Status
Call number
Publication
Collection
Description
I had never seen Master John Wyclif so afflicted. He was rarely found at such a loss when in disputation with other masters. He told me later, when I had returned them to him, that it was as onerous to plunder a bachelor scholar's books as it would be to steal another man's wife. I had, at the time, no way to assess the accuracy of that opinion, for I had no wife and few books ...' So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton, near Oxford, and bailiff of Bampton Castle at the behest of Lord Gilbert Talbot. Hugh sets his cap at the delightful Kate, who proves equally resourceful in the search for the missing books. Some very determined adversaries are out to stop him, permanently if necessary - but are they motivated by greed or a more personal animosity? Then the corpse of a poor scholar, who had tried to sell one of the books, is found in the river: but he had not simply drowned ...… (more)
User reviews
This is the third book in a series featuring Hugh de Singleton, and it was my first exposure to the series. Historical mysteries are my favorite genre, and I'm pleased to have another series to add to those that I follow. While Hugh isn't as quick witted as the protagonists in some series, his companions have complimentary strengths, and they work well together. My one complaint is that this book refers in too much detail to events in the two previous books in the series and gives away spoiler information about their plots and the culprits of the crimes investigated in those books. I'll need to wait a while to read those books and hope that I forget what I learned about them from this book.
While regular readers of Christian fiction will recognize the publisher as a Christian publishing firm, the Christian content is incorporated so naturally into the story that it will not turn off other readers. Recommended for both historical fiction and Christian fiction enthusiasts.
This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
.
This third installment focuses on the relationship between Kate and Hugh, and of course he has a mystery to solve as Doctor John Wycliffe has had all his books stolen. An event which causes Hugh’s friend and mentor some distress- he was a scholar who relied on his books after all. Hugh employer Lord Gilbert Talbot's encouragement to find a wife gives Hugh the perfect excuse to stay in Oxford, and help Master Wycliffe. Of course, Hugh soon falls into trouble as Sir Simon Trillowe is literally willing to go to any lengths to get him out of the way- and it is all the harder to deal with him as his father holds the authority of Sheriff.
Yet the frequency and nature of nefarious plots do harm to or do away with our hero seem to be getting a little implausible. How many times can someone break into his room or his house at night, ambush him in the street, kidnap him, or attack him, and he just narrowly escape? It does seem to be getting to be a little bit of a worn out formula now and perhaps a tad predictable.
I also had a few issues with Hugh himself in the story. For instance, when he is thrown into jail on false charges and facing execution (begging the question of whether a member of the gentry classes actually could be treated thus), he prays in desperation as he can think of no way out, but, when the situation is resolved, he is not depicted as grateful or thankful to God for apparently answering his prayers.
Instead he whines. Also, his lying does get a bit much after a while, especially when there would be other ways to deal with the situation, and his automatic assumption that he is not as bad as others, or that God won’t mind. The ending also seemed a little but rushed, resolved very quickly seemingly without much explanation of the motives of those involved.
Altogether A Trail of Ink is an enjoyable mystery story and light read that does not rely on gory murders (in fact this event does not happen until over halfway through the book), in a fascinating and well-researched setting. The said, the elements of the story which can be repetitive, formulaic and predictable were a shortcoming, which could perhaps prove problematic if the series continues.
Set in the 1630s, this book tells a tale of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff, who ventures into Oxford to woo a lady. While there, he finds that 22 books have
I can't tell what happens with the young lady without spoiling the plot, so I will just encourage others to read this book! It's not always an easy read since it is written in what is considered to be the style of the medieval era, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. While there are some allusions to events from the previous books in the series, it can easily be read on its own.
I received this book from the publisher through the Early Reviewer program. I will be seeking out the first two volumes in the series and anticipating the publication of the fourth volume.
Second, Hugh is on a quest to find a wife. With little experience in the ways of winning a young maiden's hand, Hugh sets out to court the young lady who caught his attention in the second chronicle, "A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel." The object of his affections, Kate Caxton, is witty, intelligent, and comely. She attracts more than her share of attention and has no shortage of suitors from which to choose. Will Hugh be able to win over the beautiful Kate or has he met his match in the form of Sir Simon Trillowe? Only time will tell as we follow Hugh on this adventures in Oxford.
The Bottom Line: The third book in the series is a quick and enjoyable weekend read. This chronicle features fewer surgeries than the first two books and more emphasis is placed on Hugh's exploration of faith. However, there are still plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. Highly entertaining and recommended for fans of medieval mysteries. Also, recommended for fans of Christian fiction. A glossary of medieval words and a map of Oxford are included.
Hugh's character was witty and caring, and the type of man I would enjoy associating with. While he took his job seriously, I appreciated the somewhat funny remarks he made on occasion.
Perhaps it is because I haven't read the previous two books, but I was left wondering what the characters look like. It did allow me to use my imagination which I liked somewhat, but I didn't even know how old he was. The same was for all the characters. With Kate, the girl Hugh fancies, all I know is that she's mind-blowingly beautiful. I wanted to know what color hair and eyes she had but was left to come to my own conclusions. While this did not cause me to enjoy the book any less, I was wondering throughout the book what the characters looked like.
The romance between Hugh and Kate was very sweet, proper, and not excessive. I found myself smiling at some of their conversations. They were a perfect couple! I did long to know more about them both, but I suppose that's what I get for reading the third book in the series first. ;)
As for content, there was nothing at all! After thinking for a while, the only thing I could think of to mention is that Kate is very beautiful and Hugh notices many men attracted to her. Other than that, there wasn't even a kiss! Very clean. There was some mild gore but it was very minimal. As a surgeon, Hugh had to set a a broken collar bone, find out of a corpse they found in the river really drowned or if it was foul play, and inspect a man with a few knife wounds. Nothing is really graphic or anything. I wasn't out of ease at all.
All in all, this was a good, simple, story set in medieval times. If you are looking for an action-pact suspense or a surprise ending or anything, this book won't amount - but if you are looking for an interesting story with some mild mystery, this is a book for you!
I really liked the map of Oxford and the glossary of medieval terms. The author works history into his story nicely. There are also glimmers of good characterization, but I'm afraid I never warmed up to Hugh. It could be the first person format, I rarely like that, but his words and thoughts came across as wooden to me. Also repetitive. I see much potential in Hugh, but in this story his thoughts were shallow and unfinished, as was his faith. I couldn't relate to a person who is set up to be very intelligent, but seems to behave almost simple-minded at times. I like my detectives to be the clever ones, ahead of the rest of the bunch.
That being said, I still enjoyed this book, the feel of the town of Oxford, and the people there. I'm not sure I enjoyed it enough to seek out the other novels in this series. I received this book for review from the Early Reviewers program on Library Thing.
I was afraid that the comparisons would follow fast and
Overall: I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, light, fun read. I will definitely seek out the first two books and keep an eye out for any others that may follow this one. Two thumbs up.
I
I credit my fascination w/ this genre to the pace of life in those times as it compares to the modern pace-too darn fast! The fastest they can travel is the speed at which a horse can gallop! I must have been born a few hundred years too late!
Kate’s character is that of an independent woman who is an equal partner in a relationship and one willing to take the lead at times, including looking for murderers. She is not the typical 14-century woman. She is one of the more interesting characters in the novel; otherwise it follows the familiar pattern of medieval mysteries.
There was a custom slip on the envelope the book came in and it was marked “religious book.” I would not classify it as that although Hugh has moments of turning to God for help which seemed contrived.
I enjoyed the book but would not go looking for another to read.
Aside from the obvious restrictions of no phones, electricity, etc., this book was not full of medieval ambience to make it feel like the crime could have only happened in medieval times. However, it
One minor quibble I had with the novel is that a map of Oxford was included. Although not key to the plot, there is a point in the story that if you refer to the map and the story, there are inconsistencies in the map and the way Starr has set the story.
One particularly interesting aspect of the depiction of Hugh is that, despite his modesty, the reader can see that he is "a man of parts" by the reaction of others to him: the friendship of John Wyclif, the trust imposed by Lord Gilbert in Hugh by making him his bailiff, and the preference shown to him by Kate, the stationer's daughter, whom he's busy courting when not trying to find Wyclif's stolen books.
Starr rarely misses a step in writing about the medieval period, and the reader gets a feel for the importance of religion in everyday life; the monotony of the diet of the lower classes and such groups as scholars, especially as contrasted with the multiple courses and elaborate cuisine enjoyed by the aristocracy; and the limits of medieval medicine (actually, it's more efficacious in these novels than it probably was in reality, as infection seems to play less of a role that it would have historically).
One litmus test for me is whether, when I finish a book, I want to pick up the next book in the series. Starr's series passes with flying colors--I can't wait to read the next book!
There are references to God here and
Mel Starr has written of a down-to-earth hero, with a quiet, steadfast faith, great sense of humour and a love of good food. The dialogue is written with a taste of mediaeval speech, but not too much to be distracting or difficult. Instead it helps to place the reader in the period and adds a charming, interesting variance to our accustomed modern speech.
A Trail of Ink is the third in the series of Hugh de Singleton. I've already ordered the first two so I can spend more time in the company of the appealing Hugh and I'm looking forward to the recently released fourth, Unhallowed Ground.
In his search for the missing books, Hugh meets some very determined adversaries who are out to stop him, permanently if necessary. Later, a young scholar who attempted to sell one of the missing books, is found floating in the the river. What starts out as a case of missing books, suddenly seems to take a turn for something much more complicated and dangerous. Kate, also steps in to help Hugh in his quest to solves the mystery. The sooner they do, the sooner they can get married.
This was an excellent mystery with lots of research by the author to make the timeframe authentic and intriguing to read. This is the third chronicle in the Hugh de Singleton series, but the first I had read. I had no trouble reading it out of order and really enjoyed this mystery.
I really enjoy this series and only have 2 more to add to my collection. I highly recommend them!
Our protagonist, Hugh de Singleton, is bailiff for Lord Talbot, a local nobleman. In this capacity, he investigates crimes, and is a tenacious man when he finds
In this volume, the mystery begins calmly enough when Hugh’s old professor Wycliffe reports that his entire library of books—a valuable commodity—has been stolen. The case gets more complicated, with some red herrings thrown in, and of course some danger involved. The actual murder in this instance doesn’t even happen until halfway through the book.
The characters are a mixed lot, but Hugh is a good man and true. He is currently searching for a wife after Lord Talbot recommends he settle down. Enter Kate, who made an appearance in the previous book and has a bigger role here. Hugh has a rival that will probably cause more trouble in future books, but so far, the romance is going well, although it’s only a small part of the overall story.
Descriptions are done very well, and the pacing is fine. As with the previous books in this series, the pacing is quite slow through most of the story, which forces the reader to consider the slower speed of everyday life in the setting. The ending came up quickly and was over fast, as with many historical mysteries.
Some violence (circa 1465), no foul language, no sex.