The Tainted Coin

The Chronicles of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #5

by Melvin R. Starr, Steven Crossley (Narrator)

It is the autumn of 1367. Master Hugh is enjoying the peaceful life of Bampton, when a badly beaten man is found under the porch of St. Andrew's Chapel. The dying man is a chapman -- a traveling merchant. Before he is buried in the chapel grounds an ancient, corroded coin is found in the man's mouth. Master Hugh's quest for the chapman's assailants, and his search for the origin of the coin, makes steady progress – but there are men of wealth and power who wish to halt his search, and an old nemesis, Sir Simon Trillowe, is in league with them. But Master Hugh, and his assistant, the groom Arthur, are determined to uncover the thieves and murderers, and the source of the chapman's coin. They do, but not before they become involved with a kidnapped maiden, a tyrannical abbot, and a suffering monk – who needs Master Hugh's surgical skills and in return provides clues which assist Hugh in solving the mystery of the tainted coin.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Medieval, Historical Mystery, Crime

Audible Audio

First published September 21, 2012

About the author

Mel Starr was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and eight grandchildren.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this historical mystery series, featuring Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon and Bailiff. It's easy reading and provides a thorough view on those times past. It's a bit 'bland' here and there, not so smoothly written I find, but I guess that's also the plus of this series. Style is no-nonsense with much detail about the times after the great plague. 3.5 for me. Looking forward to the next one.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick comment that I do love these books! I'm constantly surprised that they don't seem to be more well-known. I do have to say that this one was a bit disappointing. A) The mystery was solved well before the end (AND it was Hugh's arch-nemesis OF COURSE which I'm a little over), b) I lost count of the number of plots Hugh hatched that involved going back and forth and back and forth and skulking about in the dark, c) the bad guys don't get nabbed which, I'm sorry, is just unsatisfying (espeically since I suspect that means that Sir Simon will pop up again, and see above), d) I started to notice that there was WAAAAAY more exposition than dialogue and character interaction. I come from the old school of show, don't tell, and I just got tired of being told what was happening.

Anyway, I'll keep reading them and hope that this book was an anomaly.

[Deb Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely a book for fans of historic fiction, taking place in 14th century England. The protagonist is a surgeon and bailiff to Lord Gilbert Talbot. As bailiff he is charged with finding the murderer of those killed on his lord's lands.

In this book, an itinerant merchant is found near death at St. Andrew's Chapel by the priest, who summons Hugh de Singleton from his bed to aid the dying man. The surgeon finds the man badly beaten, then utters his last words before taking his last breath.

Master Hugh must find the men who did this, but in doing so puts his own family and himself in danger.

The author provides a generous glossary for the many terms specific to the era. This is not a quick read, but it does provide quiet suspense along with full immersion into the time period and area.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Tainted Coin, Mel Starr

Our hero fails. He doesn't bring the murderers to justice. He doesn't recover the stolen treasure. He makes idiotic mistakes, failing to guard the treasure, failing to guard the rear entrance to the witness's house.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a book by Melvin Starr so I was a little skeptical at first if the book would be all that I hoped it would be. I love historical fiction and mysteries so when I come across a book the marries the two together I set the bar very high. Luckily for me this one turned out to be exactly what I wanted.

The story focuses on Master Hugh de Singleton, who is a bailiff and surgeon in Bampton in the year 1367 and centers around a murder that takes place in his jurisdiction one autumn day when a man lays dead and he has to bring the culprits to justice. He just has to find out who they are and why they killed the victim

Melvin Starr created a likable hero in Master Hugh, one that I'm not likely to forget. I enjoyed his character immensely because he was neither too pretentious like some sleuths can be and he wasn't a pushover either. He had a great sense of right and wrong and I loved how much Hugh loved his wife Kate and their baby girl Bessie. He had a strong moral compass and I respected the fact that because of circumstances brought on by the murder case that he was willing to resign from his post as Bailiff in order to help a man who is unjustly punished and condemned to death.

I thought that the way that the story of The Tainted Coin was told in a wonderful way. The author did an outstanding job with the writing. I love the amount of detail that went into creating an authentic setting for the novel and I could tell the author has a great love for the time period because you can tell everything was constructed with the utmost care resulting in a fantastically realistic story in a time long ago past.

The drama, characters, plot, and the historical details and use of words and descriptions were wonderful once they were all pieced together and I'm very glad I gave this novel a chance. While this novel is the fifth novel in the Hugh de Singleton series I had no trouble following the story line and this can absolutely be read as a standalone.

The story kept me guessing and the author threw in enough twists and turns to keep me on my toes and keep me intrigued and I loved that while the novel had a fair amount of intrigue and action it still remained what I would consider a cozy mystery.

Overall, I was impressed with this novel and cannot wait to read the other books in the series! All of the preceding novels have been added to my wish list and I highly recommend this book to everyone! If you like historical mysteries this might just be the perfect read for you.


* I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. I was not compensated in anyway to give a positive review and all thoughts and opinions herein are my own.

[John Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though its just over six months since I read the previous book in the series,I still felt quickly at ease with the main characters of the series. Now married with a young child, Hugh de Singleton lives in a fine house in Bampton with a good income partly through still being employed as Bailiff to Lord Gilbert Talbot, and also being a trained surgeon. Life seems perfect for him and you just know that it isnt going to last.

An incident occurs which , as Baliff, he is bound to investigate and in following the trail he puts everything else in jeopardy.. The story itself is as good as the previous ones although I did feel that the end came a bit sooner than I had expected and wasnt quite what I had expected. I suppose that this is a plus for the author. He still made the 'feel' for the period as strong as before but this one didnt appeal as much as previous onea. Where I had enjoyed the detail of meals in previous books, here I found it too much and too often , although I will admit to being curious about the Leach Lambert which I looked up later.

It may be just me and I certainly wont remove the rest of the series from my library shelf although I might leave it a little longer before the next.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting plot and series with Christian morals and testimony, well narrated by an award winning performer.

[Joseph Brink · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review for book one.

[Georgann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid mystery with an unsatisfactory ending. I was glad for the map and the glossary, bc so much of the language used is unfamiliar!

[Voirrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much though I love Master Hugh I have to admit this book left me a little frustrated - and here be spoilers...

We never did find out why John Thrale hid that single coin in his mouth, or where he found the treasure he had already processed, nor did we find out how Sir Simon and his grooms knew of him, nor did we see any possibility of justice. And I would have liked to learn a little more of what happened to Sir Phillip and his kidnapping of Lady Sybill.

But I will, no doubt, come back to Master Hugh et al again soon - and hope for more satisfying conclusions again :)

[Spuddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth book in this medieval series set in 1360's England, Hugh de Singleton, bailiff and surgeon in Bampton. Hugh is now married with an infant daughter, which is both a delight and also a burden, as their mere existence colors everything he does and affects each decision he makes. He is enjoying his relatively quiet life when murder once again finds him, a chapman near dead when Hugh finds him, and only one sentence does he utter, "They didn't get my coin." This is puzzling to Hugh, until an ancient corroded coin is found in the chapman's mouth.

When he begins investigating, he discovers that there was more to the chapman than there seems to be at first, and that he'd recently come into a goodly amount of money. He also discovers that Sir Simon Trillowe, once his competition for his wife Kate's hand in marriage, is also somehow involved in the chapman's illegal business and death, and much investigation is needed by Hugh and his assistant to find the connections.

This book ended very abruptly after all the detailed detective work, which is one reason I marked it down compared to previous entries in the series. I just wasn't happy with the end. The other is that, while I appreciate Starr's attention to historical detail, after five books I often find that detail to be very repetitive not only from book to book, but also within each individual book. For example, how many loaves of maslin or wheaten bread is Hugh mentioned eating? Most of the time when it's mentioned, it's not a situation where the type of bread matters--so why not save the words for some *new* detail? In a modern mystery, an author would be laughed out of town if he mentioned breaking his fast with white or wheat bread every day. It just doesn't matter! The prose, as always, is somewhat dry as well, and the author has an odd writing style that isn't as easy to read as some. Still, it is a mostly enjoyable series and as a nurse, I do enjoy the details about Hugh's surgical work that are worked in to the story each time too.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Master Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff, returns in a fifth installment to star in "The Tainted Coin". Set in the year of 1367, the story finds Hugh enjoying life in Bampton and just about to settle down to a satisfying breakfast when a pounding on the door interrupts his peaceful life. Hugh is soon tasked to uncovering who murdered a traveling merchant in the nearby woods. In the process of burying the man, a corroded coin is found in the man's mouth. The coin, along with the distinctive footprint of a horse believed to belong to one of the men responsible for his death, are the only clues Hugh has to follow. His journey soon finds him rescuing maidens in distress, a man set to be wrongfully hung, and a woman and her children who have been kidnapped.

I enjoyed returning to the world of Hugh, both as he used his powers of deduction to follow the trail of murderers, and also as he exercised his skills as a surgeon in a world steeped in superstition. The writing is crisp, the scenes fly by, and the dialogue keeps the story moving along while containing a delightful medieval flavor. Hugh is one of those characters who is so well developed that I feel that I could just read book after book about him - and I'm glad to see that another installment is already in the works! This book ends well, but doesn't completely wrap up the crime, providing a very realistic ending for a story set in a time where there wasn't DNA testing, finger print kits, and all the wonders of modern technology. I enjoyed the original characters, the fascinating setting, and the suspense of the story, making for a satisfying read.

I strongly recommend this book and award it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Monarch, and Kregel blog tour services, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[Diane Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and own all of the Hugh de Singleton chronicles and I must say, this may be my favorite to date.

The book took me about a week to read, not because it was boring or hard to get into, quite the opposite in fact. No, I like to read only one chapter at a sitting so I can prolong and take pleasure in these books for as long as possible.

It is obvious when reading these books that Mel Starr is extremely knowledgeable in medieval history and times. It is equally fascinating to read of the different surgeries that Hugh must occasionally perform as well as the fare on the menu for the day’s meals. Even the details surrounding the plagues that have hit the towns and the way people lived during this time period truly come alive in these books. Solving the mystery is only part of the enjoyment I find in these books, the journey it takes to get there is just as enlightening.

My only possible critique of this book is that Hugh’s wife, Kate, usually has more of an active role in the deliberating and solving of the cases but this time she took the backseat and was more of a background character. I hope in book six of the series, An Uncertain Sleep, she takes up her place once more as sidekick crime-solver extraordinaire.

Kregel Publications sent me the above book for review purposes. It will allow me to keep the book. I have no other connection to and have received no other compensation from Kregel.

[William Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starr's book about Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff, have a unique voice. The stories are told in first person by Hugh. This style has grown in the series - it felt awkward in places in the earlier books but now fits like a well worn shoe. Hugh is an everyman more than a skilled detective. This everyman nature of Hugh combined with the well done use of the first person voice really sets these apart.

Many good historical mysteries (including some I really like) deal heavily in the politics of the time in which they are set. Starr's novels are largely free of any political intrigue (there are a few traces of some religious intrigue). This also sets the series apart.

To really appreciate the books they should be read in order. There are quite a few references to events in prior books, and one of the principal characters is from a prior work. While there are explanations in this book, it is much more satisfying to know the whole story. However, any of the books in the series are a good read by themselves.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been enjoying these murder mysteries that are set in medieval England in the 14th century. They're a bit formulaic, but that doesn't bother me much. I like the protagonist, surgeon and bailiff Hugh de Singleton, and his world is populated with very interesting people who show up from one tale to the next. Hugh can never quite seem to vanquish the worst of the bad guys, who are very "connected" in this world where where you stand in rank dictates the justice and mercy (or lack thereof) available to you. And Hugh keeps getting bashed, slashed, or trashed physically, but in this kind of book you know all's well that ends well. I do like the detail on medieval life - from the justice system to church life to village life to surgery to food -- quite educational. Just finished the 5th novel and wondering when the 6th will be out ...

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A stranger, beaten to death on lands overseen by Hugh de Singleton, turns out to have had much more than the cheap stocks he sold from his cart. In fact, he shouldn't have been able to afford such a cart. His knowledge made him prey to a group of predators ironically known as gentlemen. Hugh and his henchmen are forced to make a number of dangerous rescues before they make the right one, and then it begins to look as though they were all for nothing.

THE TAINTED COIN was good in general, but one operation was set up with such a stupid mistake that no one involved could have made it. It seemed as if the author had been instructed to pad the length of the book. A couple of the rescues could have been given more relevance, which would have lengthened the book in a more natural way.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice, easy read. Mel Starr's fifth outing into Mediaeval Oxfordshire is an interesting one; a corpse is found and a mystery enfolds. Hugh de Singleton investigates but, instead of the situation gradually concluding in a nice solution, complication on complication ensue.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just happened to read two medieval mysteries, by different authors, back-to-back. They had several similarities: they took place within 17 years of each other (although under different reigns of Kings of England,) both "detectives" suffered an arrow wound and neither mystery was satisfactorily resolved!
In this one, the pace was slower, but somehow more in keeping with the times than the other, "Serpent in the Thorns," which tried to update the middle ages into a more modern setting. Here we are confronted with the beating death of a "chapman," or "peddlar," as we would call him, who lives just long enough to utter some last words about his assailants "not getting his coin." The detective in this series, is Hugh de Singleton, who has at least two major responsibilities to his employer, Sir Gilbert Talbot: that of Bailiff, (the highest position on a manor,) and personal surgeon; in addition, Hugh also serves as investigator when dead bodies appear, not only on his lord's manor, but anywhere in the environs!
After many frustrating failed attempts to capture the known miscreants, Hugh & his assistants find other people to rescue, such as a kidnapped damsel, a battered old crone and a hapless villein who wants to run away long enough to become a freedman.
Despite their best efforts, they never do bring the murderers to trial or find the source of the ancient coins that the chapman gave his life for, but Hugh performs an interesting surgery and sets up Osbert, the would-be freedman, with a convenient widow!
The emphasis on the food of the times was good, at first, but then it seemed that the author was just trying to show-off his knowledge of esoteric dishes as well as other medieval terms which often jarred in the otherwise smooth flow of the narrative.
A mildly entertaining book with some flaws.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fifth chronicle of medieval surgeon Hugh de Singleton, also bailiff to Lord Gilbert Talbott, has Hugh solving the mystery of the death of a man, badly beaten, who was found at Saint Andrew's Chapel. Hugh tracks the clues to a nearby village where he discovers quite a treasure trove of Roman coins and jewels, plus the man's betrothed, a young, pretty widow with two sons. Hugh must find out who is after the deceased's treasure, protect the betrothed as the miscreants who attacked the dead man believe that she knows the location of the treasure, and shield his own wife and daughter from the miscreants, one of whom is well-known to Hugh and Kate, his wife.

I am enjoying this series more than I can say. The mysteries are interesting, and Hugh is a humble man who makes his fair share of mistakes--after all, he is a surgeon, not a detective. But his role as bailiff places the solving of crimes on Lord Gilbert's lands among his responsibilities. The details of medieval life are fascinating: the glossary at the beginning of each book explains much about the various church bells that tell time for the surrounding communities, the foods eaten (and Hugh enjoys his meals!), etc. We readers are immersed into medieval life in such a natural way that the 1360s in Oxfordshire feel almost familiar.

I am thrilled that there are at least twelve books in this series, and they're all available through our statewide library system. Yay!! I'm ordering volume 6 right away....

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this series that takes place a couple hundred years after Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael books, Hugh Singleton, Lord Gilbert of Bampton’s bailiff and a surgeon, solves mysteries in an authentic medieval setting. I thought I was picking up the first in the series to review before carrying on, but it turned out to be the fifth. No matter. Although there were references to past events and relationships (both good and bad), not having read the previous books didn’t affect the story of felons trying to locate a trove of ancient coins a chapman had found. I loved that a trove of Roman coins was really found in the area in modern times. I referred regularly to the glossary of medieval terms in the front, not because it was necessary to understand the story, but because I love the period and authenticity in writing about it.

The period was strongly religious, so little insights about God and faith emerge quite naturally without feeling preachy. Religious characters are both good and bad, and are portrayed as neither saints nor villains. Lots of cool stuff about medicine and remedies of the time. There is a love story although not Hugh’s since he is already married.

Now I need to go back and find the first book to review and carry on from there.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am about one-third of the way through this series, which I enjoy more with every book. Each one teaches me something new about the time period, always a plus for me. I like Hugh and most of the people around him, and appreciate how he stands up for what he feels is right, even if it puts him in an uncomfortable situation.

Unusually, this book didn't focus on a murder but instead provided Hugh with several other mysteries to solve. He explored a lot of possibilities, with a good deal of going back to square one to try a different tack. All those twists in the story left me baffled, and I gave up trying to figure it all out myself, instead just following Hugh's lead. He eventually did reach the correct conclusion, and I was just as disappointed as he that the culprits could not be appropriately punished... at least not yet.

The next book in this series is in my audio library, and I look forward to listening to it relatively soon. I 'need' to know how things work out from here :)

[Soozee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again this series does not disappoint. Hugh becomes involved with the sudden death of a chapman, but one who seems to have stumbled over a Roman hoard as Hugh finds a single coin in his mouth. Sadly, he is not the only one aware of it and pays for his knowledge with his life. Hugh tries to find his family, to hand over the rest of his belongings, and discovers he was to marry Amice. But the men who killed him now think she knows where the treasure may be found so Hugh and the groom Arthur decide to help her, and to try to find the hoard themselves.

Set in Medieval times, the story is accurate and fast paced, as Hugh tries to keep Amice safe from an evil abbot, a landowner and his marauding henchmen and the kidnap of an heiress for ransom. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Bethan Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started off really enjoying this series, I love books set in the medieval era and enjoy crime fiction.
The author has done some good research, but still managed to make some massive errors (no one would eat meat during lent in that era as in book 2, which is the biggest I’ve found) which then makes me question the quality of the rest of the research.
However, I found the storyline in this latest book to be both convoluted and boring. I couldn’t wait to finish the book and get it over with.
Needless to say I’m unlikely to read the rest of this series, which is a shame because it should be exactly the kind of book that I enjoy.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starr is capable of better

The plot is thin. Starr spends more time having Hugh walking around and describing meals than moving the story forward. And the coin mentioned in the title: irrelevant--so much could have been done with it. Moreover, Hugh de Singleton is massively incompetent here. It's fine for detectives to make mistakes, and I don't expect a medieval sleuth to be as sharp as many or even most modern detectives, but Hugh just does a lot of stupid things. Several scenes remind me of the bumbling of the Keystone Cops--if anyone remembers them. This book needed a serious rewrite.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the fifth one in the Huge de Singleton chronicles. I am thoroughly enjoying this series. It has interesting plots, good characterization, well written with no profane language, and is informative about medieval life in England. Hugh is a surgeon as well as a bailiff to Lord Gilbert Talbert. In his role as bailiff, he is expected to apprehend those committing criminal activity on the Lord’s lands. The plot of this book begins with a badly beaten man found under the porch at Saint Andrews church. His dying words are, “They didn’t get my coin.“ In his mouth is an ancient silver coin. Hugh must discover who murdered this man as well as the mystery of the coin.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a light reading mystery where Hugh de Singleton hopes to solve the murder of a chapman (traveling peddler) who has believed to have found a buried treasure left by fleeing Romans during the Saxon invasion. There are many missteps in this adventure as Hugh tries to solve the murder and help a man who may be hung because he allowed a kidnapped woman escape. Hugh gets little for his efforts except an arrow in the back and almost loses his post. How it all turns out is for the next reader to discover.

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found the ending, with no resolution to Hugh de Singleton's investigation of the murder, disappointing. I don't feel that this book was quite as polished and complete as the first four books in the series. The story left some loose ends, and HdS's motivation to support the escaped villein at the risk of his job and livelihood stretched credulity at times. The book could have concluded with some form of confrontation with the culprits, rather than them just running off to London if, in fact, they did. We don't know. This won't stop me continuing with the series though.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1367 A dying man is discovered near St Andrew's Chapel, and an old coin is discovered in his mouth. Hugh de Singleton seeks the killers and a possible treasure. But many men are also looking for the treasure threatening others.
An entertaining historical mystery with its cast of likeable characters

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy these mysteries, the well established setting and the cast of characters. They truly are a bit on the history nerd side but I fit quite nicely in that category and enjoy the leisurely style and pace.

This one was right on pace for me right up to the ending which I found disappointingly abrupt. I will certainly read the next one but this one was a bit of a let down at the ending.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm doing a review for the whole series as I've left it so long since I started listening to them.

I would highly recommend this series and in fact I have done so to a number of people already. Very impressed with the writing, the research that seems to have been done and the historical accuracy is excellent.

Nice characters, good pace, interesting stories. Really interesting to see the ability of surgeons then and the ways Hugh deducts things.