Those who go by night A novel

Set in England in 1324, Gaddes's excellent debut focuses on a turf war between rival church factions, each with a stake in solving the murder of a beggar found draped across a church altar as if he were a pagan sacrifice in the village of Bottesford. At the insistence of the worldly Bishop of Lincoln, Thomas Lester, the talented son of a disgraced Templar knight, travels to Bottesford to investigate. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a stalwart supporter of the pope, dispatches Father Justus, a Dominican friar, to conduct a separate inquiry. Thomas clashes with Justus, who's keen to uncover heretics in the village, and other cunning, often depraved opponents. Fortunately, Thomas discovers an ally in Alice Kyteler, a real-life "witch" of the period, who's not afraid to challenge church orthodoxy. The tension builds steadily, with plot twists coming thick and fast toward the end. Despite some graphic violence and the occasional jarring use of a modern word like uptight, fans of historical mysteries will find this a highly satisfying page-turner. Agent: Mitchell Waters, Curtis Brown. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

DEBUT When a body is found draped over an altar in Saint Mary's Church in Bottesford, England, 1324, the Bishop of Lincoln sends Thomas Lester to investigate, fearing the Pope's inquisitor general is eyeing England and hoping Lester will find the killer before the townspeople come under suspicion. By the time Lester arrives, it's too late. Friar Justus, one of the Dominican monks called "the hounds of God," is already there. While Lester and the local constable question people carefully, the monk hounds people until they lie, afraid they'll be accused of witchcraft or tortured. When another murder occurs and a man is falsely accused, Lester gets entangled in a web of deceit, depravity, and superstition. Meanwhile, four women, including one in hiding, are determined to save themselves from the church's deadly plans. VERDICT This is a solid debut historical mystery that rebukes history's treatment of women. Readers of Tania Bayard's In the Presence of Evil or Jeri Westerson's "Crispin Guest" mysteries will appreciate this new entry that delves into superstition and the power of the church in the 14th century.-Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A nave investigator in medieval England faces a wall of duplicitous suspects in probing a disturbing murder.In 1324, during the reign of feckless Edward II, elderly priest Roger Lacy, who's known better days, is reduced to begging in Bottesford and sleeping under a hedge. He's taking a moment to pray in Saint Mary's Church when a hooded figure murders him and places his corpse on the altar in a clear act of blasphemy. The impressionable pope has fallen under the thrall of inquisitor general Bernard de Gui, who sees witches and demons around every corner and might well use the killing as an excuse for a large-scale inquisition. So the Bishop of Lincoln dispatches his young protg Thomas Lester to monitor the situation, perhaps solve the crime, and, the bishop mischievously suggests, find a wife. As it happens, Thomas soon strikes romantic sparks with Cecily, a titled Bottesford lass. Most everyone else he meets, however, is both suspicious and standoffish. Pretentious, influential Friar Justus admires de Gui. Cecily's reclusive stepmother, Isabella, met with the murdered man shortly before his death. Chaplain Father Elyas casts suspicion on miller Tom Attwood, who reacts violently to the accusation. The drunken Attwood becomes the second victim of the mysterious hooded figure, who stages his death to look like a suicide. After hearing the protestations of the miller's wife, Thomas is skeptical of this version of events. An unsettling encounter in the woods with Cecily's saucy maid, Alice, reintroduces the specter of sorcery and reminds Thomas of his own unworldliness. He realizes that he must attend to his own safety as he attempts to discover the truth.Rooted in the tumultuous history of its unique era, Gaddes' debut novel offers genuine tension and consistent surprises. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.