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The Chronicles of Brother Hermitage #13
The Bayeux Embroidery
The Bayeux Tapestry is no laughing matter. Well, apart from the rude bits, obviously. The nuns of Kent have been commissioned by Earl Odo to create a great tapestry telling the glorious history of the Norman conquest of Britain. But when they start dying, one man must be sent for; Brother Hermitage, the King’s Investigator. Who would commit such a heinous crime? Odo himself? Another nun, perhaps? Some Saxons? The Archbishop of Canterbury? The people of the marshes? Well, it could be anyone really, and that’s generally a problem for Brother Hermitage. With Wat and Cwen, erstwhile weavers of “adult” tapestry themselves, he must solve the crime or face the consequences; as usual. The best plan is probably to wander around Kent rather hopelessly, and trust that something occurs to him right at the end; also as usual. At least in this tale the truth of the Bayeux Tapestry will be (well, a truth, perhaps) How did it come to be? Who made it? And who thinks that they should have been given the job instead? It’s the lucky 13th Chronicle of Brother Hermitage The man who barely survives his own investigations. The sleuth who seldom asks anyone the right questions. The monk who is firmly medieval and slightly detective. People have said ‘Hilarious’ ‘Laugh out loud’ ‘Like Pratchett does 1066’ 13 books and 80,000 sales; some people never learn.
- GenresMystery
241 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2019
93 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Howard of Warwick
52 books89 followersHoward of Warwick is but a humble chronicler with the blind luck to stumble upon manuscripts which describe the goings-on of Brother Hermitage and his companion Wat the weaver.
His work has been heard, seen and read, most of it accompanied by laughter and some of it by money. His peers have even seen fit to recognize his unworthy efforts with a prize for making up stories.
There are now eighteen - make that twenty - novels of Brother Hermitage, the most medieval of detectives, loose on the world and they have found considerable success with the buying public.
The most recent outpouring from the scriptorium is The King's Investigator Part II.
Tales of Hermitage continue to flow forth with few checks for accuracy. There are even short stories available for free.
There is a dedicated web page, HowardofWarwick.com.
Messages can be left care of Howard@howardofwarwick.com and Howardofwarwick can be followed on Twitter
There is even tweeting @HowardofWarwick
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 22, 2022
What lets this one down is that the 'Aha moment', where Brother Hermitage solves the mystery, isn't really put together as a mysery at all. While the author (or translator, as he may say) puts a lot of effort into telling us that this murder of a nun in medieval Kent is a mystery, and one worth solving, that's the only thing that makes it a mystery worth solving, and the murder of the nun has no consequences outside of that.
Okay, this can be said of some of Ellis Peters' Cadfael books, but the context for the importance of the victim is usually set up better in those books. Then again, their main purpose is a serious mystery, while these are humorous in intent, so I'm probably making too much of the mystery and not enough of the humour, which is still present.
What lifts this one above the previous two or three in the series is the research that's gone into it. He has snippets of Old English in the book, accurate and appropriately used, with good supporitng rasons to use it, and he even tells the tale of a lost tribe of Celts inhabiting the swampy east of Kent, and I seem to recall reading that there was this lost group which roamed from Kent to Surrey even while the Saxons were defeating King Vortigern in 459AD and which was still around during the Norman Conquest. Now I'm keen to look up some more about this, as this book has piqued my interest.
The title coes from the (by now) well-known fact that the The Bayeux Tapestry isn't really a tapestry.
Okay, this can be said of some of Ellis Peters' Cadfael books, but the context for the importance of the victim is usually set up better in those books. Then again, their main purpose is a serious mystery, while these are humorous in intent, so I'm probably making too much of the mystery and not enough of the humour, which is still present.
What lifts this one above the previous two or three in the series is the research that's gone into it. He has snippets of Old English in the book, accurate and appropriately used, with good supporitng rasons to use it, and he even tells the tale of a lost tribe of Celts inhabiting the swampy east of Kent, and I seem to recall reading that there was this lost group which roamed from Kent to Surrey even while the Saxons were defeating King Vortigern in 459AD and which was still around during the Norman Conquest. Now I'm keen to look up some more about this, as this book has piqued my interest.
The title coes from the (by now) well-known fact that the The Bayeux Tapestry isn't really a tapestry.
February 24, 2019
A Quick Tale
Usually, a Hermitage story is a convoluted affair of many twists and entanglements that cause you to lose sight of the real culprit until the 'aha' moment. Not so, here. This story is simply our heroes, an abbess, some nuns, a bastard of a Norman earl and a queen. Pretty straightforward. But, the 'aha' was still a surprise as I learned an interesting fact about the central tapestry I'd forgotten. Which made this story a quick and interesting tale. Well done, Howard! Well done.
Usually, a Hermitage story is a convoluted affair of many twists and entanglements that cause you to lose sight of the real culprit until the 'aha' moment. Not so, here. This story is simply our heroes, an abbess, some nuns, a bastard of a Norman earl and a queen. Pretty straightforward. But, the 'aha' was still a surprise as I learned an interesting fact about the central tapestry I'd forgotten. Which made this story a quick and interesting tale. Well done, Howard! Well done.
March 4, 2019
Another hilarious chronicle from Howard of Warwick. Hermitage is not particularly happy to have to investigate "dead weaving nuns" but it does involve a trip to the wonders of Canterbury. And then a wander around Kent. As always, Hermitage and Wat and Cwen unexpectedly encounter a wide variety of people who may or may not have anything to do with the reported murders. Somehow Hermitage (even after temporarily losing his habit) does manage to sort the matter out. A great read, not to be missed.
February 16, 2019
Buy it, don't think about it, do it.
They keep coming and they just get better and better. Once again brilliant characters, great dialogue and well described scenery. You are travelling with brother hermitage and everyone else. The whole story is taking place around you. It is also very funny. Please keep them coming.
They keep coming and they just get better and better. Once again brilliant characters, great dialogue and well described scenery. You are travelling with brother hermitage and everyone else. The whole story is taking place around you. It is also very funny. Please keep them coming.
February 28, 2019
So here we have further naive investigative insights of Brother Hermitage accompanied by a returning cast from the past.
Featuring the absurd antics of the reigning Normans, resolute nuns, and reclusive natives The Bayeux Embroidery frequently had me in stitches.
Thoroughly looking forward to the next...
Featuring the absurd antics of the reigning Normans, resolute nuns, and reclusive natives The Bayeux Embroidery frequently had me in stitches.
Thoroughly looking forward to the next...
February 17, 2019
Another fun read from Howard of Warwick, the leading chronicler of comical medieval murder mysteries! A must read for fans of Brother Hermitage. Find out the true story of the Bayeux Tapestry/Embrodiery...
November 30, 2020
All of the Brother Hermitage books are wonderful!
May 5, 2021
Duh
The usual gang of idiots somehow surviving in terrible times(if you are not a norman)A modern tale set in an ancient era,really hard to guess the ending.
The usual gang of idiots somehow surviving in terrible times(if you are not a norman)A modern tale set in an ancient era,really hard to guess the ending.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews