In this novel, Edward Marston continues his colorful, historically fascinating series of mysteries set in England, just after the Norman Conquest, during the reign of William the Conqueror. Each novel draws upon an actual entry in the Domesday Book, a massive record compiled by royal tribunals sent by William to assess taxes and survey landholdings. The small village of Maldon is controlled by the wealthy and rapacious Fitzcorbucion family, led by Hamo Fitzcorbucion, the lord of Blackwater Castle. A volatile bully, Hamo has amassed wealth and land by means both legal and shady, intimidating the villagers into silence. When his eldest son, Guy, is found murdered, an enraged Hamo demands justice and will stop at nothing to get it. Into this charged atmosphere arrives a tribunal, led by soldier Ralph Delchard and lawyer Gervase Bret. Surveying the lands of Maldon, the tribunal detects irregularities in various deeds, and plans to call the Fitzcorbucion family to account. With tension high between Saxon and Norman factions in the village, Ralph and Gervase find some relaxation in the gentler company of nuns. But Guy's murder, and Hamo's quest for revenge, force Ralph and Gervase to deal with dangerous matters far beyond their original duties.
Keith Miles (born 1940) is an English author, who writes under his own name and also historical fiction and mystery novels under the pseudonym Edward Marston. He is known for his mysteries set in the world of Elizabethan theatre. He has also written a series of novels based on events in the Domesday Book, a series of The Railway Detective and a series of The Home Front Detective.
This one was a disappointment to me. I had really enjoyed the first book in this series, in part because of the suspense created by the unknown beast that was running about in the woods killing people, but this one lacked that. It was very dull and a struggle to get through. Not much really happens in it although there are a few slight twists and a few riddles too.
And as for the killer, well, I had guessed early on the sex of the killer although not the exact person. I had thought it was very obvious.
As for the story itself, it's about a power hungry family that is stealing land and animals from the middle class. And torturing the poor slaves. Then these men arrive in town to solve the murder and stop the thieving. By the end came near I was so bored I really didn't care what was going on!
the continuing series of the commissioners detailing the doomsday book and this time they are at the Essex town of Maldon and looking into tax and land deeds and again a murder happened as they seek out the killer and the other problem of the land claims. liked the character thinking he was still fighting the battle of Maldon between the Saxons and the Vikings.
First Sentence: Blackwater Hall seemed to hover like a bird of prey over the river estuary whose name it held in its eager talons.
Norman-born soldier Sir Ralph Delchaird and Briton/Saxon lawyer, Gervase Bret, along with two clerics, travel to the Esex town of Maldon to investigate possible land-transfer irregularities for King William and the Domesday Book. The eldest son of FitzCorbucion of Blackwood Hall, the family suspected of illegal dealings, has been murdered. His younger brother is certain of the murderer; Delchaird and a married priest in the town, are less convinced.
The first thing I appreciated about this about this book, and the series, is that each incident is based an actual entry in the Domesday Book.
The difference between the two men’s backgrounds, both in origin and experience, gives good contrast and makes them a great team. The book has delightful humor which offsets the occasional violence and darkness of the period.
Marston conveys the period well; he certainly doesn’t pretty it up at all. In fact, to me, the sign of an author who has done his research and whose books are historically accurate is when you read books by other authors set in the same period and all their facts mesh.
The story is well done and kept involved from the first page to the very last. I highly recommend it for any who loves history, mysteries, and/or both.
THE RAVENS OF BLACKWATER (Hist. Mys-Ralph Delchard/Gervase Bret-England-1000s) - VG Marston, Edward – 2nd in series St. Martin’s Press, 1994, US Hardcover – ISBN: 0312113307
Thanks to Lesley@allisonandbusby for Book 2 of the Domesday Series which I very much enjoyed. I am going to reread this whole series ( read 1-3 in the past).Book #2 had much more vibrant characterization than the first, often the case for series!
Continuing to follow Gervase Bret,chancery legal expert and half Saxon,and Ralph Delchaird Norman soldier and their clerical assistants, as they continue to follow problems in the Domesday Book. The foursome and it's escorts are much more comfortable with each other than in the pilot book of the series.
There continue to be tensions between Saxons, Normans, and occasionally Danes in the recently conquered land, and the mix of this group of "fixers" seem to work well. Post Norman Conquest 11th Century England is quite fascinating in it's customs laws and mores and I am on to the next volume.
This is another solid book in this series about 11th century commissioners in England investigating the Domesday Book records and anomalies. I love how the author includes a lot of interesting historical tidbits along with the fiction (the unique Saxon names are really funny) and the mystery is generally pretty solid. There are basically four main characters that all ran together, though, and that's the only reason I didn't rate it any higher. I do plan to read more in this series.
I’m so impressed by Edward Marston. In whatever period he sets his stories, they read convincingly. This is an entertaining mystery, the duo of Ralph and Gervase combine well, there’s a suitably villainous Norman lord tyrannising the local Saxons, a bunch of nuns and some star-crossed lovers. The setting, in Maldon and the Blackwater, is very well evoked.
While I am a big fan of Edward Marston's harmless, enjoyable mysteries, I cannot say that this series is my favourite. Indeed, having read the first book years ago, I have only just embarked on the second, and this only because it was available as an audiobook and I didn't have to invest any real time in reading it. The problem with this series is Ralph Delchard. I know that he is a soldier and therefore is true to character, but his boorish, bluff, coarse personality grates on me and I find him a very hard read as a character. While I am by no means a woman who analyses every book in terms of the female characters and how they are treated, I did find it a bit unsavoury to have him leering and lusting constantly after the young nun Sister Teckla. She was a religeuse yet he still spoke about her in what I found were disparaging and quite disgusting terms. This may be how a soldier would behave, but he was hardly a simple private but a soldier of rank who should have known better. Furthermore, none of the men around him - neither Gervase Bret nor the other ecclesiastics - seemed to take him to task about it. This, as well as his constant harping on about the oddly named residents of Maldon seemed to mark his behaviour as puerile and immature.
Apart from Ralph Delchard, the book was quite good and I am sure I would enjoy the entire series had this character a different personality. Realistic as his character might be, I read for pleasure and reading Ralph gives me no pleasure at all, so I choose not to do so.
This is the second book in Edward Marston ‘Domesday’ series and is just as good as the first. I like the author a lot, I think he is one of the very best in this genre of Historical Crime. His novels span from the 1100’s, as in this series, right through to the 1900’s, as in The Home Front Detective which is set in WWII. He is very easy to read, his characters are always very likeable and his plotting is superb and you never know who the perpetrator is until the very last chapter. This one twisted in many different ways and had me turning the pages very quickly. Royal Commissioners Ralph and Gervase have been sent to investigate the Blackwater Estate in Essex to see if the land that they own is legitimate for it is alleged that over the years the notorious land owner has bullied and also killed in order to seize land and increase the size of his estate. Just before our two Commissioners arrive the eldest son of the landowner is viciously murdered and this throws a completely different light on their investigations. It seems that almost anyone can come under suspicion, even the local priory. The author always writes a really enjoyable and fascinating story and so far the Domesday series is no exception. Full marks 5/5
This series is pretty bleak and sad, with darkness and misery everywhere and a near-total lack of hope or beauty. I mean, times were tough in the medieval period, but there were bright spots too and people did live good and happy lives back then too, believe it or not.
In this book, the group of King's Agents are sent to Maldon where they are to check into the excesses of a noble family who has been taking land, killing people, raping women, and pretty much every evil thing imaginable.
I remember reading this series in the past, from the library and got tot he point I didn't care if I kept reading and I think I understand why; its just too soulless and miserable. The lead character knight is a horrible person who spares no moment to attack and mock Christianity and faith, and lust after every woman in the crudest terms. Every single open Christian in the book save one is a hypocrite or screwed up. Its just wearying to read
But its well written, the mystery is well-crafted, and the Domesday Book concept is really interesting. I just wish it was better handled.
King William the Conqueror handpicked team commissioned to resolve issues found in the Domesday inventory of England. This trip takes them to Essex and the town of Maldon where Hamo FitzCorbucion, Master of Blackwater Hall, has greatly increased his estate by nefarious means. The commissioners arrive to discover that Hamo's son Guy has been brutally murdered and a family heirloom chalice has disappeared. Not only must they investigate the land holdings, but solve this mystery before their work is done.
Ralph and Gervase are travelling to Essex to enquire into the discrepancies in the dealings of the FitzCorucion family. En route, they encounter two nuns being attacked by a band of robbers and this is the start of the adventure which soon finds them seeking a murderer.
The same mix of characters found in previous stories, from the rotund cleric and his devout assistant to the carrier and his friend the lawyer. Fast action, some intrigue and sufficient twists to make a good read.
I couldnt find book1 of this series in my local bookshop but it made no difference to start from book2. It was a fun read. Most medieval books concentrate the crusades or the war of the roses so it makes a good difference to have something in the norman period. the characters are good and believable, the plot is interesting and the period comes alive well. i will try to get to the others in this series maybe by ebook.
Good early instalment in the Domesday series which sets out the characters of the Royal commissioners as they sort out a bully baron in Maldon. Much hilarity is had by the characters with some of the names of the locals. There is also an unsolved murder, suspicious nuns and a thwarted love affair to deal with before the breathless ending.
It’s good and I am enjoying some of the characters and there is now a degree of comradeship that was a it lacking in the previous books. There is this odd way of talking that strikes me as off putting and can make it extremely trying to read but overall the flow of the story and how evocative the past is brought back to life it’s still enthralling and beguiling.
The quartet of agents commissioned by William the Conqueror to investigate inconsistencies in the Domesday Books are back, this time to look into charges against Hamo Fitzcorbucion, lord of Blackwater Castle, that he stole land from his tenants. Forgery, theft, and murder muddy the waters in this intriguing mystery set in medieval England.
This is a good 11th century mystery, set in England just after William the Conqueror's battle at Hastings where he won and took over the country. In addition to the murder mystery part of the story, there is a lot of interesting historical context that the reader doesn't usually get from reading just an overview of the time period.
As good as the first book with very likeable characters and fascinating how they combine their various talents in discovering the problems and solutions of wherever they are sent?
This is another wonderfully written second book in the series. The royal commission is again sidetracked to solve another mystery as well as bringing justice to some disputes over land.
This was disappointing compared to the first domesday book. It was a quick read with the same narrative theme as the first book, but far less thrilling or eventful. The ending was silly and seemed contrived. Underwhelming.
When the unpleasant eldest son of an unpleasant landholder in Blackwater is murdered, Gervase and Ralph get involved to try and save a presumably innocent Saxon teenager. With a group of suspicious nuns, angry Saxons, and the duos' hosts, son behaving in a peculiar manner, the pair have a lot of investigating to do before they get to the truth
Well plotted with intriguing characters. But based on the first book, I easily figured out the culprit. I hope he doesn't continue to follow this formula.