The Wicked Winter

Roger the Chapman #6

by Kate Sedley

Despite the wintry weather, Roger the traveling Chapman is once again relishing the freedom of his calling. As he journeys west, he finds himself following in the footsteps of an itinerant preacher, Brother Simeon, whose fiery sermons are the talk of the countryside. Roger, who has met the Dominican friar before, and finds his zeal wearying, is less than enthused when they meet at Cederwell Manor, where Simeon has come to pray with Lady Cederwell and Roger to sell her his wares.

But scarcely have the two men arrived when Lady Cederwell is found dead, sprawled on the frozen earth beneath the ancient tower she had converted into her private chapel, the circumstances strangely fulfilling the prophecy of a babbling hermit Roger had met on the road. Suddenly the friar and the Chapman are united by their aim-to discover the truth behind the death at Cederwell Manor.

In this, the sixth in her atmospheric and thoughtful detective series, Kate Sedley confirms her place in the world of medieval crime fiction.

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

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

Brenda 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.

Reviews

[dOnnabud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this is my favorite novel in the series so far, and I adore each one (I'm reading them chronologically). Kate Sedley crafts an intriguing Medieval atmosphere which is the perfect backdrop for Roger the Chapman's winter adventure. The setting is vivid, the characters well-rounded, the plot gripping, and the resolution completely unanticipated but very satisfactory.

Some favorite passages:
"Against an overcast sky the leafless branches of the trees raised knotted arms in a silent, defiant gesture ...." page 26

"In her grey gown and slippers, untidy locks of white hair pushing out from beneath her hood, she was like a wisp of smoke waiting to be blown away by the first puff of wind." page 41

[Jena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Kate Sedley novel and overall I really liked it. I thought the characters were interesting and the mystery was intriguing. To be honest, though the ending really fell apart for me. I thought the identity of the killer was just too far of a stretch and even farther a stretch that anyone would have been able to work it all out with the information at hand.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It broke my heart that this one started in JANUARY. What? What about that superfun holiday just days before? I do love a Christmas cozy. Ah well, there's another one down the line in the series so I'll get there. In the meantime, we do have a moody, isolated manor house full of love triangles and gossip, where everyone gets snowed in just long enough for a bunch of people to meet their untimely ends and for Roger to point the finger. It's a lot of fun, and perfect for curling up with when snow is blowing outside (as it is here). But it isn't Christmasy. Unfortunately.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, and am currently working my way through its entirety. Of course this charming character is created by a woman! I really enjoy learning about medieval life in such a pleasant way:)

[James Mort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the Roger the Chapman series because they offer historical accuracy, a good mystery, full characters, and none of the foul language so many books sink to. Very enjoyable reads.

[Alexia Athanassiadou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Γιατί μου αρέσει να διαβάζω μεσαιωνικά μυστήρια; Γιατί δεν σε απογοητεύει ποτέ. Ακόμα και αν η ιστορία δεν είναι αυτό που λέμε σούπερ ουαου, πάντα κάτι θα βρεις στους χαρακτήρες που θα σου τραβήξει το ενδιαφέρον. Το έγκλημα στον πύργο είναι αυτό ακριβώς που λέει ο τίτλος. Ένα έγκλημα σε έναν πύργο , το οποιο τυχαία ανακαλύπτει ο Ροβηρος ο Γυρολόγος και επειδή είναι πολύ περίεργος άνθρωπος θέλει να ανακαλύψει ποιος το εκανε.
Οι χαρακτήρες που πλαισιώνουν τον ήρωα της ιστορίας , Ροβηρο είναι ενδιαφεροντες και παράξενοι μέσα στο πλαίσιο της ιστορίας. Δεν είναι όλοι αυτό που φαίνονται και αυτό που φαίνεται δεν είναι πάντα λάθος. Υπάρχει ένα θρησκευτικό πλαίσιο κάτω από το οποίο η όλη ιστορία εξελίσσεται αλλά δεν το βρήκα τόσο ενοχλητικό όσο περίμενα αν και είναι λίγο παράλογο όταν το βάζεις στο πλαίσιο της δικιάς μας εποχής. Πολυ συμπαθητικό όμως και πολύ ευχαριστο ανάγνωσμα.

[Cindie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the back and some reviewers compare this series to the Brother Cadefal series. I definitely disagree. Roger Chapman is not as intelligent as the Brother. He blames some of his actions on immaturity, however, some of his actions this book border on the stupidity. I don't want to hide this review so I won't spoil it, but this book made me want to hit Roger upside his head...

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and very well plotted. The identity of the murderer was well concealed until the very end.

[Cheri Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the better ones. Very good.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not get into the book at all.

[Angela Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was slow to start but worth it in the wild ride where it ended. I felt each character and enjoyed the mystery with funny interactions and happening.

[Megan]

This Roger the Chapman did not disappoint. The winter weather was prominent in the book. As always the details of the historical fiction are fascinating. Good character development, A quick interesting mystery.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the time of the Wars of the Roses, these novels give readers a double pleasure: lots of good cultural and social, as well as historical, detail about Medieval England and really fun puzzle/murder mysteries. It helps that the protagonist "detective," a chapman (travelling salesman) who has a background in the holy orders and is big, good looking, and skillful at fighting, is engaging and sympathetic (often fooled along with the reader).

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the better written books that I've read in the series so far. It was suspenseful and didn't give itself away as I've felt the earlier ones did. The main character, Roger, is aging in the series and seems to be thinking more as a character. The writing style is the same but it seems more solid in this book.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dead bodies are piling up and Roger the Chapman, away from home and caught out by a spell of bad weather, can find no reason for who is committing these murders and why. There is nothing for him to do but talk to all his fellow inhabitants of Cederwell Manor and to try solve the murders before he himself is despatched by the murderer who must surely be amongst them.

[Mimi]

Period details enliven this medieval mystery series.
Roger the Chapman is stranded at a manor with a traveling priest when several unexplained deaths occur.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adventure with Roger Chapman. He travels west during the cold winter months where he is held up by a blizzard and the mysterious death of the lady of the manor. Medieval crime fiction.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable for its setting in medieval England, including a medieval mindset. Will read another.

[Andrea Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story by Kate Sedley.