No Dark Place

The setting - immediately following the Battle of the Standard, August 1138. Hugh Corbaille's father dies while fighting for King Stephen. Hugh is heartbroken but his life is about to take an unexpected turn. He will be discovered to be the long lost only son and heir to the Earldom of Wiltshire. It is an honor that Hugh does not want and it takes a long time to convince him that he is indeed Hugh deLeon. Ralf Corbaille the Sheriff of Lincoln has been the only father he has ever known and loved. His foster mother Adela was also much cherished by Hugh. His life was much simpler and peaceful before finding out his true identity. With this discovery that he is really the deLeon heir he embarks on a deadly and mysterious quest to find out why his real father was brutally murdered in the family chapel. The current Earl of Wiltshire, Guy deLeon, younger brother of Hugh's father and Hugh's Uncle is suspected of being behind the murder to gain his brother's lands and title. However, things are not as they would seem to be and Hugh begins to investigate. As he delves deeper into the murder mystery he uncovers additional suspects with motives to murder. The murderer isn't discovered until nearly the end of the novel and it is a shock to Hugh. This is a very engaging novel and I just couldn't put it down. It's a true edge of your seat mystery! I really didn't like Hugh that much in the beginning but quickly warmed up to him as his character became more developed. His situation was difficult at best so his reactions and attitudes were truly understandable.

I'm amazed that more people don't like this book! Only three stars overall, were are the literary appreciators in this world, standing behind the door me thinks!It was a great read from beginning to end, and it reminds me a lot of the Cadfael series of books in that it is set in the same time period but follows the fortunes of the young Hugh Corbaille (de Leon) and his search for his true identity and the murderer of his true Crusader father Roger de Leon.We are treated to a mystery within a mystery, first there is the mystery of who Hugh actually is and then there is the mystery of who murdered his real father.Hugh has been raised the as the adopted son of the Sheriff of Lincoln but his early childhood is shrouded in mystery. The Sheriff took him in after finding him half dead one winter's night and quickly realised the boy was not a Saxon child as he spoke Norman French and for the next thirteen years Hugh lived a happy half life, unable or unwilling remember his past but with the death of his beloved Foster Father, he finds himself travelling down a path that could either free him from his unspoken nightmares or kill him as it had killed his real father so many years before...Joan Wolf obviously did a lot of research before writing this book and I found it exciting and interesting, even enjoying the romance between Hugh and the 16 year old daughter of the Knight Nigel Haslin along with a cast of other savoury and unsavoury characters such as Hugh's Uncle, now the Earl of Wilshire, a title that in reality belongs to Hugh as his father' heir, and his troubled birth mother, the beautiful Isabel who has many secrets of her own she'd rather keep to herself.All in all it was a very good book, enjoyable all the way through and well worth reading if you get the chance.

Hugh Corbaille, the hero/sleuthe of No Dark Place, is the epitome of the charismatic hero. Short, slight, unsmiling, and efficient, he is a man to reckon with, but in Cristen Haslin he has perhaps met his match...delightfully. As Hugh strives to unravel the secret of his parentage, the reader begins to understand from whom he has inherited his compelling personality and the fortunate circumstances of his upbringing.If you enjoy seeing a strong man stand up to mental torture, you'll love No Dark Place. I did.Thank you, Joan Wolf.

You really get to know the male protaganist in this story. The romance is sweet, but not over the top/in your face. The real story here is uncovering the past for the male protaganist, and, in doing so, finding out who really murdered his father. Highly recommended. Light weight historical romance. Does make you want to go find out more about the King Stephen / Empress Matilda era of England, and how THAT issue was resolved.

Normally I wait for the paperback release; however, I decided to get this one in hardback and I'm very glad I did! It's an excellent read and I highly recommend it.