A man is murdered and his body left on the steps of York Minster--missing a hand. The Archbishop once again recruits Owen Archer to solve the mystery, but the body count rises. An orphan is in danger, the complicated reasons behind the murders involve the wool industry and the financing of a war, and Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward III, makes an appearance.
Of interest to me:
--the Town Waits, musicians employed by the city and provided with livery, salary, and silver chains of office. They were common in every English town up until the beginning of the 19th c., according to Wikipedia. I'd never heard the term before, but guess they were similar to city sponsored orchestras in the present. Cool.
--the wool industry and the smuggling and the way Edward III tried to make money for his war in France. And frequently, went back on his word.
--the fact that the novel began when Robb read an account of the Goldbetter lawsuit and "false monies" from Edward III
All of these things and more are responsible for instigating the plot, yet don't require thorough knowledge. Robb doesn't bog the story down with unnecessary detail, but I always get a bit sidetracked with history and find Robb's Author Notes fascinating!
Purchased. Read in Nov., 2015. Blog review scheduled for Dec. 2, 2015.
Medieval Mystery. 1994; 2015. Print length: 402 pages.
September 15, 2016
Enjoyable enough. One problem I do have and which will keep the books in this series from ever being rated higher than a three is the fact the culprit or culprits are so obvious from the beginning. Kind of takes any suspense out of the story.
Also, Robb makes a particular, annoyingly careless error time and time again. In numerous scenes throughout the story, a character will be described as sitting, only to be standing a sentence or two later and then sitting again after another sentence or two. For someone (such as me) who enjoys visualizing a scene, it's beyond distracting. And it makes me wonder if Ms. Robb visualizes the scene before putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard, as the case may be).
Also, Robb makes a particular, annoyingly careless error time and time again. In numerous scenes throughout the story, a character will be described as sitting, only to be standing a sentence or two later and then sitting again after another sentence or two. For someone (such as me) who enjoys visualizing a scene, it's beyond distracting. And it makes me wonder if Ms. Robb visualizes the scene before putting pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard, as the case may be).
July 15, 2016
#2 in the Owen Archer former Captain of Archers in the English army mystery series set in 14th century York. Starts in summer, 1365 and ends in the winter. The Archbishop again calls in Owen Archer to help him solve 2 similar murders of people in the wool merchant guild. The investigation involved a number of people whose story lines intersect with the murders as well as all the way to thew highest levels of the English court.
February 14, 2016
I picked this up on a free books shelf at a friend's house and after finishing it, I ran out and got all of the Owen Archer books.
This book is entertaining for the suspenseful plot, natch, but also engrossing for the great characters and vivid setting. Robb does an amazing job of bringing medieval England to life.
This book is entertaining for the suspenseful plot, natch, but also engrossing for the great characters and vivid setting. Robb does an amazing job of bringing medieval England to life.
January 7, 2016
Missing hands and a King's mistress
The second book in the series and the characters are more engaging and the mystery is complex and fraught with moral struggles and courtly corruption. I am falling in love with Candace Robb's deeply researched York and her wonderful cast of people. She makes the reader care about her people and that makes for great reading!
The second book in the series and the characters are more engaging and the mystery is complex and fraught with moral struggles and courtly corruption. I am falling in love with Candace Robb's deeply researched York and her wonderful cast of people. She makes the reader care about her people and that makes for great reading!
August 11, 2015
This was a reread. I'm rereading much of the series in anticipation of getting to the last few books I never read when I got them.
May 11, 2016
This was a very interesting book because of the mystery as well as the historical details. I like that Ms. Robb explains the history behind the story.
dnf
May 28, 2016Writing that alternates flat and clumsy. Glaring plot holes that no one seems eager to fill. There just isn't anything here to keep me involved.
May 2, 2022
Medieval York is brought to life brilliantly in this historical mystery.
January 31, 2022
The Lady Chapel is book 2 in the mysteries of Owen Archer, set in 14th century England. Owen is an ex-captain of the King's Archers, but after being blinded in one eye, which ended his soldiering career, Archer ended up married to Lucie Wilton, and now Archer is an apprentice in the apothecary shop of York. Owen also works part time for the powerful John Thoresby, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of the realm. When trouble appears in York, Thoresby sends for Owen to resolve it. Since the Middle Ages were a violent, brutal era, it is inevitable that trouble appear and Owen will be called upon to solve it.
The trouble that arises in The Lady Chapel is the murder of a wool merchant named Will Crounce. Someone slit Crounce's throat, and then chopped off his right hand. Even more alarming, the bloody right hand was then left in the hotel room of Crounce's business partner, Gilbert Ridley. It is an ominous sign, clearly the murderer knew Crounce and knows that his partner is Ridley. In the Middle Ages, the right hand of a thief was often hacked off as punishment. It seems clear that the murderer is sending a message to Ridley. Ridley flees York, but obviously the murderer knows him well.
Archbishop Thoresby directs Owen Archer to investigate Crounce's murder and apprehend the killer. The wool trade is crucial to England's economy - wool is sent across the channel to Flanders where is it made into cloth. The king of England, Edward III, needs the taxes on the wool trade to finance his endless war with the French. As Lord Chancellor of England, Thoresby does not want any economic calamity, which might happen if the wool traders guild feels that the King is not protecting them.
Owen has few clues. However, a young lad named Jasper de Melton was a favorite of Will Crounce. Jasper was following Crounce on the night of the murder because Jasper wished to tell Crounce that his mother, Katherine de Melton, was dying and wanted Crounce at her bedside. Katherine de Melton and William Crounce were quite close. But before Jasper could talk to Crounce, a tall, cloaked woman meets Crounce and lures him into the shadows - and soon Crounce was murdered. Because of the darkness and his distance from the crime, Jasper was unable to see any features of this mysterious woman, but it seems likely that the murderers will not take a chance of identification. Jasper is in danger. And because gossip spreads quickly, soon most of York is aware that Jasper saw the murder.
Before starting this novel, I had just finished reading The Verge, a non-fiction book describing the changes wrought by the Renaissance and Reformation. One of the chapters in that book describes an English wool merchant and how the devastating plagues had left a shortage of workers throughout Europe. The resulting labor shortage resulted in a change in the English economy (workers were treated much better when they were in short supply). So I had coincidentally just learned of the importance of the wool trade to medieval England, and here it turns up as a key plot point in this mystery novel. (The Lady Chapel is set in 1347, about a hundred and fifty years before the Renaissance, but things changed much slower in those days.)
The title of the novel, The Lady Chapel, refers to the fact that the wealthy wool merchant, Gilbert Ridley (the business partner of Will Crounce) had told John Thoresby that he would make a substantial donation to the York cathedral - this money will be used to build a special chapel dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Thoresby is feeling his mortality, and he would like his tomb to be in the newly constructed Lady Chapel, so obviously anything that imperils Mr Ridley's donation must be fixed. With the murder of Ridley's partner, Will Crounce, and the severed hand delivered to Ridley's room in the inn, it is clear that someone is threatening Ridley, and Thoresby wants Owen Archer to protect the wealthy wool merchant.
This a pretty good story. It excels at describing the harsh English life, full of violence, filth and poverty. But also some joy and kindness. The characters are believable, the mystery is interesting enough. I will look for the next book in the Owen Archer series (currently, the series contains 13 novels.)
The trouble that arises in The Lady Chapel is the murder of a wool merchant named Will Crounce. Someone slit Crounce's throat, and then chopped off his right hand. Even more alarming, the bloody right hand was then left in the hotel room of Crounce's business partner, Gilbert Ridley. It is an ominous sign, clearly the murderer knew Crounce and knows that his partner is Ridley. In the Middle Ages, the right hand of a thief was often hacked off as punishment. It seems clear that the murderer is sending a message to Ridley. Ridley flees York, but obviously the murderer knows him well.
Archbishop Thoresby directs Owen Archer to investigate Crounce's murder and apprehend the killer. The wool trade is crucial to England's economy - wool is sent across the channel to Flanders where is it made into cloth. The king of England, Edward III, needs the taxes on the wool trade to finance his endless war with the French. As Lord Chancellor of England, Thoresby does not want any economic calamity, which might happen if the wool traders guild feels that the King is not protecting them.
Owen has few clues. However, a young lad named Jasper de Melton was a favorite of Will Crounce. Jasper was following Crounce on the night of the murder because Jasper wished to tell Crounce that his mother, Katherine de Melton, was dying and wanted Crounce at her bedside. Katherine de Melton and William Crounce were quite close. But before Jasper could talk to Crounce, a tall, cloaked woman meets Crounce and lures him into the shadows - and soon Crounce was murdered. Because of the darkness and his distance from the crime, Jasper was unable to see any features of this mysterious woman, but it seems likely that the murderers will not take a chance of identification. Jasper is in danger. And because gossip spreads quickly, soon most of York is aware that Jasper saw the murder.
Before starting this novel, I had just finished reading The Verge, a non-fiction book describing the changes wrought by the Renaissance and Reformation. One of the chapters in that book describes an English wool merchant and how the devastating plagues had left a shortage of workers throughout Europe. The resulting labor shortage resulted in a change in the English economy (workers were treated much better when they were in short supply). So I had coincidentally just learned of the importance of the wool trade to medieval England, and here it turns up as a key plot point in this mystery novel. (The Lady Chapel is set in 1347, about a hundred and fifty years before the Renaissance, but things changed much slower in those days.)
The title of the novel, The Lady Chapel, refers to the fact that the wealthy wool merchant, Gilbert Ridley (the business partner of Will Crounce) had told John Thoresby that he would make a substantial donation to the York cathedral - this money will be used to build a special chapel dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Thoresby is feeling his mortality, and he would like his tomb to be in the newly constructed Lady Chapel, so obviously anything that imperils Mr Ridley's donation must be fixed. With the murder of Ridley's partner, Will Crounce, and the severed hand delivered to Ridley's room in the inn, it is clear that someone is threatening Ridley, and Thoresby wants Owen Archer to protect the wealthy wool merchant.
This a pretty good story. It excels at describing the harsh English life, full of violence, filth and poverty. But also some joy and kindness. The characters are believable, the mystery is interesting enough. I will look for the next book in the Owen Archer series (currently, the series contains 13 novels.)
April 26, 2021
I started reading Candace Robb’s Owen Archer series with Book #3, “The Nun’s Tale.” I enjoyed it a great deal, so I decided to start the series from the beginning. I read Book #1, “The Apothecary Rose,” and Book #2, “The Lady Chapel,” back to back and I must confess, I am hooked. Historical fiction is one of my preferred genres to start with and I find Candace Robb’s stories interesting, credible, and educational. Her main characters are well drawn, highly relatable, and multidimensional. I find myself curious to see what will happen to each of them going forward. The inevitable violence (these are murder mysteries, after all) is muted and the minimum required to carry the story forward. Fans of Brother Caedfael and Sister Fidelma will find these stories familiar in scope and tone. Owen Archer is a fascinating protagonist—a former soldier, now pressed reluctantly into service as a spy/investigator for the Archbishop of York, who also happens to be the Lord Chancellor of England. Owen is also apprenticed to York’s Master Apothecary, Lucie Wilton, who, by the way, is Owen’s new wife. Owen consequently dwells in many worlds simultaneously: political, military, religious, domestic, the guilds, and English village life of the mid to late 14th Century—a rich tapestry for plots involving a medieval “fixer”—especially one with an independent mindset and a well-honed moral compass. I plan to reread Book #3, then continue on with the series. For those who enjoy this genre, this series is a clear winner.
April 25, 2021
Il secondo libro è sempre il più difficile da scrivere, per ogni autore.
Anche questo romanzo non si sottrae all’equazione: è bello, avvincente, ma all’inizio bisogna seguirlo per bene perché l’autrice fa un po’ fatica a decollare con la narrazione.
Abbiamo subito due vittime, entrambe morte in circostanze misteriose: mastro Crounce e mastro Ridley.
E abbiamo Jasper, un ragazzino orfano che ha suo malgrado assistito al primo omicidio e che deve salvarsi la vita dagli assassini.
Qui entrano in gioco Owen e Lucie che prendono Jasper sotto la loro ala protettiva, complice l’aiuto di Magda la donna del fiume, ma il vero cuore del romanzo è un altro.
A seguire le indagini di Owen infatti questa volta ci si annoia un po’, perché si intuisce che non conducono da nessuna parte.
Il reale protagonista del libro è infatti l’arcivescovo Thoresby: è seguendo le sue vicende a corte, vicende che coinvolgono l’anziano e collerico re Edoardo III e la sua giovane amante, la perfida Alice Perrers, che finalmente si dipana la matassa.
Mi è piaciuto l’approfondimento che l’autrice ha voluto fare sul personaggio di Thoresby, penso che senza di esso il libro sarebbe risultato meno avvincente del primo e invece anche questo romanzo merita un giudizio positivo.
Lo rileggerei? Sì.
Anche questo romanzo non si sottrae all’equazione: è bello, avvincente, ma all’inizio bisogna seguirlo per bene perché l’autrice fa un po’ fatica a decollare con la narrazione.
Abbiamo subito due vittime, entrambe morte in circostanze misteriose: mastro Crounce e mastro Ridley.
E abbiamo Jasper, un ragazzino orfano che ha suo malgrado assistito al primo omicidio e che deve salvarsi la vita dagli assassini.
Qui entrano in gioco Owen e Lucie che prendono Jasper sotto la loro ala protettiva, complice l’aiuto di Magda la donna del fiume, ma il vero cuore del romanzo è un altro.
A seguire le indagini di Owen infatti questa volta ci si annoia un po’, perché si intuisce che non conducono da nessuna parte.
Il reale protagonista del libro è infatti l’arcivescovo Thoresby: è seguendo le sue vicende a corte, vicende che coinvolgono l’anziano e collerico re Edoardo III e la sua giovane amante, la perfida Alice Perrers, che finalmente si dipana la matassa.
Mi è piaciuto l’approfondimento che l’autrice ha voluto fare sul personaggio di Thoresby, penso che senza di esso il libro sarebbe risultato meno avvincente del primo e invece anche questo romanzo merita un giudizio positivo.
Lo rileggerei? Sì.
July 30, 2020
Book #2 in the Owen Archer medieval mystery series did not disappoint.
In this visit w/ Owen, a mummer/merchant is murdered in the “liberty” of York Minster, in a grisly way: his throat was cut and his right hand cut off and delivered to the local pub owner, Bess. Bess shows Lucie, Owen’s new wife and the local apothecary. The Archbishop is in charge of the investigation b/c it happened in his “Liberty,” so he calls in Owen to investigate. A further complication is that a small boy witnessed the murder. The boy was to be apprenticed to the mummer b/c the mummer was in a relationship w/ the boy’s mother but she is deathly ill and leaves the boy alone in the night of the murder. So Jasper has to hide.
Investigating the dead mummer leads to a fellow merchant, Gilbert. Did Gilbert kill the victim, or is he the next one? Between Owen’s first visit w/ Gilbert and his second one, Gilbert has visibly lost weight and looks ill. Turns out, he’s being slowly poisoned—by his less-than-loyal wife or someone else?
Owen finds the boy and he and Lucie hide him. Jasper is found out and newly killed so Lucie has to nurse him back to health again.
Before he can die from his poisoning, Gilbert is murdered in the same grisly way. A side intrigue—which actually merges into the main plot—is Archbishop Thoresby’s disgust w/ the aged Edward III’s young mistress, Alice Perrier’s. Her ability to intrigue in politics is far more advanced than her years, which Thoresby finds out to his detriment.
All in all, a good, layered mystery. I didn’t know the murderer for sure, until told, so 4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up.
In this visit w/ Owen, a mummer/merchant is murdered in the “liberty” of York Minster, in a grisly way: his throat was cut and his right hand cut off and delivered to the local pub owner, Bess. Bess shows Lucie, Owen’s new wife and the local apothecary. The Archbishop is in charge of the investigation b/c it happened in his “Liberty,” so he calls in Owen to investigate. A further complication is that a small boy witnessed the murder. The boy was to be apprenticed to the mummer b/c the mummer was in a relationship w/ the boy’s mother but she is deathly ill and leaves the boy alone in the night of the murder. So Jasper has to hide.
Investigating the dead mummer leads to a fellow merchant, Gilbert. Did Gilbert kill the victim, or is he the next one? Between Owen’s first visit w/ Gilbert and his second one, Gilbert has visibly lost weight and looks ill. Turns out, he’s being slowly poisoned—by his less-than-loyal wife or someone else?
Owen finds the boy and he and Lucie hide him. Jasper is found out and newly killed so Lucie has to nurse him back to health again.
Before he can die from his poisoning, Gilbert is murdered in the same grisly way. A side intrigue—which actually merges into the main plot—is Archbishop Thoresby’s disgust w/ the aged Edward III’s young mistress, Alice Perrier’s. Her ability to intrigue in politics is far more advanced than her years, which Thoresby finds out to his detriment.
All in all, a good, layered mystery. I didn’t know the murderer for sure, until told, so 4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up.
December 6, 2020
“Il segreto della cappella” è il secondo libro della serie con protagonista Owen Archer.
L'autrice porta il lettore a vedere i suoi personaggi attraverso le sue descrizioni fisiche che non sono del tutto complete e che lasciano al lettore un buon margine per l'interpretazione personale. Tuttavia gli elementi dati sono più che sufficienti a conoscerne la psicologia.
Per quanto riguarda la narrazione è interessante e avvincente, grazie anche al lessico semplice e adatto a tutti. Il ritmo è incalzante.
In questo libro ho apprezzato moltissimo il contesto storico, rappresentato soprattutto dalle politiche economiche regie che, seppur non di immediata comprensione, costituiscono un buon punto di partenza per la vicenda.
L'intreccio è ben sviluppato ed è interessante come la vicenda riguardante il caso da risolvere si integri alla perfezione con la vita ordinaria dei vari personaggi.
Inoltre la figura di Owen Archer, con tutte le sue esperienze e paure, risulta molto appassionante, tanto da portare il lettore a voler leggere anche il libro successivo della serie per conoscerne l'evoluzione.
L'autrice porta il lettore a vedere i suoi personaggi attraverso le sue descrizioni fisiche che non sono del tutto complete e che lasciano al lettore un buon margine per l'interpretazione personale. Tuttavia gli elementi dati sono più che sufficienti a conoscerne la psicologia.
Per quanto riguarda la narrazione è interessante e avvincente, grazie anche al lessico semplice e adatto a tutti. Il ritmo è incalzante.
In questo libro ho apprezzato moltissimo il contesto storico, rappresentato soprattutto dalle politiche economiche regie che, seppur non di immediata comprensione, costituiscono un buon punto di partenza per la vicenda.
L'intreccio è ben sviluppato ed è interessante come la vicenda riguardante il caso da risolvere si integri alla perfezione con la vita ordinaria dei vari personaggi.
Inoltre la figura di Owen Archer, con tutte le sue esperienze e paure, risulta molto appassionante, tanto da portare il lettore a voler leggere anche il libro successivo della serie per conoscerne l'evoluzione.
November 12, 2023
This is the perfect type of novel for rainy November, though I have to admit it won’t make you feel warm at all. Instead, the idea of cold and damp York pretty much corresponds with the weather at this moment. This 2nd book in the Owen Archer series fitted my mood perfectly for that reason.
This is a well written mystery with some characters you will love and others you probably won’t. I find Thoresby a very difficult character to sympathize with for example, despite the fact you’re in his head for little bits. Luckily never too long!
Owen on the other hand is an easy person to like and his reasons for acting like he does usually make sense. At first I felt like something was lacking in the relationship with his wife Lucie in this book, but actually, I think it was handled just right. I like their relationship. It’s understated and it makes it all the more impactful for some reason. Their lives are not glamorous and neither is their relationship.
The mystery was interesting and kept me engaged and the resolution was maybe not completely satisfactory but it worked.
I enjoyed this one and will continue the series quite happily some time soon.
This is a well written mystery with some characters you will love and others you probably won’t. I find Thoresby a very difficult character to sympathize with for example, despite the fact you’re in his head for little bits. Luckily never too long!
Owen on the other hand is an easy person to like and his reasons for acting like he does usually make sense. At first I felt like something was lacking in the relationship with his wife Lucie in this book, but actually, I think it was handled just right. I like their relationship. It’s understated and it makes it all the more impactful for some reason. Their lives are not glamorous and neither is their relationship.
The mystery was interesting and kept me engaged and the resolution was maybe not completely satisfactory but it worked.
I enjoyed this one and will continue the series quite happily some time soon.
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