Three Score and Ten

A Matthew Cordwainer Medieval Mystery #9

by Joyce Lionarons

In thirteenth-century York, the wealthy merchant Humphrey Porrock is stabbed and left to die in a narrow alley. His death exposes a legacy of unpaid debts and angry creditors, leaving his wife and children penniless. At the same time, elderly widows are dying in their homes. King’s Coroner Matthew Cordwainer is convinced the deaths are murders, but neither Sheriff de Bury nor the inquest juries agree. Charged with finding Porrock’s killer, Cordwainer must also discover who is killing the women before another woman dies.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Historical

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 18, 2019

Reviews

[Janet Kuchler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good follow with story

The Coroner has his hands full with murders and robberies and not enough clues. Patience and diligence plus help from children allows him to solve the mysteries.

[PR · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy for a new tale!

Love These stories..could almost smell this one coming... Me Lionarons descriptions of the smells of York stay with me long after the book has concluded! I love Cordwainer and Agathya and Thomas and Hugh...Love the other characters she writes about. They are vivid and three dimensional and feel real. Love the plotting and the descriptions of the faces, clothing, rooms and Streets...Though the scents would be too much for us now, I think...cannot wait for the next installment. Disclaimer forever!

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good main characters. Good and believable plot. But must Cordwainer be quite so decrepit? Must he snort quite so much? Must he be unlucky in love? Must people condescend to him? It is difficult to imagine the hero limping along through further adventures when he appears to be at death’s door. I love that this book manages to avoid many gory details despite the grizzly references to torture. My imagination can provide these thank you.

[Irene Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable historic mystery

I enjoyed this book, the latest in the Cordwainer series of medieval mysteries set in York. In many ways Lionarons’ books are less about the “whodunit” and more about the world and the lives of the period. The characters are engaging and we learn more of them with each successive book.

[Cherrie Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Matthew is in fine form. One can only hope young Hugh is taken care of in the next book. He showed brilliance in this episode.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh, the satisfaction of reading a fabulous book. This entry in the Matthew Cordwainer saga is intriguing, complex, and satisfying. It involves the leather trade, from the tanners to the leather workers making beautiful bags and purses, to the merchants selling on the Continent.

It also involves the financing of these ventures and the utter disaster that can befall all of those in the trade if a huge loan and promises of later payments have been made only to have the laden merchant ship go down in heavy seas. In addition, the ongoing theme of women living in poverty, especially elderly and disabled women, is detailed.

Another fine mystery showing life in York in the late 13th C. The entire series is highly recommended.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the merchants of York avoid winter voyages because of the high risk. However, Humphrey Porrock has decided such voyages are a great opportunity to make a huge profit. When both his ships are taken by the sea, he owes money to most of the men in York. Coroner Matthew Cordwainer is called in to investigate Porrock’s murder and he finds no shortage of suspects and motives. Meanwhile, as Matthew is investigating the facts of the case, the Sheriff is having the usual suspects rounded up for torture to get a confession. The author vividly evokes the setting and characters.

[Margaret S. Swartout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery about real-seeming folks. Coroner is everyone’s great uncle.

Coroner is a curmudgeon and a pussycat. He is smart, intuitive, and apt to take on more than he can handle. Supporting characters begin as one- dimensional, and slowly fill out to three- dimensional. Interesting plots and historical background.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent tale by Joyce Lionarons. She really has a gift at storytelling. Her knowledge of medieval York and medieval times in general is dense, yet not forced or contrived. Lionarons is always worth the read...

[Don Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in this series. I can't seem to get enough of these medieval Mysteries by Joyce Lionarons. And it is so much fun to follow the main protagonist, corner Matthew Corwainer, find the guilty party, while learning about his world and all the daily struggles he endures through each of the books in this series. I have already started reading the next book.

[Elizabeth Scheller Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery

The first book in the series was recommended by BookBub so i took a chance. Boy am i glad it did! Easy to read and understand with the solution there but needs to be teased out of the red herrings.

[pamela titterington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cordwaine

I love being in the company of Matthew, and family,and a feeling of visiting from a safe distance, look forward, very much, to going down that way again

[Sara Jane Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual the Coroner gets his man.

This series is an example of good mystery writing. I enjoy reading this author. The coroner always manages to figure it out.

[Michael Quinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another perfect Cordwainer mystery

What can I say? Each is as wonderful as the last. I don’t know how Lionarons does it. Downloading the next now.

[Lori A. Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good as usual.

I liked this book better than the last one. It makes me wonder what will happen to poor old Cordwainer in the future.

[Pat K · Rating 5 out of 5]

second time reading the series, still 5 stars