The Dragons of Archenfield

I am upset with myself that it has taken me so long to discover Edward Marston. The Domesday series is a winner! This is the third in the series, and it is totally wonderful! The Domesday Book has taken Ralph and Gervaise to the Welsh/English border, and they encounter a real hornet's nest there. They are dealing with two very dangerous March lords who are trying to establish their hold on the lands that they feel they are entitled to. The problem is that the Welsh also feel that they have a claim, and before the book is done a squaring off is done that has the potential to take a lot of lives. These books are totally wonderful! They are rich with period detail and best of all they are set in a little known period of England's history ( During the time of William the Conqueror). The characters are strong, the story is strong, and the mystery is tight. Altogether a real treat!

Edward Marston is the pseudonym of Keith Miles, a fairly prolific and extremely good writer of mainly Elizabethan and medieval mysteries. He has also written mysteries under his own name with both sporting and golf backgrounds. However it is primarily the books that take place earlier in history that I am interested in. He read modern history at Oxford and has had many jobs, including university lecturer, but fortunately for all his readers, he turned to the writing profession. After reading the first book in the series, I avidly sought out all the other books by Edward Marston and not a single one has ever disappointed me. They are about a period of history that I love. His Elizabethan theatre series of books were wonderful and he has continued them through from 1988 to 2006. The Domesday series is also a great series and this is the second book in the series. The Domesday series is about a period in England's history shortly after the Norman conquest , during the reign of William the Conqueror. It was King William himself who called for an `inventory' to assess taxes and survey landholdings. This inventory was called the Domesday book and was a tremendous undertaking, but one that brought stability to England. Edward Marston's Domesday novels are based upon actual entries in the Domesday Book. Archenfield in Herefordshire is to all intents and purposes a no-man's-land that acts as a buffer between Norman controlled England and the Welsh border. Ralph Delchard and his lawyer associate and friend Gervase Bret arrive for what should be one of their more straightforward assignments for the crown. To settle conflicting claims for ownership of land, but they are shocked to discover the murder of a principal witness, burned alive in his own home. Documents that are essential to the land claim are thought to have been lost in the fire. While trying to sort out the land dispute the pair are drawn into a search for a killer . . .

Edward Marston pens enthralling mysteries during an exciting and intersting time of history, the Norman Conquest of England and the ensuing "Domesday Book" I am only sorry to discover him when all his books are not readily available.He provides incites regarding the relationships of Normans, Saxsons and Welsh for the history buff. For those who love mysteries he provides an interesting group of detectives a knight - Ralph, a lawyer Gervase, Canon Hubert and Brother Simon. Marston deftly combines mystery, action and romance in a historical setting.

Best of the series so far. Ralph and Gervase are two of the most full bodied dectives since Leaphorn and Chee. Red Herrings abound as they try to find out who killed a Saxon with claims to contested land. Golde adds a much needed twist to the foursome trying to settle land claims for King William.

Two civil servants ride into 11th-century Wales on routine business and find themselves confronted with a diabolical murder. In a country chafing under Norman domination, murder turns out to be the least of their worries.This skillful blend of mystery and action (and romance) held my attention so thoroughly that I finished it in one sitting. Fans of Peters' Brother Cadfael should find themselves at home with Marston's Delchard and Gervase