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Roger the Chapman #1
Death and the Chapman
In fifteenth-century England, a nineteen-year-old itinerant peddler named Roger the Chapman investigates the disappearance of an alderman's son and embarks on an adventure that takes him from country roads to grand mansions. Reprint.
362 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 1991
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About the author
Kate Sedley
37 books105 followersBrenda Margaret Lilian Clarke, known by her pen name Kate Sedley, was an English historical novelist best known for her Roger the Chapman mystery series. Born in Bristol in 1926, she also published as Brenda Honeyman and Brenda Clarke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 20, 2020
3.5 stars
The first book of a series in which Roger the Chapman solves riddles and murders. Light reading but very enjoyable. It held my attention in noisy surroundings.
The first book of a series in which Roger the Chapman solves riddles and murders. Light reading but very enjoyable. It held my attention in noisy surroundings.
August 16, 2022
"Don’t waste your time hanging around in London. There’s a whole world out there just waiting for Roger Chapman’s wares. However hard it may sound, Clement Weaver and Richard Mallory are dead. Forget them.’"
I think I have fallen for Kate Sedley’s blend of history, mystery and intrigue. These were “the times that tried men’s (and women’s) souls.” Politics, war, disease, crime, etc. were rampant. It was a protracted battle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York (otherwise know as the War of the Roses). Into this Sedley introduces a chapman, Roger by name. I wasn’t conversant with the term “chapman.” It was then the term for peddler. Roger has recently left his abbey “to seek my fortune, outside the safety of its walls." With little funds he decides to do so as a chapman.
He begins his trade in the countryside and smaller towns and a dalliance on a warm day leads to learning of the disappearance on a visit to London of Clement Weaver, son of a well-to-do alderman and a member of the rising middle class. Roger promises to see what he can find if/when he gets to London. The explanation accepted by all but a few was that "Clement Weaver had been one of the hundreds of men and women who were murdered each year for the money which they might, or might not, be carrying. The world was a violent and dangerous place, as Abbot Selwood had warned me when I left the abbey to seek my fortune, outside the safety of its walls."
He is barely twenty and just out into the wider world: "I felt that God was demanding something of me in return for His forgiveness for my having abandoned the religious life." Despite not being a man of the world, rumors of larger concerns are passed on by everyone and a peddler is exposed to many of them: "‘You forget,’ Alison replied patiently, ‘that it was a very dangerous time just then. The Earl of Warwick had brought King Henry out of the Tower and proclaimed him rightful king again. The sanctuaries were overflowing with King Edward’s followers, and there were many not even in sanctuary, but hiding in the city. And it was only a matter of weeks since the execution of the Earl of Worcester. My uncle told me he had never seen the Londoners in such a restless, feverish state of excitement. He said the number of crimes was rising daily.’ I remembered that even we, in our seclusion at Glastonbury, had heard some rumours of the terrible mob violence which had occurred in London at the execution of King Edward’s Constable. The Earl of Worcester had been nicknamed the Butcher of England,"
Our Roger is an empathetic man who finds “doing the right thing” almost the only choice: "In my mind’s eye I could envisage quite plainly the figure of her brother as she had last seen him, huddled in his cloak against the driving rain, illuminated by the flickering torchlight of the Crossed Hands inn, with so few steps between himself and safety. The Baptist’s Head was within sight, Thomas Prynne, his father’s old friend, waiting to welcome him, a posset of warm ale already brewing on the fire… But Clement Weaver had never arrived." He agrees to “ask around if he should ever get to London.” But before that, Canterbury is his destination and he gets a sense of dangers extant in the larger cities: "There were rich pickings to be had in Canterbury, where the constant influx of pilgrims from all parts of the country meant an unceasing flow of money into the pockets of its citizens. It had more taverns and cookshops than any other town of its size that I had passed through. And more trouble, too: the streets were rarely quiet. There were frequent disputes between the clerical and secular interests of the town; between mayor and archbishop, layman and priest. They quarrelled over water rights, the fishmarket, and whose authority it was to arrest wrongdoers; over ecclesiastical immunities and restraints of trade. It was nothing to see several brawls a day in the Canterbury streets, and it was not always simply fists which were used. I had been there less than a week, and already I had seen daggers drawn on more than one occasion."
It is there, by chance, he learns of another “disappearance in the same area of London” and also polishes his skills: "‘It’s most gracious of your ladyship to see me.’ One thing above all others those last few months had taught me: if you need to grovel, then do it well. People who like power and flattery don’t like them in half-measures. ‘I very much appreciate your condescension.’…"‘I should be grateful for any news of Sir Richard.’ She spoke stiffly, and I could see that the idea of being obligated to a common chapman did not please her. But, like Alderman Weaver, she realized that I had advantages not enjoyed by her servants nor even by the Sergeant of the Watch. No one would suspect me of over-much intelligence nor of having any interest in her husband’s disappearance. I was in a position to make inquiries without actually seeming to do so, and might also pick up scraps of information which would give me a clue to his fate."
So it is on to London where the number of encounters and the pace pick up and before things are resolved there are some life or death encounters.
The plot was quite satisfying and the descriptions of life – in a village or the metropolis; among friends or strangers; at various levels of status and wealth were the real treasure.
I am delighted to discover Kate Sedley and Roger the Chapman so delighted that I am going to share some additional quotations.
"I felt that God was demanding something of me in return for His forgiveness for my having abandoned the religious life."
"We set off along Corn Street, dodging the piles of filth in front of the houses and the mounds of offal outside a butcher’s shop. There were plenty of pigs and goats, too, to impede our progress; they had no business, legally, to be kept within city limits; but the good citizens of Bristol ignored this regulation in the same way that people of other towns up and down the country ignored it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that the English see every law as a challenge, either to be circumvented or broken."
"‘I expect the plague will be rife again this summer.’"
"‘You forget,’ Alison replied patiently, ‘that it was a very dangerous time just then. The Earl of Warwick had brought King Henry out of the Tower and proclaimed him rightful king again. The sanctuaries were overflowing with King Edward’s followers, and there were many not even in sanctuary, but hiding in the city. And it was only a matter of weeks since the execution of the Earl of Worcester. My uncle told me he had never seen the Londoners in such a restless, feverish state of excitement. He said the number of crimes was rising daily.’ I remembered that even we, in our seclusion at Glastonbury, had heard some rumours of the terrible mob violence which had occurred in London at the execution of King Edward’s Constable. The Earl of Worcester had been nicknamed the Butcher of England,"
"I noticed that although the windows giving on to Broad Street had wooden shutters below, the top halves were made of glass. Nowadays we think far less of glass in private houses, but it was quite a new thing in England then, and very expensive."
"There were rich pickings to be had in Canterbury, where the constant influx of pilgrims from all parts of the country meant an unceasing flow of money into the pockets of its citizens. It had more taverns and cookshops than any other town of its size that I had passed through. And more trouble, too: the streets were rarely quiet. There were frequent disputes between the clerical and secular interests of the town; between mayor and archbishop, layman and priest. They quarrelled over water rights, the fishmarket, and whose authority it was to arrest wrongdoers; over ecclesiastical immunities and restraints of trade. It was nothing to see several brawls a day in the Canterbury streets, and it was not always simply fists which were used. I had been there less than a week, and already I had seen daggers drawn on more than one occasion."
"‘It’s most gracious of your ladyship to see me.’ One thing above all others those last few months had taught me: if you need to grovel, then do it well. People who like power and flattery don’t like them in half-measures. ‘I very much appreciate your condescension.’"
"I had spent a congenial morning discussing with a priest from Southwark William of Ockham’s theory that faith and logic could never be reconciled, and that therefore ecclesiastical authority was the sole basis for religious belief."
"The lower half of the building was made of stone, but the upper half had a timber frame, with walls of wooden lattice work and plaster. The downstairs windows, which looked out on to Thames Street, had old-fashioned shutters, but some of those above were of horn, or covered with sheets of oiled parchment."
"West Cheap, or Cheapside, is also known simply as The Street, because it’s so famous. I don’t suppose there’s a soul in the whole of England, then as now, who hasn’t heard of it. It’s not what it was when I was young, but as I’ve remarked before, that goes without saying. My children and grandchildren will feel the same when they’re my age. But when I first saw it, in that October of 1471, I thought it must be the most magical place in the whole wide world. Cheap, of course, comes from the old Saxon word ‘chipping’, meaning a market: there was nothing cheap, in its current usage, about The Street. There were shops stuffed with silks and carpets, tapestries brought from Arras, gold and silver cups and plates, the most magnificent jewellery. My eyes were dazzled and I felt like a child in fairyland,"
"I saw grey Bristol soap being sold at a penny the pound, less than half the price of the hard white Castilian. The ordinary black liquid soap was only a halfpenny."
"The hood lay in her basket, along with flowers she had been gathering. These included the feathery, flat-topped heads of fleabane, and a quantity of the plant known as Ladies’ Bedstraw, the bunched yellow heads clinging tightly to the long, pale stems. I remembered my mother collecting the selfsame plants; the first, burnt, gave off an acrid smoke which was death to fleas; the second she would boil, using the flowers to make dye, and extracting a substance from the stalks and leaves which could be used as a substitute for rennet. The girl sat down beside me and took off her shoes and stockings,"
"Old age is not simply a matter of rheumatic joints, defective eyesight and impaired hearing; it’s waking up one morning and realizing that there is no longer any future."
I think I have fallen for Kate Sedley’s blend of history, mystery and intrigue. These were “the times that tried men’s (and women’s) souls.” Politics, war, disease, crime, etc. were rampant. It was a protracted battle for the throne of England between the Houses of Lancaster and York (otherwise know as the War of the Roses). Into this Sedley introduces a chapman, Roger by name. I wasn’t conversant with the term “chapman.” It was then the term for peddler. Roger has recently left his abbey “to seek my fortune, outside the safety of its walls." With little funds he decides to do so as a chapman.
He begins his trade in the countryside and smaller towns and a dalliance on a warm day leads to learning of the disappearance on a visit to London of Clement Weaver, son of a well-to-do alderman and a member of the rising middle class. Roger promises to see what he can find if/when he gets to London. The explanation accepted by all but a few was that "Clement Weaver had been one of the hundreds of men and women who were murdered each year for the money which they might, or might not, be carrying. The world was a violent and dangerous place, as Abbot Selwood had warned me when I left the abbey to seek my fortune, outside the safety of its walls."
He is barely twenty and just out into the wider world: "I felt that God was demanding something of me in return for His forgiveness for my having abandoned the religious life." Despite not being a man of the world, rumors of larger concerns are passed on by everyone and a peddler is exposed to many of them: "‘You forget,’ Alison replied patiently, ‘that it was a very dangerous time just then. The Earl of Warwick had brought King Henry out of the Tower and proclaimed him rightful king again. The sanctuaries were overflowing with King Edward’s followers, and there were many not even in sanctuary, but hiding in the city. And it was only a matter of weeks since the execution of the Earl of Worcester. My uncle told me he had never seen the Londoners in such a restless, feverish state of excitement. He said the number of crimes was rising daily.’ I remembered that even we, in our seclusion at Glastonbury, had heard some rumours of the terrible mob violence which had occurred in London at the execution of King Edward’s Constable. The Earl of Worcester had been nicknamed the Butcher of England,"
Our Roger is an empathetic man who finds “doing the right thing” almost the only choice: "In my mind’s eye I could envisage quite plainly the figure of her brother as she had last seen him, huddled in his cloak against the driving rain, illuminated by the flickering torchlight of the Crossed Hands inn, with so few steps between himself and safety. The Baptist’s Head was within sight, Thomas Prynne, his father’s old friend, waiting to welcome him, a posset of warm ale already brewing on the fire… But Clement Weaver had never arrived." He agrees to “ask around if he should ever get to London.” But before that, Canterbury is his destination and he gets a sense of dangers extant in the larger cities: "There were rich pickings to be had in Canterbury, where the constant influx of pilgrims from all parts of the country meant an unceasing flow of money into the pockets of its citizens. It had more taverns and cookshops than any other town of its size that I had passed through. And more trouble, too: the streets were rarely quiet. There were frequent disputes between the clerical and secular interests of the town; between mayor and archbishop, layman and priest. They quarrelled over water rights, the fishmarket, and whose authority it was to arrest wrongdoers; over ecclesiastical immunities and restraints of trade. It was nothing to see several brawls a day in the Canterbury streets, and it was not always simply fists which were used. I had been there less than a week, and already I had seen daggers drawn on more than one occasion."
It is there, by chance, he learns of another “disappearance in the same area of London” and also polishes his skills: "‘It’s most gracious of your ladyship to see me.’ One thing above all others those last few months had taught me: if you need to grovel, then do it well. People who like power and flattery don’t like them in half-measures. ‘I very much appreciate your condescension.’…"‘I should be grateful for any news of Sir Richard.’ She spoke stiffly, and I could see that the idea of being obligated to a common chapman did not please her. But, like Alderman Weaver, she realized that I had advantages not enjoyed by her servants nor even by the Sergeant of the Watch. No one would suspect me of over-much intelligence nor of having any interest in her husband’s disappearance. I was in a position to make inquiries without actually seeming to do so, and might also pick up scraps of information which would give me a clue to his fate."
So it is on to London where the number of encounters and the pace pick up and before things are resolved there are some life or death encounters.
The plot was quite satisfying and the descriptions of life – in a village or the metropolis; among friends or strangers; at various levels of status and wealth were the real treasure.
I am delighted to discover Kate Sedley and Roger the Chapman so delighted that I am going to share some additional quotations.
"I felt that God was demanding something of me in return for His forgiveness for my having abandoned the religious life."
"We set off along Corn Street, dodging the piles of filth in front of the houses and the mounds of offal outside a butcher’s shop. There were plenty of pigs and goats, too, to impede our progress; they had no business, legally, to be kept within city limits; but the good citizens of Bristol ignored this regulation in the same way that people of other towns up and down the country ignored it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it’s that the English see every law as a challenge, either to be circumvented or broken."
"‘I expect the plague will be rife again this summer.’"
"‘You forget,’ Alison replied patiently, ‘that it was a very dangerous time just then. The Earl of Warwick had brought King Henry out of the Tower and proclaimed him rightful king again. The sanctuaries were overflowing with King Edward’s followers, and there were many not even in sanctuary, but hiding in the city. And it was only a matter of weeks since the execution of the Earl of Worcester. My uncle told me he had never seen the Londoners in such a restless, feverish state of excitement. He said the number of crimes was rising daily.’ I remembered that even we, in our seclusion at Glastonbury, had heard some rumours of the terrible mob violence which had occurred in London at the execution of King Edward’s Constable. The Earl of Worcester had been nicknamed the Butcher of England,"
"I noticed that although the windows giving on to Broad Street had wooden shutters below, the top halves were made of glass. Nowadays we think far less of glass in private houses, but it was quite a new thing in England then, and very expensive."
"There were rich pickings to be had in Canterbury, where the constant influx of pilgrims from all parts of the country meant an unceasing flow of money into the pockets of its citizens. It had more taverns and cookshops than any other town of its size that I had passed through. And more trouble, too: the streets were rarely quiet. There were frequent disputes between the clerical and secular interests of the town; between mayor and archbishop, layman and priest. They quarrelled over water rights, the fishmarket, and whose authority it was to arrest wrongdoers; over ecclesiastical immunities and restraints of trade. It was nothing to see several brawls a day in the Canterbury streets, and it was not always simply fists which were used. I had been there less than a week, and already I had seen daggers drawn on more than one occasion."
"‘It’s most gracious of your ladyship to see me.’ One thing above all others those last few months had taught me: if you need to grovel, then do it well. People who like power and flattery don’t like them in half-measures. ‘I very much appreciate your condescension.’"
"I had spent a congenial morning discussing with a priest from Southwark William of Ockham’s theory that faith and logic could never be reconciled, and that therefore ecclesiastical authority was the sole basis for religious belief."
"The lower half of the building was made of stone, but the upper half had a timber frame, with walls of wooden lattice work and plaster. The downstairs windows, which looked out on to Thames Street, had old-fashioned shutters, but some of those above were of horn, or covered with sheets of oiled parchment."
"West Cheap, or Cheapside, is also known simply as The Street, because it’s so famous. I don’t suppose there’s a soul in the whole of England, then as now, who hasn’t heard of it. It’s not what it was when I was young, but as I’ve remarked before, that goes without saying. My children and grandchildren will feel the same when they’re my age. But when I first saw it, in that October of 1471, I thought it must be the most magical place in the whole wide world. Cheap, of course, comes from the old Saxon word ‘chipping’, meaning a market: there was nothing cheap, in its current usage, about The Street. There were shops stuffed with silks and carpets, tapestries brought from Arras, gold and silver cups and plates, the most magnificent jewellery. My eyes were dazzled and I felt like a child in fairyland,"
"I saw grey Bristol soap being sold at a penny the pound, less than half the price of the hard white Castilian. The ordinary black liquid soap was only a halfpenny."
"The hood lay in her basket, along with flowers she had been gathering. These included the feathery, flat-topped heads of fleabane, and a quantity of the plant known as Ladies’ Bedstraw, the bunched yellow heads clinging tightly to the long, pale stems. I remembered my mother collecting the selfsame plants; the first, burnt, gave off an acrid smoke which was death to fleas; the second she would boil, using the flowers to make dye, and extracting a substance from the stalks and leaves which could be used as a substitute for rennet. The girl sat down beside me and took off her shoes and stockings,"
"Old age is not simply a matter of rheumatic joints, defective eyesight and impaired hearing; it’s waking up one morning and realizing that there is no longer any future."
October 25, 2015
Description: In fifteenth-century England, a nineteen-year-old itinerant peddler named Roger the Chapman investigates the disappearance of an alderman's son and embarks on an adventure that takes him from country roads to grand mansions.
Opening: In this year of our Lord 1522 I am an old man. I've lived through the reigns of five kings; six, if you count young Edward. By my reckoning, I'm three score years and ten, the age, so the Bible tells us, which is man's allotted span on earth, and when my time comes, I shan't be sorry to go.
Written with a lot of love for her subject, Sedley's enthusiasm cannot help but make that a two-way thing. Bring on the next.
Opening: In this year of our Lord 1522 I am an old man. I've lived through the reigns of five kings; six, if you count young Edward. By my reckoning, I'm three score years and ten, the age, so the Bible tells us, which is man's allotted span on earth, and when my time comes, I shan't be sorry to go.
Written with a lot of love for her subject, Sedley's enthusiasm cannot help but make that a two-way thing. Bring on the next.
September 9, 2013
I love medieval mystery series and this one did not disappoint. In fact I'm embarrassed that it took me this long to start reading it. Detailed, with a tightly plotted mystery I really felt like Roger Chapman was in danger from the moment he started poking at things that shouldn't have been poked at.
It's clear that the author did her research and the fact that she has a human and sympathetic Richard III is a win in my book. I will most definitely be continuing with this series.
It's clear that the author did her research and the fact that she has a human and sympathetic Richard III is a win in my book. I will most definitely be continuing with this series.
November 30, 2020
Πάρα πολύ το ευχαριστήθηκα!
Το πρώτο βίβλίο της σειράς της Kate Sedley με ήρωα τον Ρογήρο τον γυρολόγο, μου άφησε αυτό ακριβώς που περίμενα, μια ωραία αστυνομική ιστορία, μεσαιωνική ατμόσφαιρα, και πολύ ωραία γραφή.
Όσοι έχετε αδυναμία στην εποχή του μεσαίωνα θα το χαρείτε, καθώς περιγράφει πολύ ωραία την καθημερινότητα των ανθρώπων, τις συνήθειές τους, τα φαγητά τους, και φυσικά δεν λείπουν και οι μυστηριώδεις υποθέσεις που απαιτούν εξιχνίαση!
Ο Ρογήρος είναι ένας συμπαθέστατος χαρακτήρας, ερασιτέχνης ντεντέκτιβ της εποχής του, που με βασικό εργαλείο το μυαλό του αλλά και το θάρρος του υπόσχεται πολλές ακόμα περιπέτειες.
Το πρώτο βίβλίο της σειράς της Kate Sedley με ήρωα τον Ρογήρο τον γυρολόγο, μου άφησε αυτό ακριβώς που περίμενα, μια ωραία αστυνομική ιστορία, μεσαιωνική ατμόσφαιρα, και πολύ ωραία γραφή.
Όσοι έχετε αδυναμία στην εποχή του μεσαίωνα θα το χαρείτε, καθώς περιγράφει πολύ ωραία την καθημερινότητα των ανθρώπων, τις συνήθειές τους, τα φαγητά τους, και φυσικά δεν λείπουν και οι μυστηριώδεις υποθέσεις που απαιτούν εξιχνίαση!
Ο Ρογήρος είναι ένας συμπαθέστατος χαρακτήρας, ερασιτέχνης ντεντέκτιβ της εποχής του, που με βασικό εργαλείο το μυαλό του αλλά και το θάρρος του υπόσχεται πολλές ακόμα περιπέτειες.
January 31, 2024
Φίλγκουντ βιβλιαράκι μυστηρίου για όλες τις ώρες της ημέρας. Συμπαθητικός ήρωας, ωραία πρόζα, φυσικά όχι τόσο καλή όσο αυτή της Έλις Πίτερς (που είναι πραγματικά από άλλο πλανήτη) αλλά κάνει δουλειά. Θα ήθελα να διαβάσω και τα υπόλοιπα της σειράς.
January 4, 2023
Εξαιρετικά αδύναμη αστυνομική υπόθεση, με πληθώρα βολικά συμπτώσεων να οδηγούν στη λύση της. Αδιάφορη γραφή και χαρακτήρες.
Ένα κάποιο ενδιαφέρον στις ιστορικές λεπτομέρειες της εποχής, αλλά κι αυτές προϋποθέτουν μια κάποια γνώση των ιστορικών προσώπων, ειδάλλως πιο πολύ προκαλούν σύγχυση.
4/10
Ένα κάποιο ενδιαφέρον στις ιστορικές λεπτομέρειες της εποχής, αλλά κι αυτές προϋποθέτουν μια κάποια γνώση των ιστορικών προσώπων, ειδάλλως πιο πολύ προκαλούν σύγχυση.
4/10
April 7, 2010
First Sentence: In this year of our Lord 1552 I am an old man.
Roger Chapman is 70 years old. As he approaches the last chapter of his life, he decides to write the memoirs of his years spent on the road as a peddler and solving mysteries. Young 18-year old Roger has left the Benedictine monastery for the road with London being his objective.
His first investigation is into the disappearance of two separate gentlemen and the second's servant while their bags were left behind. Both men were carrying a good deal of money, but their bodies have never been found. At the same time, the Duke of Gloucester wishes to marry Lady Anne Neville; a marriage opposed by her late husband's brother. Can Roger do a service to the Royal family?
One of the main reasons I enjoy historical mysteries is that combination of learning and the puzzle. Richard of Gloucester was a figure with whom I was not familiar, yet he achieved positions of tremendous power and responsibility by the age of 19. I also had not known about "corpsing," the recovery of bodies from the Thames, their clothing stripped to be sold and the bodies returned to the river.
The most interesting element of the story, however, is the character of Roger. Here we meet him both at the beginning of his years; very young and able to be shocked; and see a bit of him at the end of his years. As long as the later doesn't too much portend the latter, the stories should hold and allow us to see the character develop over time.
Sedley knows her period and know how to bring it alive to her reader. Her descriptions engage your senses; sight, sound and nearly smell. In fact, there are points where the descriptions nearly overpower the plot.
For a first book, the plot is well done although it does rely on some rather large coincidences. I did appreciate when the author allows that coincidences do happen in life. There is some good suspense, at the end, and a satisfying resolution.
I did enjoy this book and look forward to Roger's next adventure.
DEATH AND THE CHAPMAN (Hist Mys-Roger the Chapman- England-Middle
Ages/1522) - G+
Sedley, Kate - 1st in series
Harper Paperbacks, C1991, US Paperback - ISBN; 0061043192
Roger Chapman is 70 years old. As he approaches the last chapter of his life, he decides to write the memoirs of his years spent on the road as a peddler and solving mysteries. Young 18-year old Roger has left the Benedictine monastery for the road with London being his objective.
His first investigation is into the disappearance of two separate gentlemen and the second's servant while their bags were left behind. Both men were carrying a good deal of money, but their bodies have never been found. At the same time, the Duke of Gloucester wishes to marry Lady Anne Neville; a marriage opposed by her late husband's brother. Can Roger do a service to the Royal family?
One of the main reasons I enjoy historical mysteries is that combination of learning and the puzzle. Richard of Gloucester was a figure with whom I was not familiar, yet he achieved positions of tremendous power and responsibility by the age of 19. I also had not known about "corpsing," the recovery of bodies from the Thames, their clothing stripped to be sold and the bodies returned to the river.
The most interesting element of the story, however, is the character of Roger. Here we meet him both at the beginning of his years; very young and able to be shocked; and see a bit of him at the end of his years. As long as the later doesn't too much portend the latter, the stories should hold and allow us to see the character develop over time.
Sedley knows her period and know how to bring it alive to her reader. Her descriptions engage your senses; sight, sound and nearly smell. In fact, there are points where the descriptions nearly overpower the plot.
For a first book, the plot is well done although it does rely on some rather large coincidences. I did appreciate when the author allows that coincidences do happen in life. There is some good suspense, at the end, and a satisfying resolution.
I did enjoy this book and look forward to Roger's next adventure.
DEATH AND THE CHAPMAN (Hist Mys-Roger the Chapman- England-Middle
Ages/1522) - G+
Sedley, Kate - 1st in series
Harper Paperbacks, C1991, US Paperback - ISBN; 0061043192
November 4, 2009
This is the first book in a series set in the 1300s in England. If you've read Ellis Peters' series with Brother Cadfael, you might like this series.
Want to read
October 24, 201524 OCT 2015 - recommended by Bettie. This one checks all the boxes of that which I love! Thank you!
August 6, 2022
A just-for-fun read.
March 27, 2023
I'm afraid this one is just not my cup of tea. Giving up around the halfway point.
February 12, 2025
4,0/5
Short and fun.
Short and fun.
July 29, 2017
I am not quite sure how I found this one. I suspect that it was a recommendation based on previously enjoyed books of the genre.
It was a gentle enough introduction to Roger which also taught me the origin of the surname.
The story and characters were easy enough to follow although I found the brief lesson on the monarchy at the end of the 15th century more difficult.
I liked the premise that the story was being recorded by Roger as an old man for the benefit of his children and grandchildren and perhaps that was why it was a little one paced without any of the periods of excitement that one experiences in other novels of this type.
Unlike other books I have read, this one didnt get bogged down with excessive detail about clothing, food or surroundings but there was sufficient of each to paint a good picture for us.
Although there were a couple of extra clues to explain the disappearances that were central to the story, there seemed little doubt of who was behind them from quite early on.
Did I enjoy the book ? - Yes. Will I read more of the series- Again yes but therein lies a problem. I have downloaded the rest of the series but from number 7 onwards. Do I go there or try to find the missing 2 -6 ?
It was a gentle enough introduction to Roger which also taught me the origin of the surname.
The story and characters were easy enough to follow although I found the brief lesson on the monarchy at the end of the 15th century more difficult.
I liked the premise that the story was being recorded by Roger as an old man for the benefit of his children and grandchildren and perhaps that was why it was a little one paced without any of the periods of excitement that one experiences in other novels of this type.
Unlike other books I have read, this one didnt get bogged down with excessive detail about clothing, food or surroundings but there was sufficient of each to paint a good picture for us.
Although there were a couple of extra clues to explain the disappearances that were central to the story, there seemed little doubt of who was behind them from quite early on.
Did I enjoy the book ? - Yes. Will I read more of the series- Again yes but therein lies a problem. I have downloaded the rest of the series but from number 7 onwards. Do I go there or try to find the missing 2 -6 ?
December 27, 2019
Read again 04/30/14 for Maze Mystery Discussion Group.
Set in 1471 but "written" in 1552 by Roger, a failed monastic and current peddler. Roger discovers a talent for resolving puzzles and detection. He also has a pleasant run-in with none other than Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who will become King Richard III. Roger finds the Duke an amiable man.
I am not as fond of mysteries written in the first person, but the author does a good job here. Sedley has also mastered the historical aspects of the novel. Anyone who can sum up The War of the Roses in a page and a half is sensational in my book!
I didn't remember much of what I read years ago, so it was like coming to a new book -- although I have read all 20 books in the series and the last one just before I read this. So it was like reading a new book with familiar characters and I kept waiting to see who would pop up that I already knew.
I like this series and I may just read them all over again.
Set in 1471 but "written" in 1552 by Roger, a failed monastic and current peddler. Roger discovers a talent for resolving puzzles and detection. He also has a pleasant run-in with none other than Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who will become King Richard III. Roger finds the Duke an amiable man.
I am not as fond of mysteries written in the first person, but the author does a good job here. Sedley has also mastered the historical aspects of the novel. Anyone who can sum up The War of the Roses in a page and a half is sensational in my book!
I didn't remember much of what I read years ago, so it was like coming to a new book -- although I have read all 20 books in the series and the last one just before I read this. So it was like reading a new book with familiar characters and I kept waiting to see who would pop up that I already knew.
I like this series and I may just read them all over again.
May 27, 2014
This was a lovely book. I have an affinity for fiction written about this time period and this was a fresh look for me - with characters who are not royalty. I really enjoyed the main character and how he is telling the story while he is an old man. The mystery was intriguing and the writing itself was very descriptive. I felt like I could see, hear, smell, and feel, right along with the characters. Definitely a great read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and am so glad I found another great author.
September 7, 2012
have read every one and love them
November 19, 2022
Some what long winded. The story didn't kick in tell the last two chapters!
May 14, 2021
Je découvre cette série grâce à une trouvaille dans une boîte à livre et je remercie sincèrement la lectrice ou le lecteur qui aurait déposé ce livre.Mêlant enquête et histoire dans l’Angleterre du moyen âge et durant le règne d’Edward IV, ce roman est tout ce que j’aime!
Chronique à venir sur mon blog https://lalectricecompulsive.home.blog//
Chronique à venir sur mon blog https://lalectricecompulsive.home.blog//
September 8, 2021
1471. Roger Chapman, ninenteen, has just started out on his new career in Bristol where he hears about the disappearance of Clement Weaver in London, As he is journeying there the family ask that he try to find more informarion. At Canterbury he hears about another disappeanace from the same area. Little does he know that his investigation will lead him into danger.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery. A good start to the series with its likeable main character
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery. A good start to the series with its likeable main character
September 3, 2018
Συμπαθητικό κι ευχάριστο ανάγνωσμα, ελπίζω να επανεκδοθεί γιατί αξίζει.
June 24, 2022
3.5 stars - interesting look at place and time and the hard lives of many
January 1, 2025
I did, just now. Not sure where it went.
May 25, 2022
A new and interesting mystery-solver; Roger the chapman spent most of his teens as a novice monk at his mother's wishes but now, since her death, he no longer feels the obligation and has left (better educated than most) for a life on the road as a chapman (an itinerant pedlar).
The mystery he finds himself drawn into is that of a missing young man - and then of another man who has gone missing in the exact same small street whilst also visiting London. There are interesting characters and some interesting plots turns - all in all a good read.
The mystery he finds himself drawn into is that of a missing young man - and then of another man who has gone missing in the exact same small street whilst also visiting London. There are interesting characters and some interesting plots turns - all in all a good read.
March 5, 2023
Good
Even though I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped to be, I still found the characters captivating and the storyline to be interesting. I will probably read the rest of the series in the future
Even though I wasn't as into this book as I'd hoped to be, I still found the characters captivating and the storyline to be interesting. I will probably read the rest of the series in the future
March 4, 2024
The year is 1522, and 70-year-old Roger Chapman is remembering his early life. He has lived through the reigns of five kings, six if you count young Edward. He was told by his mother that he was born on the same day as the Duke of Gloucester (later King Richard III), although how she knew this even Roger doesn’t know. (Although I think there’s a great back story buried in those bits of info.)
Even after all these years have passed, Roger remembers Richard fondly:
It’s my privilege to have met our late King Richard, even to have been of some use to him, God bless him! But, nowadays, that’s another heresy… The Richard people talk about now is a hunchbacked monstrosity, steeped in blood and evil. But that isn’t the man that I remember….
But this isn’t a story about Richard III, although a young Duke of Gloucester makes an appearance.
And so we go back in time to May 1471. Nineteen year old Roger is on the road and in Bristol, having recently left the Benedictines at Glastonbury. He has no family, has no siblings, and both parents are dead. His father, a stone carver, died when he was but four, leaving him to be raised by his mother. She, in turn, wanted her son to enter the Church, and he became a novitiate at Glastonbury, but his heart was never in it. When his mother died, he left the monastery (never having taken his final vows) and took to the open road and the life of a chapman or peddler.
Bristol is filled with soldiers. This is the time of the Wars of the Roses, and these troops are part of the army of Margaret of Anjou (the Lancastrian queen), on their way to an engagement with the forces of Edward IV (the Yorkist king) at Tewkesbury. As he makes his way through the streets of the town, Roger sees two very regal women riding with their entourage – Queen Margaret herself and her daughter-in-law, Lady Anne Neville. As with Richard of Gloucester, Lady Anne will make another appearance later in the story, but these appearances are secondary to the main story.
In Bristol, Roger assists an older woman and is invited to accompany her to Alderman Weaver’s house (who she works for) for a bite to eat. There, Roger learns of the disappearance and presumed death of Clement Weaver, the Alderman’s only son, while he was in London. Hearing the man’s sad story, Roger agrees that when he’s in London he’ll ask around even though it will be many weeks before he makes it that far, and he doubts after all this time that he will learn anything.
Weeks go by, and Roger has all but forgotten about the Alderman’s request. It all comes back to him, though, when in Coventry, he learns of another mysterious disappearance from the same inn as Clement Weaver. Seeing this as a sign from God that he’s supposed to investigate, Roger proceeds to London. The rest of the book revolves around Roger’s investigation and his stumbling upon a second, unrelated matter involving Lady Anne.
The mystery is very well put together and fast-paced. Roger, being a newbie at mystery solving, can sometimes miss clues, but this makes him very believable. We also meet characters who will show up time and again in future stories, such as Phillip Lamprey (a former soldier who’s fallen on hard times and has turned to begging) and Timothy Plummer (in the service of the Duke of Gloucester who in later books will work himself up to being the duke’s spy-master), and of course, the Duke of Gloucester himself.
I’ve been reading the Roger the Chapman series for several years now, but only the later entries in the twenty-plus book series, as the earliest ones have been out of print for a while now. Thankfully, I have at last been able to obtain gently-used copies of these first books and am looking forward to reading more of Roger’s early adventures.
They are perfect for reading on cold winter nights or on a warm summer’s day. Definitely 4-star material.
Even after all these years have passed, Roger remembers Richard fondly:
It’s my privilege to have met our late King Richard, even to have been of some use to him, God bless him! But, nowadays, that’s another heresy… The Richard people talk about now is a hunchbacked monstrosity, steeped in blood and evil. But that isn’t the man that I remember….
But this isn’t a story about Richard III, although a young Duke of Gloucester makes an appearance.
And so we go back in time to May 1471. Nineteen year old Roger is on the road and in Bristol, having recently left the Benedictines at Glastonbury. He has no family, has no siblings, and both parents are dead. His father, a stone carver, died when he was but four, leaving him to be raised by his mother. She, in turn, wanted her son to enter the Church, and he became a novitiate at Glastonbury, but his heart was never in it. When his mother died, he left the monastery (never having taken his final vows) and took to the open road and the life of a chapman or peddler.
Bristol is filled with soldiers. This is the time of the Wars of the Roses, and these troops are part of the army of Margaret of Anjou (the Lancastrian queen), on their way to an engagement with the forces of Edward IV (the Yorkist king) at Tewkesbury. As he makes his way through the streets of the town, Roger sees two very regal women riding with their entourage – Queen Margaret herself and her daughter-in-law, Lady Anne Neville. As with Richard of Gloucester, Lady Anne will make another appearance later in the story, but these appearances are secondary to the main story.
In Bristol, Roger assists an older woman and is invited to accompany her to Alderman Weaver’s house (who she works for) for a bite to eat. There, Roger learns of the disappearance and presumed death of Clement Weaver, the Alderman’s only son, while he was in London. Hearing the man’s sad story, Roger agrees that when he’s in London he’ll ask around even though it will be many weeks before he makes it that far, and he doubts after all this time that he will learn anything.
Weeks go by, and Roger has all but forgotten about the Alderman’s request. It all comes back to him, though, when in Coventry, he learns of another mysterious disappearance from the same inn as Clement Weaver. Seeing this as a sign from God that he’s supposed to investigate, Roger proceeds to London. The rest of the book revolves around Roger’s investigation and his stumbling upon a second, unrelated matter involving Lady Anne.
The mystery is very well put together and fast-paced. Roger, being a newbie at mystery solving, can sometimes miss clues, but this makes him very believable. We also meet characters who will show up time and again in future stories, such as Phillip Lamprey (a former soldier who’s fallen on hard times and has turned to begging) and Timothy Plummer (in the service of the Duke of Gloucester who in later books will work himself up to being the duke’s spy-master), and of course, the Duke of Gloucester himself.
I’ve been reading the Roger the Chapman series for several years now, but only the later entries in the twenty-plus book series, as the earliest ones have been out of print for a while now. Thankfully, I have at last been able to obtain gently-used copies of these first books and am looking forward to reading more of Roger’s early adventures.
They are perfect for reading on cold winter nights or on a warm summer’s day. Definitely 4-star material.
October 21, 2021
Court roman. Le caractère principal est intéressant et le fait que l’action se passe à une tout autre époque, 15e siècle, rend l’aventure intéressante où on apprend sur les us et coutumes en ces temps la. Je ne connaissais pas l’auteur et Je ne m’attendais pas à grand chose. J’ai été franchement surpris et serai intéressé à poursuivre ma lecture de la série.!
June 6, 2025
4/5 (7,43/10)
Es una historia simple pero entretenida. Las descripciones de la ambientación medieval de Inglaterra (especialmente Londres) son detalladas y precisas.
El personaje principal es interesante y, pese a su tamaño y cuerpo fornido, no está hecho para la batalla y siente miedo, mostrando sus debilidades y sus fortalezas.
El crimen es interesante pero simple, aunque el protagonista, Roger Chapman, nos recalca a lo largo del libro que, al ser su primera vez, hizo muchas cosas mal y pasó por alto algunos detalles, cosa que es lógica y me ha gustado ver.
Honestamente ha sido una sorpresa. No había escuchado sobre este libro y, si no hubiera sido por el apagón del 28 de abril, no lo hubiera leído hasta mucho más avanzado el año o incluso el año que viene. Me alegro de haberlo leído ahora.
Es una historia simple pero entretenida. Las descripciones de la ambientación medieval de Inglaterra (especialmente Londres) son detalladas y precisas.
El personaje principal es interesante y, pese a su tamaño y cuerpo fornido, no está hecho para la batalla y siente miedo, mostrando sus debilidades y sus fortalezas.
El crimen es interesante pero simple, aunque el protagonista, Roger Chapman, nos recalca a lo largo del libro que, al ser su primera vez, hizo muchas cosas mal y pasó por alto algunos detalles, cosa que es lógica y me ha gustado ver.
Honestamente ha sido una sorpresa. No había escuchado sobre este libro y, si no hubiera sido por el apagón del 28 de abril, no lo hubiera leído hasta mucho más avanzado el año o incluso el año que viene. Me alegro de haberlo leído ahora.
February 3, 2021
It is 1522 and Roger is 70 years old—his mother having told him he was born on the same date as Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Feeling that he does not have much time left to him, he decides to put pen to paper and recount his adventures. His first adventure opens in May 1471. Roger has just left behind his life as a novice at the Glastonbury Abbey for that of a chapman (itinerate pedlar), explaining that he was never cut out for a monastic life and prefers the outdoors and being his own master. Roger also has a problematic relationship with God. In Bristol, he meets Alderman Weaver and learns of the mysterious disappearance six months earlier of that man’s son, Clement Weaver, while on a trip to London. Roger admits he intends to go to London and agrees to make inquiries about Clement. Roger has been on the road for several months and has almost forgotten his promise to the Alderman until he learns of the disappearances of Sir Richard Mallory and his servant, from the Crossed Hands Inn, the same inn in London where young Clement was last seen. Roger now feels that it is God who has intervened to require learn the truth behind these mysteries. In solving these mysteries, Roger also becomes involved in solving the disappearance of Anne Neville, earning the everlasting gratitude of Richard of Gloucester.
The plot is well constructed and fairly fast paced, and Roger is an attractive protagonist even though he can be pretty obtuse in catching onto clues.. There were also interesting details about medieval life, particularly in London where “corpsing” was practiced, i.e., retrieving bodies from the Thames, the clothes stripped and sold, and the bodies returned to the river.
The plot is well constructed and fairly fast paced, and Roger is an attractive protagonist even though he can be pretty obtuse in catching onto clues.. There were also interesting details about medieval life, particularly in London where “corpsing” was practiced, i.e., retrieving bodies from the Thames, the clothes stripped and sold, and the bodies returned to the river.
November 16, 2011
This is the first book of a twenty book series of medieval mysteries featuring Roger the Chapman written by Kate Sedley. I read it for simple pleasures and to check if the series is worth reading. The main character, Roger the Chapman, has given up a monk's cell for the freedom of peddling his wares on the road. He apparently has a knack for bumping into murder mysteries waiting for him to solve.
The author does a good job of placing the story within historical events and living conditions of England in the year 1471 near the end of the War of the Roses. However, I've concluded the book is more of a murder mystery than it is a historical novel. (It's interesting to note that the term "War of the Roses" is not mentioned in the book which I presume is historically correct in that the term was probably developed later by historians.)
At the beginning of this book Roger is a young man on his first trip to London. Along the way he learns of two missing person cases of others who have previously travelled to London and disappeared. Friends and family of these missing persons ask Roger to check into their disappearances and see if he can solve the mystery of what happened to them. Well, he checks into the mystery and almost becomes another missing person statistic in the process. Readers shouldn't be too surprised to learn that he lives through the experience since we know that he needs to survive to tell the stories contained in the next nineteen books of the series.
The author does a good job of placing the story within historical events and living conditions of England in the year 1471 near the end of the War of the Roses. However, I've concluded the book is more of a murder mystery than it is a historical novel. (It's interesting to note that the term "War of the Roses" is not mentioned in the book which I presume is historically correct in that the term was probably developed later by historians.)
At the beginning of this book Roger is a young man on his first trip to London. Along the way he learns of two missing person cases of others who have previously travelled to London and disappeared. Friends and family of these missing persons ask Roger to check into their disappearances and see if he can solve the mystery of what happened to them. Well, he checks into the mystery and almost becomes another missing person statistic in the process. Readers shouldn't be too surprised to learn that he lives through the experience since we know that he needs to survive to tell the stories contained in the next nineteen books of the series.
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